The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-12-08

enced an intense joy in believing thsi
she suffered all this for the oneshe loved,
and in saying that she saw no other
man but him. Such were the innocence
and purity Of her imagination that never
a ascruple came to her for her dreams u
love. She was so certain Of being right
that she never felt Obliged to accuse her.
self to her confessor
Thus five years rolled by without a
trouble, without a storm. Did the pos
sibility of recovering Emilien ever pre-.
sent itself to her spirit? Dreamed she
at moments that 1t was Emilien and not
the church that she had really espoused,
and that she whom he had espoused was
in very feeble healthi As nothing that
passed in the little town was unknown
In the convent, she knew that Anna and
Emilien had two little girls. Did EN-
mas heart never whisper to her, "Thou
shalt be their mother some dayY
Anna had sister in the convent. One
day, according to the custom at such
times, prayers were requested by the
women Of the community for relative
of their number, who was dying. The
name of this dying person was repeated
that evening to Emma. She was Anna.
The two little girls, who soon had no
mother, were confided to the care Of
their aunt, the nun. Emma assisted her
In attending to them. From this time
Emma experienced a change. She could
scarcely pray. She tried to reclothe her
self in her haircloth, and she found II
insupportable. The austerities which
were familiar to her became revolving.
She denied herself the communion for
eight days. Her peace was at an end;
her profound piety extinguished. She
believed herself morbid, selfish almost
wicked.
At this time she felt obliged to tell all
to her confessor, the chaplain Of the con-
vent. He was not great man, but he
was very sensible. He advised at first
that she should wait; then he saw the
gravity Of the evil. After all. Emma
had pronounced no VOWS. She had not
worn the whole costume of the order
The veil had not shadowed her forehead.
The chaplain had benevolent heart
The sacredness of the confessional for
bade him from consulting his bishop
He formed his opinion from his own
reasonings. Convinced that it was for
the salvation Of Emma, he confded the
two little daughters of Anna to her per-
sonal care He hoped also to give an
outlet to the restlessness which began to
disturb her On these orphans she might
outpour the fullness of her heart.
The father came to see his little girls,
and Emma conducted them to the parlor
The shock of seeing him again was ter
| fible. She burst into tears lie was just
the same as she had always seen him in
her dreams. AS for her, sine was sadly
emaciated. Her excessive weeping de-
priyed her of what little strength she
had. Her self control entirely forsookh her.
Gazing into her tear dimmed eyes, Emil
len discovered there her love. The good
man, commonplace as he was, at last
comprehended the situation. He had
very tender heart, and he was profound
iy touched.
Some months after Emma and Emilien
were united in marriage. What no one
had suspected all the world now saw.
The entire community married them.
For the rest of her life Emma tasted
without moments intermission the
most perfect felicity that one can dream
Of. During 40 years she drifted, as it
were, in a Pacific ocean Of happiness and
love.
4 Emma and Emilienh had eight children,
from whom they never separated the two
daughters Of poor Anna They brought
them all up well.
Some speak Of the storms Of love-"
What childishnessl Passion has its in
equalities, but true love has no storms.
The happiness Of Emma after she had
won her lover was as a full sea without
tides. Even death was hardly for her.
Life went out because the hour of fin
ishing had come. She died at the age Of
10 years, without sickness.
My sister found this perfect example
Of love as she comprehended it. She es-
teemed Emilien the happiest Of men,
For him an excellent woman had con-
demned herself to life Of austerity,
giving to him the most complete guaran-
tee Of the exclnsiveness Of her love-
During five years she saw not single
man. She had accepted with innocent
joy the expectation Of an external exclu-
sion. In all battles that come in life
there is a recompense for those alone
who dare. Happiness is like glory, To
obtain it, it is necessary to play high.
4 One day Aazarded the observation to