Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-08
xvn.-A coNTEssIoN.

leaning back one secret. But now this
.o.ret haunted her sick bed, and grew
darker and blRcker in her sight.
lady Gilmore was dangerously i'll for
,orv DAYS after this, yet when they
smoke before her of sending for her son,
sbe ever made a mute sign of dissent.
The story of his marriage was now
Known, and people said Gilmore had
broken his mothers heart, and old
stories we're revived, old scandals whis-
pered.
1edy Gilmore had been stricken with
naralvsis after reading her sons letter
announcing his marriage, drove over to
Wrothsley, partly in the hope that she
would be able to reconcile her to his
choice. by telling her that Col. LOTUS
family we're of the highest respectability.
Rut the invalid refused to see her former
friend, lust as she refused to receive the
old woman from Gateford manor house,
who went away grumbling because she
was debarred from speaking the hard
words she had meant to say.
And it WAS strange that the children
whom Lady Gilmore had neglected in her
overpowering affection for her son, now
seemed the only consolation left to her.
The little fair haired twin girls used to
play about her room. and prattle to her
nv the hour, while the mothers dark
eyes rested fondly on their faces. She
saw also Father Hayward occasionally,
who for the last ten years had been her
spiritual adviser and confessor, and who
now came to pray earnestly by her side.
One day when he arrived, note sheet
was put into his hand, on which the
stricken lady had inscribed a few almost
ilegible words.
"Father, pray that [ may regain my
speech " read the preast with genuine
compassion and sympathy. He was an
earnest man this. q sincere and devout
follower of the creeds of his church, and
he knew and could read the wayward |
heart OF this daughter of his faith, he |
believed, as an open book. But when |
he understood the pathetic words she |
had scrawled with her cramped and |
stiffened hand; when he saw the eager |
desire for speech expressed in her rest |
less eyes, it dawned upon his acute mind |
that Lady Gilmore had some especial |
motive for her prayer.
81 will, - he said, in his ringing SYM
pathetic voice; "mRY God in His mercy
grant, my daughter, that your tongue
may be lOsed -
And the good man 5 prayers were an
sWered. Gradually the violence of the
paralysis diminished; and gradually
speech came back to her; at first numb
ling and uncertain, and then more de-
fined and clear. But more than three
months passed away before Lady Gilmore
could converse with any amount of dis
tnctness. by this time also she was
able TO be wheeled in bath-chair along
The terrace, yet she positively refused TO
receive any visitors but her priest.
But one day in the early spring. time |
Father Hayward received an especial
Messenger requesting him to 90 to
Nrothsley at his earliest convenience.
lie went, and found Lady Gilmore sit
ing up IN her boudoir, looking stronger
md more erect than he had seen her
NICE her illness.
81 am glad TO see you looking SO much
'etter, - said he pleasantly.
81 am well in body but i'll In mind. ,
ather, she answered, as she returned {
is greeting.
Nay, - he said, seating himself by s
er side, the illness of your mind will {
ass away, trust, with the bodily one;
our speech IS almost now quite restored, (
'r which great blessing we ought indeed '
be most thankful. -
. It has been given back to me, :" re- @
leu Lady Gilmore, with twltching lips t
ID tremulous words, 'ffor a purpose, f
lther. have a confession to make to b
'u-the confession of great sin. 4" h
My daughter, 40 not excite yourself f
lus; your inner life has been known to l,
= lot many years, and the failings and d
Iles have been blotted out by good | 81
EDS and heterogeneous help to the v
melted of our faith. Wait Hntil your Il
'alth is completely restored before re- Il
RING to any exciting topic. - D
, II VIII never be completely restored, a
lher, and l have no longer any time to D
iste; l have waited patiently and b
aged earnestly that God would give me Il
"er to cleanse my soul of q great sin, IL
now see the blackness, and in His Il
car mercy He has done so, and 1 pray w
Il TO listen. - n
rather Hayward gravely bowed his
au' Tor he perceived now that some
olg aud powerful motive was dictat- sn
Lazy Gilmore's solemn words. al
am ever ready TO listen, my Sc
uEnter, he said, "and to comfort if at
An' but do not, I entreat you. forget LIZ
VI recent Illness. - W
mo, shall try to keep calm. dc
Iuer, l must 90 back to the early DAYS |,
my welded life-when-when l loved an
lu gilmore with the jealous, exacting To
9 OIL a woman devoted TO him; of co
man who had married him not for his nc
ain, rs he sometimes tainted me di
u, but for himself alonei You know to
Q / was, and the old blood which flows a
my yeins?''
sam rather Hayward gravely bowed H,
pS"u' thinking sadly enough of the Gi
u BOAST from these quivering lips. bu
- was not so with him as you know
: went on Lady Gilmore, Hthe in,
ords had been but recently ennobled, be
~ our early married days my hus- jor
y was most anxious that an heir aw
-'u De born 10 US. An heir was Nj
~ she continued, with increasing do
Hton. "a puny mlsshaped babe, chi
Snen my husband first saw him he M
, utterly disappointed and said some got
words, though he well knew their ser
o o,ue. this
ltuer Haywood now bit his lips, and ere
oS oil great anxiety stole INTO bis grey int
thoughtful eyes. on,
we had quarrel, too about in what err
tue child should be reared; nv lord 8
= thing really about these things. col
ne mad been brought up Protestant, 4
ne said his child should be brought tax
~ TOO and my tears and en- ant
~ we're alike unavailing. Then frs
.Ns more than q year afterwards fec
I