The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-12-29
MOR0 AND CATHOLIC GRESKNGER SUNDAY DECEMBER

sounded harsh and commanding
Her emotion pre- nted her from replying.
Are you here with yonr father 7" be sske
My father y she sobbed; my father is NJ
|. more"
"Dsadi and where is Vera 2,
"She is in a boarding school"
| And what are you doing heref'
81 am lady companion to o Dntch lady" sht
heard
He stood soddenly still Z; his eyes sparkled
with indignation, his lips rembled with anger
mstchine, is paid for keeping a csprioious old
woman in good humor by making pastme for
heri Lonisa. cursed be your obstinacyw
| ut was not my will. ! have bat resigned
my self" she sighed ut was you who cast me
'B cause you would not give. in because
you set q higher value on empty forms of rei-
| gion than on your holiest duties Your self
| will seorDed everything to brave u.s."
ITO rem ain faithfal to my religion, Casimir."
| do we not worship the same God Is there
any difference between your faith and mine,
| except in some insignificant formsf And for
| these is it worth while to make your husband
| oan only give you back your own ques
| tions, Casimir. at least do not desire from
yog the sacrifice Of your holiest convictions"
viotionsl would just as lief kiss your Pope's
| foot as pot if my fortune and reputation de-
msnded it. L don't csre for what our popes
teach. If you had wished it would have ne
come Roman Catholic at our wedding. You
yourself foiled that proposition"
"BeoArss should have despised the man
who would abandon his faith from worldly
motives"
"And should prize you highly, most highly,
il you would make this sacrifice to your love-
L Lodoiska. What does it matter to me what be-
lief you. hold, if you are loving wife to me
and q tender mother to our Natalie, who is
pining for want of mothers lovef'
Why. then, cast me from you y
"Whyf Do you ask that again Because,
so long as am united TO the Catholic danghter
of Polish rebel ell fiji ,es of State are closed
to me, and l should never be able to uphold
the honor Of our family"
Would that you had thought of this before
Aud were not things altogether different
that time, and l could live free and uncon-
strained on my estates aud dedicate myself TO
the we'll being of my serfs; and we did that,
too. Lodoiska, in tie first happy days of our
marriage"
Would could forget them !" she sighed
Then came ne rising OF the Poles, and my
asked who Casimir Dalmatchiue's wife was, |
what religion she belonged to, whether she
was Russian, Turk or Samoyedau. Ny mother
clesrly explaned-"
and she onlyw
"She W as rightl She had the honor of our |
race more at heart than our happiness. 1t was |
for me now. she thought, to take my brothers
place and fill it honorab1y. l could occupy |
the position which had been bis. In the turn
of q hand could stand as high as he had stood;
over hasty marriage had cast upon me. There
were but two ways of doing this: my wife
must come over to the Greek Church, or our
must be dissolved"
"And you laid the choice before me. Could
| hesitate one moment between sfostacy and
happiness :,
May you, dear Casimir, never have to re.
pent that you have sacrificed to honor and
rank the love O. your wife, the happiness of
your child.'
And have you not repented that you broke
you broke your VOW to follow me everywhere
to obey me in all thingsi"
"In all which God does not forbid. o Casi-
mir, only one thing l repent, and to atone for
that bear in silence all the woe that God has
laid upon me. There can be real comma
MON between the oppressor and the victim I;
forget that; but was so Young. and loved |
you so dearly. Poor father had but follow
ed his advice! Bat your voice was alluring,
and You promised me all the privileges 1 re-
qnired. On, if l could have supposed you
would perjure ynurselfF'
"Pe'jar myself, LodoiSkaf If another said
Casimir / do not complain. I was going
quietly on my way; should never have taken
q step to make you ackno Wedge my rights.
You are the stronger; can only sutfer. have
recommended you and Natalie to God, and if
you bad not hidden me hther in the name OF
our child would never have met you, never
have reproaohed you"
Her meeknesS excited the passionate man
still more. You have no heart n he cried out.
Your bigotry has blunted all the emotions of
your soul. You are one Of those happy beings
who are comfortable under all circumstsnoes,
who sigh and weep for q moment, then resign
themselves to the inevitable"
She was silent; but she gave him a look that
said more than words,
He was quite unnamed by that look, and
SO queezing her hand oonvulsiveIy in his, he
DRIED out sorrowfnliy,"O my Lodoska, why
may not make You happy7'
Because you set higher value on perish
able honors and worldly prosperity than on
your duty"
"And you actually desire that should re-,
pounce my dazzling career for you7"
"If this is only to be purchased by my spos-
tAcy or my separation from you, yes"
Your preteusious are high, madame"
LET us say no more about it, Casimir. Moth
ing is altered by words. The matter
mains just where it did three years ago. Rather
speak to me of her whose account you
bade me hither, Does Natalie think of her
motherf"
No; no speaks to Eer of you"
20 Casimtr - sobbed the poor mother, "how
cruel"