The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-08-23

solutely checked her tears, and laid her head
down on her mothers pillow, in order that
the latter might speak to her with less dan
ger of fatigue.
Mrs. Netterville set before her daughter the
duties of her new stase of life, and gave ad-
vice, which, precious as it would have been
at any time, was doubly precious then,
coming as it did from the lips of dying
mother; after which, true to an idea ever
she had too thoroughly adopted her hus-
bands country not to feel as keenly upon
almost as he could have done himself, she
adverted to her own place of burial.
I" 1t cannot be at Netterville, know
she said; ~ may not sleep, as l had ever
But in your new western home, dear Nell
lie-in your new western home, where the
churches, believe, are yet undesccrated-
there, if it be possible, l would gladly take
my rest-there, where you can come some
times to pray for your dear mother, and
me, and no doubt he must full soon, he can.
be laid quietly to sleep beside me-"
She paused, and Nellie muttered some
thing, she hardly knew what, which she
hoped would sound like an assent in her
mothers ears. Not for worlds would she
have saddened her at such moment by al
lowing her to discover that Roger, like,
themselves, had been robbed of his inheri-
taHee, -aHa-that, instead of that quiet
western home, of which she spoke so conf
IDENTIFY, her welded life with him must be
spent of necessity in q foreign land.
Whatever she did or did not say, her
mother evidently fancied it was a promised
conformity with her wishes, and went on in
that low, rambling way peculiar to the
dying.
alt was not thus-not thus that l had
thought to visit that wild land. l dreamed
of fI.,r- yN1o nd yyn1c a rOa f.
ing of mingled joy and sadness, and then a
hOmcly life, and at its close peaceful end
ing. But it is better as it is-much better.
Our next meeting will be all of .ioy-joy in
that eternal home where God gathers to
gether his beloved ones, and bids them
smile in the sunshine of his presence. Yes,
yes, it is better as it is!
"As God wills. He knows best he
knows" and then Nellie stopped power
less to complete the sentence.
Remember me to my father, Nellie"
Mrs. Nettervlle continued faintly-" for
father l may truly call him who has been
in very deed n parent to me ever since
was welded to his son. And poor Hamsh,
also-let him not think himself forgotten,
and tell him especially of the gratitude
by his faithful service-my Nellie's heart
to rest on in dying-my Nellie's hands to
close my eyes in death"
The last words were barely audible, and
after they were uttered, Mrs. Netterville
7 lay for a long time so mute and still that,
fancying she was asleep, Nellie hardly
dared to move, or even, almost, to breathe,
lest she should disturb her. At last she
felt her mothers hand steal gently in search
of hers.
Your hand, dear Nellie" she whispered
softly. ''Nay, do not speak, my daughter,
but take my hand in yours, that may feel
when L cannot see, the comfort of your
presence"
Nellie took her mothers hand in hers. 1t
was as cold as ice, and she gently tried to
chafe it. But the movement disturbed the
dying woman.
sit prevents me thinking, Nellie,' she
whispered family, "and my thoughts are
very sweet
The words sent gush of tenderness and
joy to Nelle's heart, telling her, as they did,
that her mothers was at peace. But the
physical condition of that poor mother still
the mantle from her own shoulders, she laid
it on the bed, hoping thus, gradually and
| imperceptibly, to restore warmth to the
failing system. Mrs. Netterville perceived
what she had done, and, true to that forget
fulness of self which had been the chief
characteristic of her life, she would not
have it so. "Nay, nay, child" she muir
INJURED as well as she could, for she was by
this time well-nigh speechless, "put it on
again, for you need it, and do not. This
death chill is not pain"
She tried topush it from her as she spoke,
and became so uneasy that Nellie, in order
to calm her, was forced to resume the gar
ment.
Satisfied on this point, her mother closed
her eyes like weary child, and fell into
a doing slumbcr. 1t was the stupor pre-
ceding death; but Nellie, never suspecting
this, felt thankful that her mothers hack
ing cough had ceased, and that her breath
ing had become less painful. For more
than an hour she sat thus, her mothers
hand in hers-praying, watching, weeping
weeping. silent, soundless tears-not sob
bling, lest it should disturb the sleeper.
The night passed onward in it's course,
but day was yet far off when the lamp be-
gan tn waver. Sometimes it fickered and
sputtered as if just going to be extinguished
and then again it would flare up suddenly,