The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-05-27


an hour Watching the picture, and weavin
stories round every article In the room, sb
began 20 wish for something to do. She trie
the magnificent piano that stood in Q recess
bot on that, at leasts Time had worked hi
will and the result was a1ch curious com
bination Of discords that, with her teeth OF
edge Maude closed the instru meDt in dismay
sh sne TOOK h anSther peep at the altar. and ther
herself for not thinking Of them before, sh,
took possession of them, end returning to he
sest began to tnrn over the page.
As the Rtualists have seen good to ombody
large portions of the Catholic prayer book
! into theirs, many of the devotions that would
nave puzzied and outraged an ordinary Pro
testaot were already familiar to Maude. Fol
nearly an hour she ocoupIod herself in exam
| lining the first book she had opened, and was
jnst proceeding to look into the second one
when Q gentle tap was heard at the door, and
DIR. OMeara presented himself
al am afraid am intruding. Miss Neville :"
he exclaimed on seeing her alone, and he drew
back as he spoke, =
Mot Of ali, DE-. o,Meara. 1 am very mnch
station with Professor FBroadview, but he will
be back almost directly, and am expecting
Fanny down every moment"
II have only called to enquire how you oil
are after last nights late hours and dissipa-
tion: 30 yon have found your way hers at
last = he added, looking round him. whilst a
somewhat % sad expression stole over his face.
room, but into her books also-see y and
Maude held them mp to him.
How well remember them both I" said the
dooser, taking them gently from her hand.
carried them to church for her This one es-
pecially !" and he bowed bis face almost down
to the book he was examining. to hide the
tears that in spite of his man hood gathered in
his eyes. Poor dear Lady Nsville" he mur-
INJURED. ~
You seem to have loved her so much, and
to remember her still so we'll" said Maude
urain alu ~
when she left Neville Court"
Il was fifteen; just the age at which i'm
pressions are most easily and deeply engraven
on boys mind. Bat 1 had good reason to
love her; for, what your sanity mother was to
me, poor motherless boy, God only knows.
Few ever knew her real worth; your uncle.
Tor Instance; loved her for her sweetness and
could ever know her in in the fairest holiest
aspects of her character"
There was q long pause, broken at length by
Mauds.
II have been long time examining these
books this morning." she observed land they
have made me wonder whether, if my mother
bad lived. l should have been Roman Catho- |
tc. Do you think shonldf
1T is not a question of what yon have been, |
but OF what you were, my dear Miss Neville |
You were baptized Catholic, and for five
years knew no other religion"
$50 have beard but do not mean that |
because q PERSONS religion is not what they |
are born to, bat what they profess In after |
sears. NY father, as you know, was of the
English Church, and would probably have in
'erfered when grew older. Do you think it
Vould have grieved my mother very much if
,e had done so, provided that I had been
'iously trained in the principles of his Churchf
The question almost took away his breath
or at the very moment she spoke he was
htnking of an old yellow letter lying in his
trong box at Killnew-a letter that eighteen
ears ago, had solemnly bequeathed her as q
herge TO his father, and which he had dig
overed few weeks since in the secret drawer
{ an old escriroire, and had accepted as a
haTge taciTiy bequeat: ed to himself.
" How little she imag mes thought he, as
he sits there in the pride of her wealth and
eauty. how strangely her most sacred inter
sts have been committed to my guardianship
to me-, man of whose very name it seems
tell her of the letter ~ no asked himself.
Perhaps not Yet. / will wait till know her
etter."
Meanwhile, Msude wal ed for au ans yer
} her qnestion.
"We must not suppose such q contingency
J the Que You have just imagined" he re-
led :" for Sir Morcar had given a solemn
romise- even before his marriage, that all
our mothers children should bs reared in her
vn religion"
Aud yet after oil I am not Roman Ca
'olic," said Maode musiEgly. "though GER
'inly still lees am q Protestant. l am not
lrprised that my Gear mother should have
I'D q feeling against the Church of England as
was in her days. She would have felt very
ueCenJly cOulu sn0 nave seen l6 as lG Is now
light, beautiful, and renovated. She would
think, have died very happily could she have
reseen that I was ore day destined to believe
rery doctrine of her Church, and yet at the
me time to belong to my fathers and 30
rm as it were, long after they had passed
way, living bond of union between them y
Sue glanced at the doctor, as she spoke with
smile half sad, half triumphant but there
as no response not even the shadov of a
nile in answer to hers.
She was surprised at his Indifference, but
quietly, Perhaps you do not IN.
srstand this movement in the Church of Eng
nd. Let me explain it to you;7 and in glow
g words she painted the dream of modern
oglicapism. flushing her picture with the
cal of the West and East. ''Now you did not ,
low that was my faith, did you p ehe asked, |
her earnest ohildlike manner. You have
zen looking upon me all this time as a cold
arrow minded Protestant, have you not T. ,
gain her smile was unreturned; but this time
. doctor answered her question.
"If you mean that did not know you we're |
Ritualist, you are mistaken for yonr cou-
Ds told me 80 yesterday morning. Bat for
We me If say that for my own part / should
tintely prefer that you should be au ordinary
'otestsnt, for then you would have a better
ance of being saved through invinsible
uorance," as the Church calls it. You see
eak candidly bus you have introduce tho