Page:Edward Prime-Stevenson - The Intersexes.djvu/279

 But that former degree of friendship between us did not approach that which now followed, if in fact one can call it friendship; for there is only one true friendship, the tie of that love with which our hearts are filled by the Holy Spirit".

"Nevertheless, between myself and this young man there was a tenderness that is incredible. It was founded, as I have said, on a perfect conformity of inclinations and sentiments. He would have brought to me all that holy and healthful doctrine in which he had been brought up (though in them he had, for all that, but mediocre practical instruction) while I would have thrown him back toward those, fancies and pernicious suggestions which so afflicted my mother, and made her shed so many tears on my account. But we understood each other, even in error; and this perfect union of our hearts made it impossible for me to live without him. But thou O God! who art at the same time the God of chastisements and of pity, thou didst serve us two as a master serves runaway slaves; since scarce had I enjoyed one year the sweetness of this friendship, which was the greatest joy of my life, than Thou didst remove from the world him whom I loved. The young man sickened of a violent fever, and therewith fell into such a sweating, all at once, that they thought it was of death; and he remained a long time unconscious. As there seemed no more hope of him, they baptized him, though he did not know of it. I made nothing of this, convinced that what.had taken place, merely a thing done to him corporeally, would not affect our relationship. But not so went the matter. I waited eagerly till he could speak with me of what had occurred; for I did not quit him, our attachment for one another not suffering me to leave his side for a moment. So as soon as he was better, I began to rally him, on that baptism which had been given him while he had been so unaware of it … never dreaming that he would not join in my mockery. But he showed a horror of me now, as if I had been his worst enemy, and with a firmness that astonished me, so unexpected was all this, declaring that if I wished him to keep to our friendship I must avoid such discoursing. I was much amazed to hear him speak so strongly, but I restrained myself and waited till he should become well and strong enough to talk with me as to what was in my mind: when Thou, O Lord! didst take him away from my seductions and madness, and by one stroke (that was to be, by and by, my consolation) Thou didst set him safely in Thine own bosom. For, a few days after, when I was absent, he relapsed to the same fever, which therewith ended his life."