The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-06-23

Ellen did % she was directed, and then wit
s ner ssandkeIcnief yiPed the brows, on who
raised the head sill 10 rested ON her shoulder
The power Of swallowing was gone, but th
moisture TO the lips seemed to bring refresh
and again, finding some relief for her own ex
treme sDgoish Of mind in having this littl
service tS perform. She wore small ivor!
Ia STOPPING 20 wet hsr fathers lips the ribbor
that fastened IL became loose. aud IL slipped
down close 70 his hand his fingers CLOSED
feebly over it, and he smiled. It was more
| shan smile; he was murmuring some worde
low. Ellen put her ear close to cstoh them
Dying for sanother. instead of another-it ID
we'll something worthy at the end of Q care.
less life. In one thing-only in one thing.
like Him." Here breath failed, and there as
few minutes Of very painful gasping but
made great effort to 60 on /; and now with
more con nection In his words. Remember
die forgiving. Tell Pelham and Copnor So.
It was not meant for me, but deserve it.
King Log-Well, out of the way. Tell John
Thornley, am glad did not let him come
here tonight. 1t was my place, not his"
Inc sentences came ont slowly, with long
grew stronger instead of weaker, and that o
look Of more perfect consciousness and an ex-
preston Of peace grew into the face. "If you
bat If you should-toll him forgave him my
death. 1t was through my neglect he was
tempted. and that was glad it was not as he
intended-it woald have been q greater
crime"
"Him do you mean the man who did this ~
know whof"
There was no answer, only o smile some.
thing like one of the old playful smiles that
used to come when Ellen tried to cosx some
piece Of news from her father, and he pre-
tended to be unwilling to trust her. Then,
'Your mother will be happier with Pelham.
missed too"
speech and of intense listening, an hour or
two of the night passed. Old Molly sank on
her knees in q corner of the cabin, and began
to tell her beads rapidly, in q loud voice.
ITO keep off the evil spirits that were try
ing to come in and battle for the soul Of the
dying" she whispered to Ellen, who would
have trembled at the thought at another time, |
but who had no spaoe in her mind for anything
but grief then.
The stars one after another, in their march |
across the sky, looked through the rafters of
the uncovered roof on TO the group below. It |
seemed to Ellen, as her eye, raised now and |
then, followed their motions, as if she had |
fallen into come strange relations towards |
them, and was moving With them in hitherto |
nable periods. Millions of years, was it not
had che not read about it somewhere a-that
hey took to perform their vast oiroling round
some unknown centref She had got involved
ennium of darkness, instead of @ common
night on which an ordinary day could dawn.
1t grew intensely GOLD (; brisk wind rose,
md blew chill and sharp through the hovel.
Molly rose from her knees. wrapped her old
'loak round the dying man, and taking his feet
nto her lap, began to chafs his lower limbs.
he said; "and the dawn is breaking, and with
he dawn the help they promised will come
.he best Of help-his reverence and the Blessed
sacrament Avourneen, We have saved his
xya ma and "a ;rhk |
aim alive for that; and once the sun has fairly
isen, I'm free of my oath, and can bring who
,ou will He's muttering to himself now, and
ioes not heed ne, but there's life in him vet
md he'll come to himself again before he diea
strong, Well-made man, like his honor, takes
! lorg time to die, even when he's got bullet /
oside him bad luck TO the laundering hand
hat put it there" .
Gradually the stars paled in the sky, the {
hadoWs in the far corners Of the cabin dis
'ersed. and day light crept in. Ellen began to I
her ability to continue the {
olemn watch nlone-when the long listened
or sound OF steps, and of voice calling out to i
now If the shieiing was Inhabited, came ut | 8
ast. 1t seemed to bring Ellen back into the
ctual world, and break the numblipg spell of y
orror and bewilderment that had held her all
lgh'; out with returning capacity for thought b
nd comprehension of what had happened
anne still worse pain. It was not o vision or b
nightmare; che was not dead among the stare;
he was herself, and her murdered father lay
= IVA oJAbB' a BLchG ouESb Oh tears came
nd saved her reason, aud as the warm drops
'll heavy on his fore head, Mr.. Days eyes
pened again, and oonsoiousne ess aud o look of
ager welcome and relief dawned into them as
hey fell upon the priest whom Molly was now
ringing in through the cabin door.
Ellen knew the priest's face, though he came n
ON distant village among the Joice noun 8
Ains, for she had met him from time to time at q
nue. OFiahertyss house, and she took his Q
aud, and through her teArs,snd sobs got out q
few words Of explanation. He told her that o
Q had been reused at two o'clock in the morn v
lg by lad Bringing Q request that he would O
o to the solitary caon, near the bog behind o
aStle DAILY, TO administer extreme junction to D
person who lay dying there, and that he had b
ome at once expecting to find some wander o
e beggar who had fallen i'll, while shelter o
'g temporarily in the deserted house. Mr. O
Aly's eyes grew impatient, even while theae q
w sentences were exchanged. There WAS no [
me to lose, and the priest only waited to z
esps'ch the boy who had accompanied him Q
i'm to the nearest place from which o doctor b
'uld be brought, and Molly to the Castle, and
len the last service began; Ellen still support Il
g her fathers head on her shoulder, and try q
u hard not to let her sobs shake ber 30 as to r
AL a m L