Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-12-16

light under a bushel! Diavolo. tbs
enough to try the patience OF a
saint"
Dear maestro said Carlo, with a
faint smile. what can do more than
promise TO consider this offer? How
can you expect me to decide all in a
moment? AHA quick sigh escaped
hlIa-"Do you not see what il viii In
volye?'
"Hein. What it will involve? Why
yes; / understand that 1t might post
pone your marriage for time. Art
demands some sacrifices.
And what right have l to sacrifice
.Francesca's happiness? To a duty
perhaps even that might be right, but
to dream of fame-neyer!' He
laughed; the idea. when put into
words, seemed to him so preposterous.
Happiness be damned" cried Pr
ale, with righteous indignation. 4
have yet TO learn that Italy produced
you, and England produced Miss Brit
ton. that you might be happy. And do
not know Miss Britton? Can | for
one moment dream that she would
wish TO hold you back? Why, by all
saints, mol My dear boy, you are
young-young Believe me, girl is
always willing to wait when the good
Of her lover is in question. AS to
Captain Britton, he can't have liy ed
all these years in Italy and yet re
tain his Puritan notions In all their
strictness. He may object at first.
but, hearing all the circumstances of
the case. he will soon give way.
Courage, Carlo mio For a great
gam. a momentary SACRIFICED"
Perhaps it was the word "momen-
tary" which showed Carlo plainly
what he had before felt dimly, that
Piale knew nothing whatever about
the sacrifice in question.
Much rs he loved the old man. he
could bear his presence no longer,
but hastily took leave with a few in
coherent words about time" and
thinking it over He fed from the
old singingmaster as those In trouble
or perplexity always do fee from glib
talk. 1t Is the one intolerable thing
as exasperating TO the nineteenth-cen-
fury man as the glib talk Of Eliphaz.
Bildad. and Zophar was to poor Job.
'Momentary, indeed! A momentary
sacrificed" The idea made MIN lndtg
nant and yet pitiful. Had Piale lost
his manhood in his art-life? Had he
so little conception of what 1t was to
love that he could speak thus? And
then he tried to imagine to himself
the fulfllment of the maestro's wish (;
he had a vision of himself, old and
gray-headed enjoying the sense OF
his fame and his worldwide reputa.
lion, and calmly advising some other
In the heyday of youth to renounce
love and happiness.
1t was nor till he was confronted by
huge poster. in which the names OF
Madame Merlino and Generic shone
out conspicuously that he once more
perceived the true facts of the case
This was no question between the
merits of marriage and of art-life; il
was the question whether he should
choose happiness for Francesca and
himself. or choose the possibility of
saving his sister. Life is made up of
such decisions-some of them petty,
some OF them over whelmingly great.
but all of them momentous We hate
the thought of the choice, long to
gain without losing hope to triumph
without sacrifice, strive and struggle
and fret In the vain effort to break
through the memorable law that those
who find their life must first lose It.
Truly, men are not more willing to
live the life Of the Crlicitied."
Again those words returned to Car
los mind: they grated upon him
even more than when he had first
heard them perhaps because
while far from understanding them
he began vaguely to perceive their
drift He saw a dim, distasteful vi
sion of selfrenunciation he did not
see that true self-renunciation implies
the peace giving presence of One in
whose service we renouDce.
While he was still all confused and
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