The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-07-04

IuN4N4DK
sAss9eiation &c Kondon wtiGh possesses pecu-
giislssd, and hoIS bang taken from aatobia-
swhiSS both fathers belong. The narration Of
the t0rsures to- which Fsthex Gerard was sub
jeeted in tho Tower, described by the meek
snferer, are exceedingly touching, and contrast
ance of Professionalism. We are willing, how
ever, to let these sad records sink into the past,
and turn rather to the ludicrous side OF these
prosecuting times. We take, however, an &C
count of how Father Gerard, while staying at
Lady Yauxs, in Northamptonshire, was in inn
minent danger of being taken by the lynx
eyed g1sIsnivanfs, hnt vas saved BY the ready
OF an humble attendant. Father Gerard was
now giving retreat to three gentlemen in
this house; he had got inst half through it and
o'clock one afternoon in rushed John Lilly,
Father Gerard's faithful companion and atten-
dant, with his sword drawn in his hand, and
John Lilly, what's the matter ~ "The search
ers," he said. "Where ~ asked Father Gerard
" In the very house-and in 1t now p answered
John Lilly. And sure enough the searchers
enough To knock at the street door gently as
though they had been friends, but no sooner
mad the unsuspicious servant opened the door,
than they forced their way in and dispersed
themselves IN every direction. While John
Lilly was telling this, up came the searching
party to the very landing on which Father
Gerard lived. The door of his room faced an
other on the same landing, gnd this was-the
door of the domestic chapel. Father Gerard,s
door was closed, the chapel door was open /;
SO the officers went into the chapel first and
found an altar richly adorned, and the priestiy
vestments laid out close by. MEANWHILE
says Father Gerard, 81, in the room opposite,
was ut my wits end what to do; for there was
no hiding place in the room, nor any means of
the enemy's hands. I changed my cassock,
which was wearing, for q secular coat but
my books and manuscript meditations, which
mad there in largo quantities, / had no means
of concealing. We stood there with our ears
close to the chink of the door, listening to
catch what they said. We heard them at last
coming towards us, and they knocked at the
door. We remained quiet, but held down the
Latch of the door with all our might, for the
door had neither bolt nor lock. As they went
on knocking, the lady of the house said, Who
yonder, has taken away the key, Tn go and
look for him. mo, mop said the searchers,
we know better than that; you go nowhere
without ms, or you'll be hiding something
away So off they went with the lady, with
out looking to see whether the door had a lock
on IT or not. So Gods providence and wo-
mans wit led the searcher's off,"
When she had got them down stairs, she
TOOK them into O room where there were some
ladies, namely, the sister of Lady Vaux and
Mrs Line. While these ladies engaged the
omcerS IN conversation and answered their
questions, the lady slipped away and was, rap
~ as lightning, up stairs again and said,
Q9ick, quick, to the hiding place" She, had
hardly time to say this and to run down stairs
before the searchers had missed her. and were
for remounting the stairs. They met her near
the bottom step, and had no doubt what the
case was, and were eager to get past This
hands ON the Lady; and ftfS, at asGipan9ar Sifge
OF course had q difficulty in doing. She perse-
Yered with the utmost courtesy, in filling up
the whole breadth OF the staircase there was
no getting by. One of the searehers succeeded,
however, in thrusting his head past her, and
tried to see what was going on up stairs 8" And
In fact" said Father Gerard, she almost caught
sight of me as was passing through the trap
door into the hiding place under the roof of the
house. For as soon as the lady had given us
warning, opened the doors, and, as noiselessly
as possible set q stool and opened the trap
door, and lifted myself through it, Up myseif
1 called John Lilly to come up too, but more
anxious for me than for himself, he said: No.
father, shan't come. There must be some one
to own the books and papers in your room; if
not, they will not rest till they find both of u.s.
So spoke this truly faithful and prudent SER
vant--so full of charity as to offer his life for
his friend.L There was no time to parley. 1
gave up reluctantly, and shut the trap door,
Scarcely had John Lilly removed the stool by
which had mounted, and gone back to the
room and closed the door, when the two lead
ers OF the searching party succeeded in passing
the lady, came up stairs, knocked violently,
and threatened to break it open unless the
key wero found. John Lilly, with o biretta
ed himself undaunted to the pursuivants
Who are you =. said they. Well, YOU see /
am q man, Are you priest p / do not say
that am n priest, said John, that's your
business to prove; but 9m Catholic Then
they looked at the various things on the table
-meditations, breviary, Catholic books, and
something which Father Gerard grieved to
lose more than all the rest, his manuscript
sermons, which he had been writing or com
piiing for the last ten years. These things set
tied the point with the searchers. There can
be no doubt said they, that you are O priest'
And whose cassock is this ? they asked point
ing to the cassock / had thrown off, well,
he said, that is dressing gown, used now
and then for convenience )"
Convinced that they had caught priest,
they locked up carefully the books and wri-
tiDgs in box; fastened the chapel door, and
put their seal upon it, and taking John by the
arm, led him down stairs to the room where
the ladies before named were awaiting the
issue. and made him over to the keeping of
their officers. Now, John had always Dehavsn
with respect and knew his place. aud had al
ways stood with his head uncovered in the
presence of ladies; but now he was persona
ting Father Gerard, the biretta, too is a cover
ing which is worn by priests in the house and
in the church itself. So John Lilly, after
courteOuslv Aalutin0 the ladies' mt IN his car1