The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-05-14
" No, no go away for oharityp
Hear me, Father ChIistopher-"

! He is here to assist the afflicted no doubt
Has he had the plagued
"Ah Lucy fear, greatly fear" A
| heDzo hesitated to utter his fears, she had IN
consciously again approached him, with lool
| of anxious irqniry-"I fear he has it now !!
On poor man! Bot what do I say poo
man! he is rich. rich in the favor of God BoN
| IS he Is he confined to his bed las he assist
ancep
% He is, on the contrary still assisting other
-butif yon were to see him! Alas there car
| be no mistake"
"oh! is he indeed within these walls p sale
Lucy.
" Here, and cot far off, hardly farther thar
from your cottage to mine-if you remember
"Oh ! most holy Virginw
shall tell you what he said to me He said
would approve it, aud that he would srsist me
to find you-thus, then, You 500"
If he spoke thss, it was because he did not
"What use would there be in his knowing q
mere imagination Of your own A msa of sense
such rs he is, never thinks of things of that
sort. But oh Lucy Shall tell you what
haze seen Pr And he related his visit to the
cabin.
Lucy, although familiarized in this abode of
horrors to spectacles of wretchedness and
despair, was shocked at the recital.
Aud at the side of that bed" said Rsnzo,
" if you could have heard the holy man He
said that G1d has perhaps resolved to look in
mercy ON this unfortunate-U can now give
him To himself, but that he desires that We
shonld pray together for him-together! do
you understand n
Yes, gee, will pray each, there where
the Lord shall place He can unite our
prayers"
:. Bot if tell you his very words"
But, Renzo. he does not know"
But can you Dot comprehend, when such
IN An speaks, it is God who speaks in him, and
mat he would not have spoken thus, if it ought
not to be exactly sol And the soul of this nu-
fortunate! l have prayed, and will pray for
him l have prayed With all my heart, se if he
were my brother. But what, think you, will
be his condition in the other world, if We do not
repair some Of the evil he has donef II you
return to reason, ali will be set in order. That
which has been. has been-he has had his pun
ishment here below"
"No, Reno, no! God would not have US do
evil that good may come Leave to him the
care of this unfortunate man; our duty is to
pray for him. II had died that fatal night.
would not God have been able to pardon him
And if 1 AIN not dead, if have been delivered
and your mother, poor Agnes, who desired
so much to see man and wife, has she not
told you it was foolish imaginatiouf'
My mother think yo1 my mother would
that she should Bot, Rsnzo, you are not in
your right mind W
"On! you women cannot be made to com
pre- Tend reason !! Father Christopher told me- to
return, and inform him whether 1 had found
you'll viii! go and ge+ bis advice"
+" Yes, yes, go to the holy man! Tell him 1
pray for him. aud to at desire his prayers!
Bat, for the love of Heaven! for your souls
sake, and for mine, do not return here, to
trouble, to-tempt mel Father Chrstophsr
will explain matters to yon, and mako you
return TO yourself; he will set your heart at
rest"
"My heart at rest Obi don't encourage an
idea of thai sort! You have, before now, caused
suffering it caused me! and now you have the
heart to tell it TO mel As for me, declare to
yon plainly, that will never set my heart at
rest. Lucy you have told me to forget You
forget you! bow can / do itf After so many
trials! SO many promises! Who have thought
of ever since We partedf Is it because have
suffered, that you treat me thusf because l
have been unfortuuatef because the world as
prosecuted me ! because l have been 80 long
away from your because the first moment /
was able, came to seek your"
"Oh! holy VrginW exclaimed Lucy. as the
tears flowed from her eyes, " come to my help.
You have aided me hitherto; aid me now.
Since that night such moment as this have
never passed"
She is the mother of compassion, aud will take
no pleasure in our suff 5rings. But, if this is
excuse-if have become odious to you-tell
me, speak frankly-"
For pisy, Rel Il, for pity, stop-Atop. Do
not make me die. Go TO Father Christopher;
commend me to him. Do not return here-do
not return here"
81 go, but think not will not return. 1
would return from the end of the world; yes, l
would returnr' and he disappeared.
Lucy threw herself on the floor near the bed.
upon which she rested her head, and wept
bitterly. The good woman, who had been q
silent spectator of the painful scene, demanded
the cause of her anguish and her tearsf But,
perhaps, the reader will wish to know some
thing OF this benevolent person: We will
satisfy the desire in few words.
She was a rich tradeswomaD, about thirty
years of age; she had beheld her husban and
children die of the plague. Attacked by it
herself, She had been brought to the lazaretto,
and placed in the cabin with Luoy, who was
just beginning to recover her senses, which had
forsaken her from the commencement of her
attack in the house of Don Ferrante. The
humble roof could only accommodate two
guests, aud there grew up, in their sfRiotion,
strict and intimate friendship bet them.
They derived great consolation from each
others society, and had pledged themselves
not to separate after qnitting the lazaretto.
The good woman, whose wealth was now far
more ample than were her desires, wished TO
retain Lucy with her as q daughter: the
was received with gratitude, and
on condition of tho permission and
approval of Agnes. Lucy had, however, never
made known to her the circumstances of her