The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-12-19


Why
"Because." she hesitated, "let me tell
truth. Mr.. Shave, without fear of your calling
1t mere compliment, I have found in you
soul above mesnness."
"And must all convicts necessarily be mean 7"
"It would be a miraculous case to find one
Let US suppose a case. Weigh the story
we'll in your mind, for more than q mere
opinion is held in your answer to the question
London, q young man found himself standing
on the threshold of life, fortune. fair share OF
talent, good appearance. and inHoence All at
bis command. But be had no sweet tie of love
to bind him to q family circle Of warm hearts;
he stood alone Now. in the past, spent in
school and college. this isolated heart had
at the risk of bis own; who truly became to
him as . brother, and whom he held in his
heart Us one It was strange, too, that these
friends resem6ied each other in look, though
not the most distant relationship existed be-
tween them. They were called by their com.
panions in school the accidental twins, aud
many mistake. as well as many Q jest, was
perpetrated through the fact of their strange
likeness to each other.
"Five years from their entrance into man
hood, saw the first still isolated, bat the second
the father Of two lovely children. He was not
rich like his friend, bot earned q comfortable,
nay, respectable income by the practice of the
Law, and their home was Q little Eden of love
and happiness. But every Eden has its ser
pent, and into this crept one most dread. His
beautiful wife excited his jealousy by the
either in society, or her own house, where dis
tipgnisbed legal men often met for the pie asant
intellectual enjoyment to be found there. The
truth must be told; Der vanity accepted it too
complacently, though no actual wrong could
be found in her conduct. She too evidently
enjoyed the homage she received for the
patience of Jealous man to bear it, and be
grew more and more suspicious every day. At
last day came, when, heated with wine he
resented a toast drank in his wifs's honor by
one of his guests, threw a glass in his face
the next morning this man was fonnd all but
murdered in his bed, and his ehallenger's hands
and clothes were discovered to be stained with
blood when, in the latter's room, bloody
knife was discovered, which CORES ponded to
the character of the victims wounds, it is not
strange that he was arrested. Neither is 1t
strange that he was found guilty Of attempt to
kill, and sentenced to transportation, fearful
sentence, which beggared his family, and de-
priyed them of husband and father all at one
| blow. His friend could not bear the despair
| and remorse of his wife. the tears and innocent
prayers of his little children. He determined
| to save him, if need be at the sacrifice of that
life he owed to the prisoner. Ah he was called
upon to sacrifice what was dearer, honor, an
urstained name"
There was pauss, gentle, softly regretful
yet proudly reliant pause pause that held
singing she'll held its song for the child. on
the speli of this pause, felf the words
| "He sacrificed them-all, all. After striving
in many ways to effect his friends release, he
| at last went to the prison to seek him, and
said : There is but one way, John my resem-
blance to you will enable me to take your
place. Go to those who need you-1 am not
| needed outside this prison
"He demonstrated long, but finally, at men
ton of his children's cries for him, consented
They changed clothes, and he who had been
| free was now the prisoner. What would you
say of such o convict as that I"
| ~ would not name him convict, but hero
was the proud reply, given with flashing eye
and roselit cheek.
| Then q look met hers, whereof the meaning
cannot be put into words, but which, rejected
back from her eyes, told an old, old beautifu
story to both hearts, far better than any Ian
guage could have done. 30 pause and 81
lence ersued, of which neither had to wonder
at the cause and during which, neither stool
note of time"
'It is about a year. now, since the convic
escaped from his thraldom, and found his wa.
to the dwelling of his friend, living in elegan
style on the fortune he had given him. as par
of his sacrifice ; living in home far from hi
old one, purchased by it, and to which it hat
enabled him to remove his family secretly
calls call ibis Ibis convict a. hero His friend refuse,
to recognize him treated him as madman
and when, with the hunger of wounded
heart for love, he begged him to ackuowledg
him, and keep all the wealth that made hin
T fear to do So he had him forcibly elected from
! the house by his servants! All! there wa
murder in tue ne3rb OF the CONVICT ODab DlknG
E God must have sent him some good angel, tha
it was not done!'
E THE angel of his own lofty deeds in tn
r past" breatbed, rather than spoke, the youn
girl
I He retired to a spot not far from the mag
nifcent home of the craven, to mediate som
{ complete and sure revenge. He gloated on
!; night and day. He had plenty of money
amassed, as convicts can amass it. if the
= wish, and so he did not need to work. With
: demon in his heart, he entered where tw
}, angels stayed. A little suffering child, wa
one and young girl, who dwelt amongst tn
false and worldly with unspotted soul, an
g who daily showed the cross to the little child
% was the other. This young girl did not &C
i, | out any wonderful mission, nor did she seer
{ to exert any extraordinary influence, but he
I life breathed purity, and her words, simple /
themselves, elevated the heart to God. d
9 drew near-he Iistened-he drank in me-
4 knowledge. He learned that aching feet OF
n only like feet that ached on Calvarys mount
that injustice here is only sharing the fate of
b those he elects his own from the beginning
It that angels are with us in the dark : and thi
Ir up his revenge-he laid his wrong at the foe