Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-18

you will know that you must do the
best You q for your. children, to get
them on, and see them happy and
prosperous. Now, your family has
been unfortunate; lido not say that it
was their fault-far from it. Your
father was my very good friend, but he
did not manage, somehow, to- keep on
good terms with the pacha, and he lost
every thing, including his life. Irisked
something at the time by ~befriending
you, a little child and an orphan; for
he was q vindictive man, that paeha,
and if he had known it, would have
owed me a grudge. Afterwards l help
ed, with others, to set you up in the
farm you cultivate. You have worked
well; you have paid back the cattle you
were started with for stock; [ know
that. But you are in a small way, and
Government takes a great deal from us,
though we ought not to grudge that, so
long as they leave us in peace; but still,
when q man is poor and struggling it
keeps him poor and struggling. Marie
would have to work harder and live
more roughly as your wife than she
does now, and neither her mother nor
myself would like that. Her children
would have to be laborers of a lower
class than is suitable for our family.
And u Marie al do better. / have
a friendly feeling for you, and you will
always be welcome under my roof, for
your own sake as we'll as your fathers;
but | must take ear of my own child
first. Think no more of it, Stephan"
He held out his hand, which the
young man took, not very warmly, for
his heart was full of bitterness.
Ell can join the insurgents and get
killed, at any rate, he muttered. "That
is the best thing for such a mean and
unfortunate wretch as I am to do. And
I shall be striking a blow in revenge
for my father, at any rate"
So saying he strobe off in the direc-
ton of the village, while the old man
shrugged his shoulders with a plying
smile and retraced his steps to his COM
Portable fireside.
1t was the same eternal story, ever
old yet fresh, no matter whether the
scene is laid in a Bulgarian village or q
Belgrayian mansion-young love and
old prudence in opposition.
Likewise, there always seems to be
some peculiar connection between dis
appointed affection and fighting, which
leads the youth whose heart is blighted
to seek the remedy of a broken head.
Hodge, betrayed, ~enlists; the Tilted
Jaques courts the otherwise dreaded
CONSUMPTION. So Stephan, when he
could not have the girl he wanted, de-
termined to take it out of the Moham-
meden oppressor.
The insurrection had not spread to
that immediate district. 1t was a quiet,
industrious village, and though the in
habitants bore no love to the Turks,
none of them were inclined to take part
in what they considered a hopeless
struggle, which could only result in
drawing swift vengeance upon their
heads. But Stephan knew as well
where to apply for information as the
lovelorn British swain knows where the
recruiting sergeant is to be found, and
he went direct to the house of the papa,
or priest.
A girl of about ten came to the door,
and led the way into a small inner
apartment, where Stephan opened his
heart to the papa, concluding with an
expression of his determination to de-
vote himself to the cause of his country,
and asking for directions where to find
the headquarters of the insurgents.
81 can not dissuade you, my son."
said the papa, "if you feel yourself
called upon to take part in this effort
to free the land from the heather op-
pressor. 1t is a holy cause, and one
not so hopeless as many deem it.
Other countries are ready to join in it,
and a little success will embolden Servia
to declare war against the Turk. And
there IS another and stronger Power,
whose sympathy is with the Christian,
and whose secret aid may be depended
upon. Russia, the land to which our
Church is dearest, will not stand quite
by. And, above all, God will pro-
tect those who fight in His w cause.
But it is necessary to be prudent, and
let no n know of your intention, or
else an excuse will be given to the Turk
to work his wicked will upon this de-
voted village. Go home; make some
excuse for a long journey, and depart
upon it openly"
He then gave him minute directions
~ndt lurCneF steps 10 lake, blessed n
dismissed him. In obedience to the
odpa's ~injunctions, Stephan gave out
hat he had received news from a rela-
ave at Wlddin, who was carrying on a
prosperous trade in that town, and in
7ited him to come and join him. So.he
sold off what little stock he had, took
cave of his old friends, and preparedto
start, though not in the direction of the
Danube.
It was very early in the morning.
till dark, in fact-that he strapped his
,napsack, which was lighter than his
leart, upon his back, and set out on his
Quincy. His course at first was across
plateau, wild, covered with rank
lerbage. A bitter north wind swept
cross the plain; above, black masses
II cloud scudded swiftly along, ever
nd anon scattering down white pow
lery f1akes-the first snow of the win
er. When he had stridden along, with
rs head bent to the blast, for about
alf an hour the sky grew lighter, and
first streaks of dawn were visible in ,