The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1873-01-26

Ply Ply, an inRss.asility Y A. herself Ed. beg e
did 1 '1 shinl s1 :hs could make
room for another inmate I The care admitted
the inexorabis logic of this fact, and frnmedi-f
stely proposed adding another room TO the
house /; this was the Vendean's ready way Of
simplyfyipg di1aculties when his family ont |
grew his dwelling. Victoire said OF conrse
that ahts remedy was epea 70 them, bat what
bailt Hang her up in the windowf N. 10 l
Cure rciected the cage alternative. and sug-
gested his neice be sent to one Of tho farmers
vlstoiro begged leave to inquire. Mere Made
ieino would take her and welcome, but she had
fonr sons ut home, so that would not do. Then
there were La Nero Tustine and La TaIte VI
sule, and great many other estimable mat
rons who would gladly give her shelter, but
between their hospitality and Maries accep-
tance of it there stood some impcdiment in
the shape of sons or brothers that shut the
door on the young stranger. The cure aud his
gonvernsnte were pnzzling over the case, and
seeing NO way. out of 1T when Francois came
there was one that he loved better than all, it
was the child-like, open-hearted Francois. He
told him at once his trouble, and asked him
Guilty instanter by Offering him the spare room
at home-his mothers formerly, and never oc-
cuPied sioce her death assuring 2 the cure that
be and CASTOR and Gervoise. their old bonnie,
w0uld take every care of his grand-niece. and
that,fer from being in the way, she would be
quite . godsend to them all in the dull cottage.
The cure smiled with q deeper tbankfuIness
than the young man understood at the biblical
simplicity betrayed in this proposal, and it
took q good deal of argument to make Frau
co.'s see that the scheme was not practicable; {;
bat when ultimately he did sec it, he was ready
with an amendment which the curate saw no
| fair reason for rejecting. This was that Mile.
| Marie was to be installed in her uncfe's room
while he was to come and stay with the broth
ers while another room was being added to the
preebytery. This point settled the first thing to
be done was to get possession of Marie. Tho
cure won!d have gladly gone to fetch the poor
very busy day for the country priest, and to-
| morrow would be Sunday, a buster day still,
ana when it was quite impossible for him to be
| absent. But Fraucsis here again came to the
rescue. He would drive over to Chapelle aux
lys put up for a few heurs-it was a good
three hours driye-and be back by nightfall
haps the only youth in the village to whom
such mission could have been entrusted
without its provoking a stream of chattering
comments on all sides, but the cure knew that
would find q word to say against it in his case.
So lie gave his blessing to Francois, who ran
home as fast as he could, put the strong bay
mare to the caricole. and was soon trotting
over the snow on the road to Chapelle-aux-lys.
This was Low Marie came to Chantoee.
In dne time the room built, the cure
took leave of the brothers, and returned to
: the presby terry, where Marie regned hence
forth with soft, despotc sway over himself
the stiff old Victoire. and all who came wi hir
her kingdom. She was soon the acknowledge
belle of Chamtoce, and the number Of her ad
mirers and the zeal with which they COM petef
for her hand in the village dance, or the hon
or of carrying her red morocco Heurs to ant
from church on Sundays and ftte-days became
a serious complication in the existence of the
venerable cure. For his flock loved him with
the love that casteth out fear, and had no se
erets from him old and young went to hin
with their condolences as a matter of conrsc
| for as fnyn r
ried their hopes and fears and complaints o
her and of each other to his sympathizipg ear
thing to bear the burden of this confidence, t,
hearken to these knotty cases, and to give ad
vice ana sympathy Ie6ttiDg each particuia
one. The cure, to be sure, had more expert
ence than most men in this kind of diplomacy
| havi ug been the bosom csufdant of all tb
swains who had sighed to the bellies of Cham
toce these forty years past but be declares
that Maries lovers gave him more to do thar
. the whole generation together. There wer
nine eligible parts going, and all nine wer
competing for her: The good man was driver
different to them all, and never gave gianc
of encouragement to one above anbther, no
could her uncle detect the faintest sign of pre-
, ference toward any of them. He took refuge
therefore, in perfect neutrality, and refused t.
interfere in behalf of any of the suitors. Sb
was young enough to bide her time and tr,
their fidelity before she adopted choice s.
: important to them and to herself. Marie wa
fifteen when she came to Chamtoce. The rev
olution had broken ont in Paris and w as pread
ing rapidly through the provinces. La aVendec
which was destined soon to play such a nobi
. part in the fercest tragedy the world ever saw
was still comparatively quiet; but befor
Marie had spent two years in her new home
the Royalist movement was firing the hearts @
! the Vendeans, and the enthusiastic spirit @
Charette and Cathelineau and Stoffel was fan
ming the flames of patriotism and goadipg til
D peasants to that grand and univ uprisip
whose story stands unparalleled iu the anpal
of chivalreus loyalty. The Republican sol
: diers-les 6leus, as they were Called were acour
ing the country, depopulating villages, mul
t dsring the priests, aud hunting down the nc
bles, ordering off whole streets to the gu,llot
r iRe in batch, spreading terror and deyasta
! tiOn every where. The Peasantry had risen e
, nasse and joined the Roya troops, and wer
selling their lives and their affairs dear. Chan,
. toce was not behindhand ia the patriotic move
r ment. 1t furnished Its guodly contingent G
r soldiers to the king, and many were the epi
sodes of daring and self-devoied loyalty tha
8 marked the progress of the Vendean cause i
D the pretty, peaceful village.