The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-08-05

/ withstauAiug her husbands mild sdmonitiops .
touching the mex pedieDoy of abetting illegal
sectaries, even while secretly inclined toward
| their theology.
During this period visits were exchanged
with some of their neighbors and, monnte d
| on their steeds, Dora introduced her cousin TO
| the lovely spots which abounded in that ne! gh-
borhood. The grand old Castle of Hartle6ury
| was tie nearest of these resorts. The bishop
then ia residep pce at his episcopal palace at
| Worcester, aud they were free to wander
| through the wild deer park and onward to the
borders of the Severn as far as Bswdley Forest.
| On another day they strolled through the old
chase of Ambrosle or Om6ersley, as 1t was
| then more generally designa ated, or they rode
| eastward the direction of the disaftorested
| lands of Feck ham, sEirtiug the little borough
| of Droitwich.
common from Hampton Loyet, they espied two
| horsemcn approaching from the west. They
were following, but in al adverse direction, In
| the same track AS themselves, aud were push
| ing for ard at a brisk trot. They were equip
ped for q journey, with saddle bags and
| riding closks, the latter SO worn as partly to
hida their features, " hch were already pr city
we'll concealed from view by the slouohipg
Wide-bEimmed 5eapers- -drawn-low over their
foreheads.
81 have heard it said that there are high
waymen about the country" "quoth Dora, draw
ing close up to Gervase, while as yet the cava-
liers were at some distance off. Nancy told
me only yesterday that her masters brother
had been waylsid on Newland Common, re-
turning from Pershore fair TO Wyche.'
"Tnoss look like gentlemen wayfarers," re-
turned her cousin, bat should they prove to
be otherwise, you need not fear, Cousin Dora,
for 1 " i'll draw my rapier and keep chem we'll
q bay " hIss thou shalt spur thy nag and gal
lop Oft as bard she Will carry thee toward
Einley. Plou,ise me tha5 thou walt do as l
bid thee"
Mark them, Gervase. They turn aside and
do not To face u.s." observed the young
lady; ar1 in truth ttey were making a diver
sion to the right, If TO AVOID meeting the
two cousins. Nevertheless, they passed 81 iii
cieutly for Sacbeverlll to feel conscious
that tney were not entirely unknown to him.
Il know that tail cavalier" exclaimed Dora
confidently; 8 it is our Papist height bor, Mr.
Flpch and 1 doubt pot that he is bouud on
scme evil eTrapd; for perchance his companion
may be the pcpisn priest, or some sooh NAL
content. Yon they hide their faces and
turn away, thst may not know them, lis
strange their eallying forth at such an hour,
unless they be engaged to forward the Plot"
Or to escape from those who seem to me to
be plotting their destruction" rejoined her
companion. DO you really believe, Dora,
that these unfortunate Catholics who are being
! hunted down all through the land are plotting
for thing else but TO save their lives and
fortunes from their perseeutors'
"Oh! for shame, cousin Gervase; did not
believe that you were really 30 injected with
their wickedness to abet or uphold the
Papist recusspts. Why, if you said this to
father, he Wsuld turn you ont of his house, pm
| and for the sake of an argument; but tor hea-
ven's sake prithee hold thy tongue before my
parents, for they would not understand you as
l do.'
lam in good earnest, Dora, and if uncle
Harry should turn me out fo1 il, would not
| :he less declare that l believe this so called
| Plot to be a conspiracy contrived by the Pro-
| testants to trample down aud may be oust the
Papists from the realm"
Dora was quite overwhelmed for a few mo-
| ments. To near her handsome cousin, for
whom she already felt o regard pot unmixed
| with veDeration, utter sentiments which must
infallib'y raise barrier between them, was
like mili-stone passing over her.
| "Oh, bat cousin GerVsse," she said at length
| in gentle. pleading accents "yCu know not The
wickednees of PopIsb priests. l do not say
| that there may not be good Catholics who,
knowing no better, follow their consciences
sud are, may be, as gallant cavaliers as any In
| the land But the Jesuit priests are known TO
be in leagne against the Protestant Churcn
and State, and u be bound together to subVert
them"
"Tnis land was orce all Catholic, cousin
Dora" he replied calmly. g. Are you aware of
| that And ere it trsJ became so, 1t con-
verted from Paganism by Catholic priests, who
were united down and put TO death, as these
are now. 1t is the way in which the Christian
! faith was disseminated. Those early mission
| ary priests called subverters of the
Roman Empire and of the heathen realms
| wherein they propsgated their doctrine. l
| deny that the Jesuits and other Catholic priest
are disloyal to the powers that be. On the
| contrary, they have constantly professed them
| selves loyal subjects even on the scaffOld, and
always pray for the King and the whole realm.
| AS to the Protestant religion, forsooth, they
| would subvert IL if they could, inssmuch
| they regard it as here.ical and anti. Christian.
| Compare these self-denying missioners with
our own parsons, and see which lead the hoIier
| lives aud which are most like Christ and His
| Apostles. You need but know them to deter
mine this"
| :" Then you are really abetter of recusauts,
as Harry said, when accused him OF calumny
and fAsehoo6 % answered Dora 10 voice
which sodnded like despair.
| " simply claim a fair and honest judgment
| yVh I hall h. nd