The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-08-30

| and she bent meekly beneath that glorious
yoke, as only tho yiItuous and holy do. But
| the misery she had endured was his doing; he
it was who had driven her from the happy
| home where she was beloved and honored, to
be the insulted victim of La Gervaise. 1t was
too much Had not the Able Kerdrec deceived
him when he assured him of forgiveness in the
name of Godf Were not bis crimes past all
pardon And as the gibbet-lke tree rose be-
fore his imagination, no seemed to himself like
Judas, when, rushing in his hopeless remorse
from the assembly of the priests, he came upon
the executioner fashioning the cross.
And all this misery was aggravated by the
respect of his superior officers, by the affection
of tho chaplain.
"What am l." he cried in the bitterness of
his soul, "but an assassin and q theft If they
knew the truth, they would scorn and hate me
they would shun me as one stricken with tho
plague-they would point to me as monster
of wickekness. The general would tear the
cross from my button-hole. Praise, respect,
affection--it is all stolen. 1 will wear this
hideous mask of hypocrisy no longer.
One day the chaplain, the Able Florent,
found him sitting alone in the tent. He had
book in his hand, but he was not reading his
lips moved as though he were repeating some
thing he had learned by heart.
"My friend" said the priest gently.
81 do not deserve to have friend" answered
Yves.
"Yet you greatly need one"
al do, and do not"
explain yourself, Yves"
"a friepd-a real friend should be our sec.
ond self"
"Qute true"
AL ,1,D Loxy l. -
mot when it is possible"
at must be possible" said the soldier
gloomly.
Scared"
"And if it is n shameful oneW
"No matter, If God has healed it,"
"a friend " Yves burst ont passionately. 81
have none; / never shall have one-it is i'm
possible. My comrades like me, they are good
fellows; but do mako friends with themF Is
there any confidence between us 7 At the can
teen, by tho bivouao fire, keep aloof. Alone
always alone. You will say that is my fault,
my choice. Yes, father, because it must be
I have one thing to do a task which is laid
upon me-and devote myself to it. But that
is not enough for me. There are many sorts of
| expiration must go through them ALL"
/ "Do you know what was reading when
| You came in 2 1t was the Bible. Shall 20 on
reading aloud ~
| GO on" said the chaplain.
Yves began, and rs he read drops of agony
beaded his forehead
"Can said to his brother, Let us go forth
abroad. And when they were in the field,
Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and
slew him.
| 81
brother Abel And he answered, know not !;
am my brothers keepers
"Aud He said to him, What hast thou done 7
The voice of thy brothers blood crieth to Me
| from the earth.
Nov, therefore, cursed shalt thou be upon
the earth, which hath opened her mouth, and
received the blood of thy brother at thy hand
"When thou shalt till it, it shall not yield
to thee its fruit: fugitive and a vagaboud
shalt thou be upon the earth.
"And Cain said to the Lord, My iniquity is
greater than that may deserve pardon.
Behold, Thou dost cast me out this day
from the face of the earth, and shall be hid
den from Thy face and shall be o vagabond
and fugitive on the earth every one, there
fore, that findeth me shall kill me.
"And the Lord said to him, No, it shall not
be so but whatsoever shall kill Cain shall be
punished seyenfold. And the Lord set mark
upon CAIN"
Yves read these verses slowly, in q low
stifed voice and when he had done so, he put
down the book, told his own history to the
} priest, and then, looking into his face, ex
claimed:
Now you know why / cannot die 1 at
. tempted the life of my brother and God has
} set mark upon me, and Death will not strik,
me- Now you see why / can never have
friend. You thought we'll of me, father but
have been a bad son, an unnatural brother
even a child, was called wicked Yves.
On certain day, father, our Cure told me t.
save ten lives, and promised me Gods forgive
ness. And that is my work. Bat begin t.
think my burden is too heavy for me. Death
death-that is all long for"
The Able Florent clasped him in his arms
my friend, my brother" he said.
''Your friend-your brother-after what
have told you ?"
ewes" continued the chaplain, you mus
let me read your Utmost soul now. can hea