The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-08-25

of the dsputaEt5 with = sensible smile on hei
lips. "Don't you think, Miss DAILY, that you
are giving John fresh evidence Of the truth o
his emarks concerning the creative power oi
Irish eloquencs, when you frighten us out OF
all wish 20 60 to bod TO- night by, suoh Gas
to stone under the effect of yonr denunoiations
| and 10 already. as you may perceive, quite in.
oapebie of holding his bedroom candle
"Of course you laugh at me,.' said Ellen, ris.
ing and laying down the man uscript sheets on
on o table near. II will 60 to bed. 1t ia
waste Of words for me to speak when you can
sneer at DARCY ODopnelrs poems"
II don't sneer," said john, coming CLOSE to
her, and speaking emphatically. "snears i'm
| tempt in the whole paper it 10 you who Will
| read it wrong. 1t is respectful throughout,
for have put out all my powers, and praise
You put yourself on o height and judge"
"Critics always must
"Then they are always wrong"
"Psrhaps but yon will at least allow that
'You have praised his rhymes; but, fond of
such praise as Copnor is, he will hate 1t, when
IL is given at the expense of all he believes in
and cares for, as heartily as hate it for him.
l would not advise you to trust that manu-.
script in his hands if he were here to night"
IF !ou wonld show me where you think
am unjust, instead of eondemning the whole
said John, depreoatingly, 81 am not beyond
conviction and though you may not believe
it, have o sincere wish to speak the truth.
If you would specify-"
81 can't" answered Ellen. "You would call
it ell exsggerat ion: it would be, just ss your
sister says, giving you fresh evidence to tarn
against rs. Give me my candle and let me go,
I don't think I will ever tell you what really
think again about anything care for. Pl
know now how you will take it,"
John turned away abruptly, took bedroom
csndle from q table, and lit 1t slowly: then,
low voice that could only reach her ear
"Wnat you said last was too bad. You talk
of other people being cruel but that was
great deal worse than oruelty-it was revenge.
You must have known how it would hurt me-"
Goodnight said Ellen, aloud. ~ am sor-
~ if / am cross, but can't help it good might
Miss Thornley, know you are wishing me
away, for you said you still had q good deal
long since"
Bride turned to her brother as the door
closed behind Ellen
!" Like oaks and towers they had giant grace.
Those western shepherd seers.' P"
she quoted, laughing "Such an exhibition
does make one feel ones own moderate size,
mentally and bodily, does it not I quite
believe now in the OFlaherty anct stress. who
frightened the Saxons into paying tribute;
but, my dear john, I beg your pardon TO.
"Annoyed is not the word-it goes great
deal deeper than that"
"I am sorry, but realIy-her opinion is
worthless-utterly wort thless on such q m after
as this. You could not expect half-educated
girl-don't vince at the phrase, John, yon
know che is half educated in oor sense Of the
TOfd.to appreciate s1oh NH NwrtIg .p as yours yours
the best piece of criticism you have ever
written"
"Criticism is horrid trade. She was right
in saying that it withers up the craftsmen as
we'll as their victims. We have stultided our
selves over it-you and /, Bride. In our hor-
Tor of sentiment we have toppled over on the
other side, and grown as false as that which
we wish to avoid"
sit is only our crust, and people whose lik
ing is worth having will make their way
through it, and find us out"
at is q desperate hope, though, when the
liking is a matter of life and death; and there
are people with no crust. Does anyone about
here know, wonder, what sort Of person this
ycnug Ireland poet-this O'Donnell-isi Not
that it is any concern of mine. The impor-
ant question to me is, are my criticisms un-
just" {"
alwsys given me right over yonr compost
tions since the first you brought to me, and
have given my imprimatur to this. Let me take
it away and pack 1t up bsfore you spoil it,"
mo, no, leave it where it ia !"
"But you won't meddle with it to night in
the mood You are in !"
"No. will take night to think it over;
but leave it on my writing table. l will not
touch it till tomorrow morning, and then not
unless l fiud there is good reason"
or course you'll spoil it; bnt see you must
to get her candle, she came up behind him,
and put both her hands on his shoulders.
John, there's just word more to be said
however iDpervious our crust may be to other
people, between us two it can never be . dis
guise. No pc ssib,e armor of cynicism yOu
could put on would ever hide the real yoH
from me- know well enough that my liking
is not g matter of life and death; but what.
ever you want ftom it, it is always there, and
will not, think, fail you.
"Thank you /; have been wishing to
thar you for o long time, only did not know
how to get ont the words. for being go kind
to her, and for making this week what
believe shall be glad OF ell my life, even If,
as is most likely, 1 never have another likeit.
You will have enough Of such to tire out
my good behavior, and force me against my
will to own that oaks and towers,' and giant
graces, and enthusiasms, are not as much to
my taste as more commonplace materials,
which, to my mind, wash and wear better.
Do you remember my telling you that IL was
well for me to keep certain possibility
con cerning you in my mind, that might be
able to bear il when it came, and yonr saying
you could not see what there would be to
bear y
"And L don't now. 1 should have thought
that such companionship we have had
lntelV wOuld haye been preataat dalipht