Although their pride
may outrage Thee, they will be, sooner or later, baptized in tears; grant
that they may cease to believe in any other shelter from the tempest,
than Thy love, and spare them the severe lessons of unhappiness. Our
wisdom and skepticism are in our hands but children's toys; forgive us
for dreaming that we can defy Thee, Thou who smilest at Golgotha. The
worst result of all our vain misery is that it tempts us to forget Thee.
But Thou knowest that it is all but a shadow, which a glance from Thee
can dissipate. Hast not Thou Thyself been a man? It was sorrow that made
Thee God; sorrow is an instrument of torture by which Thou hast mounted
to the very throne of God, Thy Father, and it is sorrow that leads us to
Thee as it led Thee to Thy Father; we come to Thee with our crown of
thorns and kneel before Thy mercy-seat; we touch Thy bleeding feet with
our bloodstained hands, and Thou hast suffered martyrdom for being loved
by the unfortunate."
The first rays of dawn began to appear: man and nature were rousing
themselves from sleep and the air was filled with the confusion of
distant sounds. Weak and exhausted I was about to leave Brigitte, and
seek a little repose. As I was passing out of the room, a dress thrown on
a chair slipped to the floor near me, and in its folds I spied a piece of
paper. I picked it up; it was a letter, and I recognized Brigitte's hand.
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