The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-11-17
CASTLE DAILY:
Story of an Irish Home Thirty Years Ago
ICon.:nued)

ret rooms 10 await James Morris appearance
with his disgnIse, while she herself set ont on
her walk across the hills. They were ID IA ake
the shortest aud sbe the lor gest route TO the
river ; for il was i'm portant that neither party
should arrive 81 t1.i. desiin alton long before
the other, for feAr Ct attracting observation
while waiting about. For 8 few miles Ellen
walked on mech nical!y, hardly able TO keep
her eyes free enough from biiudlr tears to see
the path che was following bct by degrees the
solemn beauty of the sanset on he hi began
to exercise q soothing II tluence and she grew
calmer. The evening " IS perfectly can; there
would not be- ripple on the lake 20 binder tie
rowers On such al evening the boat voy age
down Lough Corrib 20 Galway vould be easily
managed while the darkness lasted. If there
had been o contrary wind 1t might Eave been
impossible to make il in time 70 reach the YES
eel before al e sailed.
As yet all looked well; the evening was clos
ing in gently, tie shadows crept farther and
grew darker in the valleys, sud hardly q leaf
stirred the little lakes scattered between the
hills Redeemed and whiteDed again, and lay
glimmering coldly like sim sheets OF ttos sted
silver the sunset glow had faded every here
bat on the tops oftLe highest hills " hen Ellen
reached the boa house. She was the first I }
arrive, and had two hours of anxious waiting.
Sometimes she paced the road near the river,
unable to rest !; and then, fearing II attract
notice, she forced herself to ait still in the
shadow of the boat house. No one passed but
girl driving G COW to its pasture and gos-
soon with the Castle DAILY post, bag on his back
whistlipg q gay tune ae he ran. He had run
iust 80 last night, Ellen thought, with the Rows
that W as worth Con nor's life bshind him.
Bat what did the delay meant Could James
Morris possibly have failed themf Coald they
have been stopped on the wayi Just as tae
wonder began toigtow into ar agony OF aPpre
straining to see emerged oat Of the dark DIS
tance and rapidly approached her. =
'An right" Counor's voice cried when they
were yard or two distsnr, aud Ellen noticed
cheer in it. Then, as they came close. be
whispered in her ear, I'VE waited at the Hol-
low till nearly dark (; for Morris has Ie3s1n to
think / was seen yesterday, and that the police
are on the look to get hold of me bat the
danger is nearly over now-ouce in the boat
we'll dc. l defy stranger to get down the
river and across the hesd of the lake in onr
time, and they'll not fad any of the boys ho
know the currents ready to help them I'd un-
deEtake myself to keep boat within sight tf
Hens Castle all night rowing hard"
Norris L sd gone 10 TO the boat house aud now
brought ont Lesbia's trim little pleasure sk:ff.
in which they all took their places, Ellen at
the helm, and Coubor and James each taking
an oar. They hardly spoke word till they
had left TIE river far behind them and were
half way across the head OF the lake, nearing
the narrow channel that opeGed INTO the wider
waters, where they could feel hen s3lves com
paratiVely cafe.
The moon had risen. and t-ppL ng With
silver the 10 ned tlrrets of the "ifch's Castle
as they passed the isl and auotGer ten minu tes'
rowing brought them opposite Castle DAILY.
There were lights in the wiudo We, and the out
line of the Old house stood clear and dark
egn to James, and balancing their oars, they
kept the boat stationary for few seconds
while he looked up, aud Ellen felt as if great
cry of pGin must burst out from ber heart in
voluntarily, sharp pGng OF sympstNet
sorrow shot through ii, as she thought of all
the recollectons, and regrets that must crowd
themselves into that silent farewell Ia min
ute Couuor dropped bis oar into the water ard
the sharP, splashing eound thAt followed
always had an accent of regret in 1t to Elien's
ears whenever sLe beard it nfterwa De. No
mark was made till they bad entered the
channel and lost sight of the Castle lights, and
then Connor stooped forward aud whispered
to Ellen:
james saga they were to come back this
evening" mother and Lesbia and Pelham.
They are in there now-happy, hope. Well,
tell her went away wearing her livery (touch-
ing his coat sleeve) her slave to the last I'm
glad of it. She did n not believe loved her nor
did you either; bat did. 1t was not all such
ajoke with me Us you choose to fancy. l may
have made fool OF myself som metimes, bpt
they'll be very happy. Tell her aud my mother
that l would have done wha: you know of, if
John Thornley, had not been beforehand with
me-
When they had left the channel they struck
out to sone distance from the shore, and Ellen
seemed to breathe more freely the expanse
of waters around them widened and widen ed
out, making her feel shut in and sheltered be-
tween the brooding wings of night aud the
dividing waters. All night long the dip of the
oars and the ripple OF the waves against the
blutb OF OOAI kepb up question: AUu al
answer that che seemed to be trying to under
stand.
1t was not always of Connor and the part.
ing close at hand thst they seemed to speak;
it was oftenest of Anne, whose voyage through
the night with the dark waters of death over
her head and the "shelterioE arms" under
meath her bearing her on TO eternal sCnrise,
was frequently SO present to Eileu's mind ns to
shut out all recollection Of her own position.
Sometimes, however, James and Conpor broke
the oppressive monotouy of sound by taking
up q sonS-oue of the Ole boating songs they
used to sing in old times-auG then Ellen
gathered up all the power she had TO an inten-
sity Of listening, that no clear fresh ote ofthe
sweet boyish vocc-the voice she never
to hear singing again-shOuld escape beE ears.
As the grey dawn crept mp the sky the wind
freshened little, and Connor insi,ted on
wrapping the greAtcoat James had thought
fully brought for him, round Ellen, wto snud-
deTed 18th cold
Never mind, )" James said, at was q breath
of the sea that had met them; and the neigh
borhood of the sea meaut freedom and safety
close at haud-within their grasp--if, plea -
God, misfortune the last hOur to