The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-04-30


, tions we have thought it our duty to state it
From this time Renzo continued to work with
bis cousin More than once, and especially
after having received n letter from Agnes, hi
FELT q desire to turn soldier and opportunities
were not wanting, for at this time the republic
" as IN want of recruits The temptation was
the stronger, as there was talk of invading
the Mianese, and it appeared to him that il
"opld De fine thing to return there as a con.
querer, see Lucy again, and have an explaua
,ion with her; bnJ Bortolo always diverted
| h'n from TINS resolution. "lf they go there,
Ialh ne, they can go without You, and you
can 90 afterwards at your leisure. If they
| return with broken heads, you will be glad to
| nave been ont of the scrape. The Blilanese is
not mouthfnl to be easily swallowed and
1hen the question, my friend, turns on the
power of Spain. Have little patience Ar @
| You not well heref 1 know what you will say !;
but If it is written above that the affair shall
succeed, succeed it will, without Yonr commit
ting more follies. Some saint will come to
your assistance. Believe me, war is not trade
| the business"
| At other times Repzo thought of returning
home 10 disguise, under o false name,-but
Bortolo dissuaded him from this project also, as
being fraught with danger.
Ihe plague after wards spreading all over the
Mllanese, and ad vanoing to the Rergam ascan
| terrtory-don't be alarmed, reader, our design
Is not to relate it's history; all that we would
say is, that Renzo was attacked with it, and
recovered He at deaths door but his
strong constitution repelling the disease, in a
few days he was out of danger. With life,
tue hopes ADu recollecJlOn5 and projects of life
returned with greater vigor than ever more
than ever were his thougnts occupied with his
Lucy; what had become of her in these dis
astrons timesf .'To be at SO short q disrance
from her, aud to know nothing concerning her,
aud to remain, God knows how long in this
uncertainty and then her vow l viii go nv
self, will go aud relieve these terrible doubts,"
sad he. IT she lives, will find her; | will
hear herself explain this promise; / will show
her that 1T is not binding; and will bring her
here, and poor Agnes also, who has always
W Ia me wall
yes, will go in search of them"
AS soon as he was able to walk, he went in
search of Bortolo, who had kept himself shut
mp in his house, on account of the pestilence
He called to him to come to the window.
"Ah, abb said B ortolo, "you have recovered
1t is we'll for you"
have still some weakness in nv limbs as
you see, but am out of danger"
- oh, wish / was your legs. Formerly
when one said, ! am ,cel, it ex pressed all that
couid be desired; but nova days that is of
better, tbats the word for youw
Renzo informed his cousin of his determine
ton.
go now, and may Heaven bless you" replied
he; avoid the laws as shall avoid the pesti-
lence; and if it Is the will of God, shall see
each other again."
oh. shall certainly return. If were only
SIRE of not returning alone! 1 hope for the
best"
g Well join in your hopes if God wills, we
will work, and live together here. Heaven
deVIlish disease may have ceased"
u" We shall meet again, shall meet agail, !
| am sure
" l say again, God bless you."
In ff" days Renzo, finding his strength
sufficiently Restored, prepared for his do
parture; he put on girdle in which he placed
the nifty crowns sent him by Agnes, together
with his owu sua!I savings; he took under his
arms n small bundle of Clothes aud secured in
his pocket his certificate of good conduct from
his second master; and having armed himself
II aDDenUap9 10 In
honest man in those days, he commenced his
journey towards the end of August, three day
after Don Roderck had been carried to the
lazsretto He took the road to Lecco, before
venturing into Milan, as he hoped to find Agnes
there, and learn from her some little of what
he desired mech to know.
The small number of those who had been
cured of the plague formed privileged class
am! DIST the rest of the population those who
bad not been attacked by the disease lived n
perpetual apprehension of it they walked |
about with precauton, with an unquet air, |
with a buried aud hestatDg step the for |
mer on the contrary, nearly certain of security |
(or to have the plague twice was rather a
prodigy than a rarity) advanced uto the very |
midst of the pesti ence- with holiness and I'M
concern. With -soch security, tempered, how
ever, by his own peculiar anxieties; and by |
the spectacle of the misery of whole people, |
Renzo travelled towards his village, under a |
fine sky and through beautiful country
meeting on the way, after long intervals of
dismal Solitude men more like shadows and |
wandering phantoms than living beings or
dead bodies about to be consigned to the trench |
lthout funeral riies. Towards the middle of
the day he stopped in grove to eat bis meat
and bread he was beautifully supplied with
fruits from the gardens by the road, for the
year was remarkably fertile, the trees along
the road were laden with figs, peaches, pums,
apples, and other various kinds, with hardly a
living creature to gather them.
Towards evening he discovered his village !;
although prepared for the sight, he felt his
heart beat, and he assaed in u moment
by crowd of painful recollections aud hsr-
rowing presen timents: death-like silence |
reigned around. His agitation Increased as he |
entered the church yard, and became hardly |
supportable at the end of the lane-it was
there where stood the house of Lucy-one |
only of it's inmates could now be there and the |
only favor he asked from Heaven was to find |
Agues still living; he hoped to find an asylum |
at her cottage, as he judged truly that his own
must be in ruins.
AS he went on he looked atteutively before !
him. fearing, and at the same time hoping. to |
meet some one from whom he might obtain |
inform alton. He saw at last mau seated on |
the ground, leaning against n hedge of jessa |
mines, in the listiess attitude of an idiot. He |
I'll h No ha,