The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-02

and is imprisoned; another INDUCES
violent temper by taking the life of
fellow-beirg and is hanged. I set open
the flood gates of an emotional temper
ament and let loose the dammed-up
waters THAI had for long years seethed
and boiled within me-and for this L
was married.
Ostracism, Imprisonment. hanging
take these forms of punishment, and
add thereto scourging, and the torture
Of rack and thumb-screW, and even
then you cannot approximate to so in
genious and intolerable a penalty as
that which. from the best of motives,
was exacted of me.
A wording, probably, can in no de-
gree understand the absolute horror
with which my guardians eyes took
in my appearance and occupation, as
the attic door opened beneath his hand
and revealed me to his shocked and
astonished gaze. I was to him at that
moment, without doubt, sin incarnate;
a human being in a state OF complete
obsession; one of the swine of the earth,
possessed by the devils of intemperance
and voluptuousness; a creature or cor
1uption, hmm Oldest. unchaste, vicious
! to the last degree.
Never in my life have I been SO af-
fected by word or action as [ was in
me- 1t was that Of a rigorous, accusing
angel, and it shamed my Wantonness
to the core. 1 suddenly became thing
of horror to myself, as I stood con-
fronting him in my half -nakedness and
disorder, with my hair streaming wildly
over my shoulders, and my arms
crossed with an involuntary gesture Of
maidenly shame above my bare and
heaVing bosom.
He said scarcely anything. He was
always a man Of few words, and when
especially moved his silence was so
stern as to be more impressive thar
the most eloquent speech. But he bade
me clothe myself while he waited below
with Pensy; and think that in the few
moments which suff1ced my toilet the
old shoemaker was read lesson and
administered a rebuke which were more
than adequate to the occasion.
Mr. Mavis and l went home together,
both dumb as mutes. On reaching the
parsonage, he ordered me to my room
for an hour bidding me- when that
time should have passed, to repair 70
his study. I knew that that interval
he would spend in wrestling with the
Lord on my behalf.
The period allowed me for self-com-
munion in no wise re-established my
former reeklessness. That scandalizeG
and whitening glance from my guard :
ian's eye had made me feel myself a
thing accursed and outcast. My shame
and penitence were out of all proper
ton to my guilt, but I did not feel
them SO then; rather, it seemed, SC
deeply was I moved by his horror, that
impure stain with which had smirche(l
it.
At the expiration Of the hour I went
to his study, forlorn and wretched
culprit, a creat ure as devoid Of fire and
energy as is the lamp after the flame
has been extinguished But, listless
and inanimate as I was, I detected a
very marked change in the usually i'm
passive face of my guardian. There
! was look of real human emotion upon
1T, very different from it's ordinary ex-
| preston Of mere abstract interest In
| his eyes was CLEAN almost of inward
fire; upon his thin, asetic counte-
ance feebly fiickered faint flush; his
features were far less rigid than usual.
and his manner, though even and com
posed, had lost its customary serenity.
l was struck forrfbly by his unlikeness
! to himself, and the consciousness OF
| guilt grew yet greater within me as
was thus reminded Of the Nervousness
| of "a sin which could SO work upon a
mere spectator. How vile, how utterly
| corrupt must she be who could practice
such depravity!
Mr.. Mavis received me, not angrily,
but with a sad disapprobation there
was no mistaking. He motioned me to
seat, which I, abashed and shame
faced culprit, took with unfeigned
meekness and humility, and then be-
gan preachment with the Scarlet
Woman and her retinue of vicious at
| tributes for it's text. I was in an ex-
tremely sensitive condition, depressed
and Wretched from the reaction Of my
! late high spirits, and the words lis
tened to had undue influence upon me.
They turned into morbid fears and ra-
| Elections as they struck ground within
my breast; and when, the homily con-
| Guided, my guardian and I, shepherd
and Grant lamb, fell upon our knees
| to implore protection from on High
| against this malignant arch -enemy
who was menacing with apparent sue
cess my weak and easily-tempted soul,
I was wrought to such pitch OF
| agonized alarm and repentance that
my cry for aid and deliverance far
,outvoiced my companion's, and rose
| from my petitions in a state Of that
| false religious fervor which is bred Of
pure nervous excitability
This continued many days. Ny guar
| dian, to whom it was a sign Of the in
! flowing of grace, fostered and encour-
| aged it. My name was withdrawn from
| the academy books, and my mental
| yielded to my spiritual, cultivation.
Mr.. Mavis gave me employment in his
| study, and kept me largely in his own
| society, and the novelty of my new
condition ofospiritual exaltation for q
| time satisfied my craving for excite
ment. I went to prayer meotingsi