The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1874-12-13
IernIng Star and Catholic Messenger.


sickness and sorrow had spread their paieness
over the soft features of the maiden; her eyes
were dimraed, her cheek had lost its fullness,
and her whole appearance showed that q deep
grief lay, like a gnawing worm, in her heaf'
Those who are visited with long and bitter
suffering take pleasure in sad and gloomy
dreams; aud, as if the reality were not pain1ui
enough, fashion to themselves phantoms'
which appai them yet more: and thus was IL
with the hapless maiden. She fancieo tna'
tho secret of her fathers liberation had oeeh
discovered; she saw in imagination the mur-
derers, bribed by Queen JOANNA mlngHpg
poison with his scanty food; ana then she
would shudder convulsiveiy, and tears OF
agony would stream down her cheeks. Adoit
vas dead to her: he had expated, with DIS
life, his love and his magnanimity Ihese
heart-rendipg fancies passed ever anew before
Aatilda's soul, and ceaselessy tortured the
poor maiden.
At this moment her friend Maria entered her
rom. The smile which passed over Matilda's
features as she greeted her friend was like the
smile which, after o death Of anguish, fingers
awhile ON the face of the departed; it e1-
prossed more of pain and profound sorrow than
the bitterest wailipg could have done. She
locked at Adolfs sister, and said:
"Oh! give mo some comfort, some allevia-
fion Of my suferingP
Maria drew near to the unhappy girl, and
u,reased her hand in tender sympathy. Her
voice took it's softest tone, and sank like music
into the soul of the sufferer, as she said:
"Your. tears flow in stiffness, your heart is
3zreaking with anguish and despair and there
In nothing, nothing to tighten your heavy
burdeni Alas you are indeed unhappy"
~Unhappyl say you, my friendf Oh, yes !
There is feeling in my heart which fills it to
bursting Can you imagine what hideous
fanoies are ever floating before my eyesf and
can you understand why my tears INCREASINGLY
faowf have seen my father die of poison l
have heard the voice as of one dying-a voice
that said, Farewell, my child; thou when l
have loved."
81 pray you, maiden" interposed Maria
spanish these gloomy shadows of your fancy
You rend my heart with sorrow. Your father
is yet alive. You sin grievously in abandoning
yourself thus to despair. Forgive me thes'
words of severity"
Matilda seized Maria's hand and pressed i
gently, as though she would express to he
what comfort these words had given her
Nevertheless she continued her despondiht
discourse, and seemed even to find kind o
comfort therein. For the wailings of an op
pressed soul are, as it were, tears which
Tighten the burden of the heart. She con
finned:
"I have seen yet more than this, Maria:
saw the headsman of the inhuman Joanna c
Efance-he swung the axe over the head
your brother, and saw that head fall on th
dungeon foor!"
aOGod w cried Maria, what horrible far
aiesp She trembled, and her eyes glstene
with tears.
sand heard his voice,-a voice that sai'
Farewell! farewell""
Overpowed by these hideous thoughts, Mari
threw herself into Matilda's arms her teal
fall fast on the heaving breast of her unhapp
friend, and the deep sobbipg of the tw
maidens filled the room. After they had hel
each other in long and motionless embrac
Maria asked:
"Do you understand my sufferings nov
Naria3 Do you understand now why al
-zaowly wasting awayT
go, yes,n answered Maria, in an accent
despair Eyes, understand and feel your 81
ferings. o. my poor brother"
The two maidens sat down exhausted, an
without utteripg word. They looked ut ea'
cther awhile with unutterable sorrow; b
their tears gradually ightened their grief, al
hope returned into the hearts of both, tn
knew not how. Maria, who was older th'
Matilda, and more self-possessed in sufferin
first broke the deep silence, and said,
"Wby should we allow our hearts to be tn
crushed by false imnginationsf There is not
ing to confirm the painful apprebensions wh
torment us fee! sure that no harm has bef'
len Lord Robert, your father, and that 4
brother has already set out on his return
HIS fatherland."
"Yet you have wept, Maria! Docs one we
at the smiling expectation of q brothers
furnf"
"You are torturing yourself, noble dams
OIL anguish must have struck deep its ro'
in your heart ere you could cling with gu
passionate energy to the dark dreams whi
1re overshadowing You. Believe me, 20
2Ashor yet lives and who can say how ne