Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-12-27

dndcr the stimulus of the many-Eyed
sympathetic glances upon him, and,
plunSing his right hand into the holy
water. went quietly on, "Beniamiu
Lee, | haptiZe thee. etc, with his ac-
ruStomed solemnity nor did his voice
faltcr once till he returned the infant
10 its guardians arms, adjusting its
robes with his usual care as he did 50:
only there was 4 deeper meaning than
ever in his voice rs he spoke the pa
thetic words Of the ritual, especially
these: thar he may not be ashamed
to manfully fight under ChriStS ban
ner against sin, the world and the
devils" and Lillian, who So seldom dis
played any emotion, cried unreStraiu-
eddy at this passage
But more ;han once during the re
maindcr Of the Lapti$mal office, Cyril
instead Of reading "th"y" and "thcm, :"
for the three infants, read "he" and
'him,' especially ut the concluding
eXhortation when he looked abstract
eddy ut the now sleeping Bcnmmir
Lee, and said, "Yc are to take care
that this child" etc,
rhcn he returned with Il slow and
weary step TO the chanccl. his gaze
fixed on the pavement. and the Nunc
DimittiS ringing in his ears, with Il
strange feeling of its Inappropriate
ness for how different was his case
from that of the aged Simeon With
the Redeemcr in his arms! He fclt
the sympathetic gaze of the congrcga-
tion, who We're still watching his hag
gard, troubled face; and sat during
the sermon with that face, and all the
passions which moved it. covered by
the sleeve Of his surpicc, like that of
Ulysses ut the feast
He had looked down fcarfully upon
the sweet baby face resting so placid
ly against his snowy dress. the
"pricStly ephod." as he had fondly
called it With [cble, and his bowels
ycarned over the helpless creature so
unconscious of its doom and of all the
tragedy caused by its Innocent unwel-
como existence; he looked in search Of
some likeness that might bctray its
unknown parent. Was il fancy that
he seemed to see. now look of the
slain man. now Il look of his OWL
father. but on the whole and with
fearful diStinctness, the features and
expression Of Lillian? Would others
sec this. and would they wonder at the
accidental resemblance, or did it eN-
list only in his own overwrought. fc-
vered fancy? He could only pray that
the child might grow up with other
looks, yet dared he, ought he, so to
pray?
This was the scene rc-cnacted in his
fancy, rs he sat on the low stone
wall and watched the rivers unccaS.
ing flow. and felt on chill in the bit
in% wind. The little head seemed to
rest still on his throbbing breast; the
sweet, deep eyes TO gaze UP into his;
and the tiny dimpled fist to clutch
vaguely at the folds of the priestly
garment. stirring the wildly beating
heart beneath 1t with an emotion that
was not wholly pain, while he still
seemed to read those solemn words Of
baptismal remuneration and manful
fighting under the sacred banner
words that strike with such awful re-
proach on the erring soldier OF the
cross.
Then he thought of Lillian, and his
heart seemed to swoOn within him:
and then of Marion, the center Of all
his hopes; and hp could look no longer
on the flowing water, but rose. sud
denly conscious of the bleak wind in
which he shuddered. and hurried on
like one driven by thought. his eyes
on the dusty road Better. far better.
it would have been to have taken the
step he meditated ut such dreadful
cost to himself at the very first before
this fearful coil wound itself round
Everard: every moments delay made
it worse. and now there was scarcely
room for fate to alter things.
A beautiful music rose mellow and
solemn upon his distracted ear. and
tloated softly over the Smokewreathed
city the cathedral bells calling TO morn
ing prayer. Others sounded from the
various churches in differing cadence
but mostly In moIotone. and blended
with the delicate Ginning Of the min
ster: none were silent, since ii was
Lent. and the melodiOus confusion
penetrated with sweet pain the very
depths of Cyrils heart 1t recalled the
pleasant Ginning Of the wagon bells
as he heard them on the fatal even.
ing which began all this trouble. and
it reminded him. by its association
with the cathedral. whose light flying
buttresses were now springing just
over his head, Of all the hopes 10
which he was about to bid farewell
forever Marion's charming face HOY
cred once more smilingly before him.
and a stifed sob escaped him. Not
many men, he thought, had such high
hopes to renounce, and he walked on
up the steep street. past the quaint,
arcaded houses aud the delicately
carved and fretted Gothic cross. a
man broken In his youth. utterly
wrecked at starting. with a cup to
drink that was beyond his strength
ragged child approached him with
tremulous voice and large pleading