The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-10-07
Ms,uing s+or and Catholic Messenger.

identify him on oath" ,;fo ba-
"Though you never saw hitn In 9ou' i'i0 "
foreS" unoth Mr.. Townshend. .-,
al believe have seen him ut my fa1uer-fn
laws house come years ago" ,,,,,l
Uwhy master the day OF his commlttaii
exclaimed the Justice in an angry tone, you
offered yourself to swear before the mayor OF
Worcester that you knew the prisoner 70 20
priest, and now it seems donbttnl wnetuof
Won ever set your eyes upon him until now.
Have you no better witness !"
"He knoweth my ther-in-law rient wen
and came to his house to strive TO convert my
mother.iplaw to bis faith, for she was all her
life codly Protestant, as likewise my wife
but the old man clngeth still to Popery aun
all the more 80 since this father oonhsou AA"'"
been at him." ,y
"He must be subrsnaed for the trial
"Your worship had best tarry until tne Inme
dreweth mig b. as he will be most unwilling
witness" -, .,
the magisrrate, "and now yOu only reaeh 'er
others evidence against him.
"I was present when he came and rated
both my mother.inlaw and myself upon our
heresy, as he termed it,"
"My brother Edward told he confessed
to him at my fathers house" :,
"That is hearsay evidence relolheu ms
worship. "Can you swear TO having been at
confession with this man "
, al can swear to his having heard confession"
Doubt IRE sEhetAer You can do 80 without
rsking perjury"
"Pif risk it, your worship, for the caHse.
Nav, if brother Edward holus hiooi' why
should not step into his shoes and give his
evidence on my own behoofT
"What, personate your brotherf Your
testimony were not worth straw. For my
part, / cannot give my sanction to such
roguery even to hang priest" quoth The
Justice wrGthfnlly.
"Your worship msund derstandeth me-" re-
piled the h Ypocriticml knave. 81 mean nought
but hat il honest. Yonr worship sees that
nv memory faileth me Mt times and that since
have been gifted with these new lights OF
ba ] WI recall the Knees
tho superstitions from which l have emerged.
Bot now l have seen him my memory c"meth
back and ] shall bG anlG to swear to my own
experiences. I must have been To confession 10
him mysolF' ,
"Umph!" returned the Squire impatiently,
lyon must settle that with your own consc ence,
srrah. IT'S time you dropped your Jesuitical
double dealing if you desire to pass muster Il s
an honest man. 1 would liefer have your
brother Edward in the box
"Tbe Lord know eth that you miRjadge me,
Master Justice. and that / am sorely pressed to
bear testimony to the cause, being but hum
BILE instrument in Gods hands, and true Pro-
tsstaut to the back bone, aud as trust yes
sci of election predestinated to everlasting
life, as Adoniram jones hath unctuons'y ex-
The worthy magistrate was loath to pro-
long his interview with this interesting neo
phyte, from whom he parted with n shake OF
his olammy hand, and feeling akin TO wea
he might have experienced from tho touch o
some cold Shiny reptile
On q certain day in January, 1873, at th
Epiphany Quarter Sessions of the Peace, TIL
gallery Of the old Guild Hall was occupied b!
n roodly assemblage of ladies and Geutleme e
curious to witness the trial of Popish priest
whose capture had been matter of notoriet.
ing irfatuatiou (amouuting to a reign CT terror
connected with the go. called Plot. Anon
that assemblage might be- seen our Hvel
friend Dora Townshend, with her two com
paniops from the College Close. who, togethe
with the Registrar. bad secured their seats a
an early hour and we're awaiting the CON
menoement of the proceedings. MANY of To
leading gentry possessed houses in Woroeste
where they spent certain seasons of the yea
and the Epiphany Qlarter Sessions was one c
those periods when these rural magnates wei
won't to assemble in the country town, whic
they enlivened by balls and other diversion
during their brief sojaurn. the ladies eat
the front seats of the galleries, while benin
them were also several young msn. anon
whom Dora canEht sight OF har friends We
non and Bromley, who forced their wa
through the crowd to d seat Immediately in tt
rear OF the pretty dansef whose presence vi
doubtless their chief attraction. The body
the court was likewise densely thronet
chiefly by tho rabble, but the justices had u
vet made their appearance upon the benc
These latter were assembled in the counc
sffecting the shire, over which, then rs no'
they exercised civil JnItsdiction. Durir
the interval which preceded the arrival ot 81
magistrates, Dora WAS far from reluctant
converse with the gallant youths in her res
while Nelly Vernon likewiee played her pa
in drawing out her Hanbnry cousin aud
Thus engaged their attention called to
stir ut the door of the gallery if some o
were in altercation with the constable static
ed to edmib those who were enhtIed TO
privilege of access
tIs Master Vernon, the Bishops Registr
here 7" quoth a voice from outside, which
once attracted Miss Townsheud's ear.
"They are asking for you, father" 50
Polly Vernon.
"Who seeketh met" cried that worth
rising, and Turning to the entrance.
"A Rentlemau," replied the cOnatAb
"seeketh admission to the gallery for hms
and lady, that hath no permit or pssswo
He saith he be a friend of yours, Master RI
istrar."
Pray let them in, father" said Nelly, :"
We can make room on this bench"
"His pamef" naked the counsellor,
"Mr. saohev erill," replied the constable af
apause
"Yea, let him pass"
Dora had already OWNED the fact, but
face turned crimson when her cousin appe
ed within the doorway, handing veiled Ia
across the benches to the front seat ocoup
by herself and her companions.