The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-10-20

n as her ey es, grown accustomed to the seen
: made out more and more clearly what WI
u going on below. Dreadful ssories che ha
r heard of murders of supposed spies by the
t comrades in secret lodges. and of the
: mind, and made her long to hide he
0 eyes, even while anxiety compelled to lool
3 They were certainly digging grave, thos
and Ves e.ntorslg The sD1fsSs he, pa Ssa
carefully pared away and laid in sods ready t
} be restored to its place, and as the trenc
momentsrily grew wider and deeper the by
stAnders began to crowd round the edge, an
push eager faces over each others shoulder
to look in.
That was Murdook Malachy's face thrus
between the arms of the diggers. What Gu
rious expression there was on it, and on thos
of the Other men round-6ushed with joyfu
expect alton. and yet fierce, with staring eye
that seemed longing for come desrly-lovet
thiok that such smiles could come on face
that had recently seen bloodshed. At las
| there was dull ring, as If the spade hac
struck some harder substance than clay. a
murmur rose among the bystandors, low bu,
intense-"Glory be to God, they're there, boys
a moment longer and we'll have them be
and hurry, in the name of God." The two
men who had been digging now jumped int.
| the pit. few more strokes and they were
| heaving something up which eager hands from
above olutched. Ellen saw it distinctly it
was q coffin, rude and roughly put together
| like many that had been used in the two black
years of constant funerals thev had passed
| through, but unmistakably a coff n and when
| it ad been placed on the ground, aud dozen
hards at least were logging at it's sides and
! top to tear it asrnder, feeling of deadly sick
ness came over her, aud she let her head sink
on her knees, not daring to see further. What
| fearful, fierce orgie was she witnessingf The
| sound OF voices speaking in Indifferent tones,
and the words that reached her ears reassured
her by degrees.
Look out for your own boys, aud if there
| are any whose spalpeens of owners amt here
to claim them, let the captain say who's to
have the handling of them" "Ths top of the
m morning to the beautes see the CLINT of the
sun on them" "Loug life to them; now we've
given them happy resurrection, may they
soon have bloody baptism, and may they
their work" "Toss the old planks back in to
the hole, boys; and hurry to cover them up, for
the day is upon Us. and it's far enough from
this we'll be with these by oar sides before
night"
The meaning of the whole scene dswned on
Ellen at the last words, and she sat up cour-
ageously and bent from her hiding place to
helpers. were now rapidly filling in the hole
and replacing the sods on it's surface and on
the ground where the coffin had lately stood
lay a little pile of arms-pikes, guns, and mus
handle, in spite of rust, glittered in the morn
ing sun. When the last sod was replaced, two
men who had hitherto stood on the outskirts
of the Gro wd came q little forward, and stand.
the arms Their backs were turned to Ellen,
but though no word was spoken while the dis.
tribution lasted, she knew perfectly we'll who
they were. The taller Of the two picked up
the last of the muskets, stepped to the front,
and spoke few words in a low voice. distinct
enough, however, for Ellen to distinguish
every word
'Boys-brothers, the Gun is up and we muet
disperse for a few more hours of silence and
hiding; q few hours more and then we'll meet
again, please God, never to part till our work
dom ".trn
thought we should be but what Of that; we
feel like men now with arms in our hands
Hundreds all over ireland are doing this hour
what We bave dore, and in little whole we'll
all be together-all tAe brave true men that
famine and oppression have left in the laud.
If our hearts ara one, few or many, we'u be
enough for what we have to do, boys. Now
go home q1ietly, for you have each a treasure
beyond prIce to gnard-tbe weapon with which
you are to strike for your country. We must
not shout, but we'll stand silent together f,r
moment, ard vo.~ all OF us low in our hearts,
with this mornings sunlight our heads,
that we'll never cease the struggle till the
night of oppression and wrong in LELAND is
past, and the daylight of Liberty bright over
our land"
dead silence, that yet seemed to Ellen to
throb with emotion, followed when the elo.
qaent voice ceaeed, and then there was a shut.
hiug of feet and steps moving away in differ
ent directions, and in few seconds more the
ohurcbyard was deserted by all bat the two
young men who had last spoken. These two
when the friez9. coated figures had ell disap.
peared, passed through gsts of the church
yard that opened on the hillside pata, and
stood for few m inutes talking together direct
ly under Ellen's biding place.
"a mere handful of men, she heard Connor's
voice say ''hardly worth the risk of our COM
ing here to look them up. We had better have
gone at once to join the main body in the
south"
"If we only knew that by this time there is
q main body" answered DARCY ODonnel in
desponding tone that struck Ellen in contrast
with the hopeful words he had so lately
spoken.
You are not doubling it. surelyf'
''No, no; but don't you feel deafness If
things were going according to our hopes, 1
fancy we should feel it even here and now"
There would be thrill in the air all over Ire
land, instead of this blank, that somehow,
struggle against it as will, weighs on me.
The spirit of this district has changed since
we were here last-only that handfuiw
"B 1t the notice has been short. The few
we have seen will whisper it about that we are
here, and you will see what a gathering there
will be at Dennis Malaohy's old still to- nj ght"
"Your benchman, Murdock, seems dispirited,
however"