The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-02-19

AUTlFUL ARE The FEET Of THEM tt
NEW ORLEANS, SUNDAY N
tall trees, aud at every fresh gust came u
shower of dead leaves on the paths, or blow.
hopelessly, for the lovely gardens had helped
me to bear my life at Steephi1I it seemed like
home to be with the trees and flowers. What
with dismay of the novels I should have to
wade throug h for Mrs. Elliot's benefit and of
the small-talz between times, of the long
evenings when she dozed in her sofa-corner,
and must sit there watching, lest she should
wake and want me.
One niorning-it was mild ana wet, remen-
ber-when went down to breakfast, found
a home letter, and was deep in its cont0nfs
when an exclamation from MfsA Elliot fe1nhed
me, and her own letter fell from her hands It
was black-bordered letter too; . despshlaok
her aiied my heart. Perhaps sorrow Would
draY rs nearer. sss-es.,.E -
It was some time before she could speak to
me, but she seemed to find it come comfort to
strsamea from her eses had never thought
Mrs. Elliot could fsel deeply. Afterwards sle
told ma what had haPpened.. Her son NH only
been reeonciled to her, after q sepaxstion Of
many years. had heardathat Mrs. Elliot had
son, but his name was never mentioned, and
l understood intuitiSpiy that there was some
By degrees she confded to me. that, as he
grew UP to manhood, he had been converted to
the Roman Catholic religion, and she had ban
ished him from her house, and tried to Danish
him from her heart.
But he was always there, " she said simply;
News had come of his marriage, subsequent
~ of his wife's death, leaving him With a baS,
by-giri. But Mrs. Elliot refused to ansWer
any so1m sse sana. g essas ais's
feEred repentance came too late .,..
Poor thing! how 1 pitied her under tnis
heavy grief, which seemed to age her day by
~ could even have borne that he should die,
if only might have spoken one Wofu TO nun
Just to have asked him to pardon me-" she
And gladly as 1 would have comtorted her
had nothing to say, for knew no words % Tean
her better by my silence. But the little chila
was coming; was glad of that. .,ao
al leave my little one to your care, tnoso
were the lines hastily scrawled with his dying
hand g but beg you to allow her 10 groM
up in the religion of her parents-thae iai1n y
which has comforted me when all else Iaa asr
| would prevent the little one from following
her fathers dying wish Poor Horace! his
piety was more real than mine."
Aud so, after a short delay, the little one
came rosy-faced, dark-eyed girl OF hve,
Il 18th a pretty mixture of French and Engllsn
chatter: quite at home with us directly, ana
forgetting all her grief in parting from que
! friends who brought her amidst the noNeity
of Steephill. She took great liking to heI
, grandmamma; and 1 was glad OF 1t, Tor IL
Seemed some comfort to Mrs. Eliot to make
much of the child-the child WIN f,o,a az
he made the old house echo with MS ia"sh'e
!, long years before.
! u But think that the little one chung NOR
. Aclosely to me- She followed me about by DAY
= lAnd slept in my arms at night; and her comm;
u turned my life from shadow into sunshine.
:, was so glad of her baby-love. AS she EreS
q | more familiar she would talk to us OF her dca
u fatber-her mother she could not remember
. tell us how, when he was well enough, II
y would lead her along the streets of the oil
town they lived in and take ner TO near mas s1es
u dear Christine, so good bacause, you hno"
Jesus is there uponthe altar" ,,, 90
II Then, as Sunday came round, she would as
~ To 90 to Mass. Once we took her to the villag
=; church. but the child didnot like to go. She S;
~, ~ there with the tears in her eyes, and when "
a. were home again asked her why.
y, - "Ah, l do not wish to go to your chnTcn
u she said. "Our Blessed Lady is not there
- YOU have not Jesus; You have no altar,
~ ~ candles-you have nothing"
>" After that the child seemed sad when 81
, saw MS 20 to church on Sundays, but she ga
p a;e nothing; only shook her head if we asked b
no "Would she like to go with u" MIS- ELI
a.. looked very serious about it.
D. "Mary is but little moro than baby" .
said vet do not feel that am obeying L
= sons wishes and bringing her up in the tal
me- of the Catholic Churcn' Wna' a"l ="
III | Christine"
We had been more sociable together sir
4 / the little Mary came, and the formal " NJ
Arnoldn was dropped. So answered, h
ay would it be if took the child to Mass on s,
Die daysf There was Catholic church witt
,ch walking distance, and it would please Ter
aid for the rest, all religious education could
we left until she was older. And thus we sett
TIL it; only the white. ponies drove us to st.
hot seph's Church. and we walked home.
nad Mary seemed delighted with the plan;
4 I it did me good to see the revereutial behaN
ali of that child. She seemed, in her little "
INIT to have found something she had missed,
IL was struck with the reality of her child
faith, little as understood the ceremony
IA which was present. For as yet it was to
the mind only ceremony did not yet know