The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1873-03-02

fact, she had looked into the future and kept
her resolution. And SO she lived on at Blag-
the afflicted, visiting the sick, and identifying
all things, and adorning all places that came
within her reach. Certain things she was
yonng enough to enjoy greatly; the chief OF
| Brewer her halfbrother, ine boy of nine
years old, for nine yerrs of widow hood had
| been passed, and through all that time this
| boy, her dear fathers son had been Lady
Mary" all the better for having given him to
her father, and she felt q strong, unutterable
| thanksgiving that this birth having been ex-
pected, the test of whether not Horace Err;
skine loved her for herself had been applied
before she had become chained to SO terrible
| o destinytas that of being wife to Il thankl less
disappointed man. Terrible as her great trial
had been, she might have suffered that which,
to of her temper, wonld have been far
worse So Fred Brewer would ride over to see
his sister. Day after day the boys bright face
would be laid beside her own, and to him, and
| only to him, would she talk of Sir Geoffrey
Then they would ride together down to Mars
ton to SEQ Mrs. Lorimer and Jenifer, who was
q true friend. and lived on those terms with
the lady who loved her we'll then to the mar
ket- place where the old home stood, now turn
ed into an aims-house of an eccentric Sort
with all rules included under one head, that
| the dear old souls were to have just whatever
they wanted. Did Martha Gannet keep three
parrots, and did they eat rs much as q young
heifer 7 and scream too 7 all, that was their
haOui ~ uuuiD SASooAo q
nature, Mr.. Brewer said there was always
cruelty in that-and did they smell, and give
trouble, and would they be mischievons and
tear Mrs Betty's CAPT Indeed. Mr., Brewer
was delighted. An excellent excuse for giving
new caps to all tho inmates, and to look up all
troubles, and mend everybsdys griefs-such
an excellent thing it was that the fact of three
parrots should lead to the discovery of SO many
disgraceful neglects that Mr.. Brewer begged
leave to apologize very heartily and sincerely
while he diligently repaired them. 1t was
very odd school to bring up young Freddy in
Bus we are obliged to say that he was not at
all the worse for it.
Aud here we must say what we have not
said before. Mr.. Brewer was Catholic. He
and Jenifer were Catholics; and Claudia had
been left to her mothers teaching. When
Freddy was born Mr.. Brewer considered his
ways. And what he saw in his life we may
see shortly. He had been born of Catholic
| mother who had died, and made his Protest
ant father promise to send him to a Catholic
school. He had stood alone in the world He
Narston was little dirty sea port, also sort
of fishing place. A place that bore bad char
| acter In good many ways. Some people
would have finished that character by saying
that there were Papists there. To that place
every Sunday Mr.. Brewer went to mass. Many
and many lift he had given to Jenifer on
| those days. How much Jenifor's talk assisted
| his choice of Mary for his wife, we may guess.
When Freddy was born Jenifer said her first
words on the subject of religion to Mr.. Brewer:
'You will have him properly baptized ?, "Of
course" Order me the pony cart, and I'll go
to Father Daniels" II must toll Mrs. Brewer"
| "Lcave that to me-just seud for the cart "
1t ,ras left to Jenifer. By night the priest had
| come and gone. 1t had not been his first visit.
that he was welcome. The Clayton mission
had felt the blessing of Mr.. Brewers gold. He
! had seldom been at the house in the market
place in Marston, but at Beremouth Mary had
plucked her first flowers, aud sent t6cm back
in the old gentleman's gig, and he had been
always made welcome in her husbands house
with q pretty grace and many pleasant atteu-
tions. Now, when Freddy was baptized, Mr.
| Brewer went to his wife and bent over her,
and said solcnnly "Mary-my dear wife ;
Mary thank thee, darling thank thee,
my love-" And the single tear that fell on her
| cheek she never forgot.
Then Mr.. Brewer met Jenifer at his wife's
door. "1t's like new life, Jenifer." And the
steady hammered woman looked in his brig hit
| eyes and saw how true his words were.
| otis o steady life of doing good to every
body that yon have ever led, sir. 1t a
lonely life once no doubt. I was dazed when
she married you. But, eh, master; have thai
to think about, ard that to pray for, that
almost makes me believe in anything happen
ing to 90" for good, when so much is asked for
day and night. in my own prayer"
Put us into it; let me ana mine be in Jcni
fers prayer" lie said, and passed on.
Mary Lormer returned in safety to Bere
mouth under Horace Erskine's care, welcomed
as may be supposed by the adopted father and
her mother. Not that Mother Mary" as Lady
Greystock in the old Claudia Brewer days
used to call her, could over welcome Horace
She had never liked his she had always felt
that there was some unknown wrong about his
seeking and leaving Claudia; she had beer
glad that long absence abroad had kept him
from them while her darling Mary had been
growing up; and it was with spasm of fear
that she heard of his spending that autumn
at her sisters. And yet she had consented to
his bringing Mary home. Yes, she had con.
sented, for Mr.. Brewer in his overtlowing hos
pitality haI asked him to come to then,-had
regretted that they had seen so little of him
of late years-and had himself suggested that
he should come when Mary returned.
Nine years does great deal; it may even
pay peoples debts sometimes Bnt it had not
paid Horace Erskinc's debts: on the contrary
it had added to them with all the bewilderin g
peculiarities that belong to calculations of in.
terests and compound interests. IIo Lad got
to waiting for another mans death. How
many have had to become in heart dca th- deal
ers i'll this way! 1t was known that he would
be his uncles heir and his uncle added to what
he supposed Horace possessed n good sum
yearly {; making the mIn rich as he thought
and causing occasionally II slight passing re
gret that Horace was so saving. HE might do
! 80 much more if he liked on his good income y
the c!dcr Mr.. Erskine would say. But he did
not know of the many sums for ever paying to
keep things quiet till death, the great pay
master, should walk in and demand stern