Litchfield enquirer., 1881-06-16

| pacing with feverish strides, and talking to himself as it seemed to those who observed him; and if he happened to encounter the Su- perior after one of these walks be would eye him wistfuIly, and open his lips as if he had something to say. One day he went SO far as to murmur, Father, l must make my confession to you," but then he suddenly checked himself, and when the Superior gently encouraged him to speak, he repelled these advances suspiciousy, almost roughly 1: ''NO must be man, and not conjure up phantoms to scare myself with" he said, and his stay at the monastery came to an end without his having taken the Superior into his confidence. as& a@ < &lFeS @7@
 q trust he leaves us in better health than when he came," remarked the old man as he saw him depart. "But surely God has tried his very heart and reins. I would not have thought that physical torments could have wrought such change in any man. Holy Mary how he must have suffered"
 The Sunday had come when the Bishop of Seiho was to preach before the Court. The frivolous society of the Second Empire had its gayest and fairest representatives packed in the handsome but small chapel of the Tuile- ries where scarcely standing room could be found for statesmen, senators and foreign am- bassadors who were crowded into all the cor ners. The Emperor was present, ensconced in his arm. chair, and stroking his mustache with a reflective look; the Empress was there, too, and the Prince Imperial and the Empress, with 8 true Spaniard's fervor, leaned forward signed herself as the martyr bishop passed her, preceded by the verger, on his way from the altar to the pulpit '.
 It is not easy to preach before Court, so ha hot ha loff d but Monseigueur de Garderoy acquitted him. self of his duty better than any preacher had ever done before in that chapel.
 He spoke from the text, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." and having the work of the Church issions in view he dwelt on the services which the pro. pagation of the Christian faith was rendering to the world. Taking that. faith from its cra- de he showed what it had done, and tried to prophecy what it would do. Then by rapid transitions (for he knew that he would bore his hearers if he spoke for more than half an hour) he came to the drama which had been enacted at Seiho, when women and children, almost babes, had died confessingr their Re- deemer, and of these he gave stirring pic ture. Of himself Ee said nothing except in this one sentence ''When my own turn came for being put to the proof, 1 felt how little was beside those women and children" Thereupon long murmur of sympathy ran round the chapel. It was felt that this man who had survived his torture had really suffer ed much more than those who had succumbed under theirs but Henri de Garderoy checked the outburst that was declaring itself in his favor bv waving his hand and crying firmly: 'God sends us no more sufferings than we can bear. The endurance of physical pain is a question of temperament, but the touchstone of courage is the willingness to die-to take that plunge into the dark abyss of eternity about which we know so little, but which yet frightens us all.
 Thereon he concluded his sermon, and the collection bags that were sent round in aid of the Church missions were filled with bank notes and gold
 The congregation broke up and filed into the apartments of the palace Here the Bish- op present ly appeared, led by one of the AL moners in Ordinary, to make his bow to the Emperor before going away. Napoleon III, with the Empress and the Prince Imperial by his side, approached the Bishop and flung the collar of the Legion Honor Commandant- ship round his neck, then thrust his letters of appointment as Bishop of St. Cloud into his hand, saying, "Menseigneur, we shall all re member your sermon" |#
 The Bishop bowed profoundly, but made no reply. Then he turned to leave, and the
  women bent low before him as he went out If ever there was man who could have tast- ed at that moment the full cup of bliss result ing from earthly triumphs, it was Henri de Garderoy.
 Yet few hours later the Bishop was sit. ting alone and miserably breeding in & small room of the Church Mission College in Paris It was here that he intended to lodge during Lent whilst he dc tlivered his sermons at Notre Dame All the priests and neophytes in the college were ready to worship him as living saint who would assuredly be canonized hereafter; but to one and all he showed a stern face and would tolerate no homage He was sitting alone Tn his room, at 2, having supped of crust of dry bread, when a young monk entered and announced that lady wished to see him. At the same time he handed card bearing the nams of the "Bar- oness de Rosenheim."
 ''Sh~w her into the chapel, and have the chapel lighted" said the Bishop; and for a few minutes he stood resting his chin in his hands and meditating, whilst series of flashes, quick and wild, passed through his eyes and over his features.
 Now had come the hour of his greatest tri- umph on earth, Angelo was going to kneel at his feet
 He doffed his black cossack and put on the richest ecclesiastical vesments which the college could afford-a surplce bordered with lace, golden cope, an aloe ot satin embroid cred with pearls, and mtre. Then he de- scended to the chapel; aud as he entered saw woman lying prostrate, in deepest abase- ment, with brow on the altar steps.
 An hour later Angelo had made her full confession to Henri de Garderoy, and he lifted up his hands to give her episcopal dissolution. Then of a sudden he took off his mitre and laid it at her feet, saying Tn tone of unimag inable energy "And now 1 have to make my confession to you, Angele. Listen to me, and l will tell you what have told no living crea- ture before''
 falsely" cried Augele starting back In terror at the expression on his countenauce; 'tell me only the truth, Henri, once and for all let us have no secrets"
 ''There shall be no secrets" replied the Bishop with an awful sob ''You think am martyr, Angelo, but in the hour of my trial my forttude gave way, and tramped on the cross I wished to see you once again ;I could not bear to die. Rigobert, the publican let himself be killed; 1, the Bishop, recanted de6led the crucitix, and escaped with my life because my prosecutors despised me- What do you say to that ?" E sk*.{-.
 "How you must have loved me !" exclaimed Angele, thrilling all over.
 ''Yes, did love you, and do," murmured the Bishop still on his knees but now tell me what am to do, for know not?'
 'Love me to the end" said Augele, ..but with better and purer love than before. Love my children and husband, and remain among us to preach to us the sad trials of the weak, and the hopes that remain to them when they have been fried above> their strength"
 q could have had no peace, Augele," said the Bishop with despairipg groan, ''if had thought that you continued to think of me as better than am. Your husband is nobe:, honester man than 1 am, and I wish you to feel it."
 II love you better than ever, answered An gele clasping her hands, but our love can be that of sister and brother Is your con. science clear now ?"
 sNot yet till l have confesed to the Snnt.