The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-09-01
CASTLE DAILY: .
TIE
Story of an Irish Home Thirty Years Ago.
(Cont tinued.)

Continuedo
Ellen stood still, watching the two reoedipg
jReures their shRdows stretching across tine
moonlit lawn till they had passed the garden
rate and disappeared down the road; and then
she could not resist the temptation OF etePPip
herself across the threshold into the garden TO
breathe The fresh night air, fragrant with
flower scents, and looking up at the windows
of the silent house. shaded for sleep ae stiu .
If it were death. II che had dared, che wonId
have liked to stay outside and Walt TOT tue
summer sunrise. now not far off. The steaitby
retreat into the house, and then the sohtery
hours of selfq uestioning, when the e1eitemeht
had passad and she had betaken herself to the
position of the silent sleepers overhead, iook-
cd extremely distasteful, but it had to Ds gone
through. She left the key on the hall table;
xefecting that she must trnst to the servants
aonorel reputation for oarelessness, and t' the
pre- occupation Of o morning before journey,
20 escape any rigorous investigation as to the
roason of it's being there, and then she crept up
to her own room. She had far less hope than
Bride of being able to shorten the hours by
aloep, for her uncomfortable reflections lnciud-
cd some self-reproaoh and much sell. q questlon. .
ing. She had always made herself the siave OF
Connor's schemes from earliest childhood,
when the discrepancy between their father 9
and their mothers views on education created
. large uncei ain margin between permissible
Q certain amount OF contrivance seemed only
necessary to avoid dsagreeable collisions BE-
tween the ruling powers; c
1t was an old, old habit to shield Connor,
and futher his undertakings. however wild /;
but was it right, was 1t not leading now 10
more serious consequences than che had ever
contemplated The warning sentences at the
end Of John Thornleys essay came back to her
memory in all their terrible force of plain rea.
noning and strong, sober sense. II he should
DO right and Yonpg Ireland wrongi For q
cause that was Gel sinly good. she thought
she could even bear to see her brother throw
away his life, If 1t were neoeseary-sure that
such throwing away was worthy, and would
not fail of its reward in the far end; but for
f. ho
good IL 1t were attsined-that was the misery
to etand in the dark and choose as she felt
these young men. Connor's leaders, were 10
ing. Was It heroic, or was it only rash
them, was it only weak impatienoe that made
them clutch at desperate remedies. or was it
the divine instinct that, in q nstion's darkest
hours draws its true sons toge ether, and in
spires them with that breath of new life which,
blowing over dry bones picked bare by oppres-
eors. and breathing through hearts tnrned to
dust of despair, raises up from them mighty
the light of o new day crept into the room,
Ellen rose from her bed and sat at the window
with @ weary, aching pain at heart, which the
not soothe away. Thst joyous sunlight would,
she knew, illumine many q death bed OF starv-
ing men aud women and children. before it
faded in the red west. She longed for some
perplexitiee, without kno wing beforehand that
he OF she had prejudged all The questions that
troubled her. Most deeply ehe regretted that
old habits of reserve, and the unexpressed but
always felt division of interest in the family,
made her mother more utterly out of reach as
y helper and confdsnt than any stranger. She
know that if she were to confess her sn1ietiet
about Connor to her mother, it would not be
welcomed 3 mark of confidence, but regard
ed as q cruel attempt to lay fresh burdens or
shoulders already sinking under their load
The first effort of the day must be to put away
all trace of the nights agitation, and bring 6
cheerful couptenanoe to her mothers bedside
heF-A5V sAttffn0.