Mathurin! Den he set him other tings to do; and every month for a whole
year Mathurin come on his knees all de way to de church, but de Cure say:
'Not yet are you forgive.' At de end of de year Mathurin he look so
thin, so white, you can blow through him. Every day he go to him school
and write on de blackboar', and mark on de slate, and call de roll of de
school. But dere is no answer, for dere is no children. But all de time
de wives of de men dat he have save, and de children, dey pray for him.
And by-and-by all de village pray for him, so sorry.

"It is so for two years; and den dey say dat Mathurin he go to die. He
cannot come on his knees to de church; and de men whose life he save, dey
come to de Cure and ask him to take de penance from Mathurin. De Cure
say: 'Wait till nex' Sunday.' So nex' Sunday Mathurin is carry to de
church--he is too weak to walk on his knees. De Cure he stan' at de
altar, and he read a letter from de Pope, which say dat Mathurin his
penance is over, and he is forgive; dat de Pope himself pray for
Mathurin, to save his soul. So "Mathurin, all at once he stan' up, and
his face it smile and smile, and he stretch out his arms as if dey are on
a cross, and he say, 'Lord, I am ready to go,' and he fall down. But de
Cure catch him as he fall, and Mathurin say: 'De children--let dem come
to me dat I teach dem before I die.' And all de children in de church
dey come close to him, and he sit up and smile at dem, and he say:

"'It is de class in 'rithmetic. How much is three times four?' And dem
all answer: 'T'ree times four is twelve.' And he say: 'May de Twelve
Apostles pray for me!' Den he ask: 'Class in geography--how far is it
roun' de world?' And dey answer: 'Twenty-four t'ousand miles.' He say:
'Good; it is not so far to God! De school is over all de time,' he say.
And dat is only everything of poor Mathurin. He is dead.