Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-06-02
THE FAIR PENITENT.

We
upon the marble floor beneath, and the fretted
pillars that rose on all sides. A young female,
dressed in virgin white, advanced up the aisle,
with slow and irregular steps, her eyes timidiy
bent upon the ground, and her lovely locks hall
shading a counteuance in which health and inno-
cence seemed to vie with each other, which should
add most beauty to features, the form OF which
were beauty itself.
She stopped for moment as she reached the
open portal of the chapel that formed recess on
one side Of the aisle, and then turned into the
recess. entered Confessional, fell upon her
knees.
What :. ignorant sin" could this sweet one have
committed, that required absolution at the hands
of her holy father confessors
We shall see.
Having first pronounced her accustomed pray
er with timid voice, she seemed to gain conn
dence by this act, and proceeded to relate nrst'
her little acts Of contumacy towards her school
mistress, (for, though bordering on womanhood,
she had not yet left the Convent schooi;) then
her little sins Of actual commission; reserV'ng
the sravest to the last. AT length, though sne
had evidently not concluded her confession she
made full stop, as il reluctant to proceed farther
"Come daug hter," exclaimed the good priest
proceed; you must not permit faise prioe Ut
without which dissolution were vain. What
mOre!"
"Pm afraid to tell you, good father
The priest said something to encourage her;
Int the pretty pentent still hesitated; and as she
covered her sweet face with her two hands. as II
ashamed to have it seen, the tears made their way
hetps~-- l--r-AitY fingers.
sFCome-cOme, -,.~,y f...---, ~ this
must moi be. / must interrogate you. hat is it
that thus troubles you? Have you done any thing
to injure or offend your good parentsF'
"Worsc, father"
"Have YOU been reading in wicked books?"
.'I've not been reading at all father"
ibid you play or laugh. last Sunday, during
service?"
"A great deal worse, father"
The good priest began seriously to be alarmed;
vet he did not know how to frame his questions
prove wrong in his suspcions) might render the
remedy more mischevous than the disease.
Atlast, the young beauty,a as ifby desperate ef-
fort relieved him from his embarrassment. ia
ther." said she, with trembling and half-sup-
pressed voice, 81 will tell you all, if Heaven
will give me strength to speak. But pray be- in
dugent good father. Ii was the first tme-and
I'm sure never thought that SO much harm would
come fit. Besides, it was not all my own fault
it was partly his. And he Is very hand
some too''-('rhe good priest trembled.) "And
50 fond of me-he used to follow Inc about where
yer went-he seemed 10 think and care about
nobody but me. ''-(She paused moment, then
continued) -" Well, father, one night, after
had retired to rest, would you believe it?-
found him in my chamber" The holy father
groaned aloud. y" never could tell how he got
therefor shut the door after me, and fastened
it carefully. as l always do"
"Well," exclaimed the confessor, in an anx-
ious tone, s. Nhat more!"
"Oh. father! the worst is to come. That
night, in particular--it was last Thursday, ia.
ther-he looked so very handsome, and seemed
so very fond Of Observation-Disclosures short"
Butt exclaimed the plous priest with a sud-
cen shew of indignation, "did your mother ne
yer warn you of the terrible danger OF such con-
duct? Did she never tell you The fatal cOnse-
quences Of"
(" No, father" interrupted the terrified peni.
tent, {" she never told me there was any thing
wrong in being fond of such very beautiful
cat-and-"
"A cat!-was it a cat?"
Eyes, father; a large beautiful white Angola,
that was so wicked as to steal from the pastry
cooks opposite where we live, and have kept him
concealed in nv room ever since!'
II, nomine PARIS Ell Fiji at Spirifus Sancti, te
absolvo. said the good priest; and never did he
pronounce the words with more full and graft
fed feeling Of pous satisfaction.
Cross Questions and Crooked Answers.-In
case which came before our Bench, few days
back, witness was asked to describe his house,
when pretty near the following dialogue ensued'
which reminded US forcibly of the story OF the
Lord Chancellor and the big stone. -Brighton
Guardian.
CIerk-Well, now, what kind Of house was
iti
Witness-Oh it were very comfortable
house. 49,.
Clerk don't doubt it; but what sort OF
house was it?
Winess-Why, twas pretty tolerabIe sort
Of a house.
Cerk-Yes, but what do you call pretty to-
lerable sort Of house?
Witness-Why house you can look at.