The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1862-07-02

mind. Antoine noticed il and waited. Al
length she spoke.
Near our house" said little Anelics, "near
our house, On the island, the palm trees are vay.
ing under the blue sky. o, how beautiful! 1
seem TO lie beneath them Ill day long. l am
very, very happy. yeArned for them until
grew sck-don's you think 90, mon psrei"
a" Non Dieu, yes." exclaimed Antoine, sud.
denly. Let US hasten to those pleasant islands
where the palms are waving"
Anglice smiled.
p" Am going there, mon perez
Ay, indeed. A week from that evening the
wax candles burned at her feet and forehead,
lighting her on her journey
All was over. Nov Was Antoiue's heart en-.
PITY. He had nothing 10 do bot to lay the
bhghted flower away.
Pore Antoine made q shallow grave in his gar
den, and heaped the fresh brown mould ever Ais
idol.
In the genial spriag evenings the prizes. was
seen sitting BY the mound, his finger closed in
the unread prayer book.
The summer broke on that sunny land and
IN the cool morning twilight, and after nghttall.
Antoine fingered by the grave. He could never
oe with II enough.
One morning be observed q delicate stem,
wiit two curiously shaped emerald leaves,
sprinsing up from the centre Of the mound. At
tirst he merely noticed it casually; but At length
the plant grew 90 tail, aud Was 20 strangely IA
like anything he had ever seen before, that he
examined it with care.
How straight and graceful and exquisite il
was! when it swung to and fro with the summer
WIND, in the twilight, il seemed - Antoine ae
if little Anglice was standing there in the gar.
den.
The days stole by, Antoine tended the fragile
withe With tender care. One Sunday stranger,
with brOnzed, westher-beaten face like sailor
leaned over the garden rail and said 70 him:
What hne young date palm you have
there, sir"
Non Die" :" cried Pere Antoine, "and is il
palm ?"
Yes, indeed" returned the man. ~ had
no idea the tree would flourish in this climate. :"
Non Dieu," was all the priest could say.
II Pere Antoine loved the tree before, he wor-
shipped it now. He watersd it, and nurtursd it,
and could have clasped it in bis arms Here
were Emile and Anglice and the child, all in
one!
The years flew by, and the date palm and the
priest grew to-gether-only one became vigor.
ous and the other feeble. Pers Antoinc had
long passed the meridian Of lie. The tree was
in its youth, 1t no longer stood in q. isolated
garden; for stately brick and wooden houses
The city was edgins up, trying to crowd him OF
his land. But he cluDg to it and wouldn't ssil.
Spectators piled gold on his dootsteps, and he
laughed at them. Sometimes he MAS huRgry,
but he laughed none the less.
"Get thee behind me. Satan!" said the old
priests emile.
Pere Antoine was very old now, scarcely
able to walk bat he could sit under the plant
carressng leaves of his tree, and there he sat
till the grimest of spectators came to him. But
even liz death Pere Antoine Was faithful to bis
trust. The owner Of that land loses it, il be
harms the date.tree.
And there is stands in the narrow, disgy
street, beautiful, dreamy stranger, an exquis
ite foreign lady whose grace is joy to the eye,
the incense OF whose breath makes the air en-
amoured. A precious boon is she to the wretch
ed city and when loyal men again walk thoss
streets, may the hand wither that touches heI
urgently.
Because it grew from the heart of little Asg
lice, said Miss Badeau, tenderly.