The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-07-07
THE CARDINAL 5 STORY.
BY LUCY CLEVELAND,

hi 1AUCA CLAW tIIAANu.
1t was the hour of the afternoon tea in
the Vatican.
Five cardinals were finding leisure to
lounge in graceful pose and repose just
now, after the heavy roaming cares of
yesterday, in England, in Spain, in Rome
and in Africa. For this afternoons
gathering Of their eminences Is from dis
tant parts of the known and unknown
world, lighted, however, by the central.
columnar candle height OF the Supreme
l. in the Vatican.
The hour, this afternoon, is shorn of
thoughts great agony. Vespers is not
for an hour and Il hall set. The seal Of
sacerdotal silence upon this circle-the
ecclesiastical surety for other storm
a light futter Of talk, parlnnce fair. yet
hardly fair though fringed with tea. At
one end Of the dainty room brilliant
table il presided over by bishop, who
holds in his hand the daintiest bit for
hungry dogs. The little favorite is just
about to snap at the cultured biscuit, IL
small round wafer startingly like some
thing OH an altar not far away, that
Peter feeds unto the flock crowding with
soul moan to the rail. And this dog gets
it. And he banks right pretty chorus
Of comment as the bishop, pausing be-
fore pouring out the champagne from the
tea table, tells his little story that con-
vulses the whole circle.
1t was a story capitally done. 1t was
artfully managed. But how could he
help it, the bishop amidst the Vatican
great art, when just long but cold
stones throw beyond the glowing apos-
tolic chamber, in the midst of marbles
that enchanted the world. christened by
a holiness himself, long ago, there stands
| statue pale as the pallor of the Pontiti-
Cal Velibate.
THE Genius of the Vatican" Eros.
And then after the bishops story there
fell upon the distinguished circle the
sacerdotal silence, the ecclesiastical sure
ty for the stormtossed souls of men.
II can tell you something better than
that laughed Cardinal b, reaching
forward his hand to open the Mumm.
1T was the most amazing thing | ever
listened to. 1t was the first confession
| ever heard,' he went on more slowly,
his fine eyes for u moment far away in
profound thought Il was terribly puz-
zled what to do about it. l thought it
| over and over, and twisted it from A to
q, and it only raveled deeper and got me
more mixed up"
Lets have it," from the voices around
the divan's pose and repOse.
THUS" said his eminence very slow
ly, and looking somewhat cautiously to-
ward the tapestried doorway.
1T was, as l told you, the first con-
fession l had heard after the seminary
days. As l sat in the confessional in
the cathedral at Tours rather bored, an
| ticipating the peccadilos of the ladies, l
caught sight, through the swinging cur
tains in sudden breeze from the window,
opposite the confessional, of the figure
of man leaning against the pillar far
down the middle aisle. From time to
time he moved in my direction-and then
stopped. A well-dressed, handsome fell
low, with marvellous eye. He glanced
around the pillar again and again, NOV
ing. always IN my direction across the
cathedral. Old 1ere Bizane was hear
ing confessions up at the chancel end,
but the fellow kept coming toward me.
The curtain of the confessional where
l was sitting was swinging backward
and forward. The man was within one
step of me, and | suddenly became fas-
| einated with large ruby upon his
size and sheen. The man flung himself
suddenly within the curtains care, and
a painful sob echoed along the vacant
| aisles.''
Cardinal D. paused in opening the
Mumm.
Really" went on his eminence, lit
was an emotion that took me by the
throat. The fellow could not speak for
fifteen nlinutes-I counted it by my
watch. He then poured out, between
broken agony, the whole thing. A Span,
paused again. II give it to you as he
gave it to ME. The words burned in
upon my BRAIN
| The silence that had fallen upon the
dread circle was not so much the silence
of the proverbial pin-drop as the hush
among the hearts under the red cloak
| group. The voice of silvered ecclesias-
| ticism was awakening the eyes beneath
| those studied eyelids of diplomacy and
community.
The cardinal began slowly:
1T was night in the Alhambra, in the
Quarto de los Leones. The ancient cita-
| the soft glow of the full moon. Across
| the Vega, silvered with the radiance of
light, the low musical cry of the watch
man resounded: Ave Maria, las once Y
sereno. Serene the expanses of wooded
| slope and ridge of HILL clustered with
white villas, snow spots against the
| shadow of the pomegranates and the
! c!tron trees; serene the thread of LIQUID
| light which the Darro unwound along
the ravine; serene the solemn crests of
| the chain of mountains beyond Granada
where the SHOWS sparkled and stayed,
gazing upward with white faces of pale
passion to the moon: serene the dark
ridge where the towers of the Alhambra
| rise red as the blood of the conquerors
that claimed the entrance to Europe and
| held the key to paradise.
lie moon glanced through the patio
| of prayer, across the hall of the ambas-
sailors, and streamed in long lines of sill
yer through the Quarto de los Leones.