Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-10-10

now to De oil pervaded by another look,
that OF ast0nishment-ast SO
l fancled, that such . man ~
1, and such woman as she.
could DO found In the width OF
the wide world, and should
DO permitted to kneel at Gods altar
without being struck dead for their
blasphemy!
All, good Saints. we'll may you be as
tonishod Had you lived In our day you
must have endured worse martyrdoms
than the boiling oil or the wrenching
rack What you suffered was the nero
physical pain Of torn muscles and scorch-
ing flesh, pain that at Its worst could
not last long but your souls were
clothed with majesty aud power, aud
were glorious ia the light OF love. aith,
hope, and charity with oil mei We
have reversed the position you occupied.
We have partly learned, and arc still
learning, how 10 take care OF our dearly
beloved bodies how to nouri'a and
clothe them and guard them fro i cold
and disease. but our souls, good saints,
the souls that with you were everything
these We Dsmirch, burn and ra.k, tor
ture and destroy-these we stamp upon
till we crush out Gods image th'refrom
these we spit and jeer ut, GRIZZLY and
drown! There is the difference
between you, the strong and ss OF
fruitful olden time, and we, til misera-
bic, puny weaklings OF q stcri.c modern
age.
Had you, sweet St. Dorothy, or fair
child-saint Agnes, lived In this day, you
would have felt something sharper than
the executioner's sword; for being pure.
YOU would have been dubbed the worst
Of women-being prayeriul, you would
have heen called hypocrites-boing faith.
you would have been suspected OF all
vileness-being loving, you would have
been Knocked ut more bitterly than the
soldiers Of Pontius PLATE Knocked
Christ; but you would have been free
free to indulge your own opinions. for
ours Is tho age OF liberty. Yet how
much better for you to have died than
have lived till now!
Absorbed In strange, half morose. half
speculative fancies, scarcely heard the
close OF the solemn service. ! was
reused by delicate touch from my
wife, and l woke, as II were, with q
start, to hear the sonorOus, crashing
chords OF the Wcdding-march In Lohen.
grin laundering through the air. All
was over:-my wife was mine indeed
mine most thoroughly mine by the
exceptionally cl0se-tied knot OF double
marriage,-mine to do as would with
It'll death should US part" How long !
gravely unused. how long before death
could come to do US this great servlce|
And straightway began counting,
counting certain spaces OF time that
must elapse before was still
absorbed In this men VI arithmetic, even
while mechanical. offered my arm to
my wife as we entered the vestry TO sign
our names to the marriage register. So
occupied was in my calculations that
nearly caught myself murmur-
ing certain numbers aloud.
checked this, and recalling my
thoughts by strong effort,
strove to appear interested and de-
lighted, as l walked down the aisle with
my beautiful bride, through the ranks OF
admiring and eager spectators.
On reaching the outer doors OF the
chapel several flower girls emptied their
full and fragrant baskets at our feet;
and In return, l babe one Of my servants
distribute bag OF coins / had brought
| for the purpose, knowing from former
experience that II would be needed, Tc
tread across such heap OF flowers re-
ouired some care, many Of the blossoms
clinging to Nina's train;-we therefore
u.avnA foru,a 81 ol0Vlv
Just as we had almost reached the
carriage, o young girl. with large laugh
ing eyes set like flashing jewels In her
soft oval face. threw down in my path q
cluster Of red roses. A sudden fury oil
impotent passion possessed me, and
crushed my heel instantly and savagely
upon the crimson blossoms. stamping
upon them again and again so violently
that my wife raised her delicate eye
brows in amazement, and the pressing
people who stood round Us shrugged
their shoulders and gazed at one another
with looks Of utter bewilderment-whiie
the girl who had thrown them shranE
back in terror, her face paling as she
nurmured, "Santissima Madonna! mi IA
paura!" Ibit my lips with vexation, In
wardly cursing the weakness OF my own
behavior. laughed lightly in answer
10 Nina's unspoken, half-alarmed In
quiry.
at Is nothing mere fancy OF mine.