The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-02-11

al am afraid he !. dead.n was Ellen's only
| answer; but how much of silent grief and de-
voted resignation were expressed q N the
Leading the widow. shousAts = s.u,I. 1som
..;; i: ::.s s 99s;: % es -
chair even seeuia 20 DO waiting for yea With tts
| old arms extsndsd. No wondsr Aunt Polly
ssys When wsen she. shs comes i In q az the bed and
smooth the pillowa, 1t makes her feel - Il old
"Then yen cheer her, dear, know, by making
her remember that God has not called me yeey
and that I'll soon be homo again. OH It VIII
all come right it will all come right In the
After such talks as these, Ellen always left
her friend with light and hopeful heart.
But 1t was when alone with her own
thoughts, beyond the reach Of the widows
that she realized the degradation and misery
of the poor lady's condition. Then she recall
ed the dreary, dirty prison:yara; the ,s colo
the miserable, forlorn APPEARANCE Of every
thing around, and the squalid. wretched
criminals who greeted her every morning,
ence of good, pure woman, that the very
place seemed like holy ground, not only in FL
lens thoughts, but also in the thoughts of the
aud pited the poor widows condition.
Even at home, however, Ellen had little
time for vain repinings. Blanche Dudley had
become 6oCOnu SlSteC 10 ueC Huu uoE AoStDS
heart, clinging to one go gentle and SO fair,
knew that soon they must be partedc-f0r
Blanche was "going home!'
Yes; The earthly work for her was almost
over. Kind heart could only pray for blessings,
kind hands could now only be lifted in bene-
diction for the poor. Pale and fragile, she
seemed to wear her very name as crown of
strange and mystical meaning. Her pure,
white, stainless life was drawing to its close
Eand all within tho household knew that the
white rose would soon bloom in brighter
Mr. Dudley watched the sure decline of his
angelic daughter with an almost breaking
heart. 1t was only at times, when tyranny
almost wild with nameless fear, that he would
murmur to himself" Better for her to be
taken from, the woe to come! And yet-my
precious Que! how can give thee upT au
The mothers nguish was too deep FOR words !;
and yet her resignation was as great andrear-
less. She had given up her only SON for the
love Of her dear land-could she not yield no.
daughter to Him who loved them all 80 well
She was at once tho true, Southern woman,
and the humble, christian mother who, having
given one child to her country, could also give
The heart ached, it is true; but she embalmed
| it with loving, trusting words in Gods great
mercy: 1t mourned piseously; b1t she soothed
1t almost writhed with its great agony but
she laid it at the Saviour's feet, and Gained it
by the ointment of her prayers:
Kates grief was silent, but 1t seemed as
! though it was wearing away her young life, or
rather, that all desire of life was passing away
| with her sister.
she wo aid answer as she caught her mothers
| wistful, questioning look-no-not that-but
to love and not be able to honor TO hold one
name so dear. and not be able to feel proud Of
| my life seem dreary."
| Eyes, dear Kate OF all sorrows assigned to
womans lot, there is none SO bitter as to find
ones idol clay, and where love would fan
worship it cannot even bow ito head in rever-
ence."
She had dreamed of such better things-of
| Clifford earning n name so high for patriotism
and justice that none could equal it. He
would surely raise his voice against o war so
unjust, so ungenerous; he would awaken with
the North, and bid those who might not live as
brothers, part ut least as friends.
How different was the awakening from the
given to the cause of tyranny, of wrong! To-
! day he stood with sword in hand, to say IA
| ther, brother tomorrow he might be the first
| to set the torch against her own, her mothers,
| her diving sisters home! All, no she could not
| be proud of him, aSd in the bitter contest be-
tween love and woman's honor the weak,
human heart was pinning, signing, failing
fast
Blanche herself was the only one whose Sc
renity and holy peace seemed undisturbed by
any of the storms around. Gradually, gently
she had laid aside the daily duties of her guile
| less lfe and now allowed herself to be nursed
and petted by the dear ones in her home
In all the grief and gloom of Mr.. Dndley's
| household poor Jim bore no small part. De-
voted to ali the family, towards Mis- Blanche
his feelings We're akin to idolatry. :, He knew
she too pure, too good to i've he said,
but she might have been spared to us a little
| longer.
Poor jim! How many of us, less untutored
than yourself, think that Gods dear gifts and
rarest blessings might be spared at least to us
u little longer
AS he saw his cherished mistress kneelinG
for hours before the Virgins shrine, he would
mutter:
prayed SO long fore dat white statue. she'll
soon be II statue he,self!'
And vet it was there ut those holy feet, she
gathered the flowers of resignation and the
dew of peace.
- Thou that hast looked on death.
Aid us when death is near.
Whisper to Heaven Of Faith
Sirce. mother, sweet mother, hear
One day Mr.. Dudley returned from his Office
| to his own house ut an unusual hour, and hur-
rying to his wite's room, entered it with such
n look of pain upon his features, that, even in
Blanches presence, Mrs. Dudley's fortitnde
gave way, and she sobbed out:
What is it, Charles ? aim strong enough to