The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-07-22
NUMBER 81
SSRG>RmevewsREW~
An Episode of the nth Century.
THEODORE HOWARD GALLON.
Continued
CHAPTER III,

| About four days after Sacheyer;ll,a arr;v.l
AZ the Hail, messenger brought o letter for
Miss Finch; with tidfngs from her father. who
n naa neen absent from his house ct Rushook
manor, but who wrote to inform her of ala an
Proaohing return and his anxiety to meet her
In bis letter he spoke Of the persecution which
W.; %Ss raging IN London, consequent upon tho
IN Information OF Titus Oates and Bedloe. and
the apprehension under which the Catholics
them throughout the Kingdom
When the messenger brought the lattar nba
was In the garden with Dame Mary and n.
Saoheverili. Gervase had arrived at speskju9
openly OF his doubts touching Professionalism.
ana his ardent desire to become 0 Catholic.
Dame Yate commenced by rather discourse zinc
ms enquiries and overtures on the subisot Oh
religion. She entertained strong oonyiotion
mat enqnlrers were mostly spies, and that,
when Pfotestants pretended to desire To he
come acquainted with Catholic doctrines and
practices, it was almost in yariably for the pur-
pose OF hetraying their informants There
mad been SO many instances of this sort. and
so many terrible spo5tasies for the sake Of ssnr
poral advantage and gain, that che had bcen
and above all dreaded the oonyersiou al 4
guest. a conversion in those days waa 4
criminal act, and unless the convert we're an
MATED by the highest motives alone IL yvonld.
have been simply exposing him 10 cruel &C.
oiat stigma almost worse than death itseIf
Bat to epdeavor to convert a neighbours kine-
man, WouId, she felt. have been 70 expose her
SELF not only to charge of groes inhospitalifv
and unneiRhborly conduct, but also to Law oDcS,
ner household to the peril ofreprisals, and she
that the early Christians bad confronted avsev
peril to secure disciples, and most nssuredly
Dame Mary would have owned to the abatrnct
lnty OF snlightening the ignorant. In this in
stance che bad no option ia the matter for the
VouoR lady bad been drawn to the controversy
before she had fond an opportunity of CON
'utsog neT peloved hostess, and when Gsrvase
leu asSalled the latter with point. blank
questions she had been compelled to reply
~
i'll, ~ Clara met the messenger, and wss.
tanding aside reading the missive which he
lac brought her; II cannot tell you bow per.
,iexed wee tesi st what you have been just say
n& WniIe Miss Finch Is out of hearing
hould like to give you q warning which an
uTe You will accept in good part. Remember
nat tue step you are meditating 10 the most
Important you could possibly take, and IN.
Olives consequences infinitely more eerious
han anything else in life A Catholic igsa
roseribed man, snbject to conhscstions, ont
on can COL ceive. BY becoming one OF us Won
ill forfeit yOur free cisissnship and become a
ort Of legal allen, without slIen's privi-
sges. Your relations and friends will repudiata
nd despise you and cut lyon of from almost
ny inheritance to which you might have beon
Dtitied. Fon will lose all your old friends
OF suspected and distFusted by your new one.
IL the greatest sacrifice You oau oonceive."
1es,1 returned GervsSe, calmly, land yet
me me one SAID that TboSoeveE will save HE life
ieIl loee IL, and that we must take nm the
heAven'S sake.d
Alb there will not Rainssy Eou,D return-
the Dame, "but you forget the coptext Of
onr passages. He must take mp his oTosS and
ltOW Me- snd WhosoeVer shalI lose bic NE 6oT
y sake and TIE Gospel shSI save it! Nov, ny
'ar Mr. 6aoeeveriils you will perhaps think
lndlecreet, bot as an old woman may
'nenre to take the motberly office Dpon me
10 DC 1ree spoken, and therefore must trust
700 10 forgive my apparent boldness. Now,
III you aBBWer me candidly and tell me-
neither you admire Miss Finch ~
Gervase was uDprepared for this sudden
llys and turned crimson.
- OF course, Lady Ysts, everybody must ad-
ire Miss Finch" he replied.
" need not inteErog0te you to discover
at she rejoined, "for am sure you have
st your heart to her; own that, and that IL
"a becameR Catholic tomorrow, you would
for her your handy
" have not ventUred to presume to hopo
at she would accept it ii did, p answered the
uDg man eynaiYely.
a. No. bDt you have . vague floating fancy
st she might, and Of one thing 1 feel assured
81 II that pretty youDg lady had not CHANGED
DO my guest, you would not have tafriod
or three days or become involved In q reli-
Jus controversy"
q Lady Yste, Jon are severe uPou ne,D
9th 8&sheverill.
:, ~ he persisted
. The CathoIie religion hes always Attracted
~ BE rotogted, s.and she sisht e h0lF Afass