The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-09-19

cry! She does so often, when sho is alone
until she makes Inc cry with her. Why doe!
she do SO ?"
drew nearer, forI found that my intrusier
was not observed, and the-sGgne was one which
lrresistibly laid hold upon my feelings.
coHlu see that the man struggled to maintain
! his composure; yet his lip would tremble as
he heard the prattling of the child, which ex
planned Its meuning, oven to The sight.
less eyes of the blind Girl had weired over with
tears at the voice of her husband, and she now
Ind her face upon his shoulder. Tenderly
placing his arm about her. he asked, if posi-
| bic, more anXiously than before
! will you not tell me your wishes Ninette
5id me do anything for you that man can do.
and it shall not be wanting
AT that instant the bell of the little chanel
close by commenced to toll.
Il have never had but one WISH" was the
hardly audible reply, the speaker slightly
raised her head; land that alas, is impossible
to be fulfilled. Hark! that is the vesper bell,
and the sun must now be setting! All Pierre
these are four long years which have passed
hnce / saw the sun! And l shall never more
crs; and this dear child, which L have never
seen, and never can! All, Pierre Pierre, it is
dark-sO darkw
Ter tears flowed afresh with the words, and
again she hid her face upon the shoulder of
her husband. SO affecting, indeed, was her
grlet, so touching the plaintive and ineNpress-
nIy sweet tones of her voice, and so powerful
the appeal mutely given by those eyes, forever
darkened to the light, that turned away my
head, to hide from the guido the emotion
which was half ashamed to confess. Yet [
honest fellow had witnessed this same Eceuu,
or similar ones, perhaps twenty different
times, still upon this occasion he showed every
sign OF beng deeply moved. Nor do envy
his humanity who could have stood by, at that
time and place, with dry eyes and composed
face, unaffected and unuoved.
Upon different occasions / have seen men
powerfully touched by compassion, sympathy
and grief, ana have witnessed memorable dis
plays of manly emotion but never to such
extent ut the time of which l speak, and in
the person of the blind girls husband. AS he
heard her last word, great sobs OF agony broke
from his lips, his stout frame quivered like an
aspen leaf; aud the tears courScd rapidly down
his bearded checks. For the last few moments
devout worshipcrs had been hurrying past
upon their way to the chapel, to attend the
vesper service and now one of the solemn,
out upon the still air, and distinctly reached
our ears. AT the sound, the husband fiji upon
his knees at the feet of Ninette, and scizing her
hands, he turned his eyes upward, and feFveut-
ly uttered the words:
cave Maria, purge my soul from this great
wiekedness! Mercitul Father, forgive the sin!
Sweet Jesus, intcrccdc for me-
Unwilling to remain longer where my pres
ence might possibly disturb the deep soIemnity
OF this touching scene, l walked slowly ON.
Looking back, upon reaching a corner, l saw
that Pierre still upon his knees by the
side of his wife but her hands now rested
softly Upon his head, and she was inclning
toward him, as if Whispering some words in his
ear. T.
l subsequently, solicited from nv guide n re-
hcarsal of the story which L knew must be
connected with the blindness of Ninette and
her union with Pierre, and received the follow
ing particulars the narrator assuring me that
he was perfectly conVersant with them:
Four years previous to this time, Ninette,
then gay and beautiful girl of fifteen, lived
with her widowed mother since dead, in the
hamlet of Waterloo. The grandfather of the
young girl had been French officer and
shared the fate of many of his companions in
arms, falling in the last stand OF the Old
Guard; and the two, Ninette and her mother
We're supported in part by pension from the
French government, and partly by the small
revenue derived from the sale of relics of the
place.
AS might be expected, the loneliness of Nj
nette made hes at once the envy of all the
other village maidcns, and the prize which
each of the youth bent his energies to secure.
She seemed the only object OF rivalry: other
fair maidens there undoubtedly were but none
so wi2ninS or as graceful as Ninette. At the
same time, she appeared as if perfectly careless
as to which of her admirers most favored.
Upon one day, one might hattcr himself that
the success of his suit was beyond peradven-
tnre upon the day following, he was dismayed
to lind that his advances were most cody and
Instantly received. And in this manner each
OF the suitors-and there were at least a dozen
was alternately treated to smiles and frowns
raised to the Summit of his hopes, and then
rndely cast down in despair, until all became
detected with melancholy.
1t cannot, therefore, be concealed that Nj |
nette was a most consGmmate coquette. To
be, while so young, the sole object of such I'M
bounded admiratiOn--tO have the disposal, as |
it were, of so many hearts, was too great |
temptation to vain and tritiing coquetry. Be-
ing well-disposed toward all her lovers, but |
one hardly above the other, with a |
which has no feelings of love |
to check 1t, she exulted-in her power over her |
victims, winning their hearts successfully, |
only to cast them aside for new triumphs. And |
all this without either aTtfuness or malice-
for she wssof too simple q mind for either
but because it pleased her girlish fancy to pro
long her mastery.
But the mastery could not forever be main