The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-07-08

1
then, with spring that scattered the con,
tents of his mistress's workbasket right ana
left. bounded from the room;
"Bat, BatT cried Maude, sprinRiog srom
| her chair In great alarm, thinking her huge
favorite must DO going mad put no bat up,
pesred. just ct that moment, however, peal
| ct tho ponderous door. bell awoke every como
In the sleepy house into chorus OF fepetitlonss
and the moment after 0 firm football traversed
the vestibule and passed along the passage.
The next, old Mills appeared nc the drawing'
room door and with him one whose race,
aishoueh bropzed and weatberbeaten, was
strangely familiar.
| "Dr. O'Mearap
| In vain he tried to reach her, 1or mI I" =
| Bat. conoeiving himself to have, not only =
prior but an exclusive, right on his old . mas,
ter's attentions, pertinaciously he'd .ae%
| asunder by O series of leaps nc the oocUof
"Down, Bat. down! Good dog there
there, that will dow But not 80 thought Bat
| and it was not until his rsptnres had some
what subsided. that anything k iS s.tsr aOa
| was, for II sofseued q greeting that might
other wise have been somewhat restricted one on
| on both sides. A merry laugh signaltsed the
| meeting of the long-severed hands when they
did meet, aud the ice once broken, after o few
| preliminary questions and replies, they sat
down and chatted away. jnst as they had done
He had much to tell her about Rome. much
to ask and hear about Baiyoross; ana MS Hta
raj to her. She spoke Of her own conversion,
Of Mrs. Carew, and of her happiness in her
people. Bot though she described her arrival
at Neville Court, and told him how we'll Fred
Donovan had managed the fete given on the
occasion, she did not tell him how spiritless
and dull that fete had seemed to her without
him. Then sadly and softly she spoke OF her
unoie's death, of his children's grief, and Of
| pe or aunt Barbara's miserable life at the Glebe
House. At last she could remember nothing
more to tell him, and then the conversation
turned once again to Rome.
| "Poor Eousvesp said Maude, shaking her
bead sadly, as the doctor concluded desorip,
ton of the final struggle. Poor Eouaves and
poor dear Holy Father! Can nothing more Dc
done to help himf" go
"Yes, by our prayers, but no longer with
the arms of this world. or Richard OMeara
would not be here" he replied
"When did you arrive at Ballycross !" she
asked, after o short pause
Zone hour since. l called on Father Dono-
van on my way from the station, but found
him out. So I sent nay baggage to the old
place to gladden. Betty's eyes, and dropped in
here"
"Then If you have only just arrived, 1 dare
cav You have not heard q somewh surprising
piece of ne VS." said Maude mysteriously.
"Yes, have" he replied STOPPING suddenly
to caress Bat /; "that is to say If the news you
mean has reference TO convent" he added, in
o tremulous voice.
"That is what do mean were you not sur
prsed to hear it"
NEED you ask I" he replied, in a manner SO
strangely unlike himself that she glanced at
him in establishment. The fact was, he had
| found her SO thoroughly unchanged, so com.
| pletely the Maade Neville of old, that be had
| begun to think that the report he had heard
must have beeu untrue, and this sudden con-
| frmation Of it from her own lips was too much
| for his self possession.
| at would be hard to soy" he continued,
"wbetber the event itself, or the suddenness
| with which it seems to have been arranged,
| surprised me most."
| Yes; it has been sudden, certainly" che
| replied; Every sudden indeed at the last and
then there 10 always suoh com bination OF
| Beems to me that the shadows on religious life
must be slight in comparison to its brightness
or course / know the parting will be hard
when the moment comes, but feel very happy
| vertheless."
There was q short silence, during which the
doctor played abstraotedly with B1vs ears
while Maude looked ont upon the dreary flow
or beds.
Every few of the people about hsre seem &c
look upon the fact of woman giving hereet
to God as brightly as do" she continued
land am very glad that nuch sunny even
as wanderers return should be associated
with it. l expect all Ballycross will 60 mad
with delight at seeing you again, for every one
have received letter from the convent thi
morning." she added, fixing next Monday fo
our journey, 80 you see you have just come il
time to take my post. Poor Mr. Reynolds b.
generally speaking but do not fancy he pos
sesses the qualities necessary to meet the va
rious little exigsncies that occasionally ocou
} on suoh an estate as this, without q stronge
will than bis own at the helm"
81 should imagine not" replied the doctor
, land it lie for this reason, and for this reaso
alone, that am here. had made arrange
ments to pass the winter in London; but whe
heard of your-that is to say of this, l cam
: strsight off at once"
Again she looked at him as though muc
3 surprised, but without noticing it, he COL
tinued,
t "You must possess the virtue of detaot
: meut in q high degree Mise Neville, to
/ able to contemplate the future as calmly as yc
n do"
t al au afraid not, DR.. oMeara." she auswe
0 ed with q qniet SMILE "You see me now tbs
T have grown accustomed to the Thought
= this, hut at first it was q heavy trial. can q
o sure you. The departure of one from the haI
f Ply little circle that Mrs. Carew, Fanny, and
f have formed lately could not fail to be paint
a to every one of US. Still am certain, ye
T quite certain, that the step is n right on
3 though l can see you do not think 80 )" and 81
looked ut him inQuiringly.,
EXCUSE me, Miss Neville; but as am pc
q Ea0tlv awara that whatAver Bentimants {