The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-03-26
From the Spanish Of Emilio CASTELAR,.
by Annette e. Croker.

<~ EE," said beautiful Christian
~ girl of the Eternal City to a
young Roman pagan: during
- the first century of Christian.
ity, 1.-The night has come. and
though. evil may often Turk in it's shad-
ows. yetsis good sometimes protected by
it's solitude and silence: Put on over
your robe this linen tun1c. and conceal
your face under this thin. white veil
You must, also. submit to going blind
you, and trust me ;to guide you safely
and surely to secret depth. and into
the midst Of a most holy community,
of whose existence and character you
have no conception"
do with me as you WILL said, he,
'for you have the power to enchain me
as If I were dog at your feet. You
may not only bandage my eyes. you
may extinguish my sight; you may
lead me to the nethermost hell; If you
So desired shall not complain
"What! You Roman nobleman; you
who have intercourse with all the gods,
youu who rule men and earth. would do
what slave commands. be led where
slave would lead you?"
Then the young girl placed upon the
pagan the Christian tunic and veil, thus !.
Disgusting him to her satisfa action, and
as if he were blind man through. a
subterranean labyrinth to the cata-
COMBS where the prosecuted Christians
OF that time assembled for their devo-
'tions.
The adventurous nature of this pro-
ceeding rendered it deeply interesting
to the patrician: A lyric and tragic
recreation and enjoyment: in those
things which tended to awaken his
emotions and. excite his capacity to
think and feel. The mysterious words
of the young Christian girl, those ideas
that seemed to him inconsistent be-
cause incompfehensble, the story Of the
sublime faith SO tenaciously held by
this sect. Of which he knew nothing
the walk through. the darkness and
| the impression that it was all part. of a
written tragedy rather than. an occur
| renee in his own existence, so worked
upon his mind that he almost fancled it
strange, imaginary episode set in the
living and palpitating reality of life.
| 1--WE seem to be acting the Sixth
| Canto of the Aeneld, as told in Virgils
| wonderful verse; said he, II seem to
| be treading the descending path to
Avernus, to hear the sound of'.the axe
and the falling of the great trees in the
grim forest before it's dreadful portals,
Are we approaching the Lethean border
Of the Stygian stream? Are we sur
rounded by the spirits. that rule over
the world Of the silent shades? Are
we on the road to the internal regions?
! mot so,' said the Christian girl con-
tinuing on her downward way. I'VE are
going in quite the oppositea direction.
We are on the path to heaven: At the
threshold of that lower world Of your
imagina ton, Agony has made her lair;
at the entrance of the one to which
am leading you, sits Consolation. There,
Remorse weaves her crown of thorns
for. uneasy consciences; here, Supreme
Goodness. zenlightens the vision of the
soul and points out the way to eternal
b1andishes her dreadful, destroying
sword, while here the eternal. peace of
the Lord makes brothers Of men and
teaches them that all difficulties may
Ebe conquered and. obstacles :overcorne
i by: charity and: 1leye.""~ .,.:t.:;.:: 80.
.sE:. seeareelHz.' had9!the': young: girl pro-
Il nounce en- ! the b. sins
Il Of David playing in unison kind of
Psallnody unknown to Greek or Ro-
man Tyres, and pure voices inspired by
a sentiment higher than that of mortal
song, filled the air as If, with. a spirit
ual fra GRANGE. The emotions awak-
ened there were not of earth, but of
another and a. higher sphere. vastly SUI
perior to this.
Highly impressiona by nature ais
was the young pagan, he was easily
disposed to respond to the influence of
that sublime hymn, and he exclaimed:
II know what is going on within me.
It seems as if magic draught were dit
fusing' through all my veins a heavenly
Epeace. Something. new is bonn: within
my soul; and incomprehensible aspira-
alton towards the infinite and eternal
takes possession Of my being; I mount
and rise as if my feet had put forth
! wings. What divine melody fills the
air and the soul alike with indescrib-
able sweetness? How different from
Instead of the deliriunn. awakened by
new wine and the castarets,: one feels
in this place a SERENITY: as if those
voices had conquered sorrow and the
grave"
"They have conquered" said the
Christian girl; Gin truth they have con.
quered. For them, sorrow is but the
necessary discipline:of life, and death
t'only transformation that purifies an(
perpetuates the essence Of our: being
What would it signify, were you. tt
strike me to the heart, since death
passing like rapid vision before m,
sight, would instantly be followed by
\ resurrenction?"
"You well know the power of YOU
words" and the young man, you tall
I of strange and celestial things as neve
| spoke our most inspired philosophers
When you raise your head it is with tn
/ air: of goddess. You, fix on high al
Z enraptured gaze that extinguishes al
unworthy desires and puts, to sleep tn
\ senses as if with soothing balm. Whe
you talk of death, it makes one wis
to die; and when you promise eterna
love in a world beyond one waits wit
all patiences for this celestial happines
accepting the. promise with, the conf
I dence Of child" :.:*; -: =.
IA thousand times have 4 left m
} dwelling, determined to force my dc
sires upon you, knowing that SO Wea
~ woman could not resist the will of S
\ strong man. Ifelt the power to crus
! you in my arms; / thought to consum
4 YOU upon the flaming pyre of my low
1 But no soner had I passed the thres
hold of your habitation than my deter
mination vanished, and I felt n1yse
1 incapable of carrying out*:mys base; de
signs. Elevated BY the purity of YOU
bearing, your person took on loo
Sl1neriOr to the natural and earthly