Litchfield enquirer., 1881-06-16

ana her eyes were almost haggard, as she
 rose to her feet on recognizing Henri de Gar 1 deroy. Henri, too, knew her at once, and
 stood as if trans6xed near the door. He had 1 thrown back his hood, and his thin, pale face,
 surmounted by his shaven crown and small 1 fringe of brown hair, looked like that of 1 man risen from his grave or descended from 1 picture of saint. For moment his wan
 cheeks became tinged with pink and flash
 vivid as lightning in the night shot through
 his eyes But he promptly remembered his
 VOW of humility and with lowered glance and
 arms folded, stood motionless, though hls
 his head swan.
 Poor Euphrasius! this shock had come upon
 him more heavily for being unexpected. He
 had gone out with his brother Babolinus. in
 obedience to his Superior's orders; but as it
 was Babolinus who had to collect the money, l Euphrasius had not asked where they were 1 going. Monks do not converse with each
 other in the streets, and Euphrasius had en-
 tered two houses before this one without
 knowing, or indeed caring, who the owners | were. | Luckily for him, It was Baboinus who did l all the talking, and very expert he was at the l work, for he was friar of the jocose order l Not all the abstemousness of convent life, or
 it's rigid discipline had been able to freeze the
 source whence his good humor flowed iu a l limpid stream He lasted as much as other
 monks, prayed like them, toled like them,
 but he was always cheerful: and he had been
 ordered now to go out to China because men
 like himself, bubbling over with the milk of
 human kindness make precious missionaries. l ''Monsieur le Baron,'' he said, advancing with
 a smile as he held out his collection bag, i've
 come as wayfarers thanking you for paying
 the expenses of our journey" l ''You are gong to China ?" said the Baron,
 dropping bank note into the bag. '1t is a
 long voyage and dangerous country,
 eh?'
 Dangers exist everywhere but we live
 through them somehow answered the cheer
 full monk. May your path and those of
 your lady and children be free from them"
 'Thank you" said the banker; '''when do l you sail, brother ?"
 | ''ln about a week"
 And your young friend is going with you ?"
 'Yes, we are to be companions. Speak up | for yourself, Euphrasius.
 Up to this moment Angelo, who stood with | heaving breast had said nothing. Her chl-
 dren were clinging to her as if frightened, and i she could find no words to reassure them. She
 was trembling, and felt ashamed, for as her
 eye wandered from Henri-oh how changed
 from former times Ito the fnery around her,
 she thought she could read what was passing 1 in his mind There was he barefooted, clad
 in serge and wasted by long privations, whilst
 she revelled in rich attire and plenty. She
 wished she had been clothed in rags sooner
 than in those rustling stuffs which seemed to 1 mock his utter poverty. Where would be the
 use of kneeling at hls feet now to make her
 shrift? Would..he ever believe in her repent
 ance now that he had seen her apparently in
 the full sunshine of domestic bliss, and her
 husband giving aims to him?
 But the banker was speaking to Euphra- 1 sius
 Dear me, sir,." he said,. "it seems to me
 that have met you before. You remlnd me
 strangely of brave young officer who once l knew very slightly Henri de Garderoy."
 ''Such was my name once," replied the
 young monk in a low voice.
 | "What, the hero of the Redan? And now
 you are monk! Well, won't say there's
 anything amiss Tn that but yet hope, broth
 CT, you have not been banished. from the world 1 by sorrows?"
 Il have never felt any wish to return to the
 world, was Euphrasius's evasive answer, and
 the banker, feeling he had been indiscreet, l deslsted from further questions. But at that 1 moment Angelo intervened
 My brother. let your blessing rest on my
 children" she faltered, gliding forward, and
 holding her children by the hand. l Gods peace upon them v said Euphrasius, l lifting three fingers of his hand, but still
 speaking very low and avoiding Angeles glance.
 And on me- brother, and on my hus-
 'And on you, lady, and on your husband"
 continued the monk gently. Angele had sunk to her knees and lowered
 her head. When she raised it the two friars | were already gone, and it was her husband ! who assisted her to rise.
 ''Fine fellows those monks,," he said, won- | dering little to see his wife so much moved 1 but attributing the fact to the magic which ecclesiasticism exercises over the female mind. l Fancy, though, captain of dragons turn l ing friar! suppose some girl tilted him; it's ] an old story"
 Our scene now is in Chinese village called SelhO-Tchin. A missionary station was es- ! tablished there, with it's church, it's school it's dispensary of medicines, and its hospital l Brother Babolinus swas the nominal director | of these institutions, but the real, active man. ager of them all was Euphrasius, who had l more energy, culture and knowledge of the world than his senior. He had founA Seiho
 wilderness, spiritually speaking in two years he had raised it to condition of prosperity, | happiness and order which made it enviable | in the sight of surrounding Chinese commu- | mites.
 | One man may work wonders when there breathes in hun a sacred fire. Euphrasius had | practically converted the whole population of Seiho to Christianity, and in doing SO had | stripped them of many prejudices which kept l them backward in the management of their worldly affairs He taught them improved methods of agriculture enterprise and honesty | in trade, cleanliness, sanitary laws; he made them desrous of useful know ledge and in- sti into oll of fD | their general enlightenment. His school was crowded with children; bis dispensary and hospitals helped to sif1e in the germ many of | those fearful epldemics which are continually | discriminating the Chinese population and in his church, Sunday after Sunday, he address ed large and eager congregations who marvell- l ed at his facility in speaking their language. Brother Baboinus had never ben able to | master the Chinese tongue, but Euphrasius spoke it 80 we'll that his usefulnes as mission ary had the fullest scope.
 | Alone with Brother Babolinus in. hostile country, two hundred miles away from the earest European settlement, Euphrasius had | to cope with these difficulties and dangers as he could but his very weakness was in some way protection to him, and on the whole he got on very fairly till fellow countryman of his, a certain Monsieur Rigobert came and settled in the village as general dealer in European wares a cook, publican, fiddler, dentist, surgeon, and performer of conjuring l tricks
 This Rigobert was not at all bad fellow, so far as heart and intentions went. He
 wanted to make money, and would have been content to make it honestly so long as this was possible. A small, crop-headed, dapper little 1 fellow, nimble as an ape, garrulous as mag I pie, and always smiling he boasted ahCndred | talents, and would never scruple to lay claim | to a hundred others which he had not got. | This unprejudiced genius had tried all sorts ! of trades in FrarGe without much success, and
 had at last gone out China as cook on board a
 merchant vessel. But being horribly seasick
 on board, he had vowed that he would not set foot on a ship again till he had earned
 money enough to justify his travelling home as
 a first class cabin passenger. Hearing that the l Nhr;of