The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-09-17

"The other, Margaret Tell me quick inc
"1 "Fr o. Ii Liverpool-Tbe Northumberland"
ooh! The one, the very one' MY poor
Ellen! Ellen mavournecnW
With wild, despairing cry, he claspeo nis
hands above his head, and rocked himself In
bis : WSsc :. 70 90 for nv darling, who is to
bring her here to my arms Oh black Is this
day, for her we'll a. for me-"
His means were piteous; but they brought |
no answering look of sympathy to her cold,
SO over the way and see if o'Niel has come
homer Il
'.He pointed wildly to the door and pushed
her from him with q t?mbling hand.
She hesitated for o moment, while something
cruel stole into the expression Of her eyes but
the sick man turned q CHASTITY face toward her,
"My dying curse be on you if"
She sprang from the bed, and rushing across
the street, soon returned, followed by o'Niel.
white and distorted, his hands fiuttering idly
over the blankets, and his pale lips murmuring
fond and loving words; . ,.,
Ellen mavourDeeu! All, my own little
darling! Cushla macree"
He heard the mans heavy footsteps upon the
floor and exclaimed eagerly:
used to be friends Will you do me kind
turn now an,, make me happy foreyeri"
what is it, Dennis, my mani Sure will
Wa want nsi now s"nS you ''N ' - '
"No. No. But it is Ellen. my own little
| niece, that has come across the sea, and IL
not able to go-for her"
! The last words were 80 sad and wailing that
| O'Niels fine eyes filed with tears.
"rli go and bring her to you, Dennis Did
Eyes. She was tefegraphed last night; The
Northumberland, from Liverpool. Go, like q
true friend, and bring me ny own Ellen, my
SIS it a child, Dennis ~ asked the young
man kindly only anxious to serve his friend
and Ed ss 9ss sSa now It i. ten long
years since she sat on my knee-the pretty
faced darlng-and called me her best, her
dearest old uncle: No. Not child now,
! "How shall know her What is the namef"
"Know her! All! man, would know her
by her pretty brown sye., and Sweet: ~ dimpied
Ellen Fitzgerald and-stop o'Niel," for the
| young man, as soon as ne heard the name, had
hurried to the door" toll her gently, very
for one look from her eyes and one word from
her sweet, rosy lips
O'Niel was already beyond the sound of his
Last words, and the sick man murmured them
to himself.
The wife, stern and silent as ever, sat by the
head of the bed, MS intent, apparently on
her own thoughts as the sick man was on his.
"Be kind to her, Margaret! Be kind to my
own orphan niece You know leave one half
Of , al am worth to her, my only sisters
All this was said very slowly, almost indis-
tinctly, the sick man pausing every now and
| then for breath.
:" Be kind to Ellen, Margaret have been
kind to you kind and just"
The voice died away. and for many moments
} there WINS deep silence in the room. 49,, .,.-
the noises of the day were gradually passing
away, aud the blessed quiet seemed to make
itself felt by the sick man.
"Margaret !" at last said the voice from the
, bed, al have not lived we'll. but cunt die
without I'm making Ak ,.:n my peace with God Will
: You will be alone y abe answered in a low
. awe-stricken tone.
t 81 do not fear-to be alone. Go. must
y speak to him, too, about my poor Ellen"
!, She caught up q shawl, stood for mo-
0 ment by the bed side, gazing down upon the
poor, white face that lay so feebly upon the
pillow, then, without q word, hurried out of
the house in obedience to his commands.
= Left alone, the sick man turned his head
# slowly round, until his dim eyes could catch q
= rude but touching print of the thorn-crowned
d Saviour.
y AS he gazed, memory carried him back to
!. earlier years and whispered to him of duties
= left undone, of wanderings from virtues path
r of forgetfulness of God, of graces abused and
Q unanswered; and his dim eyes filled with con-
Q trition's holy tears.
q a "Sweet Jesus" he sighed have mercy on
me, sinnerv
o beautiful and most potent prayer! AT it's
j utterance, who can doubt that unseen, angels
g pressed round that lonely bed and ministered
!, to the sufferer there.
n blessed Mother!" spoke again the sorrow
d my orphan niece!"
q Well did the sick man feel that in this val
ley of tears she, who knelt beside the dying
Christ, was indeed the mother of all who stood
in need of pity and of prayer.
In the stiffness round him, his mind wan
dered away to his own green Isle, and he lived
le over again the bitter day when he had turned
3, from her loved shore.
\, In his delerium he moaned 81 am sailing
r sailing far away from Ireland-and all
n love-
l. 20 bid the ship sail on-sail and hold fast te
thee,
1t Tho around battle Irish ground-they
ia tempting me-"
Of The twilight was passing into night and the
% sharp chirp of q cricket the only sound
If heard in the darkeued room.
10 Life was struggling fierceiy for the few mo-
|: ments that yet remained, while it's agony
:" might have been seen in the larg. drops that
Of stood, icy and profuse, upou tho allid brow.
Of The sorrowing face pictured IN the wall
alone looked pityingly down upon the lonely
# man, while the outstretched arms seemed long
70 ing to embrace and hold him up.
Now and then through the stiffness fluttered