The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1872-09-08

JUVENILE COLUMN.

. '4-lg Z.
IcoUNTEss eERTAUpE's East RipK.
nee upon q time, stood grand castle
Brittany, snrronnded by woo1s and
Is and streams. BeBesth the castle, or
t into the wall, was q dasgeen, whore
pners had been left to die; III those hard
BE- when wicked men were very bratsl,
days when Countess Gertrude was
" Of La Garage, this prison was shown
1 as dismal curiosity. The eourty ard, ,
where warehouses; used to stamp aad
kh in the olden time, was now efoen gay
\ prettily dressed ladies and noble
b, m ounted for the chass. -'.' u e.
he sweetest of all the ladies was Count
Gertrude, and bravest among the mo-
was her husband, Count Claude.
" were gay and innocent, kind to the
+, hospitable to their. neiehbors:
hing pleased them more than to call to
yer all the gentry. about Dinan, and fol-
the chase, over hill and valley, throngil
et and through stream for this gentle
Ted as fearlesslV a. her husband.
he morning Gertrude steed In. the
ktyard beside her hunter. She loved
horse dearly, and used to work Aoh
ole- cloths for him, and golden heed-
L.. She made . pretty pdctuze, In her
BE velvet vest and HowiRg hs6it, her,
Il embroidered gagntlets, snd. jeweledr
and plumed hat, aud golden hair, -
&stood In tho castle yard stroking her
~ horse.
d thatday she huntea beside the Count,
living hounds and horn like Q fearless
q. Never had danger seemed farther
s her life. Evening brought them to
brink Of swollen stream, choked with
u6 r4nts ard hrAkau hro nAhAo
Is it they must, but wheref Should
a leap the smoothest, widest part, or
marrow channel, bristling with sharp
Besf Z Claude paused beside the stream,
aburing the width and danger with his
Suddenly his horse felt the slimy
give way, and springing to the oppo-
g side, scrambled up the bank. The
NJ turned and signed to Gertrude not
ebllow she did not see his sign he
sd, but the roaring water drowned his
p. Her horse leaped, there was q
-, shrek, aud horse and lady fell be-
ia the crumbling bank.
A}m biDg, leapisg,. crawling by turns, lie
he'd the place where Gertrude lay be-
Iin soft cry she called his name, and hia
ne fear was relieved.
ut then Claude heard the huntsmen
leping through the wood, and gay voices
5monipg him to return home. He called
Aelp, but his cry was lost in the sound
Borns and Gathering hoofs aud ringing
gbtes. An hour passed, and still he.
helpless, listening to Gertrudo's noans.
last shepherd passing through the
,ket, gave the help Of his strong arm
j two men wove litter OF boughs, aud
8 the poor, crashed coa ntess' to the. cas-
tbr ough the eourty ard, whore few
1.
atiful, up the stone statresse,, through
ming pearl aud velvet Looked coarse
lis her loveliness reflected In the mir
or months she lay hopiog for health.
length the doctor, urged by her ques-
l2s told her the dreadful truth. She:
I'D never be we'll agaiu; sho would 10
ii and crooked, aad sick nit the days of.
He. All bat her faith was not strong
ush for that! She -rebef.ea agafnst her
Issg From being gay ande-aHeet, abe
= odd, fdgetys jealeus. She thougst
her husband would not love her now
! sbe had grown pale and hollaw-eyed,
limped in waking; but in reality he
" her more than ever, oow that she
izea his love more than ever. That is
way with true friends -.
NO day whom she Was lying on der
ch, tired and discontente6, the door OF
room opened, abd Claude came Ia with
~ man dressed in the blaok robo Of .
H1ictine abbot. The straagsr sat
M beside her, and with HE ge6tlesym.
~, drew from her tho story Of miseHy
shen buried in her heart He .used to
ID often after that TO zee her, aud God
III use Of hfs words to cure the poor
~ mind and soul. -: 4
ne day she said bitterly, ."What hare
l8e to deserve sach 'su0fering ~
lady," said the abbot, <tsO0iz round
d pleasant room, chink Of tho luxaries
sn to yoa-sofs couehes, delicate food,
'srs, birde, books. What have the poor
q that they should lie upon the bare
md, sick and cranrPed with palnse ?
se has the idiot done, that be should be
I'd by cruel boys, pelti6g him with
SSS and mud We shall never under
hi these things tin Heaven acts all
aud clears up mysteries. Many
+ creatures lie in hot rooms, foul with
'eB from the street. They are too weak
stretch out their hands for water, OK TO
sA away the insects that torment them.
|e& is NO curtain to strut elS the sun /; |
md to change their linen or cool their
Sish heads. AT last death comes TO re- |
y them from q world that has given
j only pain"
Abn Claude, seeing that she was forget |
, Der pain in plying others more un- |
~ than herself, told Of lonely deaths |
sttle- fields, and of soldiers he had
willing away in the close wards of