The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-06-24
Nernlng Star and Catholic Messenger
INV ORLEANS. SUNDAY, JUNE ga 1871.
CHAPTER XIV.

calling or writing, but shrunk To" 'no %,
ortion necessary for doing either one or the
other. Fanny, too, had now begun to wonder:
from time to time, what could have become OF
him, hut evidently did not care sumciently
abons the question to take any pans husvinS !"
herself with o multiplicity OF ahairs, appa-
rontIy her own bright self, though growing
thinner and paler every day. haudie, my my
quietly" her uncle would say as be fond!y
ssrokcd her hair. "1hs whole Of the estate
put together Is not worth the roses IL is is TO-" !"
bling you of. Take tbings quietly. child y
Mande did take things quietly, and Withont
ain gle gesture of weariDess would sit morning
after morning, in the library with Mr.. Rry-
nolds, patiently learning her new dnties. NO
one suspected bow much she missed the kind
bright face that had 40 often peeped IN az tne
library door on these occasions: ana stayed
sometimes for an bour at u time, helping them
s'oooked accounts' that had perhaps been
= bothesiaR- them half the morning ana yet
she did miss him, for 1t was Richard OMeaIs
himself who had put the idea into ~ Msuues
ment of her estate. At first the young 6 girl mao
naturally shrunk from pursuit SO unoSuHo
nial to her tastes but the doctor had soown
her 60 plainly the advantage, pom .ho eo ssstem
that was TO regulate the relation Setween
between them. that she had conquered hee re-
pugusnce. aud under his tnition and guidance
had become, according to Fanny, "qute wo-
man of business" less determined charac-
ter, bereft Of this guiding power, would have
abandoned everything into her agents hanus. y
Not so Meude. Too mach oil SIR l naoIcat
strong will had descended to his daughter
with her patrimony to allow her 10 Dc easily
discouraged; and though her head often aonen
sadly over the large, ugly, red BOOKS, sne sun
plodded on with a constancy worthy OF sparta
in her most determined days. :.
Nor was this her only trial. Added to II
WAS the eyer-recurring question, IN wha' hai
Der she should free herself from the 'raWmeis
- hA. ~t.,I r.S, ,rtr nd
in right of her baptism, child OF the lioiy
Roman Church. 1t was q dtiicnlt qnestioh ior
q young girl to decide alone, and night aiter
night she poudered and planned aud came to
q dozen different decisions. while day after
day abe wondered and waited, fearing TO pu'
any of them into prac ice. a..
It was hardly surprising that sucn connie
should prove too severe for constitutioi
naturally delicate. Maude fell i'll, so III tina
Fanny one morning appeared at her father
bedside, aud begged him, with tears in he
much feared that Msude had caught fever
Greatly alarmed, Mr.. Neville despatched
messenger st once; and while Fanny watcne
her cousin with almost breathiess anxiety up
IL, stationed himself ut the library window
catch the hrst glimpse of the doctor. In
news spread through the hCusehoid IKE WI.
fire, aud the old servants, who hsd iearneo !,
love Maude hardly less than her relatives, tui
shared with them the Rn1iettes OF suspense
her distress Fanny had hastened TO aunt bs
bara, and begged her to come to Maude's roo
tn ace what she thought of her symptoms. b
M snoner did the word fever strike the tyr
p1uum of that lady's ear than she re eqnest
Fanny to leave her instantly, comple1eo q
toilette in frantic haste, and after harassli
the whole household with fruttless deman
for chloride of lime and other disinieotsn
betook herself to a room over the Stables i'
- bidding any one from the house TO approa
her under pain of her severesI aiSp.1as p"i,S ,Sa
AT last the messenger arrived with the
AAiIicence that DR.. O'Meara had lett Two GA
preyIously for Dublin, but ADDED tnat
Frederic Donovan, who was taking bis pla
daring his absence, would be with them II
Fev minutes, The servant had hardly Civ
his message before that gentleman arrived, q
t0 che intense JOY of everybody pronoune
the illness only feveLish attack; coca SeSasset ae
weather. He prescribed rest, qniet, and Sc
tives, and took his departure: after intormi
them that DIR. O'MearA would probably be
sent for fortnight.
the general Joy and that venerable spins
sat uuheeded in her retreat until aosoi
atarvetion forced her out OF 1t. lt was an
oopeoiAtior to fnd that she had been the '
tim of false alarm, and she tried to compl'
Bat suoh unanimous verdict OF served
right beamed on every face she encounter
that after her breakfast (for which the co
With a refinement of cruelty, oontrived
make her wait another hRlf-hour) she reti
with o grOAn of disgust to her own ro
where she oonaoled herself by writing TIVE
In the mean time news of Miss Nevilles
ness had reached Neville Court, and very q
Afterwards, as though ou the wings OF
wind, Mrs. Barton might have been sect
the road to the Glebe House. Then che
hereelf to the sw est task of nursing her darl
and 90 we'll did she prescribe for her, tha
the end of O few days Maude Looked almo'
bright az usual, and had u long chat
Fanny, who made her laugh heartily over
aunt Barbara's self-imposed captivity.
Fanny's departure, Mrs. Barton arranged
patient for the night, and having exunRui
the lights, lest they might disturb her,
down in the quiet moonlight to say her n
prayers.
The old lady's devotions were rather /
aud the room was quiet and the Iigt
soft and dreamy, that lJtle by little the
lids thoughts wandered back into cha
from which she had resoluteiy kept
during her illness. But both mind and
were 100 weak to face such perplextties c
ly, and Maude soon burst into quiet
Weeping. But, quiet as it was, 1t reaoheS
apot on which the old housekeeper was
lug: and in q moment such loving arms
ro1nd her, and such q loving voice was
ing to know the cause of her grief, that NJ
could resist no longer, but told her the