The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-05-04
THE MORNING STAR AND CATHOLIC SUNDAY

torneys, left his poor old father, we may say
completely alone; for after the rather sharp
words which had taken place between tho two
airy visits, or halfcasuai. half-prpjected meet
ipgs with Ned Cavana by their respective
meanings. Hitherto in this respect, more than
two old men had been habitual, indeed it may
be said of daily occurrence, mutually watched
for If one saw the other overlooking his men
either so wing or reaping: or planting at or dig.
habit almost amounted to rule, that, which,
ever saw the other frst quit his own men, and
sloped over ward his neighbor to have look
at what was going on, and having there eX-
hausted the pros and cons of whatever the
work might he, general chat was kept up
and the visit returned on the spot.
tent changed. This "untoward circumstance"
between Tom Murdoch and Winny Cavana, to-
gether with the subsequent conversation upon
tbs subject between the fathers rendered TINS
CON had told himt old Mick thought Winny
Cavana had treated him badly, and he consid-
cred that old Ned had "gone back of his
word he was plucky, proud old cock: and
with the pair of them, without any pillarer."
What he meant by 4" seeing it out" he hard
law in most decided manner when taxed
with it by Ned, What, then, could he mean
by seeing it out'" Perhaps Tom would not
require his adSice upon the subject;
not the man he used to be. man at his
age however we'll he may have worn-ay, even
to have obtained the name of an evergreen
generally does SO having his mind at ease as
we'll as his body in health-the one begets the
other; and so an old man thrives, and often
looks as we'll at seventy as he did at sixty.
fail suddenly if the cold wind of disappoint-
rnent blows roughly upon their hitherto happy
hearts; and Tom Murdoch was not three weeks
away, when the remarks of the people return
| oh, tSnr ri
that they never saw man so gone in the
time" And the fact was So
| Old Mick Murdoch had been all his life a
cheerful chatty man, one with whom it was
Moreover he had always been erect in person,
with a pare of cheeks like scarlet Crofton
apple-not the occasional smooth flush of del
| icacy. but the constant hard rough tint OF
health. There were many yonng men in tho
parish whom walk alongside OF old Mick
| Murdoch for a couple of miles would put out
of breath, while you would not see a heave,
however slight, out of old Mick's chest.
| "Look on him now " he has not word to
throw to 4 dog" as the saying has it; he is be-
ginning to stoop in his gait, and more than
once already he has struck his heel against the
ground in walking. AS yet it is not drag,
| and those Indications of u breakup in his con-
stitution are comparatively slight. Ere long,
however, you will see him with stick, and
YOU will be hardly able to recognize him as the
Mick Murdock of a few months before.
Tom, as we have seen, having settled with
the attorneys, started for his aunts where as
his father had predicted, he was received with
q ceade mile a Jaltho: Oh, then, Tom avic
macree, but it's you that's welcome; am shure
1 needn't AK You how you are. Oh, but it's
you that's grown the fine young man since I
seen you last. An let me see-how long ago is
that now Tom agraf tn be four years coming
! Easthre Sunda' next since was down in Rath-
| cashmere. AM how is Mick u wocha17 an
how's herself, Tom, the colleen. dhas,', you
| know7" Aud she gave him poke with her
finger between the ribs. "Ah, Tom avic, you
needn't look so shy; shure know all about it
an why shouldn't II It'll be an iiligant
match for the pair iv ye; as good for the one
| as for the other-comlng Shraft, Tom ell In
! troth Winny will be a comfort to you, well
as a credit; that's what she will, won't she
! Tomf"
"Let me alone now, aunt; I'm fired after
the journey, and it's not of her Pm thinking
! "See that now-arra ma bochiish don't be uf-
Their telling mo that; shure didn't Mick him
self write to me two or three times to let me
know how matthers were going OH, and the
grand party he gev on Hallow-Eve, and the
fun We all had, and how you danced wild her
almost the whole night"
Nonsense, aunt! Did he tell you how any,
| body else danced 7"
&" No, the sorra word lie said about any wan
that was there, harrin' yourself and herself
well, never heed her now. I'll tell you
more about her tomorrow or next day, and
maybe ask your advice upon the subject at the
same time"
Their conversation was here interrupted, a.
| Tom thought very opportunely, by the en-
trance of Bill Wilson, whose welcome for his
wife's nephew WIS hearty, in manner, ~
that which he had received from herself. The
conversation of course, now "became general
and Bill Wilson, although he had never beer
out of Armagh, seemed to have everybody
down about Tot:.'s country part by heart, fo
he asked for them AL by name, not forgetting
| Although he left ,her to tho last, to ask fol
Winny Cavana 1t was evident to Tom, from
his manner, that he was up to the project il
that quarter; and as evident that, like hi
aunt ne knew nothing of how matters up t,
this had turned out, or how they were likely
to end. He answered his uncle's questions
however, with reasonable self-possAsson ; aut
his aunt, having perceived from his last OBJ
servation to herself that there was " a screw
loose" turned the conversation very NATURAL,
to the subject of Toms physical probabilities
; saying, "Athen, To@, jewel, maybe it's wha
you're hungry, an would like to take some
| thing to eat a;ore dinner; shure an shure it
the first que, ION l ought to have asked yon.
- No. nH,.t, thank you kindly, I'll take no
thing until your dinner; there's q friend o
, rr'.,, lives in the skirts of the town; wan
3" him, and I'll Le back in less than al
bour."
:" A friend of yours, Tom athen shure if h
is he ought TO be a friend of ours. Who is he
, Tom q wochal 7"
:" oh, no, aunt, you never heard of him. He
n boy have q message to from friend in tn
country"
"WhV. then. Tom. you'l be WANTING II