The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-08-25
CASTLE DAILY:
Story of an Irish Home Thirty Years Ago.
(Continued.)
THE

was comfortably arranged for the evening meal
Prosperity agreed with Bride Thornley's looks
that 10 to say, the neat figure and small feat,
ured, colorlees, intellectual face that had
looked Insignificant when che was clad In tue
scsuty drsb garments she had affected when
left to her own devices, had an air OF rehnemenf,
and even of distinction, when set on by the
and iaces that Lesbia's taste imposed. Neither
were the other outside appliances OF wealth. 30
incapable of giving Miss Thornley, pleasure as
she was apt to imagine; when she i1oksS naek sst
is6ed herself of her guests' comfort, she glanced
round with evident satisfec tion on the pleas
ant room the 1, ,fa drawn in front of cosy
wood fire; the dainty tea service, whose bright
silver and delioatsly colored china reflected
the glow of the flames the softly falling cur
tains and rioh carpets that made pretty
background to the two figures seated by the
fire. She certainly enjoyed making her guests
Welcome to 30 mach comfort, and was pleased
to and herself the moving-spriDg of we'll
Ellen noticed the expression OF complacenoy
that crossed her face, as che fingered IN mute
or two by the door, making hospitabie sugges
tions to Mrs. Daily; and when they were alone,
abe turned to her mother with an impatient
Sigh that had much wonder and spice of con-
tempt In it. i: .,o,.,usa ",hi. i, .,, nav to Mi.
Thornley, she can admire the house as it is
now, and fancy that the fnery does not spoil
"she is q very clever woman. p Mrs. DAILY an
swered, echoing Ellen's sigh; "if had been as
"Oh, mamma! don't don't wish you had
turned the dear old Castle into cockney para
disc while he was in it. How he would have
hated the stiff prim life, and all the little
fads and formalites they make such parade
over"
"Yon are pref JUDGED, Ellen. The quiet and
order are delightful to me ; and cannot help
feeling more comfortable here now, changed
used to feel in the old days of waste and con-
fusion. This is what 1 was accustomed to in
my youtt; and when one is growing old, 1t is
to the habits of ones childhood one turns back
with pleasure. I lie here with my eyes shut,
listening to the atillness or to the regular sub
daod household sounds. till forget the actual
circumstances under which l am here, and
fancy myself either child at home again, in
my dear mothers time, or that this Is PelhRm's
houss as l used in thought ID regulate and ar.
range 1t for him when he was baby, and
had him first in this very room. don't be.
lieve that have once since came quite taken
in the thought that / am here as the guest of
John and Bride Thornley,, the children Of that
cousin who used to be spoken of at Pelham
Court as the least reputable connection of oar
"sdsmms. did you know these very Thorn
ley's in old timesf / wish you would tell me
all you remember ever to have heard about
them"
'Their father had an old fashioned manor.
house about twenty miles from Pelham Court.
He was very dissipated man, wei. known as
horse racer aud gambler. My father and
mother disliked him greatly, and we did not
for his wife, gentle, lady like person, who
lived q very solitary life .shnt mp with her
children, and seldom going anywhere. Once q
year or 30 she would come, bringing one of her
little ones with her, to spend day at Pei
ham Court. 1t was evidently an effort for her
TO come into society, so neglected and unhappy
had she become but she made it for the sake
of keeping up her connection with us, and the
position in the county which was hers by right
Of birth. Iqaite we'll remember her detected,
worn face, like Brides, but bandsomer, and
mt I - n
when stayed at Pelham Court, two years after
my marriage; she came alone that day but
remember her telling me, with tears in her
eyes, an anecdote of her son Johns devotion to
her. IL made an impression on me, for Pelham
was sitting on my knee at the time, little
child of . year old, and thought it was such
love as that should like to grow up between
him and me-"
"Can you remember it," asked Ellen, with
eager curiosity.
"The circumstances are confused in my
memory now but think the story was that
the father had taken the child, without the
mothers knowledge, to come place she dislik-
Cd HE visiting, aud intended keeping him there
through the night, leavinG her in ignorance
whore ne was end that the boy escaped from
the window of the room where he had been
put 60 bed, and ran back through dark win
tors night long distance home to save her, as
Ahe said, some hours of agony. Poor woman
she died worn ont with it at last.
"Then they must have suffered . great deal,
that elder brother and sister. That is how they
came to have suoh quiet, watchful, resolute
faces. am glad you have told me this story,
mamma, IL makes me understand them better.
What was their old home Iikei"
Gan old.fashioned ivy"grown place, with q
moat round it. l rode past it with your father
the day before was married, and remember
being surprised that it did not strike him as
forlorn looking and out Of repiar as taought
it. l had net seen Castle DAILY then. Your
Uncle Charles bought the place some years
after, when Mr. Thornley, had to sell every
thing. He has improved the house, believe,
and means it for Marmaduke when he marries,
It is strange indeed, the odd turns of fortune
and unexpected complications that time brings
with Ii "
every strange" said Ellen, q little faltetipg
ly, for che knew that her mothers thoughts
were contemplating the possibility of time
bringing the strange turn of fortunes wheel
that would place her in the Thornleys's old
home as it's mistress, while they were ruling
in hers. She hastened to start another sub
ject.
"Unole Charles bought their old manor
house, then. Did he lose sight of his cousins
when they were turned ont of itf Did not he
hsW,arF F,HN Al. Aa...