The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-09-13

NEW ORLEA
said Margaret. "Dear good child he is, too
but not like Willie. Willie's face, when he
serves Mass, is just like an angels. Then
l suppose little Nellie is to be nun, fol
twins always agree in everything, they say
and I am sure all the stories people tell
about twins are verified with those chill
dren-they are alike in everything, as well
as in FACET
81 am not SO certain about Nellie" said
many things, but not in all; and she is
childish for her age, while Willie is far
older in mind than in years. 1t is so pretty
to see how he watches over her, and how
he takes care of me! He will give up his
play in moment, and sit as quiet as n
little mouse, if he thinks I want to rest"
must be going now," said Margaret,
rising. "Come here, children" she called
out, " and bid me goodbye"
The three came running up, little Nellie
with her brown curls blown and tossed by
the wind Frank with his open happy face;
and Willie the very counterpart of his
sister, with the same soft brown eyes, the
same thick clustering hair, the same deli
cate features, but with an expression of
sweetness and Impotence on his face far
beyond that of the others-an expression
which, alas, sometimes fades away when
the bud grows into the flower, but which
in other cases is the outward token that
God has set His seal upon the soul, and
marked it as His rery oWm for evermore.
CHAPTER II.
A few months rapidly went by, and when
the first keen autumn winds came, with
rain and fOgs and damp, the soul of Ellen
O'DOnnell passed from earth. She was
buried in the quiet churchyard of the peace
full village in which she had lived since her
1,,,c 1or III Iaok Lo,,
into other hands, and her twin children
found their refuge and home in the house
of Margaret Murphy. Margaret's husband
was a country doctor, with a large but i'll
paid practice. They had, however, but
one child-the Frank whom we have al
ready noticed and with care and economy
Margarets home was pretty and comfort
able one. The two orphans were not pen
niless their father had succeeded in early
life to an impoverished and heavily mort
gagged estate. Finding it impossible to live
on it, he was wise enough to sell it,
of his brother and other relations by doing
so. With the small sum of money thus
realised he intended to make fresh start
in life, but he was carried off fever before
he had time to carry out his intentions, and
he left wife with twin babies to mourn his
loss. Ellen had cOntrived to live in retire.
ment upon the small income he had left her.
1t would now prevent the children from
being burden on their adopted parents,
and when divided between them at their
coming of age, keep both of them from
actual poverty. The children had, in truth,
a happy home. Margaret's promise to
their dying mother was kept in letter
and in spirit. In due time Frank and
Willie went to school, and little Ellen
became Margaret's pet and companion.
You could hardly have told they were not
mother and daughter; and Margaret cher
ished in her inmost heart an ardent desire
that they would one day be so in reality,
when Frank should have made his first
step in life, and be able to take wife.
Judging by Franks behavior when he
came home for the holidays, Margaret's
hopes would not be checked in that quarter:
he called Ellen his little wife, watched over
her and guarded her as if she were indeed
his special property. He was not without
rivals. When the college of st. Aloysius
opened its doors, and let its crowd of
young students pour home for the vacation,
three came back to the village where the
Murphys lived, and Richard Dunno, the
sen of a well-to-do farmer in the neigh
bourhood, entertained q strong admiration
for little Ellen. who year by year grew in
loveliness and grace. Richard was year
or two older than either Willie or Frank
a dark, handsome, but not very pleasant
looking boy. Neither did the three seem
to cotton together at school, nor were
the reports of the masters upon Richard
DUNES behavior very satisfactory. Mar
| garet did not like him, but she distrusted
her own feelings and her husband laughed
at her, and told her she was doing the
jealousy for Frank before his A1fne. The
DUNES, moreover, were patients of Mr..
| Murphy's. Mrs Dunno was a nervous
invalid, who often required his services,
and as she was one of the few exceptions
among his patients who paid their bills, it
would not do to withhold hospitality from
her son.
So matters went on. The children had
passed into girlhood and boyhOod, and
Richard had still the run of the house, till
| Margaret had to take herself severely to
task for feeling of pleasure which sprung
up in her heart when the young gentleman
came home in the middle of n school term
evidently in such disgrace that he could