A LIFETIME LOVE.

Fair Play, Volume II, Issue 27, 1 November 1894, Page 30

A LIFETIME LOVE.

My sister once related to me a love

story, which illustrates the peculiar in- ' ■ tensity, especially in matters 'of the heart, which marks the Breton charac- . ter. The tale was related to her by one of her. friends, the daughter of the hero- • ine; whom I-will call Emma Rosilis, ! She was not perfectly beautiful, but her face had an indescribable charm. • Her eyes had the most exquisite softness, ; and her delicate eyebrows almost seemed to possess a soul, while her skin was so fine that it betrayed the slightest agitation by fugitive blushes. : - Little Emma Rosilis'went regularly to v church with her book of hours, and the . truth is that toward the age of 10 or 18 there was no place in her little soul hut for. one young man, of about 20 or 22, whom she saw often, and whom I will call Emilien.-

; - Emma had known Emilien ever since -* - - she had'known herself. - Moreover, she v idreamed what she did not think, until it happened one day that she found Emilien was occupying the entire cavity of her little heart.

The young man whom she loved had a

good,- though not a strong, nature, but , bis simplicity, his absence of all pre-

tense, were most pleasing. to Emma. She had not known any young man superior to him, and indeed in the little world.where she moved she had not met

many young-men. of-any kind. - This love of Emma's soon became most absorbing. During entire days she would remain motionless, almost as though she were in a ’trance, dreaming of her bo--1 loved. Naturally she. said nothing cf ' what she experienced either to the one . r pheloved. or tp I+ep relations," or to her

companions. yHeivu-mcretion was so abr,solute that nek one knew anything of, what filled.her. , - "While Emma lived only in’her lovefor. Emilien, he' thought little of her. He found her-pleasing, as did all" the world, but he never thought of telling her so. He was-a commonplace and passive be--ing; and then, after all,-was he-to blame? Emma was so modest that she- could scarcely be -distinguished' from her friends—you would have said she sought only to hide herself. ’ • ■ One day, while she was talking with . her companions at a little reunion at the foot of the - garden, many things were spoken of. The news which had a freshness for 1 all was of the approaching marriage of Emilien to Arina M . It was spoken of as a certain thing. Emma heard it all. Such was the control which she 'had over herself, however, that no ■one suspected; that v a poniard had entered her heart.:. She was quiet, arose a little while . after and retired without . giving any sign of the frightful-wound which she had just received. Another bit of news was circulated a .few days after, in tbe company of the same young people, assembled in the same garden. Emma had -entered as , novice in to the community of HrsulineSof the little, village of L : ! As she-: was very . pious; this' surprised no one. Her secret had belonged so. exclusively

to herself that no one. reproached her. The idea occurred to no one that the marri age of Emilien was' the cause of her consecrating herself. t 6 religion. The convent of the Ursuliues admitted divers 1 1 egz-ees of religious vocations. -By the side of the sisters bmir.d .to the order hy.a.-perpetnal>vo\v there wqre'pious persons wearing a. cOstir.ne which was like that of the order, minus the veil; These practiced the same observances' without assuming any permanent obligations. The greater part took the vows at the end of some, years? Hut-, there was more than one example, of devoted sisters-who re-entered the world- after years spent in the convent. - '

- It was into this class uf sisters that poor Emma entered.. Everything was asusual in her admission, in-her novitiate, in her conduct in the convent.

She became a devotee of the most perfect regularity, pious as the others, never in fault, esteemed.by her superiors. Her pale face in the white linen which surrounded it had the beatific calm characteristic of the sisterhood.- Assiduous in prayers and in all other pious exercises*.she yielded quickly to'the religious habits of the cloister. - At , the end of some days the slow and- monotonous routine of the regular - convent ■ life had dulled her sensibilities, and her.ordinary state became a kindof gentle sleepC Had she succeeded’in driving-from her ' Jiearfc-the image which had captured her

whole being? . After a fashionr-yet she had not even tried. ’ The suspicion not to her for an instant that' her lc»ve was culpable. It was; as ih,the.canticles, “a bouquet of - myrrh in her bosom;” She would have doubted God rather-, tlian her right to this sentimentwhich filled her. She distinguished not her love from her -piety nor her' -piety. frc> m her love.,- She even tasted in her- austerities an additional charm;; She fottad in wounding herself a-sort of delight. She experienced an intense joy in believing that she suffered all this for the one she loved, and in sayibg that she saw no- other man but him. Such were the innocence and purity of herTmagination thatnever a scruple came to her for her dreams of loye. She was so certain of being right -that she never felt obliged to accuse her- ■ self to her confessor. Thus five -years rolled by without a trouble, without a storm. Did the possibility :of - recovering Emilien ever present itself to her spirit? Dreamed.she. at moments that it was Emilien and hot the church that she had really espoused, - arid that she whoim he had espoused was in very feeble health? As nothing that passed in the little town was unkuown inthe convent, she knew that Anna and Emilien had two little girls. Did Emma’s heart never whisper to her, “Thou shalt he their mother some day?”

Anna had a sister in the convent One day, according to : the custom at such times?, prayers were requested by the womri of the community for a relative -of thtir- number, who. was dying.' The name of. this dying person was repeated that evening to Emma. . She was Anna. The two .little" girls, who soon had no mother, were confided to the care of their aunt, the nun. Emma assisted her in attending to them. From this time Emma experienced a change. . She'could , scarcely pray. She tried to reclojbhe her? •self in her haircloth, and’she found it insupportable. ; The austerities which were familiar ;to her became revolting. She denied herself tlie communion for

eight days. Her peace was at an end; her profound piety extinguished. She believed herself morbid, selfish—almost wicked. ' ' ,

At this time she felt obliged to tell all to her confessor, the chaplain of the convent. He was not a great man, but he was very sensible. He advised at first that she Should wait; then he saw the gravity of the evil. After ■ all, Emma had,pronounced no vows. She had not worn the whole costume of the order. The veil had pot- shadowed her forehead. The chaplain had a benevolent hear! The sacredness of the confessional forbade him,from .consulting his bishop. He, formed’- his„ opinion from his own' reasonings. that it was for the sglvationof Emtnri t he eonffded- the

two little daughters of "Anna tojier^pey-'' sonal, care. He hoped" a||q'' to outlet to the restl&sneM beganJto/ disturb'her. Gn iheSa -outpour the fullness - The father came to >seehia little girls; - and Emma conducteddhem to The shock of seeing hihx ’ hgain rible. She burst into tears. -He was just' . the same as she h’ad al ways - seenhim in t her dreams. As for was-sadly emaciated. Her excessive'weeping' ■ deprived her of what little strength had. Her self control entirelyifofsookher. - Gazing into her tear dimmed eyes, Emilien discovered there her dove. The good man, commonplace as he was, .at last ' comprehended the situation;' He had avery tender heart, and he wgs. profoundly touched. ' - _ ' ' ' Some months after Emma and Emilien were united in marriage.; What no one had suspected all the world now saw v The entire community married them. For the rest of her life 'Emma tasted without a moment’s intermission the most perfect felicity'that one can dream of. During 40 years she drifted, as'it were, in a Pacific ocean of happiness and love. Emma and Emilien had eight children, from whom they never separated the two daughters of, poor Anna. They brought them all up well. Some speak of the “storms'of .love.” What childishness! Passion hasf its in- • equalities, but true love has no storms. The happiness of Emma after she had won her lover was as a full sea without tides.. Even death was -hardly for her.' Life went out because the hour, of finishing had come. She died at the age of 70 years, without sickness. . , * - My sister found this a perfect example of love as she comprehended it. She esteemed Emilien the happiest of men. For him an excellent woman had condemned herself to a life of austerity, giving to him the most complete guarantee of the exclusiveness- of ' her. love. During five years she' saw" not a single . man. She had accepted with innocent joy the expectation of an external exclusion. In all battles .that come in life there is a recompense for those alone who dare. Happiness is like glory. To obtain it, it is necessary to play high. One day I Hazarded the observatiou to my sister, “It was a great deal of devotion to bestow upon a mediocre than.” “Oh, that was ho matter!” she responded. “Emilien certainly did not merit so much happiness, but .who does?. See the false idea of the Parisian men of letters, who assume-that great jmen only ' are worthy of being lovei-p;-'TOfat : ishness! You will ..see- some day ridiculousness of aU that. Ah,Hhe heroea ; whohaye saved edge they may reward affection, but the* of canvas/the iftotierabf paper,;-

one?* s 1 "Ernest ryp 1 -? ~ +'\ VJ £* *' *•„