The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-06-14

was, as it had ever been of late, ~ srging
from her couch with o painful aease Of
hard duty to be accomplished that very
day her, next was to thank God with all
the fervor OF young and innocent heart
for the haven of safety into which he had
guided her at last. Then she lay back upon
her pillow, and, yielding to the delightful
consciousness that there was now no i'm
mediate call upon her for exertion either
of body or mind. glanced languidly round
the dimly lighted room, and endeavored to
make m mental inventory Of its contents.
second story of the old tower in which
Roger had taken up his abode, and which
was all that was yet remaining of the old
stronghold of Grana Uail1e. The apart
ment had evidently no furniture Of it's own
to boast OF, but, having been used as a sort
with articles brought hither from more
favored mansions. Nellie soon perceived
that much of this sO-called lumber was of
the costliest description, and represented
probably the sum total Of all that had been
saved from the wreck of Rogers fortune.
There were cabinets of curious workman
ship, table carved in oak as black as ebony,
a few high-backed chairs of the same ma
terial, ornaments in gold and silver, some
OF ancient Celtic manufacture, others in
their more delicate Workmanship bearing
marks of artistic handling, which, even to
Neliie's unaccustomed eye, betrayed their
foreign origin. There were pictures, too,
most of them with the dark shadow of
Spanish hand upon them, and swords,
bucklers, weapons, and armor of all kinds,
old and new, defensive and offensive, piled
up here and there in picturesque confusion
in the corners of the turret. Nellie had
been amusing herself for some minutes
scanning all these treasures over and over,
and guessing at their various uses, when
heE attention became suddenly riveted
upon huge Golfer with bands and mould
1ngs OF acknowledgements brass, which
stood against the wall exactly opposite to
the foot OF her bed: She was still quite
by imagining all sorts of impossibilities re-
speeding the contents of this mysterious
looking piece of furniture, and she was
watching it as anxiously as if she half ex-
pected it to open of itself, when the door
OF the chamber was cautiously Enclosed,
and the old woman, who represented the
Office of cook, valet, and everything else
in Rogers establishment, crept up to her
bedside as quietly as if she fancied her to
be sleeping still. q.
Goods blessing and the light of heaven
be on your sweet smiling face" she eiacu-
Lated, -as Nellie-tufned her bright, wide
open eyes with grateful smile upon the
old bag. ellie still bit, a-lannah, lie still,
and take sup of this fresh goats whey
that have been making for you. 1t will
bring the color, may be, into your pretty
cheeks again /; for troth, a-lannah, they are
as pale this morning as mountain roses, and
not at all what they should be in regard to
a young and we'll grown slip of lassie
like yourself" -
Nellie took the tempting beverage, which
Nora presented to her in an old fashioned
silver goblet, readily enough but checking |
herself just as she was about to put it to
her lips, she said gayly:
"Thanks, a thousand times, my dear old
but ! do not feel that need it
much, and this whey would be the very
thing for my poor old grandfather. He was
always accustomed to something of the sort
i'll the days when we were able to indulge
ourselves in such luxuries.n
Lord bless the child ~ said the delighted
Nora. IS 1t she isn't as gay as bird In it's
mothers nest this morning, for all the
weary worry of her last nights travels
But there's no need to be sparing of the
whey, my honey, for sure Eve a good sup
of it left on purpose for the old lord rs soon
as ever he awakens. So drink up every
drop of this, if you wouldn't have the mas
ter scold me; for he sent it up himself,
he did, and it's downright mad he'd be if it
came back to him not empty"
something in this speech, or in old Morals
way of making it, caused the blood, the alb
sence of which she had been just deploring,
to rush once more into Nellie's cheek and
perhaps it was partly to hide this weakness
that she took the goblet without another
word, and drainedi it to the dregs, playfully
turning its wrong side up as she gave it
back to Nora, in order to show her how
thoroughly her directions had been COM
Piled with. Made happy on this important
point, the old woman trotted gayly out of
the room, and then Nellie rose, half reluc-
family, it must be confessed, and com
menced the duties of the toilet. They were |
simple enough in her case, yet difficult,
also, from their very simplicity. Her hair,
enough disposed in braids, which, folded
tightly round her head, gave 4 grace and |
elegance to her appearance none of the
head gear then in vogue could [
possibly have impaired; but when she
came to inspect the habiliments she had
worn the day before. and which perforce
she must Mear aOain that div shn hncnp,o |