The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-07-12

OI JIG Dullulng, as Nell1e saw IL IN In8G OlIn
light, had much nearer resemblance to a
ruinous barn than to place of Christian
worship. AS Roger had already told her, it
had been SO long dismantled and forgotten
as church that the people had come to
look upon it simply as storehouse for
the piles of drift and brushwOod which rose
in all directions, blocking mp the narrow
windows, and forming q gigantic stack
against the wall behiEd the altar. This
latter was of stone, facing the door by
which she had just entered, and SO placed
that there was q considerable distance be-
tween it and the wall beyond.
In this desolate- looking building about
twenty or thirty people were assembled,
most Of them women and young girls, with
sprinkling of old men and ha1f-a-dozen
younger ones, in whom Nellie fancied abe
recognized the Outlawed soldiers of the
royal army. Two or three of these last
stole glance upon her, as she moved on
ward toward the altar; but the greater part
of the congregation were so absorbed in
earnest and loudly uttered prayer, that
they seemed absolutely unconscious of the
80 as not to disturb them in their devotions,
Nellie made her way to spot from whence
she had full view of the priest as he sat,
a little ON one side, engaged in hearing the
confessions of those who presented them
hero, in Nellie's eyesz<the best of ali
heroes-a Christian hero. He had stood
by that brave old bishop who had gone to
death for an act Ofpatriotism which, in the
old heroic days>of Rome, would have set
him as q demi-god upon pagan affairs.
Quiet and self possessed, lie had knelt,
amid the /thunders of the battlefield. to-
hear the confessions ofthe wounded soldiers.
He had plunged into the fell atmospheres
ofplague and fever, Drawing death in it's
worst and most loathsome forms, in the ex-
ercise of ais ministerial functions. He had
buried the dead-he had consoled the
less cruelty of man; and now, when he had
exhausted all the more heroic forms of ser
vice to his Lord, he had come hither, like
that Lord himself-like the good Shepherd
of the Gospel-to gather up the young
lambs into his arms, and to comfort q con-
consultations of religion upon hearts wrung
and disconsolate in human sorrow; to
preach of heaven to men forsaken of the
earth, and to teach them, hOuseless and
hapless as they were, to lift up those eyes
and hands, Which had been lifted in vain to
their brother man for mercy, higher and
higher still, even to that Almighty Father
to whose paternal heart the life of the very
least of his little ones was of such unspeak-
able and unthOught of value, that not hair
his express permission. Thoughts like
these passed rapidly through Nel1ie's mind
rs she watched the old man bending rev
erently and compassiOnately to receive, in
the exercise of his ministerial functions,
each new tale of sin OF sorrow which, one
came to pour into his sympathizing ear.
Wehave called him cold, !" for his hair was
white and his face was plowed into many
yet Nellie could not help sus-
pecting that the look Of wearied, patient
age upon his features was less the effect of
Nf toll o,,l
which those years had heen utilized and
made fruitful in the service of his Master.
she felt drawn toward him by q
feeling of reverent admiration, which would
probably have found vent in words, if he
had not been 30 completely occupied in his
duties as to make it simply i'm
possible to interrupt him. For in a congre
cation deprived, as this had been, of a
pastor fOrS many months, there was of
course much to be done ere the commence
ment of the Sunday service. There were
confessions to be heard, and infants to be
had patiently awaited the
coming of q lawful minister for the recep-
ton of that sacrament-to be united in holy
wedlock. At last, however, all this was
over, and Nellie had just made up her mind
to go and speak to him in her turn, when,
to her infinite annoyance, he rose from his
place. and commenced robng himself at the
altaF9g kneeling down again, therefore, she
endeavored to withdraw her thoughts from
all outward things, in order to fix them
entirely upon the coming service. In spite,
however, of her most earnest efforts, she |
felt nervous and unhappy at the prolonged
absence of O'More, and she could not help |
envying the people round her, as with all |
the natural fervOr of the Celtic tempera-
ment, they abandoned themselves to
prayer Frustrating, groaning, beating
their breasts, and praying up aloud with as |
much naive Indifference to the vicinity of
their neighbor, as if each individual in |
presence there imagined that he and his
God were the sole occupants of the church:
Poor Nellie could obtain no such blcst alb
sorption from her cares. Her eyes would
glance toward the door for the coming of
Roger, and her ears would listen for his