The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-05-07

visit he leaves louis ON the corner of the
chimney-piece. 1t is this daily louis that has
hitherto kept the Countess and her chamber
maid.
Madeline, who has seen the horses and car
riages and diamonds, who remembers the
days when the Countess had fifteen servants /
and fifty admirers, cannot believe that these
times will not return.
AS for the husband of the Countess he
never knew his wife. The marriage was ar
ranged by the Prince de NJ, and post
of three thousand francs a year was given to
the ruined descendant of a great family in
exchange for his title. He saw his wife dur
ing the marriage ceremony, then he took
possession OF his post, and sometimes he
read with mediocre interest in the newspa-
pers that the Comtesse de San -CasteHi was
obtaining great success at st. Petersburg
and at Paris.
1t did not seem to him that she was his
wife, and when he was questioned on the
subject the Count replied coldIy:
q believe that she is a relation has turned
out badly"
Madeline had passed more than thirty
nights in the large armchair at the foot of
her mistress bed. The doctor said "That
woman needs rest. There are Sisters Of
Charity who have imposed upon themselves
the mission of watching over the sick.
will send you one tonight"
At o'clock little sharp and rafting
noise was heard, produced by bell-rope
pulling broken spring. Madeleine went
and opened the door. The Sister of Charity
followed her.
"Iere are the potions, said Madeleine;
"this one every ten minutes, that one every
hour. There is still little wood in the cor
ner."
Madeleine went to share the bed of a
chambermaid, friend of hers, who lodged
in neighbOring hotel, and the Sister of
Charity took her seat at the foot of the bed.
Nine de San-CastelU asked to drink.
The Sister raised her head gently; then the
sick woman, instead of drinking, fixed her
/ large black eyes on the face of the Sister.
( "How Old are you?" she asked.
| Eighteen years, Madame"
/ The Countess murmured to herself:
| Eighteen years :" drank greedily, and re-
sumed, as she let her head fall back on the
! pillow:
/ "Do you know that l am going to die ?"
/ "They did not tell me so, Madame per
/ haps there is still possibility of savingyou?"
/ Saving Ine.' cried the Countess, with
irony, "and why? Life means youth and
/ beauty. am already dead, my child"
/ The Sister opened the book of her order
/ which she had brought with her and began
/ to read.
/ This young girl had the most charming
/ face that artist ever dreamed of. Hers was
an improbable beauty, shining forth with
! sweetness and holiness. The white band
/ that confined her pure ivory brow hid heI
/ hair, leaving visible only her eyebrows,
/ which might have been traced with Indian
/ ink, so delicate and correct were their lines.
/ The Comtesse de San CastelH contempla-
| ted her with admiration and envy. Sudden
/ ly she exclaimed:
| "Are your vows eternaI?''
/ Eyes, Madame
what is your name %
"Sister Rose de Lima
but yonr family name?"
/ at is forbidden US to reveal it, Madame. ."
"Why ?''
/ cit is a rule Of the order"
+ "StiH, you may tell me if you have any
parents"
None, Madame"
'Your mOther?''
/ 81 never knew her"
"YOur father >"
ole is dead
Wearied with so persistent an ivestigation
Sister Rose de Lima asked gently if the
. Countess would have little tisane.
"No, thank YOU" replied the Countess,
and then suddenly she added, ''you are more
dead than l am, young girl! Tomorrow
perhaps, a spadeful of earth viii bury even
my memory, but I have had Of life all that
life can give. You will only have known
walls, bars and silence-dry bread, prayer
and austerity When l entered a salon
used to raise a murmer of admiration as
passed along. l have made queens and
princesses weep with rage. The horses
pTanced at my door and adOrerS crowded my
staircase. l have worn on my brow dia
mond that Semiramis would have euyied
and ! have melted more pearls than CleOpa
ira. Noise, movement, luxury, flattery al
that | have exhausted, without departing
from an inhexible motto: Shine, seduce
and love not. Poor young girl, you might
have all that if you wished"
The Sister Of Charity rose
''What are you saying, Madame? -? Do yol
| all that, and am happier than you are. /
l had need of consolation, the history o
= Mary, the sister of Martha, would suffice
For me contemplative life has replaced al
| active life In the depths of my solitude
2 love to lose myself in mute alteration, and
: forget the world that passes in view Of tn
I world which does not pass
b The voice of the young nun had assumed
: sorority full of enthusiasm.
Just now,'' she added, ''you spoke to m
I of my father. ! received his last sigh an
7 his last benediction. l cultivate that chez
S ished souvenir like a precious plant, and
should fear to see it crushed and withere
I outside of the retreat that l have chosen.
g Nine. de San -CasteH interrupted her,
e ''Vanities, did you say? And what is lii
Il without its cortege of pleasures? In huma
n passions there is sometimes a mixture Of til
}, gigantic To be beautiful, is to reign
c cavalier who loved me killed himself at IN
S feet; he gave me there what he would hay
e given to no other l have been adored liz
t a goddess of antiquity. To make ones Sc
o the rival of God is something high and teri
o bic. Little as our life is, it is enlarged b
i pleasures, and takes peculiar important
5 by the profusion of our diSdains and I'll
n number of our victims -
e Sister Rose Lima placed her hands on Il
: Countess lips as if 10 arrest her words.
q "You are feyegish," she said. ''Yo
, blaspheme and you pain me"
Nnsa IL Sat, frast. ma 1aau1aF tn raffprt