The weekly union record., 1865-02-18

fading and dropping. He failed to account for
that. II was some vague disease Of the mind,
he said. beyond his skill.
So Anglice faded day after day. She seldom
left the room now. Antoine could bot shut
ont the fact that the child was passing swsy.
He had learned 10 love her SO!
Dear heart,' be said once, what ist ais
thee g
Nothing. raon pere." for so she called him
The Winter passed. the bslmy Spring ar
had come. and Angles. seemed to revive. In
her little bamboo chair. on the porch, she
swayed to and fro in the fragrant bretz ze. with
peculiar undulaiing motion, like graceful
tree.
At times something seemed to weigh upon
her mind. Antoine noticed it, and waited.
AT length she spoke.
Near our house," said little Anglice-"near
our house. on the island, tl1e palm trees are
waving under the blue sky. ~oh, how beautiful,
l seem to lie beneath them all day long. | am
very, very happy. yearned for them until l
grew siek-don't you think so, mon perez
Mon Dieu, yes" exclaimed Anioiue. sud
denly. "Le, US hasten TO those pleasant islands
where the palms are waving"
Anghce smiled.
81 am going there, mon pefef
Ay, indeed A week from that evening, the
wax candles burned at her feet aud forehead,
lighting her on the journey.
All was over Now was Antoiue's heart
empiy. He bad nothing 10 do but to lay the
blighted flower away.
Pere Antoine made shallow grave in his
garden, and heaped the fresh brown mold over
his idol
In the genial Spring evenings the priest
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 night
fall, Antoine fingered by the grave. He could
never be with it enough.
One morning he observed a delicate stem
with two cuiously shaped emerald leaves
springing up from the center of the mound
At first be merely noticed it casually; but a.
length the plant grew so tall, and was Sc
strangely unlike anything be had ever seer
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, it seemed Il
Antoine as if little Anglice were standing there
in the garden
The days stole by, and Antoine tended th,
fragile shoot, wondering what sort of blossom
it would unfold white, or scarlet, or golden
One Sunday, a stranger, with a bronzed
weather beaten face like a sailors, leaned ove
the garden rail, and said to him:
What fine young date-palm you havt
there, sir :"
Mon Djeu!' cried Pere Antoine, "and i;
it palm tree?"
''Yes. indeed, returned the man. Il had nc
idea the free would flourish in this climate"
"Non Dieu :" was all the priest could say
If Pere Antoine loved the tree before be
worshipped it now. He watered it, and nur.
tured it, and could have clasped it in his arms
Here were Emile and Angice and the child
all in one.
The years flew by. and the date palm and
the priest grew together-ouly one became
vigorous and the other feeble Pere Antoine
had long passed the meridian of life The tree
was in its youth. 1t no longer stood in ar
isolated garden for homely brick and wooden
houses clustered about Antoine cottage. They
looked down scowng on the humble matched
roof The city was edging up, trying to GROVE
him off bis land. But he clung to it. and
wouldn't sell. Spectators piled gold On hi:
doorstep, and be laughed at them. Sometime:
he vas hungry, but be laughed none the less
Get thee behind me, Satan!' said the old
priests smile
Pere Antoine was very old now, scarcely
able to walk but he could sit under The plant
caressing leaves of his tree, and there be sat
until the grimmest of spectators came to him
But even in death, Pere Antoine was faithful
to bis trust. The owner of that land loses II
if be harms the date-tree.
And there 1t stands in the narrow, dipgy
street, beautiful, dreamy stranger, an exquls
tie foreign lady, whose grace is a JOY 10 tbt
eye, the incense of whose breath makes the ali
enamored. A precious boon is she to The
wreched city and no" that loyal men agair
walk those Streets may the hand wither iha
touches her urgently
because it grew from the heart of httlt
Anglice,' said Miss Badeau. tendetly.