The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-08-04
THE JUDGMENT LILIES.

They have not been watered these
ten years, and yet they bloomed on, the
imperishable lilies! Jeanette knelt and
gazed at them, as a woman gazes at a
/ child she has parted from and sees
! only once in a sad while. The dew fell,
wringing the fragrance from their deep
! hearts. A cobweb stretched from one
/ blossom to another with trail of tears
I across the distance The perfume peo-
! pied the night with pleading faces.
She lifted her eyes TO the white
wings of her cap, then she looked over
! her shoulder to her wooden shoes and,
clasping her gnarled hands tiercely,
tried to assure herself that she was
neither masking nor dreaming. 1t was
| Jeanne in the fiesh-Jeanne Marie
/ Marteau, one-time wife of Pierre Mar
/ teau. netmaker Suddenly she felt
there was some one on the steps. She
looked She could not mistake tina fig
ure there. 1t was Pierre come over the
hills, as she had come, to look at the
house which they had left ten years
ago to travel separate ways. A suspl-
cfon, scorn and then the long, long 81
lence! He was ten years older in his
wan look Over his once rosy face a
shadow, as black as a crows wing,
hung Moth and rust had not respect
ed him in his grief. Jeanne saw 1t
with sad eyes.
With a pitiful care, she had kept her
self as fresh as q rose, but tonight her
hair was seen to be silvering and she
bent her face YEARLY over the lilies,
caressing herself with quivering fin
gers. The old love was waking for
Pierre. In her heart she fe 1t it fiut-
tering for speech and song.
When she could bear it no longer
she crossed the garden to touch his
sleeve. He was not there. 1t was his
wrath summoned by the lilies.
A man went by, one among many in
the dusk, for he stopped by the garden
gate to smell the lilies, and Jeanne had
never known a man to smell a flower
save Pierre. She scoffed to herself for
thinking the football was like his.
The lilies were like living souls in the
stiffness.
1--WE go on blooming whatever
comes" they said to her. 1--WE do not
toll or spin. We cannot set the world
Alright. The world rolls on, in the prov
idence of God, but we wear the little
garment of silver and snow which He
gave US, and we spend the passion Of
perfume in our hearts for His sake.
That is ALL"
THAT is much" said Jeanne, trem-
bling.
A sweet dreaminess fell upon her.
She fancied herself in church. 1t was
long since she had knelt in that little
stall. The communion cloth was
spread. She heard the delicate music
of the children's voices; she saw the
sunlight choosing the cures white head
to shine on. His blessing fell upon her
in the crowd, while the candles glowed
in the silver sticks on the altar, and
the incense dimmed the morning
lights The sad past, the sadder pres
ent, took on a desolate vividneSs in
this holy atmosphere.
With her heart in her throat she rose
from the grass and ran across the
street to the cures door.
Yes, NJ 'Sieur lie Cure will soon be
here; yes, a gentleman waits to see
him" said the placid housekeeper, and
she led Jeanne into the parlor. The
vision which the lilies had wrought
had come before her-Pierre! She
gazed, unabashed. Pierre glanced at
her. Her blue eyes were filled with a
silver light which blinded him.
The cure came at last. II was ten
years since he had seen these two.
Either he did not know, them or he
feigned forgetfulness.
las you came first, will hear you
first, my good man." he said to Pierre.
She saw the wrath arise.
81 have been parted with my wife
these ten years, mon pere. l want to
make peace with her.
And T." Jeanne cried, 81 want to