The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-09-29

almost playfully.
perhaps, dear nurse, can scarcely tell
myseH, what have TO complain OF; and,
II so, am sure ought not trouble others
with my tancles." The old nurse was dis
Greet enough to see that her mistress did
not wish t" be questioned.
Long before the hour of mathis the
Countess of Lavagna entered the ancient
c"urcl where Sh" WIS accustomed to per
form her dc>otionS. An attendant fol- Iow
Ell her, h,arlng basket of orange bios
SONS and white roses. They passed on
ward through the long and dusty aisles
TO little vauIted chapel. The gentle
Iady knelt tor few minutes before the al
tar' and then filled the silver vases with
her fresh and snowy flowers. As her at
tendant quilted the chapel, she turned To-
ah Ola monument that stood at the Earth-
est end. 1t was the monument of form
er Count OF Lavagna, brave and gentle
warrior, who had been killed in battle a
short time after his marriage. The tiuure
OF the young nohlcman, carved in white
marble, lay upon the tomb. His Young
widow had erected the monument not
long before her death, for she had died
within the year of her widowhood; and
her own tomb had been erected at the foot
of her husbands.
u was wont to pity thee" said L. onora.
l was wont To come h ithcr, and feel that
could have mourned with thee, Young
and melancholy lady; deprived so soon OF
thy dearest earthly treasure; but now al
most envy such lot. 'Tis better to mourn
the hgh-mindcd honorable dead. than to
hewill, rs | now do, the lost honor of the.
hv'ng' laInost wish this aching heart of
nne was freed from the wretched vanitic~
OF The uusat sfying worl,i."
For little whiIo the gentle lady str,i
III deep thought, leaning upon the marble
monument of the young. and widowrl
Countess OF Lavagmn; then she rcmrmhcr.
ed that 1t WAS not merely to bcwail her
own troubles that she had entered the Sa-
'red edIhce; but to confess that she herself
was weak and sinful, and to pray for pa
tenco to bear the trials nf her lot. and
faith to walk meekly and reSigncdly with
her God. She rose up from her quiet
prayers refreshed and colnfortcd in spirit.
Nay, she left the church deeply impressed
with the sintulncss of murmnrinp n, opv
tr'ai she night be called upon to endure;
Tor her eye fell upon an old painting of
the Man OF Sorrows, standing in the midst
OF cruel Knockers in the purple robe, with
the crown OF thorns on his head, and the
reed IN his hand. Underneath the pictur,
vas written, II1 preiISru not UInIScI. =
Those words conveyed to the heart of
l-eonora the lesson she felt it necessary to
learn, and to learn mt once.
The door of Fiesco'S own apartment
was partly open. Lconora, as she passed
by, pushed it II little farther open, and said
playtully and gently.
"May come in!"
No answer was returned, and, pecping
into the apartment, she repeated her Gucs-
tion. FieSco had thrown himself back on
the couch where he had been sitting, and
WAS fast asleep. Lightly and cautiously
she stole across the rcon, and bending
down over him she tisscd his forchead.-
Still Fiesco did not wake: he was too wear!
led TO feel so slight disturbance as the
gentle voice, and the light football, and
the soft lips OF Leonora. She sat down
opposite her husband, 20 wait quietly his
waking; and, ~ her full gaze rested on
his countenance, she thought within her
self, "can this be the most thoughtess
willing in Genoa. Can that broad, thought
ful brow, those deep-sct eyes, those lips so
closely shut, and so expressive Of decision
and frinness, can they be the expressive
features of Fiesco's real character! Is it
possible that such a man Should he given
up to frivolous and wanton pleasures."-
Just then, frown knit the brow of the
sleeper, and his lips and nostriIIs were
slightly curled with an indignant and
naughty scorn. He struck his firmly clos
ed hand upon the open pages Of book
that lay upon the couch beside him, and
few muttered words escaped from his
lips. The book fell, and as Leonora stoop-
el to pick it up, the title met her eye.
"fou have been reading the Orations
OF Cicero" said she, as Fiesco awole, Of.
tering him the volume rs she spoke.
Have IL" he said, carelessly taking the
book, but appearing little confused.-
you mean, my Leonora, that have not
been able to keep awake over this dull
volume"
Leonora Cibo had b come the wife of
Giovanni Ludovico Fiesco, Count of La
vagina, soon after he came into possession
OF his paternal inheritance. His family
was OF the oldest and most noble among
the families Of Genoa La Superba, as that
city OF beautiful palaces has long been
named. Not long after his marriage, to
the astonishment Of all, Fiesco became an
altered being. The quiet manliness, the
deep reserved thougbtfulness o. his char
acter, left him suddenly. He became, to
all appearance, madly devoted to the plea.
sures and follies Of the most proAigate So
ciety in Genoa. Some thought he was an
Infatuated gambler; others looked upon
him as the dupe Of some shameless wo-
man; and his name Was coupled with the