The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-03-12

room enough for You remember, have asked
YOU very often " Thus saying, she drew the
clothes over her, and soon all was profound
silence.
Lucy remained motionless, with her face
buried in her bands, which rested ON her knees;
she was neither awake nor asleep, but in q
dreamy state of the imagination, painful,
vague and chsngeful. At fret she recalled
with something of self possession the min utest
circumstances of this horrible day; then her
reason for q moment forsook its throne, vainly
struggling against the phantoms copjured by
uncertainty and terror; at last, weary and ex-
hausted, she sunk on the floor in q state ap
preaching to and resembling sleep. But sud.
denly che awoke, as at an internal call, and
strove to recall her scattered senses, to know
where she was and why she had been brought
thither. She heard q noise, and listened; 1t
was the heavy breathing of the old woman In
q deep slumber she opened her eyes on the
objects around her, which the Pickering of the
lamp, now dying in its socket, rendered con-
fused and indistiDct. But soon her recent i'm,
pressions returned distinctly to her mind, and
the unfortunate girl recognized her prison and
with the knowledge came associated all the
terrers of this horrible day; and overcome
anew by anxiety and terror, she wished earn
estly for death. She could only pray, and as
the words fell from her trembling lips she felt
her confidence revive. Suddenly thought
presented itself to her mind, that her prayer
would be moro acceptable if united with an
Offering of something dear to her; she
remembered the object to which she had
elung for her happincss, and resolved to
sacrifice it; then csaspIng her hands over her
chaplet which hung upon her neck, and raising
her fearful eyes to heaven, che cried, " o most
holy Virgin thou to whom l have 80 often
prayed, and who hast so often consoled me
thou who hast suffered go much sorrow, and
art now so glorions-thou who hast performed
SO many miracles for the eaff1cted-Eoly Virgin!
succor me, take me from this peril, mother of
God! return me safely to my mother, and
pledge myself to remain devoted to thy
vice; I renounce forever the unfortunate
youth, and from this time devote myself to
theeP After this conservation of herself she
felt her confidence and faith increase; she re-
by the Unknown, and took promise of safety.
Her wearied senses yielded to this new senti-
ment, and she slept profoundly and peacefully
with the name of her protrectress on her lips.
Bot in this same castle was one who could
not sleep. After having quilted Lucy, and
given orders for her supper, he had visited the
posts of his fortress, but her image remained
stamped on his mind and her words still re-
sounded in his ears He retired to his chamber
and threw himself on his bed (; but in the still
ness around, this same image of Lucy in her
desolation and anguish took possession still
more absolutely of his thoughts, and rendered
thought he. "Nibbio was right; but what is
there in q womans tears to unmau me thus
Did never see a woman weep beforef Ay,
agonies unmoved7 But now"
And here he recalled, without much difficult
ty, many an instance when neither prayers nor
tears were able to make him swerve from bic
atrocious purposes; but instead of deriving
augmented resolution, as he had hoped, from
the recollection, he experienced an emotion of
alarm, OF CONSERVATION, SO that even, as q re-
lief from the torment of retrospection, he
thought of Lucy. "She lives STILL" said he
| she is here; there is yet time. I have it in
my power to say to her, Go in peace! l CAR
also ask ber forgiveness. Forgiveness! 1 ash
existed the power to drive this demon from my
soul, would say it; yes, feel that woulc
say it. To what am reduced am no Longer
myself! Well, we'll, many time have sncl
follies passed through my head; this will tax,
it's flight also !"
And to procure the desired forgetfulness, h
endeavored to busy himself with some new
project; but in vain. All appeared changed
That which at another time wonld have beer
stimuli lns to action, had now lost it's ch arm
His imagination was overwhelmed with th,
iDsupporLahle weight of remembered crimes
Even the idea of continuing to associate will
those hom he had employed as the ipstrument
| of his daring aud lcentious will was rsvoftipI
to hIs soul; and, disguised and weary. he foun(
relief only in the thought that by the dawn O
morning he would set at liberty the unfortu
nate Lucy.
will save her yes, I will save her. A,
soon as the day breaks, l will fly to her, ant
say Go, go in peace. But my promise Ay
/ 3 promise made to him 7" With the perplexi
! ty "l :, mau TO whom n superior addresses un
expecseoiy an embarrassing question, the Un
Ah""h W Teply TO IN l6 mis- own, or
r"ther, that was whispered by this new princi
pla. that he had of a sudden sprung up 80 aw
| fully iu his soul, to pass judgment upon him
He wondered how he could have resolv we'd to en-
! gage himself to infct suffering, without any
motive of hatred OF fear, an unfortun ateibe
| inG whom he d ID not know, only to render 6
service TO this man. He could not find any
excuse for it ; he could not even imagine how
| be had been led to 90 it. The basty deer
| mutation had been the impulse of a mind obs
dent t" its habitual feelings, the C .ns q rencs
ofa thousand previous deeds and from an ex
| animation of the nnotiV yes which had led him Il
commit single dred. he Was led to the retro
| spection of hIs whcie life.
| In looking back trom ear TO ycar, frem en-
| teTprise to en- 'erpTi@e, trpm crime to crime
FROM blood to bl""'t, each Que of his action
appeared abstracted from tho feelings which
bad Induced their perpetr alton, and therefore
exposed in all their horrible deformity, bu
which those feelings had hitherto yelled from
his view. They were all his own, he was re
sponsible for all they comprised his life
the horror of this thought filled him witt
despair; he grasped his pistol and raised il t,
his head-but at tho moment wheu he woulc
have terminated his miserable existence. hi
| thoughts Iu~hed on Yards tn the time th at Iuus
continue t" q wv ON after his end. He though
| OF bis dishEnrod corpse, without sense or mo
GlOD, in the % Br u hs mean