Year: 1876




less moved than himself, was tracing inward
ly the various points of analogy between his
experience and mine, and marvelling at the
strange chance which he'd led me to encoun-
ter one whose fate mine 80 strongly resembled.


At length, as if with an effort, he reused
himself to continue.


"A period of darkness and chaos follows
in my memory. My recollection Of the sue
ceeding days, weeks, even months, is vague
and indistinct. During this time I was in
hiding. I had sought and found place Of
concealment where I knew I was safe from
pursuit. When the 6erceness Of my fury
absted, an awful horror of what I had done
possessed me. The stain of blood was on my
soul-my brothers blood, which, like that Of
murdered Abel, cried aloud to Heaven for
vengeance. My remorse, my agony. now far
exceeded the rage I had felt. Gladly would
I have given my own life to restore that which
I had destroyed Imagine, then, my relief,
when l learned from a reliable source that
my revenge had failed in its dread purpose
my brother still lived. The wound ! had
given him, though rendering him temporarily
insensible. had not proved fatal. The shock
of the plunge into the water had revived him,
and he had been able, though not without
great difficulty, to swim to the shore. Clara,
who had been as near dead, from terror, as
he, assisted by the landlady, nursed him
through his illness, from which he recovered,
and together they left the country and re-
paired to Switzerland, where they lived for
some years in privacy and retirement, too
greatly overwhelmed by the catastrophe at
tending the beginning Of their married life to
care to mingle at all in society. Finally, on
the death of the old Count, they returned to
Germany, where they both died, not long af-
terwards, within short period of one anoth-
er."


"Did you ever see them again :" asked.


"I.did. I sought them on their return
home, and was reconcied to them both. Had
I not obtained their forgiveness, could not
now feel the peace which is soothing my clos
ing days, and which assures me that have
also won the pardon of God. There are
times, it is true, when L still suffer keen an
guish, and the memory of my sins is ever
present with me but do not sorrow as one
without hope.


"On my brothers death, I sought this spot,
and assumed the garb which I now wear, re-
solved to atone for the past, as far as possible,
by devotiug the remnant of my life to peni-
tential prayer and meditation, solitude, fast
ing and selfdenial that through the morti-
6cation Of the flesh my spirit might be puri-
fed and my evil passions subdued. Ere long,
I trust, my probation will be ended, and this
weary body. laid at rest-for lam very weary,
my son, and sigh to be released from the bur-
den of my grief"


A long silence ensued upon the conclusion
of the hermit's tale We were both too much
engrossed with our thoughts to speak. At
last, turning to me, be said in kindly tone


"And now, my son, if can, in any way,
counsel or comfort you in your troubles, hesi-
tate not to confde them to me. 1t would cheer
me to think that I could tighten the care Of
q fellow.mortal, and perchanoe give some
profitable advice" .... .....


had already been revolving in my mind
the expediency of unburdening my mind to
this aged man, and relating my own expe-
rience and I needed but this encouragement
to do so. I therefore, without hesitation,
frankly told the whole story, merely repress'
ing my name, as we'll as those of the other
actors in the painful drama. He listened at
tentively, and with evident interest and sym.
pathy.


"You see, my father" said I, in conclusion,
"that I, too, have sorrow and heaviness to
bear, and can look for but little more happi-
ness, if any, in this world


"Say not go" he rejoined "you are young,
and there is yet time enough for these diff
culties to be pet right. Do not despair Of
winning your wife's affection. Be kind and
faithful to her always. Exact, for the present,
no more from her than she is willing to bestow
upon you. Above all, betray no jealous feel.
ings, and harbor no resentment toward your
brother, who, after all, has been guilty of no
offence. In due time, it may be that course
of systematic kindness will have the desired
effect Your wife cannot withhold from you
her gratitude and esteem, and these sentiments
will ripen into warmer ones. Whereas cold.
ness, harshness, or any rash act on your part
would fatally destroy any such prospect, and
create an estrangement between you which
nothing could remedy"


II am but an Indifferent hand at concealing
my feelings" said I, "and I fear that the dis
appointment and modification which over
power me-nsy, those terms are far too mild
to express my emotions-cannot but be evil
dent in my intercourse with her,"


"You must make the effort, however. Re.
member how much you have at stake. You
say she is ignorant of the discovery you have
made. Let her continue so, for it will make
your task an easier one."


"Would to Heaven" despairingly ex-
claimed, "that had never been born Life
is wretched mockery, full Of delusion and
disappointment. Were it not crime, I should
be tempted to get rid of it as speedily as posi-
BILE, and try my chance in another world"


"These are sinful words, my son" said the
hermit, in reproving tone. "Once I felt as
you do-aye, many time have l longed and
desired to terminate, by my own hand, the
existence which found so intolerable But
nv good angel ever restrained me, and I am