The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-08-04

thought and care iute it, somehow"
aud au thority," put in B;ide.
| Yes" hesitated Ellen
Don't be afraid of saying exactly what you
| fsel," said Bride, noticing q shade of cissp'
| proval in Ellen's face.
| swell, don't be vexed at my saying 1t, bnt
| necessary or unnecessary, would not have
| said what you did to Bddy Flanagan for
throwing those few grains of Indian meal to
her chickens"
Few grainsl It was handful. What did
"You said it was sheer dishonesty that she
was stealing bread from the mouths of her
neighbors' starving children"
SO she was all waste of food is robbery
| of the starving just now"
"But it hurt Biddy dreadfully. She has the
| kindest heart in the world, and would do any
thing for her neighbors il she thought Of it,
| and she has always been famous for honesty.
She wae crying under her awl ell the time
you were looking about"
II was looking about to ascsIt Ain il the pre-
cautions against the fever We insist upon had
been properly carried out II she has such @
kind heart as you say, and cares for her neigh
the rules for preserving the health of the
place than by crying at word. l am afraid
her tears won't prevent her Wasting part or
the next measure of Indian meal served ont to
her, and coming back clamonring for more
before the proper time"
"No, be- au .e you see, che does not believe
what you said she only thinks yoo very un-
Just. She knows she is neither cruel nor dis
honest. and she looks upon Indian meal as o
sort of horrible stuff sent here in unlimited
quantity by government to punish them some.
how for their potatoes having failed. She
will throw away the next basinful che can lay
her hands on with energy, as protest ag ainst
the iDjt slice of your opinion of her,"
She is very unGrateful, then. to think more
she sees us making for her so.id benefit. She
ought to put aside any harshness there may
seem to be in my words (Which after sll only
call things by the right names0 and trust us
frnr ninr ruh "a 1n nat ID vph not
should call reasonable"
'Ah, bnt we are not made like that" cried
Ellen, 1--WE Irish people. English or Scotch
people may be reasonable enou Oh to thrive on
solid food, given with heart. " onnds aud stabs
to their pride along with 1t, but we can't"
"Do you mean that you can't take either
medicine or food unless it is sweetened by
fatteryp
I'VE cannot thrive on it II it is soured with
disregard and contempt. But please excuse
me did not mean to apply that to anything
the morning amazs sd at your kindness, and the
people ought to be grateful. My thoughts
few off to larger questions as You spoke, and
was wondering how it is that this foreign
charity food Is 80 bitter to those that eat it.
Why, we long so that we could have been fed
with the abundance of corn our .ewn land
brings forth, and that seems, by some ma
chinery we can't unperstand, to be spirited
away from u.s."
"Ah, your younger brother writes in the
Nation new soaper, and goes in for its politics,
does he not ~
"Yes, and you ere not the person to quarrel
with sister for being Of the same opinion as
her brother" )" said Ellen, smiling.
BIide could not quarrel with the smiIe, it
mischief in it. ~ womb quarrel with you,o
she answered, shut putting politics aside,
should like to persuade you to modify your
last statement: Surely, 1t is very unsafe to
make pride and sentiment the guage # accept
able bent 80. They are dangerous guides, aud
might lead us to throw away the truest aztec.
tion and most earnest kindness, laboring for
ones highest good, if prejodice came in the
way"
Il know the eort of kindness laboring for
ones highest good you mean" cried Ellen. 81
It's chief fonotion is TO make one feel oneself
worm, than kful to creep into any hard shell
to get ont of its way. 1t may be very good
sort of affection, but it just kills me-"
Sue vas thinking of Pelham Court, bnt
Brtds of UourBs dTd not know that, and there
was painful gravity in the tone in which
she swered 81 am sorry to hear you say
that" which PIT zzled Ellen.
They had reached the garden gate by this
time and Ellen stood still to look at the house.
The out side, though it had undergone some
moment there was a bt ssle going ou in the
court yard, and q sound of rising voices that
brought back old happier times to Ellen's
memory. Lesbia's handsome new phaeton had
been brought ont If the coach-hoUs So to be
washed, and q concourse of ragged men and
boys from the roadside, where they had been
working, had collected to watch the operation
and assist with sugg' 1oDs and the occasional
more active contribution of shower of water
energetioally thrown over wheels or cushion 8,
ae 1t happened, from whatever vessel they had
chanced to snatch mp. The men were sadly
weak and starved looking, and many of them
were SIT ng down weari'y on the upturned
wheelbarroWs they had brought with them
into the yard, but every now and then o shout
of quaveling laugh ter rose up
Did you ever see anything 80 childish 7"
cried Bride, in despair. 1.-THE least thing
tempts them away from their work. Every
day since the new carriage came we have had
the same scene. If John were here, be would
have to be very angry"
"But he is not here and you must not bs
angry it is such dull, useless work that the
poor boys come fron-spoiling the green hill.
sides with roads that we none of us want, and
that we shall always hate to see-aud it's
nothing but Indian meal they'll get for doing
it. You must not grudge them ne little bit
of respite that comes in their way; it does me
good, If no one else, f'r it takes me back to the
times when We could not have anything new
without all our neighbors around sharing the
benefit by getting some amusement out of it
in some way"
Your mother found the irregularity aud the