, 1861-08-29
Dream in Notre Dame des VICTORIES

beautiful daughter Of an old General. He could
not marry her, however, he was poor; so he
Started and went to Paris to make his fortune.
In Ill. 8 he succeeded, and coming back, expected
70 be the fortunate husband Of his Marianne.
But he had reckoned without his host The
side Of politics he had espoused was directly Op
pOsite To that which suited the views Of the old
General; so he swOre that CaSimir de LatOur
should never marry his daughter fastening
back to Provence, therefore, all eXpecta ion,
Ca>imir was refused, and returning to Paris,
plunged into every series Of dissipation. One
Sunday evening, however, he burst away from
his boon companions, and going, he knew not
whittier, he stool rejecting in one Of the streets
Of Paris,
At this moment crowd Of grave-loOking per-
sons were pouring along in the SAME direction
Caught in the stream, Casimir was hurried to
the door Of the renowned Church Of NOtre Dame
dcs V ct0ires. lie entered with the rest. soon
the ChuIcI was filled, aud the buzz, the hum,
the murmur, had died away. The blaze of the
Illuminated altar, sOflenrd by the dense and fra
grant breath Of the incense, the stately beauty
Of the building, the silent elOqucnce Of the sa-
cred paintings, and the rapturous strains Of the
solemn music, filled the soul with sublime &c
stacy.
Casimir leaned against pillar, and strove to
had been completely shaken. The light dazzled
him. The warmth Of the atmosphere, and the
measured swell Of the music, overpowercd all
his faculties, excepting only that sentinel Of the
rest--the imagination-which watches when the
others sleep. In vain he struggled to keep his
eyes open. AT length, sinking into seat, he
leaned his head against the pillar, and fell into
a profound slumber.
When he awuke he was surprised to see that
the congregation had departed, that the altar had
cen denuded, and that the church, excepting
the fainI illumination emitted by the ever-burn.
ing lamp before the central tabernacle, was en-
tirely in the dark.
lie concluded that as be had fallen asleep in
the ~badoT Of the pillar, the scxtons had not
perceived him when they closed the doors. The
latter was double locked. lie shouted; but his
voice was sent back It was sent back with such
reverberatcd echoes, that he felt he could not
make himself heard through thos dense walls,
especially as the noise n the street outside would
drown and render unnoticeable his loudest cries.
The night, therefore, must be passed in the
church. As he came to this necessary conclu.
sOn an undehnable SOlemntv crept over his
feelings. He rccollectcd what he had said about
going wherever Providence should decree; and
thought il rather singular that he should have
not only gone into the church, but into that par
ticular church, concerning which he, in common
with all Paris, had Of late heard SO many prodi
gies related. II had been quite unconsciously,
too, that he had entered.
Making the best Of what seemed to him dis
agreeable position, he placed several chairs to.
gether, and stretching himself upon them, tried
to sleep He Aas just sinking into a slumber,
when sound as OF a lock rafting reused him.
Leaning on his elbow, he gazed around. A
little door, which, when he had tried t. was
locked, was now opened slowly from the sacristy.
Through this door entered priest, vested as
ir for the Mass for the dead. When he had
passed through, the door closed after him.
As, with measured tread, the priest walked
beneath the line Of the perennial lamp, Casimir
was hOrrOrstricken by the appearance Of his
countenance aud Of his hands, His face was
like the face Of q corpse, aud his fingers were
long and crooked.
tabernacle, aud arranged the altar, the pri, st
slowly Tetnrne to the outer rim Of the sanctuary
where Mass is begun. Then, turning around,
as IL there was congregation in the sacred ed
lice, he said:
Is there any one in this church who will have
the goodness TO serve my Mass 7"
Casimir covered back out Of sight and re-
nained silent. After pause Of anxious scru-
tiny, the priest spoke again. The words were
changed: r.
as there" he said. I" any one in this church
who will have The charity 70 serve my Mass :"
His voice sounded now like that of a man in
great fear and uneasinesS. Another long pause
ensued, aRer which he again demanded:
"Is there any one in this church who viii
have the mercy and the humanity 10 serve my
MassP
Ihe beseeching tone Of terror in which he
spoke, on this third time, was hcartrending, and
his mouth gaSped with parehcd and dying air.
Al length blank despair seemed to settle, like
fall Of snow, upon the priests face. He return
ed to the altar, and was about TO remove the
chalice, when compassion seized the heart Of
Casmir.