The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1860-02-09


follow the dictates of their own conscience i'm
religious matters that the dungeons are no
more open to political prisoners that all such
are free from this day; and, that Spielberg is
abolished, and Mantua's vaults to be filed up
Think you the shadows would fall heavy athwart
the lion. of St. Marks ON such day? Think
you those palaces and lagoons and canals
would not wake up for once, and blaze and
roar with pne mighty fen de joies 'sR al
| And why shall we not equally rejoice to-day
IN fatazso Cieco! For this is the day of the
aufo.da.fe; to-day the dismal Os4bliette is evac-
uated forever, is locked up, henceforth to sub
sist as exclusively thing Of the past, to be
remembered perhaps with shudder, but never
more TO be watched with pain and dismay; to-
day, also, the prisoner is free he has fought a
direful combat with the spectres, but he has
vanquished them-they have fed in dsmayed
and broken rout, and the prisoner is regenerate
| from this hour. sas&
30 thinks Helen, child of hope and sunshine,
and Let US cast no shadow athwart the pleasant
dream.
Mr.. Beale's interview with that "hideous
bearded monster who was none other than
Pierro, the disciple of Marianne, as the reader
has already guessed--was quite a long one and
when her father came to her room, as he had
| promised, she noticed that he gave evidence
wheeled the lounge into an easy position, took
his hot hands in hers, led him to it, and made
him lie down, with tender, persuasive force
that was irresistible. Then, placing a shawl
across his feet she darkened the room, and
took her seat quietly by his side, holding one
OF his hands. and passing her hand gently
across his hot, flushed brow. He murmured
only few words of thanks, in q tremulous
voice, and then rewarded her cares by gradu-
ally dropping off to sleep.
While it panied her greatly, she was glad to
have witnessed that sleep of his, since it gave
her clearer idea than she could have obtained
in any other way, of the extent and horrible ma
ture of his sufferings, and of the necessity for
immediate relief in his case. For he could
not sleep without dreaming, and such dreams !
They transcribed any conception she had ever
entertained of terror; now he would murmur
| indistinguishable words of entreaty, of depreca-
ton, of agonized prayer, while the cold sweat
started out in great beads upon his forehead
now he would SILVER, and shrink, and moan,
painfully and ieebly, as if despair had full pos
session of his soul now he would whisper of
secrets intrusted to his care, dire and awful Sc
crets, to reveal any of which was death, death
while his hands made the motion of strange and
mystic signs, and his lips formed to whisper
pass words; now he would start up, shrieking,
|
| the vipers from his throat or rend the flaming
garments that burnt him to the core But as
soon as her hand touched him, he was soothed
would fall quietly back, and murmur gentle
words of hope or of blessing. Thus Helen kept
her painful vigils at her fathers side, and was
rewarded by seeing him wake up more calm,
] more composed his fever gone, himself refresh
ed, and more inclined to quiet converse than she
had ever seen him. He was very grave, very
| thoughtful, but he seemed better able to re-
strain his feelings, more rational, and more
master of himself, than ever before.
At dinner, this happy state of things contin-
ued, and was observed of all. Even Mademoi-
selle took occasion to remark, privately, to
George, that
"Msieur Besle, he 'av' Won sane interval.
You see? Zen l sink he get YER veil, Won day.
Become gentleman, of raison rraie ct prOprc, as
he il of teiie grandeur ct dune teile beant<
"We, madamselle," responded George, gra-
ciously, "me an Miss Helen is goin to bring
him round, all right"
Miss Helen indeed spared no efforts to ac-
complish that desirable object. She had talk
ed with Rupert, asking him to exert all his
powers of pleasing and now she sought her
mother, who vas in her own room, sitting with
hands in lap, the shadow over pale face, list
less, weary, broken-spirited. Hers was the
gradual prostration that comes after long, long
years of suffering, chronic woe, which yields
scarcely ever to any treatment-never except
to the assuaging touch of time.
"Mamma, mamma" cried Helen, embracing
her, this must not be. Your looks are con-
slant reproach to papa, and he will recover
now, if we watch over him, and treat him right
You must rouse yourself You must be cheer
full, must smile, and talk. 1t is our duty, and
it is our place to WOO papa back to life and hope
He could not have endured what he has gone
through much longer, mother, and he may even
now be on the eve of crisis. We must help
to seaport him through it. Come, now, you
never failed him before; do not fail him now
in what may be the hour of his greatest need
If he falls back now, mamma, he will die but
if we succeed, he is Ours, henoeforth. You
know what that means"
Thus did this loving and lovely girl become,
as it were, David's harp, before whose power
full soul music the shadows fitted and were nc
more, the evil spirits vanished, shrieking, and
all this house of Saul was comiorted and made
well.
Yet Helen confessed to herself that the shad
ows were not quite gone, yet; it would have
been unreasonable to expect so soon this con-
summation !; and, moreover, there came one OF
two unexpected clouds in her sunshine, SO thai
on the whole light and shade were pretty equal
ly blended in the picture, and the brlliancy O
the chidro was perhaps relieved and enhanced
by opacity and sombreness of the oScuro. Still
Helen drew happy augury even from this; tc
her hopeful fancy, the shadows, the mist, the
gloom, were of the early morning; when the day
should fully break, and the sun have mounted
sufficiently towards the zenith, these children
of the night would be completely dispelled
they dared not face the majestic presence Of the
"garish day."
Besides what his sleep had taught her of hel
fathers infrmities, and Of his enfeebled, ner
vous condition, she was further enlightened
and still more panied, at beholding his conduc
during dinner. She saw that he wished 10 make
himself agreeable, to please and entertain them
and it gave her great shock to observe HIN
struggling almost blindly amid the confused
suggestions of shattered mind, seeking to cal
up vanished ideas, and grasping impotently at
ter expressions that his memory refused to sup
ply. Now and then his thoughts would get the
upper hand of him, too, and he would wander
Fin distracted fashion, forgetting his purposes
and where he was. And again, Helen could
see by his pursed brow, and his distraught eye
and his quivering lip, that be was back again
among the spectres, in the red light of the
smoking lamp, locked in behind that iron-stud
|, ded door of the O,lbliettc. At these times wal
it that Helen proved her thoughtful, her noble
womanhood. Her hand it was that touched his
gently, to call him back her voice that reused
him, with question, a merry banter, sug
gestive idea; and ever with watchful care she
helped out his confused talk, invested his vague
questions with consistency, gave him new sub
jects upon which to converse; led him gently
away from all exciting topics and battered him
into selfcontent and patience with his Inhrm
1 no mo-, hor nan nak III