Middletown transcript., 1869-09-04

aye. mine lne NOuicSS frltSu-nau Wnllt
she remembered my early attachment call
cd upon me as her fathers slayer.
thought of suicide. but the spirit with
in laughed at the thought! what. strive
to bansh the memory Of horrors by the
dagger or the drug? preposterous If the
soul be immortal, "and that it is all ma
ture cries aloud" how keen the eternal
agony it must endure if it rush "unanoint-
ed and unanncaled" into its Makers pres
ence
! knew one thing full WELL could nev =
er enter the sanctuary of God, again, as
His Minister. 1 had defled the sacred
vestments of the altar-and knew too. the
vindictve hatred of those by whom was
surrounded and the stern bigotry of my
superiors, not to feel that the secret torture
and the gloomy dungeon would be my fate
tore from me the..evidences of my cal
ling, and taking from my girdle some gold,
returned by an pnfrequented path toward
the city. In receptacle of old clothes,
for piece of gold l was soon clad in a
castoff suit Of some citizen which the pro-
prietor had purchased for one fourth of the
sum, and with slouched hat, which al
SO procured from the man, it would have
been impossible in my metamorphosis to
haye recognised the Vcnitan Antonio, or
the Priest Francis.
The carnival was at its height, the spir-
it Of riot and debauchery which had been
restrained by the solemn services of our
church, that had preceded it, now broke
tt,nnnrh oil fv,,,nt and
ing, singing, dancing and every species of
eXtravagant dissipation was in its zenith
Around mountebank who was display
ing his antics, was gathered ii crowd, and
attracted for moment by his contortions,
paused.
A party of the humber citizens had
grouped together at little distance, and
mngllng with them caught from two men
VINO were conversing to themselves the fol-
towing startling statements,
"Jacopo, said the first, " haye you
heard OF the Venetian lady at Father
Francis Confessional this evening, or |
should say last evening, for It's now most
day {!
No, G4spard, how was iti"
w ny 1Ou sSO u ShiNl'th ihb Nlo "uS
mere went to contesslonal-Father Paloa
broke into the room rather suddenly, tounu
;ht lazy III Rather francis arms, Father
Francis iavlng like mad man, the lady
calling nln her lover, ANA her fathers
DIuruercr, anu l don t know what else
ra,ner francis gave The lazy to all Old tc
uIalc VINO nuu accompanied her, to restore
IN ha chnprb
Uut thoy say, ran out of the church as ii
the menu Was alter hlnI ami has not been
heard uI since. The lady died III her at
teudaut arms, aud SO tney nave Oiureu a
reward from The altar, to amy one who will
ulIug hln BACK l. reckon II they eaten
AiA4 ,Aoy ii u.ake hlm smaft-oc ny I'll
\ lrLin. i am mistaken
iIow ald feel at that moment Oh
now Any tortured heart Died Uut tn 10Y.
81 lie nov strangely ASSERTED liz sway, .
leaving the crowd, al Il luW anu lingering
pace " u, old detection, until turucd a
corner, ! determined 10 Leave l,ome.
/ will not dwell-tortune favored int
and hiring passage for this country, from
IL convenient port, / landed at New lork
L gained subsistence by teaching Italian
and Spanish, and employed my leisure III
reading and studying the works of immor-
tal English Bards, and German Philoso-
piers.
| was compelled to keep the mind in
continued state Of excitement to avoid re-
currence to the past, but now | feel as it
the sickness which has prostrated me is
unto death.
have long, long since discarded the
Dogma-of that religious creed, which
vests man with the power to forgive the
sins of his fellow. There is ONE who for
giveth sins, even God through his son
Christ-and l have hope which even now
sits smiling amid the ruins of broken
heart, telling me that though | shall new
er see Venice, sweet Venice more, nor
''hear the song of Adria's gondolier u
may be permitted to enter that city "whose
maker and builder is Cod" and rove be-
side that stream which maketh it glad
but my sight dims my brain reels !
Home! Venice.-Boyhood's innocence
the Laguna!-Francesca Strange Wis
ions, mournful but beautiful rise before me,
| am dy-." Here ends the story of the
Strange Italian.
A preacher, weary with travel, was once