The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-06-23
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| quests are ronsIsIcnI WIN tneIr IeInpurl
success and their eternal welfare.
At all events he never leaves the peti
tioncr in distressing uncertainty rs to hcl
fate, but he announces his intentions in
the matter by an unmistakablc sign. After
silently making wish the girl takes a
stone and throws it upon the roof of thu
little chapel, and if the stone stays there
it fnrrtclls with unfailing certainty that
her request shall be granted, but if the
stone rolls off the saint has II good reason
for refusing his help.
For Some little time after she had reach
cd the chapel Celeste stood still, CHANGING
now and then at the saint and thinking
scornfully of her lazy lover
Il won't do it, she said softly, set her
basket down and folded her arms defiant
ly Certainly not" Here some bright,
angry tears rose to her eyes
But the longer she looked at the saint
the fricndlicr he seemed to smile, until at
last mischief shunc from every wrinkle OF
his brightly painted face, us il he Il like t.
say:
Don't fool yourself Cclestine; you'd
DE ticklcd to death to get him, even if he
were ten Tires lazier"
Yes, ycs!" at last the young girl
whispered, and, us if somebody had forced
her down, suddenly she sank upon her
knees, raised her hands and prayed from the
bottom of her soul, "Give him to me, dear
St. Joseph; oh, do give him to me!' with
whatever else her innocent heart prompted
And such perfect trust came over her
that she sprang up with all confidence,
laughingly shook the tears from her blush
ing cheeks and began to look around for
the stone which, it was to be hoped, would
prove no disappointment.
But the seekers had already been too
numerous. Nowhere around was there a
stone fit to throw, and even rs far as the
hedge the path was us clear of stones as a
well titled whcatiield. The best thing to
do was to bring ones stone along.
Celeste wandered ways up and down
the path, but without success. Then her
glance fell upon the basket, and with a
smile she bent over, picked out tho big
gest apple, and, without stopping to re-
member the stories past of that fruit, she
threw it with all her might upon the
chapel roof.
A second she waited with beating heart.
Then she breathed more freely, for the
apple did not fall back, but rested upon
the ridge pole of the little church. She
leaned against the doorpost, folded her
hands in her lap and looked up with
thankful heart to the saint, who now
showed his usual calm and friendly coun-
tenancc. Little by little she sank into the
loveliest day dreams
Nicola had not enjoyed sweet slumber
long The sun blistercd the whitewashed
walls of the chapel and burned ficrccly
down on him, for i'll this blessed province
of the empire, even SO late in the year, the
sun is still hot enough to make the grapes
sweet and the drinker hot and thirsty.
The sleeper began to be troubled by bad
dream, which presently became frightful
nightmare.
He dreamed that he was sweltering in
purgatory, and, like forge, the fire was
only on one side of him, SO that on that
side he grew perfectly crisp. Piteously he
begged a lively little devil who kept stir
ring up the fire to let him turn round, but
the tiny fiend snickcred derisively and all
swcred that he must keep quiet, that as
he was uncommonly fond of comfort now
for ~, 600 years he wouldn't need to stir,
for there would be plenty of time after
that to toast his other side
But POOR Nicola suffered tho worst from
the thirst which the internal flames arous
ed and, signing sadly, looked upward.
There he saw above him floating ON the
clouds the garden of paradise. The angels
seemed to be gathering in the harvest for
they shook magnificent apple tree till
the fine fruit rolled down on all sides.
Nicola eagerly watched for some to fall in
his neighborhood. He called to the angels
to take pity ON him, but nobody seemed
to notice him. Then among all the blond
heads there appeared u dark, roguish face,
with Celeste's well known features. This
brunette seraph did not seem blind to the
agonies of the sufferer, for just when he
believed he should faint away she seized
beautiful red checked apple and threw
it down to Nicola, SO that it hit his peni-
tent breast u smart rap Then his rigid
limbs relaxed; he sprang up.
Purgatory and paradise vanished, and
the bright autumn sun shone over him.
But near him, in the green grass, lay the
fruit of paradise. AS his thirst had re-
manned he seized the apple, bit into it
thoughtfully hut eagerly and dcvourcd it
to the very core.
When he had finished that and had
thought little about his dream, with aw.
full clearness he perceived that his vision
might come true. Like q crushing bur-
den the idcG. settled upon his soul that
now he ought to turn over "a new leaf, that
now he must take hold in earnest, that he,
too, must bow before the first law, lin
the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat thy
bread. And the future seemed to stretch
out before him like long, dusty road.
Suddenly he remembered the dark eyed
angel, and. with heartfelt longing he
thought of the shamcfully deserted Celeste,
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