The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-02-12

strangerswalked across the narrow church
| yard path, and took kim to the grave under
the Aay-tree near the porch, but . few pace:
{ 1t seemed more dreary to come back ani
leave him out there alone and the sun went
behind the clouds, and the wind rose, and
drizzling rain set in towards evening, and we
gathered round the fire and talked in whispers
| till bedtime; but mamma never came dowI
| stairs and would not SEQ one Of US. Old Janet
1 ,ola US she was sitting ut the window thai
looks on the churchyard, with her eyes fixed
on the new made grave.
! Next day the sun stsone out again, and the
windows We're Enclosed, and yet it did II
still mamma did not q Be.
Hours afterwards w6Ssaw her, and then she
told us we must expect great changes and that
we must not only leave our dear home, but thai
she feared we could not be all together; and
then she cried SO bitterly that we could only
kiss her and beg her to 60 and lie down; and
when Rose was in bed we three talked together
over what we were to do, and what was to be-
come OF us, as papa had not left much money
to help OH.
should all live in LONDON, and he could earn
sufficient to give us . beautiful home-wher
| there was sound Of wheels, and next minute
the d"or-ben rang out loudly, and Janet
the rustling of fadys dress, and a gentle
mans heavier tread.
Who could it be- We were looking at each
other and Wondering very much, when Sarah
the housemaid, came in and said:
Miss Arnold, will you go in and see your
aunt, Mrs. Ray, if you please Z"
~ Then knew it was paPas sister, whom
had never seem I fancy she had not written
or kept up any intimacy with our parents since
her marriage with Mr. Ray but had card
of her, heard that she very rich and lived
her own.
L felt little shy as went into the drawing
room, and a very tall, stately lady took my
hand, and looked straight into my eyes, and
You Christine. I suppose p said she;
then turning to her grave-looking husband,
Walter, this is my niece, poor Roberts eldest
could not help it burst into tears But
she seemed kind, and said a few words in a
gentle voice: and then Arthur and Agnes
came, and grew calmer, and between us we
managed to tell our aunt something abont
papa's death. We were sitting SO, when n
message came to ask aunt and uncle Ray to
go to my mother in the library, and then there
was hustle in the house to prepare refresh
ments and room, for they would be staying
with us for few days.
The next morning, when 1 went down to
breakfast, aunt Ray was there, and she said
she had seen mamma, who would be down
later; and then she took her seat at the head
of the table, and signed to us to take our
places.
1 daresay it was very silly, but began to cry,
because it was such pain to see her i'll mammals
place, which was hy place when mamma was
not there. 1t seemed the first beginning of
changes, though it was such a little thing, and
felt from that time that l could never love
aunt Ray.
Yet felt sure she did not mean to be unkind
She thought we were children, and that she
must manage for u.s. l had not told her then
that vs,s seventeen years old but she knew
vt afterwards, when we were having long
Rlk over what was to be done.
\" Seventeen !" she said; 1 wish You We're
l.,
ahawkwafd age"
Ald thenI again felt that l did not love
| anIA Ray.
AAer n few DAYS it was settled that Arthur
shouSl be articled to Mr.. Phillips, the solicitor
in TIL town, and mamma and Rose should re-
moVe\nto little cottage so near that he could
live wEh them. Agnes-who was only thir-
teen-tas to 80 to u school in London at aunt
Rays 4pense; she had taken u fancy to Agnes
and mdnt to adopt her as her own daughter,
she SAID There was only myself to be dis
posed oRpnd poor mamma mourned terribly
that shacould not keep me with her. But
| aunt RaYSnew O lady who wanted some young
girl like p to live with her, and read and sing
and amnslher; she was very rich, but in i'll
| health, any felt lonely in her home near Lon
dom So af\r a few letters had passed between
| them, Mrs. liot wrote to my aunt to say sho
would like have me make trial of how 1
could pieasher, and that must come very
| soon-the hf week in May.
| April was Nore than half through then and
the time seertd very short. Mamma and the
| others we're NJ to leave the Demo until midsum-
mer, and it &med very hard that might
not stay p th4end in the dear old place be-
| sides whlh Auld have been so useful at the
moving. HowFer, aunt Ray said it would
never do tdoffe6 Mrs. Eliot it was an open
ing that would leldom occur, for should be
treated quia inaccordance with my position,
and shouitbe Ike her own daughter Steep
hill, too, waao1ly, and little society would
quite take hSslight rusticity of my man
ners.
That was Nat aunt Ray said, and as she
| seemed to matgS us all, we made no appeal.
And 30 the daStiew by, and May opened, and
then one sunA morning, when it seemed SO
standing at theSil1doo%r,' with the others kiss
tsing and cryinNoyer me, whilst uncle Ray
stood watchiDgH boxeE heinz placed ON the