The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-10-20
CASTLE DAILY:
Story of an irish Home Thirty Years Ago.
(Conttnued.)

small, when in the hot afternoon horses hoof
were heard cro ssing the bridge that Eilei
came to the bedside to per su sde her against re
ceiving visitors that day, but Anne was resotote
sJust for O moment she pleaded, ~ may no
have another chance; bring little LesDla IN, TOO
Iwant to have q vision of btta their faces u
carry away with me. shonld Ike TO strength
en- the links between myself and them by Jos
q word or two more
Ellen ran down stairs to bring the guests to
Apne's room end met John and Lcsbia mount
ing the steps of the hous,.
sis this change they. speak oi better OF
worse 7" John asked, anxiously.
II was the first time he and Ellen had met aI
the Hollow since last summer but both were
too full of thoughts of Anne for embarrassing
recollectons.
'sIt is freedom from pain for the present, pos
sibly for a week 80, DR. Lyrch thinks" Eli
len ans wered, land she has set her heart on
making use of the time 10 SEQ her friends. Don t
be afraid, Babette, her face is very pale aud
thin, but there is no expression OF pain on 1t
now, and she talks and smiles day quite like
her old self"
So John thought when he entered the room
and found Anne hslfsitting up in bed, with
both hands outt stretched towards him, and the
eager light of welc one on her face with which
81 am glad it is onoe more," che said, zone
more kindly welcome to Good Peoples Hollow
from me to you. Set it against other things in
your thoughts of the place and now take
scat by me, for have something particular TO
say to you"
il John hoped from the significance with
which the kindly welcome had been spoken
that what was coming would have reference to
his own concerns he was mistaken. Ellen and
Lesbia withdrew to the window, ont OF hear
ing of Annes low tones; but the condolences
slowly breathed ont referred only to
must be wake, of course. and people
would flock from all parts of the neigh
borhood; ard Anne feared, if it should occur
about harvest time, while this uneasy expeo
tation of disturbance lasted, that the assembl-
ing of so many people together might be made
O pretext for violence by one side or the other.
'I trust to You and to Pelham to watch '" she
said 'tif any of my people were to get into
trouble while was ly ing here dead, think it
would disturb me 80 that must get up out of
my coffin and come back. Al they will not
listen to anyone else. yon must bring Ellen to
speak to them, and tell them to go home
peaoeably t,r the love of God and NE. They
will understand and obey her. You are think
ing that after life time of working among
them ought to have brought them to a better
state than to need such appeals, and don't
say it is not so; but / have governed them to
the best of my knowledge; and at least their
hearts are warm towards each other, and rev.
erent towards God and there are places, per.
-haps, where 30 mnch as that can't lie said of
the lowest people"
Murdock Maischy had taken Mr. Thornley's
and Lesbia's horses round to the stables. and
while they were being brought back Ellen and
John and Losbia walked in the garden at the
back of the house, avoiding the bridge by tact
consent. John could speak of no one but Anne.
Her few last words had touched him deeply.
at is very uncommon" ;" he said, ''to meet with
woman in whom care for the general good is
strong, that to the last it overpowers all
personal feeling, and keeps the mind on the
alert, foreseeing for others to the very verge of
life. She is o born queen"
Yes" Ellon said, 'sutferng as she is, she
would like to stay TO help us through the dark
times that are coming after the harvest. Sho
said just now she was willing to wait here till
the storm burst, and think feel more CRATE
fnl to her for at. than for all tn help she las
given me in her life. 1t has been habit with
me ever sirce l can remember to fly to Anne
whenever there was trouble hans gng over Con
nor. To fear for him, with her away, would be
mere than could bear"
"Could not you persuade him, by an appeal
to his affection for her and you, to keep out of
trouble in this crisis, and spare panR u her
Lest daysf j fear be has done much to commit
himself; still, if he would go abroad, or visit
your Uncle Pelham in England till the next
month is over, all might be we'll. l had letters
this morning which determined me to speak of
this to-day. He would listsn to you, perhaps,
and to her speaking from her death bed when
no other remout trance would take effect"
Ellen's face flushed 81 she answered quickly,
"Could you, if you were in Conn or's place, lis
ten to any appeal, from dying bed even, that
called on yon to desert your friends in the
moment of danger to go back from all Your
professions because the time had come when
it cost You something to act on themf Have
ri9ht-has even Aune a right-to ask him to
be coward and traitor l had rather
break my heart over him in prison. or in his
grave"
81 look on Connor rather as a victim than as
responsible partisan" John answered quiet
ly. HE has been led, through the vehemencs
of his friendships, to take part IN measures he
has not sufficient experience to judge sanely. l
want to save him from suffering the full, dire
consequences of his friends mist Akes. Since it
is now plain to all competent judges that the
talked of rising will simply be an actofn.adness
in all who take part in il, can't imagine why
you should shrink from persuading him not to
fulfil such Herods vows"
THE madness is not 80 plain to bin TO me.
If thought l could persuade C"nnor to keep
out of dagger when the rest of them in IT,.
might perhaps be tempted to try. 1t would
save us-ah, you don't know what AEonv, to
know that he was safe, hiding under ULcle
Pelham's wing while things were happening
in Ireland; but don't know that We should
gain much in reality. When it was all over,
when his friends had perhaps trumphed, or
more likely been crushed, it would not be Con-
nor DAILY who would come back TO Us from the
safe hiding-place; We should never an ything
moro of him with the warm heart aud high
spirit for all there would be left OF him.
think be might as well have made his grave
with his friends, be sent amongst felous
he Mr. b.n 49,