The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-05-14

| Tiar theu took cross which rested against
pllIar, aud holding it mp before him, took @
his sandals, passing through the crowd, wbic
opened rtspectfully to give him passag
ana placed himself at their head.
kenzD, overcome with emotion, drew on on
side, aud placed himself near cabin, wher
bali concealed, he awaited, with his eyes opel
ma heart palPitatiDg, bot with renewed COL
hdence, the result OF the emotion excited b
the touching sceue of which he had been
| witness.
Father Felix proceeded barefooted at til
mead OF the procession, with the cord about hi
neck, bearing that long aud heavy cross; b
advanced slowly bat resolutey, one wh
| would spare the weakness of others, bat who's
IDEAS OF duty enabled him to rise above hi
| own. TIE largest children followed immed
| ately behind him, for the most part barefoot
ed, and very few entirely clothed then cam
| the women. nearly all of them leading child
| and singing alternately the mserere. Th
| Feeble so"nd of the voices, the palenesS an
| langor of the countenances, would have excl
| ted COMMUNICATION in the heart Of mer
spectator. Bat RepZo was occupied with hi
own peculiar anxieties the slow progress o
| the procession enabled him to scan with car,
| every face as it passed. He looked and looked
| again, and always in vain! His eye wander
ed from rank to rank, from face to face-they
| came, they passed-in vain, in van-none but
unknown features. ray of hope dawn
| ed upon his mind as he beheld some cars ap
| preaching, in which were the convsleseentt
fatigue of walking. They approached sc
| slowly that Renzo had full leasure to examine
| each in turn. But be was again disappointed
the cars had oil passed, and Father Michael
with bis staff in his hand, brought up the rear
as regulator of the procession.
Thus nearly vanished his hopes, and with
them his resolution. His only ground of hope
now to tird Jncy still under the power
of the disease to this sad and feeble hop",
be chung with all the ardor of his nature. be
fell on his knees at the last step of the temple,
and breathsd forth an uncepnected, but fer
vent prayer; he arose, strengthened in hope
and passing the railing pointed out by the
father, entered into the quarter allotted to til .
women. AS he entered il, he saw on the ground
one of the little bells that the mondth carried
on their feet with it's leather straps attached to
it. Thinking i5 might serve him pass
port, he tied it to his foot, and then began bis
painful search. Here ne W scenes of sorrow &et
his eye, similar in part to those he had already
witnessed, partly dissimilar. Under the
weight of the same calamity, he discerned a
moro patient endurance of pain, and q greater
sensibIlity to tina sfl ction Of others !; they to
whom bodily suffering i. q lot and an inheri
tance, acquire from 1t fortitude to bear thoir
own woes, and sympathy to bestow on the
woes of Others.
Renzo had proceeded some distance on his
search, when he heard behind him a " Ho p'
which appeared to he addressed to him.
Turning he saw at a distance, commissary,
who cried, 60 there into those rooms they
want you there; they have not finished
carrying all Off"
Renso perceived that he took him for o mon
alto. and that the lutte bill had caused th .
mistake. lie determined TO extric8t0 himself
from 1t as soon he conid. Making Sign
of obedience, be- hid hilns self from the com mis-
sary, by passing between two cabins which
were very near each other.
As he stopped u unlOose the strap of the
little hell, he rested his head against the straw
wall OF one of the cabins q voice reached his
ear. o Heaveul is it posi- blef His whole
soul was in his ear. he scarcely breathed. Yes !
that gentle voice; 1--WE have passed through
worse dangers than q tempest. He vino has
watched over as until now, will still continue
to do Sc"
Reuso scarcely breathed, his knees trembled,
his sight became dim ; with great effort re-
covering his faculties, he won't to the door of
the cabin, and behed her who had spoken !
She was standing, leaning over 9 bed she
turned at the sound of his steps, and gszed for
a moment be ~ildered; at last she exclaimed,
"Oh, blessed Lord !"
found you again! 1t is, indeed, you! You
live" cried Renzo, advancing with trenholm g
steps.
oh (! blessed Lord !" cried Lucy, greatly agi-
tated is it indeed You 7 How 7 Why the
pestilencE-"
~ have had it. And your
eyes. l have had it also. And my mother 81
al have not seen her yet, she is at
Pasture. / believe, however, that she is WELL
But you still suffering! how feeble you
not sof'
"The Lord has seen Fl to leave me little
longer here below said Lucy. "But Renzo!
why are you hereI'
why :" said Keno, approaching her, do
you ask me why l am heref Must / tell you :
Whom do 1 think of then Am not Reuzo 7
Are you no longer Lucy"
oh why speak thus! Did not my mother
write to you7"
''Yes she wrote to me! kind things truly,
to write to poor unfortunate man, an exile
from his native land, one at least, who never
injured youW
IS Bot Renzo! Renzo since you knew-wby
come, why |"
Why come! o Lucy why come do you say
After many promises! Are we no longer
the same ! Is all for gotten Z"
" o God" cried Lucy sorrowfully olasping
her hands and raising her eyes to heaven !;
'' why didst thou not take me to thyselfi o
Reno what have you done Alas I l hoped
that with tme-I should have driven from my
A kind hope indeed and to say so to me-"
Oh! what have you done in this place in
the midst of these sorrows! Here, where there
is nothing bnt death, you have dare6-"
We must pray to God for those who die,
and trust that they will be happy; but their
calamity is no reason why those who live
must live in despaiT-"
Rot ro1, MT hot