St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-06-02

!, l Il" priest was silent Tor Il Time. 'NOur
t agc, my daughter" he sail ut lat, Is h
I raised his head, with its thick black hair
; ''rhink Of the words of the Lord Re
: ceivc tie Spirit whose sins ye remit, t.
! him they are rcmttcd.'
{ She looked up. The rel face, III,
r large hulI-neck Of the man in priestl,
= robes, were close before her eyes Sh,
| begun again, but IN unconquerablc re
| iuctanca ovcrcamc her, Shrinking n
l from some impure deed, worse than wha
| she had come here TO confess She fell
l frightened. Was not what rose within
her Il temptation of the deadly sin from
+ which she wished to free herself SI,
bent her head in Il silent conflict on the
: praycr-book lying before her.
= Meantime the wcaricI expression VAN
i-hcd from the priests face He began
to speak, earnestly and imprcssivcIy, and
soon with all the magic OF persuasion
low, but ringing, tue tone of his voic,
fell on her ear At any other time she
wCuld have sunk to the ground under it,
: influence; bat now the newly awakened
feeling was stronger than all the power
of words, or all the habits of her youth.
Ter hand felt for her veil, which had
fallen back over her hat Pardon, ,rcvcr-
end Sir, she stammercd. Then, shakin"
her head silently, she drew down her
veil, AMI, without having re- c:civcl the
sign Of the cross, rose and went down
the aisle, with has!y steps. Her dress
rustlcd against the seats: She drew ii
around her. 1t seemed TO her that cv-
cry thing was stretching out Il hand to
hold her there.
Outside sh" stood, breathing deeply,
under the lofty porch. Her heart was
heavy. She had thrust back the saving
hand which had guided her from her
youth she knew Of none that she could
grasp instead Then, while she stood
hcsitatimg in the sunny square, she heard
Il chlld's voice near her, and litlle
brown hand offered for sale full bunch
OF primroscS. 1t was spring out in the
world 1t came like 4 message 10 her
heart, rs il she had not known it before
She bent toward the child and bought
It's flowers then, with the nO-cgay in
her hand, went down the street toward
the town cate. The sunshine lay bri"ht
on the stones from the open window OF
Il house there came the loud song of Il
canary. Moving slowly ON, she reached
the last house. From this point foot
path lei toward the line of hills which
bordcrcd the town territory in this direc-
ton. Veronica LreatLcd more freely
Her eyes rested on the green grain fields
which lay near the road. Now and then
Il breeze brought the delicate odor OF the
primroScS which grew ut the foot of the
hills. Farther on, where the pine wood
BEGAN, ut the edge of the field, the path
crew sleeper, and demanded considerable
eNcrtiOu, though Veronica had always
been used To mountain climbing She
stopped hal way, and looked down from
the shadow of the pines on the sunny
valley that lay beneath her.
When She had reached the hilltop
-hc seated herself ami lst the wild thyme
which covered tie Ground aud while
she hrealhr'i the fragrant air oi the woo
her eye wandered To the blue mountains
that lay in the horizon. Behind her
blew the wind through the tops Of the
pine trees, dyiuc away AZ intervals, " lille
from the depths Of the wood cImr, row
aud then, the stroke OF the woodp.clcr.
or from the air above her tht cry ul
some bird al prey, lowering Invisible IN
!i!r mra-urclcS@ space. Veronica tool,
oil her hat. and i,iur. her heal Ga her
haul.
Thus, IN I'nciim,~s and stiffness. -,Ine
time passed. Nuihiu" came near Lcr
hut the pure brtcz's, which played upon
her brow, AMI the cry OF the animals,
which struck her ear from the distance
Meantime bright color flushed her
checks, and her eyes grcw large and
beamin%. The sound Of Il bell came up
from the town. She raised her head
and listened. 1t toIled quick and clear.
"RcqucScat :" She said To herself for
she knew the little bell OF the church Of
st. Lambert as il announced TO its con
creation that the dark messenger from
the Lord had entered one of their dwell
ingS.
At the foot of tie hill lay tha church.
yard. She saw the stone cross ON the
grave Of her father, who, within year.
had died III her arms while the priest
was praying And farther on where
the wafer WAS shining, was that dcsolutc
spot of ground, which, us Il child, she
had often regarded with shy curiosity,
where, by command Of the Church, those
who had committed suicide were buried.
together with those who had not come
TO take the sacrament ut the altar. IH0c
was her place now, for the time of Easter
confession was over. y painful conrac-
tlon convulscd her mouth, but it van
ished again. She rose Il resolution
stood firm and clear in her soul
y little while longer she looked down
through the pine trees us she had come.
She was soon among the green grain
fields again. She seemed TO hasten but
she walked erect, and with Il firm step.
SO she reached her home. She heard
from the maid servant that her husband
was in his study. When she opened the
door, and saw him sitting SO calmly ut
his wrltlng-tablc, she stood he9itatng on
the threshold.
"Franz," she called gently.
lie laid down his pen. As it you,
Nroni lie said, turning toward her.
''Iou ale late. Was the list of sins so
long p
''Do not JEST" said she, imploringly,
ms she went tip to him and took his hand.
81 have not confessed"
lie looked at her in surprise; but she
knelt before him, and pressed her lips to
his hand.