Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1886-04-08

NC ttllt. All oiu Ecutitultu VI nuutu-
orn proclivities gave him employment as
gardener in the neighoorhood Of
Washington, and he brought TO his new
position a strong frame, willing heart
and happy disposition. He was looked
upon with much curiosity by all the
neighborhood for his bearing and
features showed he came from patrician
blood
It seemed as II all natures minstrel
sy had joined to greet the beautiful
morning. The tinkling Of COW bells in
the pasture behind the convent usually
the first notes of approaching dawn,
were silenced by the twitter Of birds in
the great pecan trees. Mocking bird
and oriole, the cardinal and pape,
whistled so cheerily even the blackbirds
half doing on last years cornstalks
out in the fields turned their heads first
on one side and then on the other medi-
tatively TO listen to the joyous outburst.
Inside the chapel of the Ursuline Con-
vent there was gathered silent congre-
CATION, mostly of ladies. The yellow
light Of this spring morning poured
through the windows, adding something
OF the supernatural to the appearance
of the interior. The tender, tremulous
notes of the organ, the almost weeping
voices of the choir and the agitated
tones of the good priest visably affected
all present. In front of the altar knelt
a queenly figure robed in the habilaments
of bride. From that hour she was to
become the bride Of the Lord. and
henccforth, as a nun, 10 devote herself
to the obligations of a reclusc.
For her the world was 20 be dead
forever. There is always something in
eifably sad in the ceremony Of taking
the veil. and in this case circumstances
made it unusually touching A young
lady endowed with wealth, beauty and
every thing that could make home hap
py passed out the chapel door never
more to look upon n worldly life again.
There were few dry eyes in the little
building. and even until to-day many
recall the morning when that beautiful
young woman gave up the name her
family knew her by and was re-christ-
ened Sister Ursule. Hope deferred had
made the heart sick, and the world had
lost its sweetness for her.
That very morning, in the operating
ward of the Charity Hospital. that skill
ful surgeon, DIR. Stone. was performing
most delicate operation. A poor fell
low, shortly before arrived ON New
York steamer, had applied for admis-
sion to the hospital, suffering from neu-
ralgia. He complained Of his head,
and after a careful examination the
cicatrix of wound in the forehead was
discovered. The patient told of his
lack Of memory and could not give any
thing of his history. The doctors dag
nosed the case as one of pressure on
the brain by portion of the frontal
bone, and resolved TO trephine and re-
move the cause Of the trouble. The
operation was successful, and the pa
tient was removed to his cot in another
ward.
The next morning he had fully re-
covered from the effects of the chloro-
form. He called the nurse to him. He
asked where he was and was told. A
new light shown in his ewes. He seat
for the house surgeon. Everything had
come back to him. The vanished
years of obliviousness dawned upon
his re-awakened memory. He remem-
bered his parting on that front gallery.
the war. the skirmish, and his aflianced
wife.
He begged the doctor to send for his
friends in the city. Surely some of
them could be found.
On the third day old Zenon Cavillier
visited the hospital. In the man with a
bandage about his head he recognized
one he had known five years before.
The sick man turned over on his bed
and looked at the visitor. He raised
himself on his elbow and his lips moved.
"Where is Marguerite?" were his first
words.
The old gentleman hesitated, but the
invalid begged so hard. At last, with
tears in his eyes, the visitor answered.:
"She has taken the veil at the convent
and has left the world"
The head dropped back, the eyes
closed, the hand fen listless on the white
sheet. The nurse hurried to the sur
geon. There was a rapid movement of
feet on the sanded floor, and the gray
his head sadly. IT'S too bad" said
he; ''you have spoiled that operation.
Heart disease! That did the work!
Some shock 10 his nerves, eh?"
The driftwood still is carried round
and round. in tho currents Of Dead
mans Eddy. The orange trees put on
their bridal crowns each spring, as be-
fore, and the mocking-birds still warble
their orisons in the tall pecan trees. but
never more will that queenly figure in
white be seen on the broad veranda of
the old plantation house. Never again
will the young attorney wait on the road
in the early morn for the coming Of that
beautiful equestrienne. From the tur-
bid eddies OF life the one has iloated into
the harbor Of religion, the other drifted
out into the measurelcss sea Of eternity.
The ~ o. Times Democrat.