Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-02-27

HEIfiND CONVENT WALLS.
On the outskirts of the city Of Brooklyn
stands q convent Of one Of the Catholic
sisievhocls. The building. or series Of
buildings, shoots upward from an smi.
nence that gives the monastic structure Z
conspicuity strangely In contrast with
the live. II its gentle inmates-soine of
whom daily visit the city 90 teach In
the parochial schools assigned 90 their
order; Others who care Cor the orphan.
making their lullabies--even more ten
der than motbcr's-a soothing. pray
eriul song of heavenly praise and ap-
peal In reparation for the manifold sins
Of humanity.
In the convent reception room, IN
the fst year Of the last decade of the
present century. two lovers sit opposite
the superior. Mother ~. Gertrude. the
three engaged In conversation which
deals with the two young people. and
yet the nun takes more than q passing
interest In u. She stands In the rels.
ton of mother 90 the girl.
Mother ~. Gertrude IL q woman of
medium height. She IL nearing the
half ontury mark. but the happiness
enjoyed In her community has kept the
furIow- of time from touching the face
that looks ont from her hood like q
Raphaelistic picture % the Madonna In
sunshine. and not dolorous. The man.
agemcnt ~ the larg, institution over
which she prc-id--, embracing branch
establishments calling for much judg'
ment AMI knowledge ~ hnancicring.
necessarily gives her q deeper insight
into the ways ~ the world than the
average nun can ever gain.
The greatest saints In the calendar
have had Oh. most huoyant ~ dispo-i.
tion.. the deeds that eain"i their can.
oniIa,ion-sc,s ~ startling miracle and
surprising Notwithstanding been
drawn from the catRcoinl- ~ ecclcsias-
tici.m. whcr, they had b-en preserved
with Oh. emhalmment of-whait HUI
NOR. sweet AMI subtle; fancy. free and
horid; humanity. broad and blessed.
all exercised In exercising evil hy cx.
citing JOY and awakening the I-ople
into new life that leads to tho eternal; {;
the holic-t ~ men and women who
have walked In the shadow % asccti.m,
disseminated In their wake the light
AMI Incentive to pleasure that kept
their memories hallowei until the
church placed upon them the aurcolc
OF bsn~liction.
Of this type l. Mother st. Gertrude,
Q pleasant woman. with q mini as sus-
c-p,iblc a. mirih NJ her heart l. 10 suf-
fering. her interest In all her friends,
worldly AMI religious. not ignoring any
f,atur, oi their lives.
"Laurrnc-. you know your own
mind. don't your" she asked. addrer--
Ing the young man. Isabel thinks
you may change. II her ancestry turns
out % have h-cn plebeian.
"NOnsense. said Oh. young man.
"The aristocrat ~ to.lsy was u barba-
nan yesterday. The old aristocrat was
de,hruned and the title conhscaicd by
the savage conquerur who assumed.
generally with poor grace, an air of
gentility be ianciod was In keeping
with his stolen grandeur. The rank
IL but tho guinea's stamp, you know.
Laurence Mangan was about 20 years
of agr. tall, athletic. manly. lie was
q newspaper man whose caustic articles
had made him feared as his honesty
had made him respected by the poli,i.
clans whom b. hal often thwarted In
their designs upon the city and county
treasures. His hearing indicated self
deI-ndence--nevcr vanity nor offensive
pride. Iii. features were handsome;
his character Chiyalric. A Byronic
brow, surmoun,ed by curls that di.iin.
gui.h the -culp'ur. typical % the Grc'k
gods, rusc abOye eyes Whose sparklc-Or
fire. N YOU will-gsyo You no better
idea % bis mental strength than of his
physical energy.
Isabel L. Clair. aglow with the
health and beauty 81 20 summers, look.
ell at him archly. gra'ihei with his sen
,imenis. hut apparently still misirus,'
full. a. II something hidden In the IN.
ture were Yet Ia come between them.
Laurence, A" sh. asked. are you sure
Mother ~. Gertrude has told you alll"
"Of courSc. inierjected the nun. IL
will repeat u. because know II will
give yon more satisfaction.
"YOu ne~ln't. said Laurence. Let
me assure Isabel that II l. herself. not
her ancestry. I AIN In love with. Cir
cuiDstanc,s may undermine the romance
I have built around her birth. but Il
cannot change her character. The sins
IL our ancestors, by commission or
omission. mar not Us, unless we brood
upon them. and the false social spirit re-
jects Us through fear of theii ebulliiiOn
In ourselves. but, ! believe and In
the enthusiasm Of the moment he step.
ped forward. lifted Isabel from her
chair. and pressing her 10 his bosom
kissed the upturned fsce-'l believe
with the poet Moore;
"Oh. What wss love made Tor. 10 III. not tie
same
Throush JOY and thrvugh torment. throash
glory and shsmei
know not. ash not, n quilts In tina, heart.
Z but know that I love thee, whatever thou
art"
He lifted his eyes to Mother 81. Ger.
trude. who had herself arisen. She had
meant to chide one OF the other. prob
ably both. but as she looked ut the WI.
lowy form Of her fair protege. beaviDg
with delight. blush of maidenly
fervor making Isabel more beautiful
than ever. her chidings failed 90 find
voice. and II was Lsurence's words that
broke the silence.
Don't mind what I do, mother; tell
your story"
at isn't very long," resumed the
sister. Isabel evidently came OF .
good family. She was brought TO this
Institution nearly 90 years ago by her
father. George Leland. was assistant
superior then. Mr.. Leland said he
had a boy. some years older, being cared
for elsewhere. We never heard from
him but once after. As she grew up,
Isabel. not knowing or seeing any rels.
tive. took fancy TO the name by which
I was known In the world-Le Clair.
II was a child's within. humored u,
lust ne I have humored her In other
ihiugs, but she isn't spoiled yet. 10
shei"
This was intended TO rally the girl.
who was little disconnected and look.
ell from the sister 10 the lover ~ the
story was being told. In her restless
conspection q shrewd eye would detect
that she was wondering II Mother Sc.