The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-06-17

MESSENGER. BUNDAI. JUNE
| entertained an idea 30 quixotio surprises me
more than can say; "a, And prey, II IL was your our
mission to convert Misc Neville, what nave you
done to wards itf
Father Donovan's tone was 30 completely the
opposite of what the doctor had anticipated
that he was thoroughly disconnected.
THAT ia the question:" be replied, somewhat
| stiffiy, and looking vexed in spite OF himself,
"aud q question that has kept me awake many
a long hour"
az should Thick so, yet all that was required
of you was to have handed the letter over to
me, for it ought to have been placed In MISS
Nsville's hands long since. Who knows what
eff CT it might have had upon a mind already
biased towards tie truth 7 SO you found 1t In
a secret drawer, did yonf Then yonr father
| evidently pat it there, and afterwards forgot
that he bad done so. Poor old man, his mem-
ory was sadly impaired before his death. Often
1 have heard him wondering what could pos
sibly have become of it, and at last he came
| to the conclusion that he had deatroyed 4t Dy
mistake. lie never ceased lam ling the loss
of it, because he wished to give j. 10 me, that
1 might hand it over to Maude ~ lille as soon
as she came to Ballvcross. : 'sh you mao
given it to me before"
$50 do 1 with all my heart cried the doc
tor, with a very troubled look Oh his face, as
he handed the letter to the priest ,
Their conversation was interrupted by the
entrance of old Betty, who came TO clear the
tea things and get kind word or two from
| "the Father, God blees him" After her de-
DartUro. the DOCTOR f6LCneu inc CuS6S-DOAEu auu
arranged the pieces; but though he did his ut
most to recover his wonted spirits, his aostrac-
tiou was only too evident. ft was q somewhat
uninteresting game, for the play on the doc,
tors part was anything but scientific; and
when it over the priest pleaded fatigue,
and asked permission to retire.
His example was soon after followed by the
doctor but little did Father Donovan suspect,
as be travelled through his Mathis and Lauds,
and then laid him down to sleep the sleep of q
weary man, ho W fierce a battle was fought and
won in that adjoining chamber. Perhaps he
might have read the secret, had he stayed to
breakfast. in the haggard looks of his host.
Bat at a very early hour Father Donovan was
on his way to the house at which he had ar
ranged to say Mass, and when OMears came
down to breakfast he found that his reverend
guest had departed nearly two hours before.
CHAPTER XIV.
A very important parsonage in his own esti-
NATION, and that of the little world around
him, was BARNEY Lenigban. the Ballycross
pestmau. Toe very personification of Off oial
dignity looked he as, with his leathern bag
slung over his shoulder, he plodded patiently
along the highways and byways of his allotted
district, as ragged beg his pardon, as pic
turesque-as he was light-hearted, as witty as
he was slow. For summer sun and winter snow.
equinoctial gales and autumn rains, were all
alike to Barney and whether he climbed q
mountain or descended one, threaded q wood
STEADY was his motto, aud as nobody ever pre-
sumed to question it's propriety, he never
guiCkon6d his pace.
A different kind Of experience was Barney 3
from that Of his city brethren but though his
progress was not marked like theirs by o sue
oession of eleotrifying ran tame, his visits were
often the turping-point of many humble
fortune and the crisis of many hidden life.
Letters that communicated the crashing of
banks and laundering of fortunes, the death 8
of rich relations and the births of heirs to vast
estates, rarely, perhaps never, foand place in
Barney's bag; but letters strangely folded and
wonderfully spelt, bearing English, American
| aud Australian postmarks, brimfal of love for
] the old home, the old country and the old
| faith, :" often rewarded the mothers' hearts and
| lovers eyes that had waited and watched for
| many a day in silent expectation. Aud then
who more glad than Barney, or who more i'm
portant than he, as with apectacles on nose he
| real the precious document, aloud or apart, as
| the case might be- for those who were not able
| to read it for themselves
| Never perhaps, since the day that the q rst
| postman, whoever he may have been, started
| on his rounds, had two lotters of greater i'm
| portauce to those about to receive them been
logged in leatheru bag than two that Barney
carried one morning across the hills, addressed
| among others, to toe Glebs House, B ALLY cross.
And Jet go slow bad been Barney's progress on
this particular occasion that, although the par
| sonage was his first house of call. the break
| fast party had broken up long since and, for
| getting The very existence of a post, had sepa-
| rated 30 their several pursuits. When, there
| fore, the great bell rang, and budget OF
| various shapes and sizes was handed in at the
door, what with Mr.. Neville in his study, the
Professor in the library, Miss Barbara in her
| bedroom, aud Maude in the garden. the old
butler had to make quite circuit of discovery
before he could assign each epistle to its re-
spective owner
so unusually energetic was Blrney's peal on
this occasion that it's echoes reached Maude in
| q little secluded nook at soms distance from
| the house in which she and Fanny were accus-
toned to spend their summer mornings work
ing and reading. they reused her from a deep
aud not very pleasant Teverie; for MauSe now
regretted the course she had adopted, aud ad.
mitted, to say the least of it, that her nterve W
with the doctor had been highly unsatisfactory.
Simple natures that wander from their sim.
plioity are sure to lose their depth, and instead
of rectifying evils invariably make them
worse. Now that Maude had had time for
| reflection, she was forced to admit that a little
extra prudence for the future was all that had
been required to meet the exigencies of the
case, and that her iron resolutions had been
simply waste of time. -.,
That her GOODNESS had had the effect she had
intended was evident; for although a fort
night had now elapsed since the doctors visit,
nothing bad been heard of him since. The