The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-11-30

Il was now doubIy necessary that he should
exert himaeif with his pen; and, devotipg all
his time uninteIrnptsdiy with this eIc IN view,
engaged, he postponed bis visit to Kathleen.
Every day now brought with it some fresh
trial, rendered still heavier to bear beoanse 1t
betrayed the rapid loss Of reason in an almost |
idolized mother; and along with this trial |
came the reflection that Ella had often given |
him very misty accounts about his father, SO |
means in his power to unfathom what seemed |
mysterious in her conduct; and with his Al |
ways expressive countensnce bearing the traits
of the mental dist,ess ne endured pc soosn'
$50 we have both lost our employmens oy
the sudden death Of poor Mr.. Arbathnot." said
Mary, God rest his soul! 80 suddenly called
: .' We can neither of as; 1nhapPily, afford to
may and often does come when we least ex-
pect it. I would that had the goods Of this
world, Mary Fitz Maurice should have no oc-
cssion to work, for all had to offer should be
laid at her feet but would not insult her by
indeed, Miss Fitz Maurice" be added, turning
to Kathleen, :" have sought You to beg OF you
cd vice and assistance"
Z" My dear Mr.. Darvil, if can aid the son OF
an old friend, you have but to ask me; bnt see,
you have frightened Mary away by those gal
liant speeches you have made. But now to the
point at once, what do you want ut my bands J.
my dear madam, wish you to tell me al!
yoa know of the early life of my beloved
| mother up to the time when you left England:
will tell you my reasons. l cannot conceal
from myself the terrible consciousness that the
calamity of insanity is creeping on, and am
aware that but little stress may be placed on
the random words of one whose mind wanders
| as hers does; but then, IN past times, when
Der intellect appeared to me vigorous enough,
she has always seemed to shun speaking OF her
| past life or of my-my father" And here young
Darvil hestated, for painful sensation, which
he could not repress, communicated itself even
to his speech.
IBID your mother ever tell you how cruelty
| she was treated in her early life That on the
she received. by an unknown hand, para
graph cut out of q Newspaper, announcing the
marriage of the man to whom she was abont
ally herself with LADY Of large fortune .sid
Darvil, and again terrible suspicion crossed
his mind and blanched his cheek.
"Has dear Ella ever mentioned sister she
has living at Ashleigh Thorpe. in Warwick
shire That lady made prosperous marriage
Wien last saw her, it was about two years
after her marriage; she had an infant few
very near your age You have wealthy rela-
tives, Mr.. Darvil, in the Forresters, OF Ashleigh
Thorpe"
"My dear mother has been singularly reti-
81 never remember hearing her speak OF these
people. But can yen tell me, Miss Fitz Maurice,
how long time elaped after the villai1y OF
| the man you have mentioned and my mothers
marriage to my father ~
AZ wish l could enlighten you on the sub,
ject, dear Mr. Darvil," said Kathleen. but l
nursed partly by myself in the attack of brain
fever, brought on by the perfdy of the man
Smith, to whom she was engaged For some
time after her recovery she was odd in her
ways and very variable; sometimes depressed
to painful degree, or elated to pitch OF ex-
element. Still, no one ever thought of pat
ting her under restraint. went TO Dublin,
and about the same time she paid long visit
to her sister We thus lost sight Of each other
} to my great regret, for I was much attached to
her. She never wrote to me, and never So
, the happy day that, even forgetting the name
of her old friend, she called to pay a visit, a.
:: she thought, to perfect stranger"
| kathleen here paused, and struck by the
t perplexed and sad expression on on the face o
her hearer she ventured the remark, Has sh'
\ ever spoken of your fathers relatives :"
q "My mother has told me that my father
:, family were all unknown to her they had set
i tied in Australia, think she said, long befor
Z she became acquainted with him. She ono
z told me that be was the captain of q merchan
i vessel, and died soon after her marriage; blu
y her replies have always been vague in the ez
r trsme. once asked her had she preserved sd
Q souvenir of my dead father, and she returne
e ME an evasive answer And the remark, th
o other MI bit, that she loved me we'll as if
4 were her own son, has given rise to painful
Il and perplexed train of thought, which has
h | tened to lay before you, in The hope that yo
d could enliGhten me-"
- 81 would advise you to write at once to MI
Forester" said Kathleen, " she can, no donb
Q help you in your present inquiry. And nov
- Mr.. Darvil, have You really canse for fearin
], that yonr poor mother is actually going ont {
IT her mind 7"
az am confident she is. My worst appreher
!; sions are every day becoming verified how I
d act or what to do, will be questions which
ID feel certain 1 shall soon have to ask myself"
"Hope for the best, Mr.. Darvil; the bal
50 idea is terrible, yet am not surprised you ell
y terrain it,"
st "And if the worst should happen dear Nil
Fitz Maurice" and tie voice of the young ma
e. trembled and grew husky as he spoke, "if tt
10 worst should happen, and restraint became NJ
happily necessary, then will come the question
r, where to place her; how to set about the te
81 rible business; whence will come the means
d prosecute the undertakings"
My dear young friend: sufficient for tt
10 yours is heavy cross, but try and bear il
l. after all the worst may never come"
7" Darvil shook his head mournfully. 1t wi
10 GOMEZ know it WILL" he said sit has loome
I'd over me for many months, and with each T
b. curing day it assumes q more tangible forr
Good bye, dear madam shall see you aga
n i'll few days"
I For sone time altar ba r4anart1ra II