The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-04-07

Ill IH6lu lie D6HClu, DIS IN mirror, |
all the horror, the shame, and the |
perjury contained in his action. In |
the eyes Of Mayer he was but a dis |
honored and dishonorable wretch,
and in the eyes of God, he was a
murderer, for as his superintendent
Japan would not survive after a
knowledge of his dastardly conduct
On a sudden, the haze was lifted
from his eyes, the past became
clearer, and once more he found him
self in Toxic, with o Fana, love shin
ing in every feature, by his side;
there was her little Cherry Blossom
nesting on her bosom-his own son
lisping in vain the name of father;
he thought again of all the letters
which o Fana had sent him, letters
full of affection, of the most ingenu-
Gus love and religious reverence,
written with gold ink, on silk paper,
VIII the daintiest arabesque border,
and highly scented with the most deli
cate perfume-the perfume of all the
gods. The spark of. nobility still left
in his nature now sprang into a de-
yOuring flame, he felt his own mean
ness with a force never before ex-
perienced, the tears started to his
eyes, and he cried almost audibly
| that he was guilty before heaven and
earth in wishing to blast the life of
| a girl whose. whole soul was
wrapped up in him so completely,
and all because she belonged to
a different race. All! thought he,
many face in Cologne is more
| comely, perhaps, but there not a
| heart with such love as hers. He
| bethought himself to flee from the
| house where SO many snares awaited
| him, and where even his own
mother, ignorant of the solemn
| promises he had made, was ever urg-
| ing him on to treason and dishonor.
| A few doors from his home there
| lived a Canon, priest of sterling
character, and with the strictest
| ideals on the subject of morality and
| honor. lie was an old and valued
| friend of the family. Years before,
when Henry was still a fervent Cath
| olic, he had chosen this man as his
confessor In this crisis it occurred
| to him that Of all men he certainly
was the best to consult on matter
| of this kind. To him therefore
would he betake himself.
| The priest listened to his recital
| without a word; he then inquired
| most carefully into the circumstances
of the case; with well chosen ques-
tons he fathomed the heart of the
now anxious youth in regard to his
| real feelings toward Charlotte and
| o Fana, and then without hesitation,
pronounced sentence: ....
Pardon me, my boy" he said, eff
! am plain with you. You have been
guilty of the lowest and basest cow
ardice, and your mother, in good
| faith, of course, has committed an
action which, in other circumstances,
| would be a most heinous crime.
| Thank God that there is yet time to
undo this network Of iniquity. Your
duty is clear as the MONDAY sun;
you must cable o Fana this very
| evening that you are leaving for
Japan; hasten at once to Hamburg
and there embark for Toxic. 1t is
true that before the Catholic church
you are not lawfully married to o
Fana, and your marriage to the
| Japanese girl is not sacrament;
yet taking into account all that has
| transpired between you an obligation
has arisen on your part toward that
poor girl which no theologian in the
| world would think of allowing you to
disregard. Moreover, 0 Fana, as you
say, is awaiting your return in order
to receive baptism. Go, therefore,
make her a Catholic, and marry her
| before the Church, and you will be
| happy as long as you live. If you
had but given heed to the wise coun-
sells of your superintendent and mar
ried her as a true Christian, you
| would not now find yourself in this
predicament,. Remember all that |
Itell you i return to your faith, and
he not onlysa- good man but a good
Catholic. - a
"A long, silence followed this severe
Iarraignment. Henry understood his
error, and took his medicine like a
hero. en
"But before leave, would it not
be. better for me to inform my fam.
Iily?' inquired the youth, anXiously.
| moi no by no means! + would
i not trushigou.. Between your mother
and Charlotte you wodld soon lose
the little. sense and courage you have
/ left. / know you young men too we'll
Arraigned before the dread tribunal
Of two pretty cheeks and a pair OF
| fearful eyes, you melt away like SC
much snow before the fierce rays OF
the sun. No; sir! First the cable
/ gram, and then to Hamburg! Do you
understand me?''
| What will my mother say at my
i sudden ffght?"
i LAS, fors your mother, leave every
4 thing to ME. | will soon convince
| her, and YOU will see that she will
4 finally approve of your resolution
i After all, she. is a woman of sense
Il and Judgment, and had she known