The Irish standard., 1888-01-07
a singularly hopeless tone. Itivas all
else with me. I have put it off too

a singulariy hopeless tone 1t Vas all
else with me-. I have put it off too
long
He threw himself down quickly on a
seat which the good Father had con-
siderateIy placed for him in a pleasant
corner-his dropping figure and gloom
shadowed face making picture Of des-
pondency. And so alb orbed was he i'll
his own troubled thoughts. as to be un-
conscious of the intent look with which
the monk stood regarding him for a
moment.
| L am sorry for your disappointment,
the Father said when, after taking a
turn to the other end Of the cloisters.
he came back to the inyalid's side.
His voice was so kind that the latter
looked up with some surprise as well as
gratitude in his face. 1t is my own
fault he remarked almost aDathetical-
|ly. 4 ought to have come sooner. But,
after all, what does 1t matter! We shall
all soon be dead, and them
Lifting his eyes here, he seemed
struck by the expression of Father Ru-
dolph's face. The latter was again Gu
riously regarding him.
You look at me strangely he said,
do YOU think am criminal-a muir
derer?'
what words are these, nv SOM
said the priest in grave rebuke. Such
a thought never occurred to me-
In English we havea proverb, said
the man, which you may not know, or
remember-'a guilty conscience needs
no accuser.' suppose it was my con-
science that Judged YOU Then before
Father Rudolph, who was genuinely
shocked, and looked SO, could speak,
he added in a dreary tone, And yet
| am not g murderer, No. he went
on, reading Alright the rapidly hanging
expression on the Fathers face l
am not mailman either. Will you
SIT down and listen to me. and let me
tell you what I am? i have said SO much
|. that I must say nore-if you have
the patience and the charity to hear
me-
T will hear you wi'lingly.' was the
the kind respoDse--ths Father seating
himself as he spoke.
The stranger pressed his open palm
upon his breast and breathed hard;
then, with the air Of man constraining
himself with 81 very painful effort, be
said:
Il came here to ask forgiveness from
Macmillan Oberfeldt for an Injury [
did him, un2ntentionallY--yery long
ago. But he is dead, you say. can
never now speak to him: never hear
from his lips the pardon which l be-
lieve he would have accorded ne had
be heard roy story. will Eell it to you
and then ask you if you do not think he
would have forgiven me. Mo- as the
other was about TO speak --'hear me
first.
& was born CaJholic.--buG my
parents dying while I WAS child, /
vas brought up without religious in
struction, and naturally enough under
these circumstances, made d mixed
marriage. OF course this caused me to
become absolutely Indifferent to my
faith---but / never had anything to do
with any other religion. [ stuaied
medicine first; abandoning it later for
the profession of literature, in which,
without attaining to much elninence, [
achieved fair success. Left a child
less widower at forty, / spent some
years in desnltory travel, and one sum
mer in Switzerland I happened TO make
5he acquaintance OF fellow country
man who was preparing for an Alpine
excursion. He persuaded me to join
him, and we made a very successful
ascent of several noted peaks.
1T impossible to me now to under
stand, OR to imagine the fascination OF
Alpine and Arctic adventure. But there
is strange, weird fascination in those
trackless, CHASTITY solitudes. A man
when he has tried it oncas seems to be-
come possessed of the passion for the
danger and hardship.
This passion took such held on me
after had spenta few weeks amid the
SHOWS Of the Alps, that I returned to
England at once for the purpose Of join.
ing an Arctic expedition then forming;
and thought myself fortunate when, by
some exertion of interest, 1 was per
mitted to go as volunteer, in the NOM
inal capacity of assistant surgeon. We
sailed the following spring.
AT first we all enjoyed the voyage.
Even after we had left behind us every
sign Of human life, and were working
our way slowly through ice-packs, and
amid gigantic bergs that threatened
often TO topple over upon us, Or to close
together and grind the ship to atoms,
we rejoiced in the toll and peril that
gave to each succeeding day the excite
rnant of new adventure The season