Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1855-07-21
Strengthened day by day.


He was, | said, Protestant, not ad-
herring to any creed, but simply living =
not preaching, but living the faith of our
Saviour. He was not perfect--he had
his sins and shortcomings, even as I.
We were both struggling on towards the
I glimnering light. So, after a season,
we clasped hands in friendship, and with
eyes steadfastly upward determined to
press on together towards the one goal,
and along the sclf-same road.
put my breviary aside, and took
wholly to the New Testament, assuming
no name of Catholic Or Protestant, but
simply that of Christian.
When l decided on this course, I told
Anastasius. He received the tidings
calmly. He had erased to be my spirit
ual confessor for some time; yet I could
see he was greatly surprised, and after
wards he became altogether changed
Il WISH" said I, one day, Gas shall
be twenty-one next year, TO have more
freedom, | wish even,n for since the dis.
covery of my change Of better he had
watched me so closely, so quietly, so
cent nualiy that had conceived vague
fear of him, and longing to get away, to
put half the earth between me and his
prescnce-'I wish, even, if possible,
this summer, TO visit my estates in lis
paniola.'
"Alonc -
/ ''No-Madame Gradcllc will accom-
pany me, and Mr. Saltram will charter
one Of his ships for my use.n
For | should say, Al. xis was far from
being Roman Catholic priest, a mer-
chant of large means.
Il approve the plant will be ad-
vantageous to your health. But Ma
dame Gradclle is not sufficient cgcort-I.
as Your guardian, will accompany and
protect you
y cold dread seized me. Was never
to be free Already began to feel my
guardians influence surrounding mean
influence once Of love, now Of intoler-
able distaste, and even fear. Not that
he was ever harsh or cruel-not that
could accuse him of any single wrong
towards me or others but | knew I had
ihwarted him and through him his cause
that cause whose strongest dogma is,
that any means are sacred, any evil
good, to the one great end-Power.
had oppressed him, and l was in his
haud-that hand which [ had once be-
lieved to have almost super-human
strength. In my terror, l believed it
still.
"Ie will go with US; we cannot es-
cape from him." said to Alexis. ''IIe
will make you priest, and me nun, as
he planned / know he did. Our very
souls are not our own"
"What, when the world is so wide and
life so long, and Gods kindness over all
when, too, / am fee, you viii be free
ia IA year-when -"
IL shall never be free. He is my evil
genius. He viii haunt ME till my death. y
1t was a morbid feeling I had, conse-
quent on the awful struggle which had
so shaken body and mind. The sound
of his step made me turn sick and trem-
bic; the sight of his grand face ce--per-
haps the most beautiful l ever saw, with
its faultless features, and the half-melan.
choly cast given BY the high bald fore>
head and the pointed bearG-was to me
more terrible than any monster of ugli-
ness the world ever produced
He held my furtune-he ruled my
house. All viSitants there came and
went under his control, except Alexis
Why this young man still came-or how
i could not tell. Probably because,
in his pure singleness of heart and pur-
pose, .c WAS stronger even than NJ. An
astas US
! The time passed We embarked on
board the ship Argo, for Hispaniola.
Ny guardian told me, at the last min
ute, that business relating to his order
would probably detain him in Europe
i that we were to lie at anchor for twelve
hours, off Havre-and if then he came
not, to sail.
/ He came not, and We sailed
/ It was glorious evening. The sun,
as be went down over the burning seas,
beckoned US, With fnger of golden FIRE,
Westward--to the free, safe, happy
Nest.
. ssy Us, because il that evening we