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About The banner of the South. (Augusta, Ga.) 1868-1870 | View Entire Issue (June 19, 1869)
2 wouM at once convict hitn of the cnme. “""ffShcltowte"U hL chamber. S^lld'notShfof finding him Are as it was his habit to remain be low, drinking and playing cards wOh Irs friends until a much later hour oha ha d come, intending to get possession of a miniature of her mother, to whom she },-id been devoted, which her father had borrowed from her, a few days previous ]y on some slight pretense, and had refused to return when she asked him for it. The miniature was set in a circlet* of valuable rubies, and Isabelle, ‘mowing well her lather’s avarice, found it v. as liis intention to dispose of it, or ut Jc2‘t of the jewels. She was anxious to get it back, that she might take it away with her on the following night. The picture lay on the table, and near it the stolen treasure, a large part of which was in gold. Tne murderer had been in the act of counting it, when he remembered the dagger, and had, in his alarm, left it exposed to view. He had always been very close towards his daugh ter, on the plea of poverty, and now that she saw this large sum in his pos session, which she doubted not was his own, with a hasty impulse, she deter mined to take a small portion, that she might not go to her lover absolutely pen niless. “ I am his sole heir,” she murmured; “and of my mother’s property 1 have never received a single sou. It will all be mine some day; surely I may take a little now.” She hastily seized two of the small bags, ir;to which the money was divided; aod, hearing a step, snatched up the miniature and fled. It was not until the money was found in her possession, and recognised as part of De Coucy’s treas sure, that the truth dawned upon her ; and then she went to her father and con fessed her theft. He pretended not to believe her; swore that it was all an in vention, by which she hoped to save her self, while accusing her own father of her crime; and ended by assuring her that no one would believe her statement, as, should she persist in her infamous story, lie would be obliged, in self-defence, to show something he had found at the bed side of he Coucy, but bad fortunately been able to conceal; and he produced a blue ribbon she bad worn at her throat the night before, the iongcr end of which was stained with blood, as though it had beeu hastily dipped in that fluied. lie had in reality found it in his own room, and missing the miniature, had guessed Isabelle’s visit, arid knew that she pos sessed his dreadful secret. lie had him self stained it with blood, from the fatal dagger, in order to silence her. The poor girl was bewildered and ter rified. Could she have seen De Mornay, she would have told him all, and perhaps he might have saved her; but they were not allowed an interview. Although be trothed when she was very young to Do Mornay, she knew but little of him per sonally. He held a high position in the army, at that period, and his visits to his betrothed were necessarily few and short. When he lost wealth and favor, their engagement had been broken; and, al though she had wept on hearing she must give him up, Isabelle did not mourn for her lover with anything like the in- tensity of his grief for her loss. On his return, her romantic fancy had been cap tivated by bis constancy, and by the se crecy and danger of their meetings; while her fears were excited by a prospect of being forced into a union with Do Coucy. These emotions combined to make her )ield a ready assent to an elopement; and to throw a tenderness into her man ner which led De Mornay to believe lie had won the entire devotion of her heart; b'Jt the really did not love him as he de served, or as she fancied she did. But, to return to the prison cell, in which we left poor Isabelle, distracted by doubt and terror. At one moment she resolved to die, rather than save herself by such a strange and unnatu ral union; while the next would find her ready to preserve life at any sacri fice. The proud form and uoble face of Ogier rose before her; while his pas sionate, thrilling- voice, and eloquent words haunted her ear. Ilis strange, sad story, too, appealed to the strong est chord in her nature, her love of the wild and romantic. Add to this, that she was young, alone, unnerved by her trials, and the solitary confinement in which she hud been strictly kept, and terrified at the fate before her; and you cannot blame her decision—scarcely, even, wonder at it. When Ogier arrived at the appointed uour, he found her trembling, tearful, exc.ted, nut ready to become his bride, *f , 3 P urchase safety from the scaffold. I here was no time to be lost, a . 11( } n tue presence of three officers of the jail, two of whom Ogier had per vaded to bring their wives, aud in the condemned cell of a prison, the priest proceeded to join in marriage, Isabelle, only child of the Count de Lisle, and Bertrand Ogier, the Executioner of Rouen. The morning had dawned full of ago ny for Gaston de Morcay. Just before daybreak, he had fallen into a troubled sleep, from which he woke to find Raoul sitting beside him, and the room carefully darkened. He insisted upon knowing the hour, and on Coding that it was al ready past eight o’clock, he sprang to his feet and hurriedly commenced prepara tions for going forth. To Raoul’s earnest remonstrances, he replied that nothing should prevent his being present, and standing beside Isabelle on the scaffold, to nerve and support her during the fear ful trial, which he could not avert. In vain Raoul strove to dissuade him, he re mained firm, but consented that the boy should accompany him. They soon reached the spot where the scaffold was erected, and found a dense crowd already gathered around. The place selected for the execution was at some little distance from the prison, in a large, uncultivated common, just without the city gates It was with the utmost difficulty, that De Mornay and his page succeeded in forcing their way through the crowd, and when, at last, they reached the scaffold, and stood close be side it, the people were already clamor ing’for the victim to appear. Muffled in his cloak, so that Isabelle might not be made aware of his presence too suddenly, De Mornay stood motion less, his eyes strained in the direction by which the procession must approach. Suddenly, a single officer of the prison was seen hurrying rapidly towards the scaffold. He reached the utmost limits 1 of the crowd, and a murmur arose, which swelled louder and louder. “ Is it a reprieve ?” cried De Mornay, hoarsely, clutching the arm of his page in a convulsive grasp. A tall man who stood near them, heard the question, and answered quickly: “ No, my Lord; she is saved.” “ Saved !” shouted De Mornay, wild ly. “ Now, God be praised for this ! Has the King pardoned her ? Or, lias her innocence been proved?” “ Neither, my Lord,” said the prison officer, who had just reached the scaffold; and his tone was grave and mournful. “ Five minutes ago, she was married to Bertrand Ogier, the chief executioner, and has thus purchased her safety and freedom.” A hollow groan broke from De Mor- nay’s lips, which was echoed by the dis appointed throng; and in another mo ment he would have fallen senseless to the ground, but for the supporting arm of Raoul. A murmur went round that he was the lady’s lover, and kind hands were stretched out on every side to aid Raoul in bearing the unhappy knight to his chamber. A severe attack of brain fever kept De Mornay prostrated for many weeks, but he found no lack of care, although among strangers ; for the good people of Rouen vied in their endeavors to serve one who had so keenly excited their interest. Raoul watched with the most unwearied devotion beside his master’s couch, and was, at last, rewarded by seeing him re stored, from the very confines of the spirit-world. [to be continued.] NEW ORLEANS (LA) CORRESPONDENCE OF THE BANNER OF THE SOUTH. Banner of the South: Summer is upon us; and with the first summer month has come the sum mer deluge, which ordinarily doesn’t set in before July or August. Since the first of June every day has had its shower. A lew more days of such weather will surely bring from the coun try the accustomed cry of caterpillars! Among all the antidotes for cotton-worms, I have beard no mention made of toads, and yet they are said to be the greatest known enemy to all creeping things. Why doesn’t somebody go largely into toad culture, and try them as an offset to the cotton-worms ? The unexpectedly large sales and full prices of cotton this week, would, in the usual course of events, be followed very shortly by a depressed market; but from the present appearance of the weather, a continued buoyancy may be safely an ticipated. As the Feast of Corpus Christi fell this year in the last week of the beauti ful month of Mary, it found all the altars of the Blessed Mother of God elegantly adorned with flowers, lights and hang ings, thus affording additional eclat to the ceremonials of the day. In the charming town of Carrollton, a few miles above this city, there a very grand celebration of the Feast, the main feature of which was a solemn pro cession of the Blessed Sacrament, es corted by the sodalities of the parish, the Sisters and children of the Orphan SMlil ©f !TS£fOTm Asylum, the First Communion classes, the Fire Companies and a long line of citizens; who passed through the main streets, pausing occasionally at three or four graceful Repositories that had been erected in the most shady and pic turesque groves along the route. In the parish of St. Maurice, almost an equal distance below the heart of the city, a similar out-door procession took place; whilst in the city, every congregation honored the great day by like cere monials in and around its own parish church. Taken all together the Catho lic demonstrations of the day surpassed tfeose of any former year, and afforded an elegant testimonial of the growth of True Religion. The annual Coronation Day (3 1st ult.) was celebrated with unusual effect in the Church of St. Stephen, Jefferson City. In compliance with the invita tion of the zealous pastor, Father Mau- Ry dint of sundry sticks of candy and suspicious looking bottles , comparative quiet was presently secured, when the Rev. Pastor came forward to address the audience. Ilis face glowed with joy and satisfaction at the scene before him; but when lie began to speak, emotion choked his voice and lie could say but little more than thank God for inspiring these young hearts with so much devotion to wards His holy Mother. Then he thank ed tiie people and children for so cor dially responding to the pious impulse; and m a tone of proph<Vyq he confidently promised that before the end of the year their fidelity to the Queen of Heaven would be rewarded by the visible bless ing of God, After the discourse, the people and children approached in order and laid their offerings at the Virgin’s feet, and the result was a respectable pile of greenbacks and nickels, ami a ramid of boquets and wreaths, which will serve to decorate the honored shrine for many a month to come. After Benediction the throng of little ones dispersed towards their homes; and in view of their almost angelic joyous ness at having participated in so glorious a festival, many a world-worn heart doubtless sighed “Ah! would I were a child again !” Percy Yere. THE METHODIST(RAOICAL) ADVOCATE- From the Atlanta (Ga.) Constitution. THE METHODIST ADVOCATE AND THE CON STITUTION. Mr. Editor : In your last Thursday morning edition, I notice you reply to the “false witness against his neighbor” who writes editorially for the paper called The Methodist Advocate. Veri tably this name is “lucus a non lucendoT It is called a Methodist Advocate be cause it is partially a political tool. Be cause its very nostrils are red-hot with rancor and rage against its opponents. Because charity that “hopeth all things” —love and loving kindness, and Christ’s gentle teachings are all twaddle and waste of breath. Methodist Advocate it must be, because to its bloody maw, victims from the hard pressed people here are always welcome, and because new outrages and humiliations are the very cream and savor for which it lives anil labors. Your self-control and patience, Mr. Editor, I really envy, and think from my heart admirable. Indeed, you have succeeded in all (and I praised you for it) in answering a certain character with the full measure of dignity and right spirit, and so far as the argument goes, you will not only scotch but I opine will surely kill the snake. Turn to the argument again, if you please, upon which you commented, and mark the peculiar phraseology so charac teristic of all political literature that is dine, all the children of the parish were present, and of course, all the mama’s and nurses too! All the little girls who were able to walk, were uniformed in white muslin with blue ribbons, and wore white wreaths and veils. They were marshalled by the Sisters of Char ity, who massed them together in front of the Blessed Virgin’s Altar, complete ly filling one side of the Church from the altar-rail to the front do, r. The College hoys filed into and filled the Sanctuary. But how describe the rest of the congregation ? It was a mingled mass of youthful humanity, struggling amid fluttering fans, and wreaths and ribbons, and dotted all over with brilliant hoquets, candles, etc., which were brought as offerings for the occasion. After a few suitable hymns by the Convent girls, one little fairy-like creature proceeded from their midst and gently placed a'shining crown upon the head of the Virgin’s statue in front of the altar, and then uttered a b lautiful prayer of devotion to Her honor. Then came another hymn accompanied by an outburst of something less than 500 babies voices ! Radical. First, the Editor of the Ad vocate says “we intimated at the lime that he (Dr. Ayer) was murdered because of his Republicanism;” next, “this being so generally denied, and fearing (ha ! ha !) that we might have done injustice to some, we doubtingly said that he might have been killed for his money.” Who was it, that so generally denied this political ruurdei! Why, the press of Georgia—the people of the vicinage who knew —the judical proceed ings and records in the preliminary trial—the bodily arrest, imprisonment and, would the world believe it, the identical property of Ayer found on the body of the prisoner, and his own confession of guilt—all, all this, and these furnished the denial. And yet this editor—this mouth-piece for Christ and bis religion —this man who “runs” an Advocate and a Christian Advocate, says, of a matter as pregnant of trouble as this thing is, that on such testimony as this, he doubtlingly said. In its last analysis all truthful and honest men know very well what an equivocal compliment the gentleman himself, pays to his own candor and veracity, when he admits that, out of politeness, he doubtingly said. Now, this Christian Advocate, (don't Satan wish there were more of them,) we sup pose, is forced to admit that all this charitable, suppositious tenderness, for his dear brethren of the South, was an idle waste of a good thing, ard he takes it back. Ayer was murdered ye powers of darkness ! for his “political and moral principles.” From what we have seen of his political principles and heard of his moral ones, it would have been a base degradation of the murdering “principle” to have hurt Ayer for them. But mark the stealthy, cat-like move ment of the sentence : “Since then, we have come into possessiou of what wo suppose to be facts,” etc. Has this not now got the marks of the beast all over it? How like Greeley’s hireling slan derers some of whom lie about here stran ded even to this day, is all this doubting tentative, cowardly stepping on a shaky falsehood. “We suppose” it is just at that instant, but wait one, only one second longer and you will see. The second is passed, and with it comes the transparent mendacity interposed be tween the truth, and as he now emer ges into the full light of conviction, and blatantly proclaims to all the North and his “twenty-eight hundred subscribers” besides, that these facts “leave no room for doubt in our mind that lie (Ayer) was inurdered for his political and Moral principles, that the murder was preme ditated, that he was the victim of a deliberate and deeply laid plot.” There we have it at last—the animus of a suborner and the charity of the devil. The testimony, (and an Advocate ought to know how much better testi mony is than facts ) is that there was not, and could not be, by any possibility, from Ayers sudden reappearance in his old neighborhood any premeditation in the ease. He was scouted from the doors of two negro familes and while seeking some resting place for his poor old, hoary, dishonored head, he was murdered by the way by a negro who surrendered Ayer’s purse and confessed the deed. Here we may not grope our way ' 1 doubting ly,” for we arrive at our facts by the perfection of testimony, the self acusing confessions of the criminal, and that criminal a negro Rut why talk—why refute —why plead! These wicked men going through our country agents of evil, must promote strife, or their mission and their power arc gone. They cannot live in the memories of the just and good, and they have, with “premeditation,” resolved to keep them selves fresh in the recollection of the millions they have pillaged and tortured, and outrage in every conceivable form of malice. * H. Health of the Pope.— The Pope is in excellent health and spirits, and as sisted this morning at the ceremony of St. John Lateran, being the Feast of the Ascension, where the benediction is given from the Loggia. In spite of the heat the crowd was very great, and the loyalty of the people broke out again and again in cheers after the blessing. The troops occupied the open space in front of Ste. Croce in Gicrusalumino, and the spectacle was a most impressive one. His Holiness visited the tomb of St. Pius Y. on Tuesday evening, being the first Vespers of his Feast, and prayed some time before the body, which is in perfect preservation. Last week the Puke D’Aumale and the Comte de Paris passed through Rome, but without stop ping to pay their respects to the Pope or the King of Naples. The Prinee •Pierre de Penthievre, son of the Puke de Joinville, passes through a few days before with his aunt and cousin, the Duchess of Coburg Cohary and the Princess Amelie, to whom he is said to b q fiance. Homan Letter of May 6. Sisters of Mercy in* thf. Crimean War —A fine strapping Michigan soldier named F rauceseo, greatly prejudiced against the Catholics, quietly watched the sisters daily going around on their errands of mercy. One mommo a sister was giving him some wine; seeing the Rosary hanging by her side, he said: —“Wa-al, I reckon you belong to [some society?” “Yes, to a religious order.” “Something like the Freemasons, I reckon?” “Not exactly; our society is a Roman Catholic religious order.” «\y u . al, them Catholics are ba-ad people very bad people!” “What makes y OU think so, friend?” “Wa-al, I have often heard so, and I have read so in books too.” “Most likely, but we are not to judge from all we hear and read, par- ticularly from those prejudiced against the Catholics; tell me can you give an instance yourself of the wickedness of Catholics?” “Not ’zactly, but there is a Catholic fellow in the next bed. and he swears terribly.” “Now, you shut up!” said the fellow in the next bed. “I am not a Catholic, but a North of Ireland Presbyterian ” “Wa-al! really, sister —do you hear that? There may be some Catholics like you. I’ll not think so hard of tham afeef your kindness, for you are re-ally good.” “Friend,” mildly re plied the sister, “do not judge harshly of those you know nothing about; there are some had Catholics, no doubt, but many 7 better than I am. Our holy religion teaches us love and charity to all. If we follow the teachings and precepts of our holy religion, we make no distinc tion between black or white, race or colour. Protestant or Catholic, Je.v or Gentile, but distribute our charity to all.” —Catholic Chaplains and Sisters in the Crimean Army A Catholic Bishof on Mr. Glad stone’s Bill. —The Most Rev. Dr. Goss, Lord Bishop of Liverpool, yesterday af ternoon consecrated the new bell of the. Church of English Martyrs at Preston The bishop complained that Mr. Glad stone did not do full justice to the ques tion of the Irish Church, for he ought to have treated it from first to last as a question of State. If the Prime Minis ter had determined to see the Establish ed Church distinct from the state it was his duty to have handed over to the Catholic Church all endowments which it possessed previous to the Reforma tion. He had not done justice in that matter. The Catholics of Ireland have been defrauded of their rights and the endowments which theyposessed previous to the Reformation. The liberality oi England was not real liberality, but it professed to be so, yet it doprived the Roman Catholics of liberty of action. He denounced the Bill intended to be put forward in favour of secular educa tion, arguing that if such a Bill were to pass it would prevent them training their children in the proper faith, and conclu ded by exhorting all to resist it to their utmost, and before it should pass, to allow their children to be dragged from their homes by the police. Is There a God.—How eloquent does Chateaubriand reply to its inquiry: There is a God ! The herd of the valley the cedars of the mountain bless Him, the insects sport in his beams; the ele phant salutes Him with the rising orb of the day; the brids sing ot Him in the foliage; the thunder proclaims Him in the heavens; the ocean declares Ills immen sity"; man alone has said, “There is nu God.” Unite in thought at the same instant the most beautiful objects in na ture, suppose you see at once all the hours of the day and all the seasons c; the year; a morning of Spring, and a morning of Autumn; a night bespang led with stars and a night covered wit a clouds; meadows enameled with bower.- and forests hoary with snows; tud ' gilded by tint of Autumn; then alone you will have a just conception ot jl - While you are gazing on Uiat sum which is pluuging under the vanity* the west, another observer admires n a. emerging from the gilded east. By what inconceivable magic doe. the star, which sinking fatigued an burning, in the shade of the e\tumg reappears at the same instant, ntai , humid with the (lews of the At every instant of the day that .“‘ j 1 orb is at once rising resphuidem. noonday, and setting in the wost, rather our senses deceive us f
