The Locusts' Years

Judge Alexander Barton is the epitome of the polished public servant, a man whose reputation for civic virtue and measured courtesy has made him a model of American democracy in the Philippines. He delivers speeches to eager young clubs, attends church socials, and offers a handshake that seems to convey a perfect blend of authority and goodwill. Yet beneath that veneer lies a mind preoccupied with the harsh mechanics of organized society and the uneasy feelings it provokes.

His latest preoccupation is a young woman he encounters in a hospital ward, a figure who does not fit the usual mold of a formidable opponent. She watches a Christmas Eve concert from an open window, her slender frame wrapped in a faded blue nurse’s dress, her gray eyes steady yet compassionate. Though she is neither strikingly beautiful nor overtly attractive, her quiet grace unsettles the judge, prompting him to question the very principles he has long championed.

As Barton wrestles with his own convictions, the narrative explores the clash between personal sympathy and the rigid expectations of power, offering a thoughtful portrait of a man caught between duty and desire.