The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-12-31

bat be sure that with good will and spirited
determination che may yet easily be saved"
The miser looked mp with hope in his eyee,
and said, imploriDgly:
"Ah, yes, my friend! for Gods sake advise
me " hat had best do! I'm quite upable TO
think for myself my mind is utterly paraly zed
| with vexation and grief" -
The matters simple enough, Uncle Jan.
You're afraid that Cecilia, either now or after
your death, will marry sPendshrif., and so
| ell her inheritance be squandered and she her
self come to poverty and wretcbedness. Well,
| then, make snre of her, by getting her, once for
| that will mako her happy"
| cab, yesl-a careful, saving man." repeated
| the old man, sinking into thought Yes, in
| deedp
Bat, after a long consideration, be shook his
| head, and, in q discount Ted tone, sighed out:
! Ills of no use I've gone through the hole
village in my mind. and there's not one of the
| as old as myself. All the rest give themselves
| up to luxury and extravaganza"
:" You can't say that of me, at all aevents,"
| interposed Thys, half smiling
The old man regarded him for a moment with
! a sort of timid asronishment, and then replied ::
Alb onl y to see how ones wits can 60
| woolgathering! That you should be the only
one that's fl for her! Bat, Thys, you'd never
| take her; you don't love her.
Thys looked down with air Of embarrass.
ment.
81 don't know about that he replied, with
sigh; "bus if were rich I'd give all had to
see her happy
Then you must indeed love her dearly, Thys.
Bat then too. alas! my dear freud, she's SO
sadly set against you,-quite without cause, 1
well know. One might really say that her dis
like of You came of diseased msgination.'
"l know that she les me-" interru pied
Thys; 81 know well enough, too, that she will
go on hating me; that 1 should be unhappy
with her."
"And yet you would marry herr"
81 feel SO strongly moved by compassion for
her and gratitude 10 you that would make the
sacrifice. In her lntstuation she hates and de-
spises mei well, in return will save her, he
her guardian angel for life; will care for her
and spare for her, and see that the tr,fle she
may one day haye is kept together And then
perbaps-who can tell ?-perhaps in the end
ehe may reward me with a Change Of feeling
toward me-
These words, uttered in tore Of high re-
solve and magnanimons self sacrifice, made a
deep impression on the old NAME feelings
VITA much emotion, and gcasping his com.
panion's hand, he exclaimed:
Thanks. thanks, my generous friend! you
are the only thoroughly upright man that
know. And you would marry Cecilia, live
on with her here in my house, and help me to
reach the grave without falling into worse
poverty than 1 am in now And after my
death you will take care that the few pence /
have scraped together are not squandered
God bless you accept the sacrifice you offer,
and recognize You as my best benefactor"
JanH"
" Irrevooably, my good !Thys."
But should Cecilia refuse 3"
, As this question the old man only shrugged |
his shoulders and made no answer; be dared |
not fairly contemplate it.
Always the SameH cried Tbys, somewhat |
impatiently, in tone between jest and annoy
ance.
ut is true, my good friend, the girl has
downright bewitched mo; give me little time |
to persuade her. And do you, meanwhile, try
and do something for yourself. Be friendly |
with her talk to her little; don't be too |
sharp with her about bit of butter more or
less keep good sod Of peat against she comes
home"
What weakness, Uncle Jan I" interrupted
the other, somewhat scornfolly; when once
the i'll seed has fairly taken root, it's not bit
of butter that will clear the ground of it,"
well, wellW answered the old man. half |
put out, "if fair mears won'6 do, why then we
must see,"
And with these words he rose from his seat
aud, cough iog as be vent, direc ed his way to
one of the doors
&" l. will COUP stairs for q WHILE" he said al
an tired. saal see you again at dinner.
tune: don't put too much salt to the turnips"
They're frozen, Uucle JAM"
They'll be all the tenderer, Thys. And use
the same pot, again; the butter has quite
soa k ed into it,"
after~ard his step was heard
upon the stairs.
For few moments Thys stood listening, till |
he had heard the sound of two or three doors |
as they we're successfully shut to and locked. |
Then suddenly his bearing entirely changed.
The stoop disappeared from his shoulders, a |
Scornful smile passed over his lips, his eyes
rolled briskly under their brows-in fact, he
had all the joyons air of victor returning |
from the field of battle.
Stepping on tiptoe, he now approached a cup |
board, took ont loaf of toleraby fine bread, |
cnt a substantial slice, and battered it half an |
inch thick. With glistening eyes and q smile |
of gluttonous delight he bit in to IT. and rapidly |
swallowed mouthful af5er mouthful with indie |
scribable greediness. Then he shut rp the cup |
board put everything in its place sgain, and |
resu med his seat in the chimney corner, hay |
iup first we'll heaped up the fire with peat, |
which he now proceeded to blow into blaze |
that it q comfort to look upon. Then,
having for some time rubbed his hands with an
expression of intense satisfaction, he settled
down into an attitude of repose, murmuring to
himself, with hateful smile upon his ooun-
teuance:
"Ha, ha! the good for. nothing old skiufint!
Why, he'd cut farthng in four! Before he
pays away n cenTime he turns it ten times
round though it were bit of bis soul.
He'll soon come to putting his old shoes in the
pot, because once upon time they've been
creased. Aud then he's poor lob, 80 poor
AS If didn't know we'll enough why it is