Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1855-07-14

But l thought, che is Jesuit he
follows only the law of his order. which
allows tempotising, and diplomatising
for noble ends. He merely dresses up
the truth, and puts it In the most char
ming and safest light, even as we do our
images of the Holy Virgin, using them
for the alteration of the crowd, but our.
selves worshipping them still. | do be.
lleve, much as he will dandle and play
with the truth, that, not for his hope of
Heaven,would Anastasius stoop to lie. -
One day, he told me he should bring
to my saloons an Englishman. his rela
tive, who had determined on leaving the
world and entering the priesthood.
''ls he of our faith :" asked l, iudif-
fercntly.
"He is, from childhood. He has a
strong, fine intellect this, under fit
guidance, may accomplish great things.
Once OF our society, he might be my
right hand in every court in Europe.
lou will receive him ~
"Certainly"
But l paid very little heed to the
stranger. There was nothing about him
striking and peculiar. He was the very
opposite of Mr.. Anastasius. Besides,
he was young, and l had learnt to de-.
spise youth: my guardian was fifty years
old.
Mr.. saltram (you will already have
guessed that it was he) showed equal in.
difference to me- He watched me some.
times, did little kindnesses for me, but
was always quiet and silent-a mere cloud
floating in the brilliant sky, which NJ
Anastasius lit up its gorgeous sun. For
me, became rnoonlike appearing chiefly
at my cousins set and rise.
l was not happy. I read more in my
Holy Book and less in my breviary:
watched with keener, harder eyes, my
cousin Anastasius, weighed all his deeds,
listened to and compared his words. Nv
intellect woyshipped him, my memoried
tenderness cluug around him still, but
my conscience had fed out of his keep.
ing, and made for itself higher and d.
yiuer ideal Measured with common
men, he was gedike yet-above all pas
sions, weaknesses, crimes but viewed
) BY the one perfect standard of man
christian man-in charity, humility,
single -mindedness. guilelessness, truth
my idol WAS no more. | came to look
for it, and found only the empty shrine
He went OF brief mi sion to Rome
| maryelled that instead of as yore wan
dering sadly through the empty house
its air felt freer for me to breathe in. Il
seemed hardly day till be came back
| happened to be sitting with hi:
nephew Alexis when I heard his ster
down the corridor-the step which hac
once seemed al every touch to draw mu
sic from the chords of my prostratt
heart, but which now made it shrink int
itself, as if an iron-shod football had pas
sed along the strings.
Anastasius looked slightly surprised
{ at seeing US together, but his welcom,
was very kind to both.
u | could not altogether return it.
had just found out two things which, t,
say the least, had startled me. deter
> mined to prove them at once.
;, "My cousin, l thought you were awar,
u that, though Catholic myself, my house
is open. and my friendship, likewise, tt
. honest men of every creed. Why dix
you give your relative so hard an i'm
preston of me' And why did you no
,, tell me that Mr.. Saltram has, for SOM
years, been Protestant :"
= | know not what reply he made
" know only that it was ingenious, lengthy
gentle, courteous-that for the time be
ing it seemed entirely satisfactory, AM
that We spent all three together pleas
ant evening. 1t was only when l la,
down on my bed. face to face with tn
solemn Dark, in which dwelt conscience
truth, and God, that I discovered hov
, Anastasius had, for some secret-doubt
. less blameless, nay even justifab,e pur
pose-told OF me, and to me, two abso
} lutte lies
TO BE CONTINUED