Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-01-13
A LIFETIME LOVE.

My sister once related to me love
story, which illustrates the peculiar in
tensity, especially in matters Of the
heart, which marks the Breton charac-
ter. The tale was related TO her by one
of her friends, the daughter Of the hero
inc, whom will call Emma Rosilis.
She was not perfectly beautiful, but
her face had an indeseribable charm.
Her eyes had the most exquisite softness,
and her delicate eyebrows almost seemed
to possess a soul, while her skin was SO
fine that it betrayed the slightest agita-
ton by fugitive bushes.
Little Emma Rosills went regularly to
church with her book of hours, and the
truth is that toward the age Of 16 or IS
there was no place in her little sonl but
for one young man, of about 20 or %,
whom she saw often, and whom | will
call Emilien.
Emma had known Emilen ever since
she had known herself. Moreover. she
dreamed what she did not think, until it
happened one day that she found Emil
len was occupying the entire cavity of
her little heart.
The young man whom she loved h d
good, though not a strong, nature, but
his simplicity, his absence of all pre-
tense, were most pleasing to Emma.
She had not known any young man SUI
perior to him, and indeed in the little
world where she moved she had not met
many young men of any kind.
This love OF Emma soon became most
absorbing. During entire days she would
remain motionless, almost as though she
were in trance, dreaming of her be-
loved. Naturally she said nothing Of
what she experienced either to the one
she loved, or to her relations, or to her
companions. Her discretion was so alb
solute that no ore knew anything of
what filled her.
While Emma lived only in her love for
Emilien, he thought little of her. He
found her pleasing, as did all the world,
but he never thought Of telling her so.
He was a commonplace and passive be-
ing, and then, after all, was he TO blame?
Emma was SO modest that she could
scarcely be distinguished from her
frlehds-you WouId htiVesala she sou9ht
only to hide herself.
One day, whlle she was taking with
her companions at q little reunion at the
foot of the garden, many things were
spoken Of TIE news which had fresh
ness for all was of the approaching mar
rage OF Emlllen TO Anna NJ. LII was
spoken OF as CERTAIN thlhg' Emma
heard 1t all. Such was the control whlch
she had over herseif, however, that no
one suspected that pohiard had en-
tered her heaEt. one was quiet arose a
mute Wllie aIter ana retTeo Without
giving any sign OF Inc ifightful wound
"mcn she li'ta 1aSt received.
announcer oit OF news was circulated
ie" Gays aIUer' III tiie company oi t,e
same young people assembled IN the
same garden hihiiia iiau entered as
novice iiito 'ile community Vi crs.iiiiies
Vi the NIUE village u AS sie
was very PiouS' TINS surprised no one
i1er secret nad peloleea SO eAciuSlVely
10 herseli thae no one repfoached her'
Inc luea occurred 10 no one Inat tne
marriage oi 1illiieh was the cause Oh
iie +, coiiSecra'iiiS llersell 70 teiisioh'
me convent Vi tne = rS''llhes aauiitted
DIVERS uesrees Vi reiislous vocatiohs' by
the sue Vi tiie' sls'ers oo''iiu 10 Tue oruer
oy perpetual w" there were piouS per
sons wearing a costume winch was IKE
that ol Tue oruer' nllilus TIE Fen' l hese
pfactlcec tiie salie ooserVahces WITHOUT
assuinihS any permanent ooiieatlonS'
Inc greater part TOOK the vows at tne
emu ol some years, out there was more
thah one example Oh devoted sisters VINO
re-ehtereu the "ofld aitef years spent
IN the convent.
IL was INTO TINS class OF sisters that
poor Eiliiia entered. Every tilihg was as
usuai III her aoiillssioh' III her hoVltiate.
III her conduct IN Inc convent.
one became 'eFotee OF inc most per-
iect regularly plous as the Others never
III IauIt' esteemed py her superlors. her
pale race III the White linen Whlch sur
ROUNDED 1t hau the oeatinc cam char-
aclerlsuc OF the slstefhoou. Asslduous
III prayers and IN all other plous eXer-
cises, she yielded quickly to the religious
habits of the cloister. AT the end of
some days the slow and monotonous
routine of the regular convent life had
dulled her senslbli1tles, and her ordinary
state became kind Of gentle sleep.
Had she succeeded III driving from her
heart the image which had captured her
whole being:
After fashion-yet she had not even
tried. The suspicion came not to her for
an instant that her love was cuipable.
1t was, as IN the cantlcles, "a bouquet OF
myrrh In her bosom. She would have
doubted God rather than her right 70
this sentiment which filled her. She
distinguished not her love from her
plety nor her pety from her love. She
even tasted IN her austerltles an addl-
tional charm. She found IN wounding
herself a sort OF delight. She expert
enced an intense JOY IN believing that
she suffered all tins for the one she loved,
and IN saying that she saw no other
man lint him Snch Vx-pTa fine IDu0cppca