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Article THE DESERTER. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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The Deserter.
hast given me life , nurtured me , expended on my years all the rich treasure of a parent ' s love;—as cares , as watchfulness , as tenderness thou hast done more , thou hast taught me how to die—to quit the world in peace . " " And to pardon it , " interrupted the minister , " to extend Christian forgiveness to your enemies , if such thou hast . " " What ! " exclaimed the young man—the infirmity of human passion for a moment subduing the dictates of reli gion— " forgive my enemies ! forgive Hubert and Carle , whose lies condemned me!—never , father , never 1 "
" How else wilt thou hope to be forgiven ? " demanded the good old man . " Shall man dare to ask forgiveness of his Maker , and yet refuse it to his fellow worm ? " " But , Hubert and Carle , father" "Have injured thee , my son , " said his mother , calmly ; "had they not , where would be the merit of forgiving them ? Hast thou forgot the first prayer I taught thee to pronounce : - Dimitte nobis dehita nostra : sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris , ' Forgive them , my child , as thou hopest to he forgiven . " " Mother , the last feeling is rooted from my heart , I clo forgive them . "
"Thanks ! thanks ! " exclaimed the now happy parent ; "the bitterness of losing thee is past ; our separation will be short , Fritz . I am already bowed more by sorrow than by years . The grave now waiting to receive thee will not be long without a second tenant . " " The hour will soon arrive , mother , when we must part , let me fulfil my last earthl y duty . " The captive reached from the shelf ahove his rude hard couch , a military knapsack , and began arranging its contents .
Here , dear mother , is my bible ; keep it for my sake ; it was my father ' s ; and you will not prize it less that it has heen your unhappy son ' s . Would , " he added , turning to the priest , " I had aught worthy of your acceptance , but the captive ' s prayers must be your only guerdon ; unless , " he continued , " this trinket , which seems marked in curious characters and Hebrew letters , be worthy of your attention . " He placed in the old man ' s hands a small medallion of silver iltas he spoke .
g , "Where got you this ? " demanded the priest , eyeing it with surprise and curiosity . " It was my father ' s—it has his name upon it . " " Fritz Kineberg , " said the inquirer , reading the legend engraven on the rim—the speaker paused for a moment and then resumed— " my son , I have a duty to attend to ; another wretched prisoner awaits my ministrybut at the hour of the last trial of firmnessI will be
; your , with you . " " Leave us not , holy priest , " exclaimed the mother , " Heaven knows we have need of consolation and support . " " 'Tis the sacrifice of duty , daughter , " answered the old man , " and must he made . "
The inmates of the prison bowed in resignation , and again were deep in prayer , as the good priest left the cell . * * * * : * * Morn at length broke , ancl all was prepared for the execution of Fritz —still the priest returned not—his arm s were pinioned , and the guard about to conduct him from his cell , when the door was gently opened , ancl the chaplain entered . " You are late , " said the young man , ¦¦ but duty , doubtless , detained
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Deserter.
hast given me life , nurtured me , expended on my years all the rich treasure of a parent ' s love;—as cares , as watchfulness , as tenderness thou hast done more , thou hast taught me how to die—to quit the world in peace . " " And to pardon it , " interrupted the minister , " to extend Christian forgiveness to your enemies , if such thou hast . " " What ! " exclaimed the young man—the infirmity of human passion for a moment subduing the dictates of reli gion— " forgive my enemies ! forgive Hubert and Carle , whose lies condemned me!—never , father , never 1 "
" How else wilt thou hope to be forgiven ? " demanded the good old man . " Shall man dare to ask forgiveness of his Maker , and yet refuse it to his fellow worm ? " " But , Hubert and Carle , father" "Have injured thee , my son , " said his mother , calmly ; "had they not , where would be the merit of forgiving them ? Hast thou forgot the first prayer I taught thee to pronounce : - Dimitte nobis dehita nostra : sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris , ' Forgive them , my child , as thou hopest to he forgiven . " " Mother , the last feeling is rooted from my heart , I clo forgive them . "
"Thanks ! thanks ! " exclaimed the now happy parent ; "the bitterness of losing thee is past ; our separation will be short , Fritz . I am already bowed more by sorrow than by years . The grave now waiting to receive thee will not be long without a second tenant . " " The hour will soon arrive , mother , when we must part , let me fulfil my last earthl y duty . " The captive reached from the shelf ahove his rude hard couch , a military knapsack , and began arranging its contents .
Here , dear mother , is my bible ; keep it for my sake ; it was my father ' s ; and you will not prize it less that it has heen your unhappy son ' s . Would , " he added , turning to the priest , " I had aught worthy of your acceptance , but the captive ' s prayers must be your only guerdon ; unless , " he continued , " this trinket , which seems marked in curious characters and Hebrew letters , be worthy of your attention . " He placed in the old man ' s hands a small medallion of silver iltas he spoke .
g , "Where got you this ? " demanded the priest , eyeing it with surprise and curiosity . " It was my father ' s—it has his name upon it . " " Fritz Kineberg , " said the inquirer , reading the legend engraven on the rim—the speaker paused for a moment and then resumed— " my son , I have a duty to attend to ; another wretched prisoner awaits my ministrybut at the hour of the last trial of firmnessI will be
; your , with you . " " Leave us not , holy priest , " exclaimed the mother , " Heaven knows we have need of consolation and support . " " 'Tis the sacrifice of duty , daughter , " answered the old man , " and must he made . "
The inmates of the prison bowed in resignation , and again were deep in prayer , as the good priest left the cell . * * * * : * * Morn at length broke , ancl all was prepared for the execution of Fritz —still the priest returned not—his arm s were pinioned , and the guard about to conduct him from his cell , when the door was gently opened , ancl the chaplain entered . " You are late , " said the young man , ¦¦ but duty , doubtless , detained