The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-07-29
4HE MORNING STAR AD CATHOLIC
who bad be ed bis steso, awaited the strAngers .


Sir" said he, raising his beaver rs the
your directions touching my route 2" Just az
| be was about Co explain his desire to be put
| into the road to Elmley Lovet o sudden like
| ness struck him, and the thought flashed across
| his mind that this parsonage might be the OBJ
| ject of his uncle's most determined hatred.
"You are in the parish OF Rusbock," replied
the stranger; II know not wbiIber yon may
chance to be bound, bnt IL to Kiddermlnster,
you should follow this lower road"
Have the honor to address Mr.. Finch T.
enquired Gervase.
III am he," returned the other some " hat
stifi have you business with me sir -
"No, sir, not precisely, saving that as had
the honor of meeting your daughter, Mistress
Clara Finch, at Dame W s's at Harrington, l
would willingly have paid my respects to her
| father"
"Hai Then your name is Saoheverill !" ex-
claimed the squire heartily. Clara told me
about you, sy, and related that which made
| me thank God for His goodness--thst even in
these days of persecution and obloqny there
should be found some ready to follow His call
Come along" be- pursued, shaking him warmly
| by the baud, !" and take pot=lnok with Us at
Rusbock. Ny house is hard by among yon
trees and there you will find Mistress Clara,
and perchanoe too Master johnson, whom You
know"
az will willingly tarry to see Mistaess Clara, !"
quoth Gervsse; but never yet fell in with
Master Johnso far as / can recall"
Hush my friend; you will remember hi N
when you meet, but pray bear in mind that
here his name is johnson" )" said the fqnire.
Following the lane which assembled the ac-
clvity they came upon little church at the
summit of the knoll, whence there was a dis
tant prospect of the various bills which bound
the basin of Worcestershire. Lickey, Client,
Clee. Abberley, Woodbury. and Malvern we're
all visible in the panoramic view, extending
over fertile, welltimbered and undulatin <
plain, in which the smoke of distant towns
and Villages might be- discovered dotted about
the Landscape. Adjoining the chufchyard
RnE hall taA ma
house bearing evidence of considerable antQ
uity. Originally timber structure surround
ing three sides of a quadrangle il had 81 II rel
from the vicissitudes OF time, and had erddn
ally been modernised by restoIaJons and ad-
ditors until il had almost entirely lost its
med pgal character. There was nevertheless
an air of comfort and repose not unallied witH
the pictucesq que in the brick ard stone facade
opening upon garden hemmed in with high
stone walls ard planted with quajntly clipped
evergreen hedges. TIE entrance WAS across a
bridge over half empty moat on the side of
the house which still displayed some of it's
primary halflimbered construction. To tie
left of the porch was q vast stone buiiding z
looking like an ancient tithe- barn, but which
now served the purpose of a stable Thither
the squire conducted his guest, aud handed
over their horses to the care of lad, to whom
Gervase failed not to give particular instruc
tons touching the treacherous nature of his
filly.
''She looks as if you had knocked most of
the vice out of her." observed the squire; "she
must have had good run to. day, at any rate,
judR ing from her coat"
"Yes sir /; to say the truth, have lot spared
her more than she has spared me-" returned
Sacheverill. when l mounted her this NOR :
| ing she reared on end and rolled backward on
the swsrd; but after clearing gate and gal
Looping on the turf, found her AS docile as O
| lamb, until she came upon a herd of deer,
| which set her off afresh, with the bit between
| her teeth pluDging ike - mad thing and tear.
| ing down steep hill, where every noTnent ]
| was expecting a downfall. and maybe a broken
neck. KS coed Providence would have it,
| she ched the bottom safe aud sound"
"Aud saved your soul, my friend, from
| doom W hich may Alrni Ghty God avert" rejoined
| the sGuire gravely: howbett you have punish
ed her we'll for her freak bat your hosts should
never have mounted you on such a wild, uu-
broken colt Now, COVE along, that may
! show you nv house, and perchance tempt y ou
! to parTake of it's slender hospiCality.'
SO saying he led the way by the back of the
stables through door in the garden wall, by
| which he conducted him, among the clipped
hedges of holly aud box. to a bowling alley
| and u green Lawn surrounded with holly hooks
| which, together with few msrgolds anC
| geutians, still continued to bloom aud enliveu
the snug garden in that autumnal season..
| Gervase tor mach overwhelmed a.
| this unexpected opportunity of meeting
the beautiful young lady, whose image EsG
| left such deep impression upon his fancy, Il
| have considered the imprudence of his act, o
| even to have recollected that his relations a
| Elmley would be anxious for his return to tn
| midday meal. To find himself TINS installed
! in Clara's home with the sancton of her father
in whom he had almost expected to fnd an op
ponent rather than favorer of his views
| seemed to him the height of good fortune.
~ do not know where Clara may be-" quotl
her father "but if you will tarry for me in th
| garder, will return to you anon, for mus
see that q cover is laid for YOU. am expect
ing your acquaintance. Mr.. johnson, as we ca
him here, to honor my table with his preseno o'
and another guest, who, although Papis
you will md man of cultivation and goo
parts"
Cisrvase now thoroughly understood that th
person whom he designated Nr Johnso
must be Farher Joachim. He was aware tha
in those days of trou ble and persecution prizes
were wont to pass by various names as attort
ing tbem the only practical means of cifcui
tug throughout The large districts assigned /
them for their missionary labors, witnor
being subject to the constant danger of arres
Left to himself, he sauntered along the graz
, walks looking wistfully back at the mnIliol
ed windows of the picturesque mansion
hopes of catching a sight of the lovely crestu
whom he ex pected soon to meet; AT the II
end of the garden a long dark alley owe
, Swallowed by yews meeting overhead and forT
ing an arcade impenetrable to rain and su
= | A.. 10 ha6 pvallr tha