Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-06-11
rHE IRON MONK.


T. II. N. 7 THE IRON MONK.
Dip. drip. drip. the rain i plashins ias1
she tiny lakes and rivers in the soddea
gardeo bsds. Throagh the open vindou
comes the faint. sweet smell Of the damp
sarth-that moist. spring-like odor. which
noshtog else resembles. A sofi twittcring
comes from Under the leaves, where the
happy little feathsred lovers ycstss-
day vers tying about IN the sunshiue,
eeildine their wee house have takes shsl-
~. Uoder my window 4 great. black
|JQeil = leissrely prouenading. Il The
, Gheo Jean i uhistling (all out Of tane)
'tnlns 111(n - aannnol&
Ing him. Good stspid jean stsfss q hsr.
says nothing-snd goes on vhistling.
These good people love one another /; ba,
Lisette Is quick. eager. sslf.relisnt-Jeau
i slow and plodding. "Hc has no
thought." she says sharply. in her quick,
brisk utterance. Jean smiles doubtfully,
and goes of to his work. Ispeak Of biz
goodness. his kind heart, and Lisette's
black eyes 6lled With tears.
Yesterday I found two slender sprays Of
the fragrant lily Of the valley-the wood
will be full of them soon. They sway
about in the eoft air. their tiny waxcn cups
hlled to the very brim with sweetness. Ny
grandmother dreamed Of them the day she
died. waking suddenly With an exclama.
ton Of delig ght. '.What is it7'' I asked i,
"Ah! mouefant." she answered. With q
sigh. Il was gathering lilies at the ole
chateau" The last disappointment 10 .
life Of sorrow! Do her aands gather their
sweet blossom In the gardens 10 which she
has now gone1 I hope 30. indeed.
l am not so young as I was. and this
quiet life suits me. When the heart is
content. it needs little to give us pleasure
1t is happiness to breathe the sweet air, and
listen to the soft patter Of the rain. How
steadily the drops fall on the gravel. and
with what petulent laughter they splash
out upon the stones. What a day to be
lazy in you cannot possibly ask me to-
day. IfLisette will but let me alone-she
looks with an evil eye on those long quiet
hours Of dreaming. All. me! my fate Is
coming; know it in the firm decided
sound Of the advancing footsteps.
'Will Mademoiselle please enter the
saloon !"
Once there. I listen patiently to her cx-
cIamation OF horror over the dust. and the
6lmy webs With which generations Of spi-
ders have bestowcd the old pictures. At
last. am brought to confess that jean is
idle to-day, and I consent to his dusting
the dirty faces Of my sncestors. If it 90
pleases him. Itdoss not please him-but
it pleases Lisette. and I am released -
Lisette is happy. A ladder is brought
brushes. cloths. Iretreat in dismay. car
rying with me the remembrance Of . face
which. il seemed to my fancy, looked re-
proachfully down upon ne. A man in
the prime Of life, with bold, naughty fca-
tures, IN eagle eye. and . 6rm. proud
mouth. He is in full srmor, over which
hangs . monks robe, and ia hie mailed
hand he holds cruci6x. grasping it like q
sword. The ''Iron Monk" be Is called
The face haunts me; 6ery passionate. i,
aceords i'll with the humility Of the monks q
habit. "What history that man has r.
| say to myself. My eye falls upon the
little leather box, my grandmother's words
recur to me; ''In it you will 6nd the life
secrets Of many Of your race" Why no,
that Of the Iron Monk ? I open it eagerly.
Under many others, find . paper 10
my grandmother's writing the ink is
faded. but 1 read the title. and joyfully
draw forth my prize. The rain is still
falling gently. I settle myself back in
my chair and begin the legend of the Iron
Monk.
There are many legends concerning the
Iron Monk in which truth and error are 60
mingled that it is almost impossible tc
separate the real from the false; but this
l have tried to do. thinking that some one
besides mysclfmay wonder over the strange
story of this unfortunate man, 80 deeply
sinned against.
Ouce-I do not know the year-there
we're twin brothers born at the chateau.
Their father. proud and fiery. vac slain iu
some fierce quarrel within . mouth ate,
their birth. His gentle wife soon follow.
ed her lord. leaving her children to the
guardianship Of distant relative. then ia
Paris. Ten years passed. He brough,
his motherless daughter to the chateau
after that he seldom left il. Crafty. sub.
tie. be soon saw that with the bold Vic.
tor his influence was little. The young
lord knew his power. and was jealous o.
interference. His proud lips would curl
with . contemptuous smile while listening
to the commands Of bis cousin, not one ol
which he ever obeyed. From the FRS
they hated and mistrusted each other
Meanwhile, over the gentle Louis thu
guardians power increased day By day
With passionate sorrow. Victor saw hi.
brother drawn farther away from him
Weak, easily fattercd, Louis soon yielded
himself heart and soul to his willy kinsman
And Victcr-too proud to complain, yc'
suffering nsely-lavishcd his warn
love on the little Autoinette. -Four year.
older than she. be Vas the protector a
we'll as the playmate; brother changed 4
lover aud life smiled once more on th.
young Victor.
The cross was raised, and the earth shool
With the tread Of armed men; bugles yer,
RIGGING. pennons flying, and from ever,
hill and valley came the shout. ''For th,
cross! For the cross!" With the blood o
his race leaping hosly in his veins. Vicso
prepared to join his ecuntrymen. He "a
Of age. none sought to stay him. and
was in the soh eyes Of Antoiuette slou'
that hs sav grief st parting. Proudly
coldly, be bade sdieu 70 the Ao0s of hi
fathers. With frn step be crossed d
court. His brother started forward -
i 4 = lR 4 = 4 l.