The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1870-10-02

with it's GIBBS passed away to that remote land
yet how brief the passage-where proscrip-
ton and persecution are nnknown-a spirit
burning with as high enthusiasm for the
faith of its fathers, and as pure ana warm d
zeal for country, as ever glowed within
human breast. The murderer, after having
inflicted the fatal blow, deliberately wiped the
dagger blade and shaking it towards his sister,
walked cooily away, swearing that If she ut
tered another shout while he was within hear
ing, he would return and bury 1t In he' body
too. Nancy, however, required no such threat
to prevent her from giving an alarm at once
She was incapable of sound or motion Mute
and rigid, as if she had been turned TO mafbie
stretched and eyes fastened on the bloody
spectacle at her threshold, while the blood
stained child crept noiselessiy to her side
from beside the corpse, and the other joined
her from the room with equal noiselessHess.
When she had recovered somewhat from her
| waking trance, she fell on her knees, and
wildly and passionately implore1 the Virgin
and the saints to intercede, and the Saviour to
grant, that the curse of the Almighty might
! not pursue herself and her children for ever,
for her having been the means OF tempting Ihe
holy man into her no,c desecrated cabin, and
| for having a brother, whose name was to be
accnrsed to all posterity.
After having prayed for few moments she
arose and prepared i%eue TO no she With ave,te
head, she placed her only quilt over the body;
and still, in passing out she recolied thrice
shudderingly from the threshold, and 1t was
only by covering her eyes with her hand that
she at length brought herself to step over the
body.
1t was nearly an hour after the terrible deed
| had been DONE that the benevolent rector was
informed of the murder, by the still teTrified
mother, who was accompanied by bcth hel
cbildren-the friar, having been obliged tC
retire to some distance iroE- hls rs.ush py .ne
approach of some horsernSn on the neighbor,
ing road had neither heard the screams, louo
and wild as they had been, nor observed the
departure of the murderer
Mr.. Gordon greatly shocked ana en-
ragged by the terrible and unproToked crime
He made the agitated woman repeat the ma a.
ture of the assault and the utter absence OF al
necessity for the bloody deed, at the broken
intervals her agitation would permit, and ina
low tone lest they should disturb his slumhtr
iu,r daughter who sinking fast Then
, | penclinE down her information accurately
he said earnestly, with this evidence 1T viii
| he hard if we have not justice done on ever
such murderer as Shawn, either through oi'
John or higher authorities
, The somewhat re-assured mother, naVlns
now disburt hened herself of her fearful lnfor
nation and been supplied with some mucl
needed refreshment for herself :inu chiiursh .,a
returned with them to the cabin under the
/ protection of MIR. Gordons stout servant
armed to the teeth.
By this time some of the nearest of her scat
, tered female neighbors had ventured into the
|, cottage; and by her directions-for she coult
not bring herself to put her own hands on thu
body-the ceremonials customary immedlatel!
, | dered man was washed and laid OUT as de
Gently as the humble materials afforded by th'
: cabin or the neighborins ones would permit
L amid the low but vehement and reiterated I'm
9 nrecatious of the females on the actor OF th
l bloody deed.
il The wake, however, was, of course, mnc
more thinly attended than even had oeeh e ei
. Edmuud's, particularly as the near road wa
= patrolled by party sent by Sir John, on hear
8 ing of the occurrence, lest there should nc an
Y outburst in consequence Even rather DaVS
4 ! fnrrt nj
d dead with a few OF the peasants by the lake
Q side was prevailed on not to venture into tn
s | cabin anxious as he was to behold the vene
= rated dead before he/sh0ud be cothned. A
h the mists however, began to rise slowly fror
d the bosom of the lake, as if reluctant to ur
= veil her beauties, and the grey dawn succeede
I the arli ht-this was the hour arrange
> for ths>burial by the few wake attendants a
II bei1T that mos. appropriate for concealment-
It Ne did venture in to attend the funeral, dis
d ouised in the cloak and head gear of a femal,
j. and in less than half an hour after, the sma
l. procession was on its way to the abbey. Bu
1t SO little conjunction did Shawn feel Tor I'll
y fearful and unprovoked murder o, the preVio. o,
n day-so little apprehension had ne Tor TN
20 conseuuences-so greedy was he still tor fu
r ther accursed gains. and SO accurate was u
le information, that the procession hao scarce,
Is reached halfway to the abbey when, sprlngln
is over a hedge, the murderer grasped at the Ill
o. guised friar, shouting aloud, u" so my boui
ID priest yere nicked at last, in spite O. yer cioa
ar an, blazes to me-" he added, grasping tha
l. garment still tighter; but pll thry to pay yo
III aafore we part, what | owe you for the heav
or knock down outside the storehouse long ago
is Little he deemed, viii he was thus purs
n ing his triumphs Gas he thought) that he WI
O. rushing to meet retributon, terrible almo
of as even his crimes, though not in accordan'
w with the legal ordeal the worthy rector wa
lie at that moment, debating how he could ma
lg age to have him subjected to, with the be
n prospect of obtaining justice.
m. Run, Father Davy, for the love o. the We
O. pin-run for yer life" exclaimed two of Il
10 females simultaneously, they flung theL
en- selves together round the murderer, while Il
~, priest, yielding his cloak quietly, and hngir
IT, pptf his. cap, sprang forward couple
~ nnces-then stood for an instant with clcnch
ar @ f,nath and contracted brow, as if determine
h ha to measure strength with the murderer, al
de tTy to obtain revenge, at all risks, for t
mo hSStchery of his uncle. But momenta
w. Glance showed him that the male portion
the nrocession had melted away, like shade
of before the presence of the murderer, while t
NO clatter of horses hoofs in the distance, prov
ed that the patrol had not left their posts; an
ng turning him round reluctantly, he betook NJ
an self to flight just Shawn had shaken OF
zee Il women, with impreeations. -
es- And now commenced flight and pursI
nd for life and deattl. Fear, and the natural
-