The Daughter of an Empress

The pope followed his retreating form with a glance of sadness and a

shake of the head.

"He is past help," murmured he; "he runs to his ruin, and the voice of

warning is unheeded. But how, if he should happen to be right? How, if

he with his worldly wisdom and his theory of earthly happiness, should

be more conformable to the will of God than we with our virtue and our

doctrine of renunciation? Ah, yes, the world is so beautiful, it seems

made entirely for pleasure and enjoyment, and yet men wander through it

with tearful eyes, disregarding its beauty, and refusing to share

its pleasures. All, except man, is free on earth. He alone lies in

constraining bands, and his heart bleeds while all creation rejoices.

No, no, that cannot be; every individual does what he can to render

mankind free and happy, and I also will do my part. God has laid great

power in my hand, and I will use it so long as it is mine."

Thus speaking, the pope left the garden, and hastened up to his study.

"Signor Galiandro," said he, to his private secretary, "did you not

speak to me to-day of several petitions received, in which people begged

for dispensations from monk and cloister vows?"

Signor Galiandro smilingly rummaged among a mass of papers that covered

the pope's writing-table.

"In the last four weeks some fifty such petitions have been received.

Since your holiness has released several monks and nuns from their vows,

all these pious brides of Christ and these consecrated priests seem

to have tired of their cloister life, and long to be out in the world

again."

"Whoever does not freely and willingly remain in the house of the Lord,

we will not retain them," said Ganganelli. "Compelled service of the

Lord is no service, and the prayer of the lips without the concurrence

of the heart is null! Give me all these petitions that I may grant them!

The love of the world is awakened in these monks and nuns, and we will

give back to the world what belongs to the world. With their resisting

and struggling hearts they will make but bad priests and nuns; perhaps

it will be better for them to become founders of families. And they

who honestly do their duty, equally serve God, whether they are in a

cloister or in the bosoms of their families."

The pope seated himself at his writing-table, and after having carefully

examined all the petitions for dispensations, signed his consent, and

smilingly handed them back to his secretary.

"I hope we have here made some people happy," said he, rising, "and

therefore it may, perhaps, be allowed us also to be happy in our own way

for a quarter of an hour."