The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-01-28
lsrnlug Star and Catholic Messenger.
4 MEW ORLEANS SUNDAY, JANUARY 70 lsi7.

we're no two of rs just alike in these thipgs !;
and dare cay shouldn't understand 1t myself,
IL hadn't once in my life had occasion to see
what love can bring q man TO when it's crossed
Bart's Of n nervous constitution, just like his
father. Well now, Wanna. would you believe
that your poor father, before we were married,
lay at the point OF death, so az already to have
received the last sacraments, because our pa
rents had separated us and he wasn't allowed
20 zee met"
"Gracious heavenw exclaimed Wanna, in
sudden terror; bnt added, almost imme lately
recovering herself, we'll, but father got we'll
over 1t in the end, for all that; didn't he,
znotherf"
$50 he did, Wanna Init how Our parents
had auarreled about right of way across a
field, and things had come to such pass be-
tween them that they were at downright dag
gers drawn, and couldn't bear TO hear one an
other's name. Well, l wasn't allowed to see
your father; and he, poor follow, who was more
in love with me tbs knew of, piusd away till
he lay upon his death-b bed. Thanks be to God,
she good priest, out of pity to the poor yoong
fellow, reconciled our parents, and was al
lowed to visit him before he died. The tears
come into nay eyes when think of that day l
won't speak Of it; bnt month after that he
was able to go to church with me and our pa
rents for Us TO be promised together"
Wanna was looking hard at her mother, with
Z" Look you, Wanna" resumed the latter,
your father was just poor peasant, such rs
we are now; but sure and certain il is, there
was that in hiu that made bin one of thou
sand, and so it may well be with our poor Bart
too"
The maiden shook her head in thought, with
her eyes fixed on the ground. After u few mo-
Inents che looked up again.
"Its strange enough" she said. that one
person should pine away ont of liking for an
other, jnst because he's of a nervous tempera-
meut; for my part, don't zee how 1t can be-
Bot, mother, my poor father vas "a III AT On tor
you go that wasn't 20 out-of- the-way WIN
Bart aud Cecilia tho matters quite different;
that can never come to any good. And so he
must just knock the foolish thought out of his
head"
Mother Ann meanwhile had sunk away into
o deep reverie; she paid no attention to what
Wanna was saying, and gaz. d despairinEly
upon the ground. After thus sitting while IN
silence, che sighed heavily, and began to speak
rs to herself alone:
"He suffers like martyr! Kate told him
something yesterday that made his eyes
light M with Joy; but she told him something
too that made him grind his teeth with vexa-
tion. And last night in his sleep he talked and
cried and called Quit quite gave me n fright
asI listened to him And now this morning he's
all languid. end paler than ever, and his eyes
Hook 80 dim and dead. Alas, alas! my poor
Bsrtl my unhappy childW
In the same moment that these last words
fell from her lips and sounded through the
I room In tone pninfuily expressive of heartfelt
s grief-just in this same moment Bart came in
through the back door with q rake in his hand
y Struck by the tone of his mothers voice, he
" stood still, and for while fixed his eyes stead
sfastly on hers, from which the tears fell fast
s Then, slowly going up to her, he pressed his
R1Warm drops fell upon it, in u sweet and almost
{inaudible voice:
n any poor dear mother !" he said "ah, for
.Egive me /! indeed, cannot help it,"
sg And again turning about with his head
Il bowed and one hand before his eyes, he passed
on out of the house.
Even under the bright sunlight and amid the
universal gladness of nature which surrounded
him, Bart still could not lift his head. With
STOPPING gait and apathetio air he dawdled on
along the footpath like an old man DO wed do wn
fha Uaju of m -
have thought that Us he was walking ho was
occupied in looking for something among the
grass.
something to himself, plucked "a leaf from . tree
or bush, rubbed IL TO pieces in his hand. aud
then, still mnrmuring, resumed his course; or
he unconsciously Remembered the petals of u
flower OF listened TO the answering call of the
birds.
What it was that all this said to him he very
likely knew not himself; but. for all that, the
effect npon him wa profound, and threw him
off into d deep reverie, till, waking up again,
he slowly resumed his onward way.
But all at once, as though srddeulS seized
upon by some more potent thought. he came to
Distinct halt, and fixing his eyes upon the
ground at his feet, in much emotion murmured
ont:
suffer :-how you i'll treated even With
blows! how yon are pinlng away with desola.
tion of hearth Aud all tho while you love me
Oh, how cowardly and how weak docs sorrow
make one! 1 have neither spirit nor strength
morel I'm nervous and afraid; l know not
what to do; l cent collect myself; my
thoughts are all confused; Fm sick ia body and
soul"
A sad and bitter smile distorted his pale
Co6ntenance.
"sick sick p he cried yes, put fine
name on your GOV ardice But if had bat spirit
or power to act, what SHOULD d1f Let he1
def Her that loves me ? On, THAI wonld be IL
done indeed But-but what then : Kill him
And at this question he started back, as If ht
had suddenly perceived Il poisonous serpent II
his way, ready to spring upon him with open
jaws An iuaTtiCuate Groau of horror broke
slowly from his bosom tnen he resumed:
"Ahl there Is GOD above us!-my immor
tai soul aud then, my mother! No, no; there
no help for it but TO bow my neck and waste
away with sorrow 10 bear my cross. bear 1t Oh
to tho chur Gu ard. All me! Rh m"!'
And again he pursued his course, sad aud
spiritless as before, pressing his hand to hi-
forehead as. though he feared its bursting.
While the Young peasant, thus fsll OF suffer
ing aud of despair, was making his way aionE
the shady foOrpath, which with every step he