The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-05-31

U
ton, fearing no discovery. For who
would question rock2 Who would
seek to undermine rock to SEQ what
lay beneath ? Would not the rock
crush them first ? Who would ven.
ture such n risk q? And, indeed, it was
nobodys interest to examine into the
private affairs of that proud family
Exclusive and cold, common curiosity
shrank from their very name
And so it was till the threescore
years and ten had passed, aud the tall,
gaunt frame began to stoop, aud the
cold grey eyes lost some Of their fire,
and the thin checks grew yellow and
wrinkled, and all could see that age
was doing its quiet but inevitable
work. At last her non constitution
gave way under the weight of years,
and then, indeed, the sins Of her past
life crowded into agony on her soul
lndOmitable rs she had ever been,
there was one who in her strongest
days bad had some slight influence
over her; and now this man, the village
priest, was the only one who had any
power at all over her still dcspotic will.
She declaied she would sec no one
He quietly entered her room; she bid
him iercely be gone He calmly sat
down by her bedside, aud watched her
without speaking, while she ravod at
him. But her power was slipping out
Of her hands his was as strong as
ever, for it lay in his eyes, with which
he seemed to mesmeriso her aud coerce
her into passiyoness before he spoke,
in the quiet but firm tone habitual to
him.
you are dying" he said you
had need to make one more confession
ere you die, or the blessing Of absolu
ton will not be yours.
81 have confessed and confessed,
she cried, "and | have no more peace
than if l had never spoken. l will
confess no more"
"Once more" he continued, in the
same tone; "once more. Recollect the
darkest page III all your life. All your
other sins l know, and may the Holy
Virgin forgive you, for they are
many"
"Absolution, father" she cried i'm
plorngly; you promised me absolu-
ton after had told you --'
"All,' he added, for she hesitated;
'and you have not told me all.
"And all you shall never know" she
said, passionately; "for I will die with
out telling YOU and the grave will
keep my secret"
"Die then" he said; "die without
absolution, and with all your sins OF
your own head, and the vengeance of
Heaven"
stop stop and L will tell you
Here, listen; hold your head down
lower, lower, that none may hear, Ha,
what was that? l heard scream
Ha he is coming Oh! Heaven have
mercy on my soulr cried the raying
woman.
"You have but little time on earth
but little time for repentance, said
the priest, in his cold measured voice,
CHANGING at the sun, which was sinking
low in the crimson sky
Give me time only give me n lit
tie time. When the sun sets l will tell
You.
They both watched it the priest
with eager Impotence, the DYING wo-
man grudging every second that fed
by of her last day on earth, and il was
with an effort as the last ray vanished
Leneath the dark purple horizon, that
size turned to the priest and said, al
most gasping
"Now, father, | will tell you all.
Stoop down and hear me.
He listened. and his face grew white
as she whispered her last confession
into his ear--white as that of TIE
wretched woman who had bartered
her very soul for pride What she
told him was woise, far worse, than
what he had thought.
"Woman !" he cried, as she ceased
and sank back on her pillow, you are
lost-lost beyond redemption. Abso
luton is not for such as you. There
is no time for penance-no time for
forgiveness for such black deeds as
yours. You are lost !"
"Lost |! she cried in frantic despair;
"loit never Surely the fire that has
burnt in my heart till it was scared in
agony must count for something
Father, set me what penance you will,
/ have life in me to do il yet Speak,
and quickly: what more can | do p
what more can I suffer?"
The priest fastened to speak,
LANDS to the Church. he said.
Gan ample gift might purchase prayers
that would release a soul even such as
yours from purgatory, and save it from
eternal destruction. But what riches
are yours what lands could you be-
stow 2"
"Give me hope, father. l will pro
vide the means. My husband-where
is he and fetch a notary; and, father,
be yourself witness"
at shall be done, answered the
priest, MS he rose to fetch the old man,
who, awel by the nearness OF death,
entered the room with look of solem-
nifty which the mere prospect OF part
ing with his wife could hardly have
called up.
"AIy husband" said the weak and
gasping voice, you see me dying.
Grant me one last boon tho very