The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-09-03

their sting, as thorns might chafe gapin
, wound."
Have yo9 yet experienced treachery an
ingratitudef' y The tone was a challenge, "I
uot' then you are not qualified to say this"
God knows have"
And you, SO young Have you prayed owe
If had not" and the heart of the speake
was evidently in her voice az would hay,
taken my own life to avoid its pain"
| But ahW this passiouately, "you were no
a mother, and your child did not deser
you. You cannot gness the depth of my sor
| No, bat the farther beyond human under
s.ahning, The more surely does it beong tt
God to fathom it, and prayer brings it to his
Then the sightess eyes wept, and a tremb.
ling hand wandered to the moth er's breast, and
taxing therefrom locket, handed it to Len a.
:" Look" she said in a choking voice 4" that
is my boy"
She opened it, Light. lovely light Ieaped
over the white calm of her face-her eyes
opened to utter some sweet word. She was
transforme The word remained unuttered,
but the picture was silently pressed to her
What do you think of it p asked the un-
conscious witness Of this strange conduct
He Is not un,oorthy" and the tone was tri-
umph and certainty, none of the habtual sad
ness III the voice. none of the tremor.
You would not think So" the sorrow-
and head"
Lena opened it again softly, with a hu al on
her face.
"Noble and beautiful surely; the features
chisetled perfectly as d rcalptoI's drean. the
black eyes InelCiug, the mouth full aud exunis-
itey shaped, the brow open aud massive,
the whole most beautifully framed in curling
black bead and bair. Indeed, it was more like
an ideal face aud head than the picture of
living one.
- Bat" went on the mother, speaking wst
fully, al the nobility AMI beauty You see
there was in hls natuie too, and ali destroyed
a oh, Il
TO the it tuences around him.
Such natures, you must remember" an
sweIed the girl, speaking in low and brood
ing tone, like one just awakening from come
happy dream, are capable of yielding to in
luenoe for good as well a. evil"
Yes, yes" and the listener sighed "my
Maxs poor life was mistake"
" Max" 1t was a cry of joyous recoguitiou
Yes, my dear. Yon seem to like the name.D
do" and the heart of blush unfolded it
SELF on her cheek, which the bsar," en- tering
bound.
Why did you stop z cried the child "tell
me what you see."
81 see, see," said Hugh abstractedly a |
rose of a very rare kind, Pettie."
Iell me about it; is il tho glad kind that |
people who can see call red ~
Yes, the glad kind decidedly, Petite. A mi
'acle has been worked.'
bring it to ME, let me feel it," she cried |
eagerly.
No, will bring you to it. I could not, if
would, remove it,
There was alteration in his eyes, as he placed
he tiny creature ou Leua's knee, who, not see
ng it, began TO caress the golden head offered
o her But the qnick ear of the mother de-
ected IL IN the ~orde Is5 Uttered, in the voice
hat uttered t1snl, she said to herself smil-
nR. " 1t is veil, aud she is worthy of him"
. Where Is the rose - demanded Petite.
"On-on your SISTERS cheek ; isn't that good
ewsf'
TIE little hand passed itself over the face
bove it
hHr Nfa IL A.,
feels like roses ought 20, soft-soft and warm"
The sung the latter words TO herself.
SO thea The mother listening eagerly, said
nwardiy,
" And she bas read his voice as have. and
his rose they speak of is blush, so he will be
sPpy.I P ps ,o,,.
'ok in the eyes he adored, and know the rose
Tas not blooming from him. Then he thought
q knew " how much he loved her."
I" Do You think any one ever, ever coald see
'uscT said PettIe to Hugh some days after
ards, as they sat in the pretty vine-oovered
orch of the cottage at twilight, while Lena
layed inside.
"Never" he replied, in hushed way
" I'm so sorry, love it better than anything,
I'D when 1 wait for God to send me the light,
always hope for it TO be the next thing l see
fter Lena's face. Did no enc ever see it'll"
No one.
90 now KNOW after minute of pozzled
longht; "it must be the soul of the light, and
ell nee it in heaven"
" Exquisite thought y he cried. J
Hush listen"
Tney listened, the golden head nesting on = :
is shoulder, as he loved it to do. The fingers =
the player trembed at first, softly touching
roken chords, and little rippliug interludes, g
lat lost themselves in deep low notes, like 9
10 echo of some requiem. But, after o fee =
inutes of this kind of playing, she seemed 4
anstormed. She ruled the Instrument like an +
ltocrat, compelling it to do her bidding, and :
walled, it struggled like human heart in r
s"ny, it spoke All the grandeur of supreme q
rrow. it laid softly down to die in one exqui- +
to qniveripg thro5 of sweetest treble, fainter, +
in ter, gpneI Then burst very thunder. !
lorns of triumph victory, bliss, that no words :
'uld ever have embodied. The listeners sat =
ell-bound when it had ceased, gave it the very +
ul of genuine applause-silence. When this - -
I'D bad it's sway Hugh arose and went in, u r
el upon him.
" What is it, Miss PAyne'' he said breath n
ssly. 9
T." The name of it," was the answer, "is i
life and Death : life, the wall and the strug. ,,
Z; death, the victory'' -
4" Aud Lena made it," cried the child; made -
oil I.,,