St. Mary's beacon., 1858-11-04


at le1zsh. half-anconscious figure, still wrap-
ped s Ehe banner. was brought down in saie-
Ih bpse him into ssthe Adam and Eve
laid is9sa ID warm bed, and poured by De-
grees 3lIfle wine down lis thFoaf.. Under
this ktsnent, he soon recovered hs eonsciors-
ness assa began 70 thank bis deliy rers. Sud-
denl,sI.s eye fell on a mirror hanging on the
val s1osite and he exclaimed:
f,e The hoar-frust OF my hair, and that
vel &uss asI my caeeksl"
- ~ rnrled locks we're White. his
Eftis - Ass scil6ss asIu Nfimkicd, and lis
bright eyes dim aud sunkeu; but neither dust
nor hoar-frost was there 10 wipe away-that
one night of horror had added forty years t.
his age!
In the course of that day, numbers who had
heard of Gebriel's adventure crowded to the
inn and sought to see him, but none were ad-
mitted save tie three who sat continually
hy his bedside lis weeping young sister, the
brave Arnold, aud Master JOSS, the most
unhappy Of al; for lis conscience
ceased not to say, in q voice that
lcOald be heard ''Ycu alone are the cause .:
all this" BY way OF little self-comiurt, the
sacIiStan used 10 eXcaim at intervals: IF
only had hold of that Lawrence. If l once
had that Ottkar by the throat" But both
worthies kept carefully ont Of sight, nore were
they ever again seet, in the fair city If Vienna
"Ah!" said Gabriel towards eveEng, :" lis
all over between me and Annie. Sine would
shudter at the sight Of an Old wrnkled gray
haired i'ilow like me-"
No one answered. His sister hid her face
on the pillow, while her bright ringlcts mingl~
cd with his poor gray locks and Arnold's
L lo
The poor fellow is right; there are few things
t;.at young girls dislike more than gray !ai!s
and yellow wrnkies.'
81 have one request to make Of you all. dear
friends.' said Gabriel, painfully raising himself
on his couch-''ClO not let Annie know word
"f this Write to her that am dead, and shell
mind it less, think; then IL! 90 Into the for
est, and let the wolves eat me il they will.
want to save her from pain"
"a fine way indeed, to save Annie from
painp' cried a well known Voice, while light
figure ruse,; towards tie bed, aud CaSpci the
p"or sufferer i'll cIuse and long embrace
MY own true lOIe! yoa were never mere beau-
tilul in my eyes than HOW. And pretend that
YOU were dead A likely story, while every
child in Vienna Is talking of nothing but my
poor boys adventure. And let Yourself be
eaten by wolves! No, n9, Gabriei; you
wouldn't treat Your poor Annie 70 cruelty As
thst!' . -..
A regular hail-storm Of kisses followed; AID
ii'sH i. l--,sas; trHly 4 kae~ uat-~that some
whstsn The general nid1 Arnold's lips came
into wonderfully close contact with the rosy
ones Of Gabrers little sister. Certainly he
was heari the next day to whisper iV;o ;.is
| friends ear: "a fair exchange is no robbery
ray boy; l think ii You take my sister, the
least you can do is {" give me yours"
1t does not appear that any objection was
made III any quarter. Love and hope proved
wonderful physicians; for although Gabriel :
hair ~ the end Of his life remained as white Is
SHOW, his checks ana eyes. ere the wedding
day arrived, had resumed their former tint and
brightness. A happy man was Master joss OF
the day that ne gavchiS blessing To the two
young coupleS-the day when Gabricl's Sore
trie,i love found it reward in the hand of his
Annie.