The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-12-21
MESSENGER SUNDAY

watched for o letter, and this anxiety has,
tration, increased her malady, but her love for
You 10 uRwsveriug; she feared something had
hspPened you, but after We had removed her
70 the Asylum, where she has every care and
attention, news Game Of the wreck Of tho
Empress,' by which, doubtless, there was
letter from You. Sho Requests me to convey to
you her fondest love, and assurances that she
sibie, yoa do not meet again on earth, to look
forward to . reunion in heaven"
Then there were two lines written by the
hand of the beloved Kathleen, not, indeed,
bold and clear, as was her handwriting once !;
have been blotted with her tears:
My o,cn Beloved Masy-Keep up your spirits
and pray earnestly for me. Would that could
clasp yen in my arms once more. May God
"Your loving aunt,
KATHLEEN ETTZ MAURzCE."
Dying. perhaps dead now, and I away.
Wretch that was to abandon my moro than
For good two hours Mary abandoned her
self to the widest excesses of grief; then her
aunt began to scold, to speak in her blunt,
rough way. Perhaps it was we'll that she did
for it reused Mary from the dull apathy of
grief into which she was sure to fall after the
reaotion had taken place. s.
To give Helen her due, she was intensely
shocked on hearing that her sister had become
SO destitute as to be obliged to be removed to
st. Joseph's: whilst she was surrounded with
every comfort, albeit she was in the Bush.
This was her way Of rousing Mary ont of her
"Come, now, Mary child, it's of no mortal
use taking on in this way; we are going home,
praised be God, as soon as we can get packed
up. In two days we'll leave this precious set
Element aud let those come out to the Bush
that like, not 1. woman may have more
comfort at home than ever she'll have here
We both acted for the best; married Moran
fur thA heat. and / To Ii fort
ably in Ireland for the rest Of my days away
from this nasty hole and its beasties, and bull
frogs and ;mnsaai.SSs and log houses and
and you did for the best; and poor, dear Ka-
ties time has come. Sha, gould have died if
you had been with her ssthow rally, there's a
packing, and I'm sure cannot do it,"
No. Nelly always managed to put her burden
on other folks shoulders; but in this case it
was we'll she did so, for it diverted Mary's
mind from her great grief.
And the two days soon passed, and the whole
trio were heartily glad to go. The little girl
was elated with tue expectation of the great
changes about to take place, Mary feverishly
anxious to reach Ireland only in time to pillow
Kathleen's head on her shoulder; and Mrs.
Moran's words were very characteristic !:
THANK heaven, shall soon be in old Ireland
again."
Fair winds and prosperous voyage brought
Mary and her aunt back to ireland much SOON
or than either of them had expected. As to
the former. she had counted the very days that
had interviewed from the moment the weari
| some journey had commenced, till they fairly
embarked in the vessel that was to bring them
to Liverpool. Not only was Mary's mind
raoked with the most lively uneasiness as to
the condition her aunt might be in, if even
| she as still alive, but it must not be sup
often to him whose afianced bride she had
become, and whose silence both perplexed and
distressed her. She knew from the last letter
that had reached her whilst in the Bush, that
hQ hoA left rail md for Rail- kL~k
she was perfectly ignorant of Walters move
ments, as also of the extraordinary change
that had taken place in his prospects; and at
the present time the girl was merely looking
forward to a struggling future, even if the
sorrow of separation from Kathleen by the
inexorable hand of death was for o time
averted At length the long wished for day
arrived, and the travellers reached Dublin in
safety. -
I" really feel quite worn out," selfish Nelly
had said on tie previous evening, when dis
| cuseing the movements of the next day with
her niece; II fear you will find poor Kathleen
very i'll, and if were with you il would be
moro than could bear; my nerves were never
90 think, Mary, You had best take . cab in,
mediately on our landing, and 20 straight to
st. Joseph's and see how ahe is, then return to
me, and of course if the poor thing is we'll
enough to be moved, she must live with mo;
am very well of, and people shall never cay
let my sister be In charitable Institution
when have money to keep her myself"
Mary had returned @ willing assent to her
annt'e remarks, being much better pleased to
have it In her power to hurry of alone to St.
Joseph's than to endure the delay which Aunt
Nelly would certainly cause if ehe accompA-
MED her; as to the latter remark, though She
felt glad to observe that Mrs. Moran really
desired that her sister should again be with
herself, Mary had an idea that in all probabil
ity Kathleen would rather remain where she
Was, unless some happy change should take
place in her own affairs, which might enable
hcr to offer her hume.
Concluded next week.