Clarion

Excerpt: &quote;Pain. Pain. Pain. The primal curse, the dominant tragedy of life. Who among you, dear friends, but has felt it? You men, slowly torn upon the rack of rheumatism; you women, with the hidden agony gnawing at your breast&quote; (his roving regard was swift, like a hawk, to mark down the sudden, involuntary quiver of a faded slattern under one of the torches); &quote;all you who have known burning nights and pallid mornings, I offer you r-r-r-release!&quote;