Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-08-24

Father Carey. The good natured, easy
priest received with joy and thankfulness
the news that Ferdinand Clutde had seer
his errors and rc-entered the fold, bu!
when be had had two or three interviews
with tho convert his brow too, grew
clouded and his mind troubled. He
learned To see that tho accession of the
young Protestant queen must bear fruit
for which BIO had poor appetite. He be.
gan to spend many hours in tho church,
tho church which he had known all his
life, and wrcstled much with himself, II
his face were any index to his soul. Good,
kindly man, lie was not of tho stuff OF
which martyrs are made, and to be forced,
pushed on and Soadcd into becoming q
martyr against ones will-wcll, the IA.
theirs position was a hard one as was
that i'm those days of many n good and
learned clergyman bred in ono church and
hidden suddenly. on pain of losing his
livelihood, if not his life, to migrate e
another.
Tho visitors had been in the house q
month-and In that month an observant
eye might have noted much change,
though all things in seeming went on as
bcforc-whon the queen orders cnioining
all priests to read the service, or a grca.
part of it, in English. camc down, being
forwarded Gy the sheriff to Father Carey.
The missivo arrived on Friday and had
been indeed long expected.
What shall you dor" Ferdinand asked
Sir Anthony.
AS befsre!'' tho tall old man replied,
gripping his staff more firmly. 1t was no
new subject between them. A hundred
times they had discussed it already, even
as they were now discussing it, on tho ter
race by the fishpool, with tho Shurcl,
which adjoins the house full i'm view across
the garden. II will have no mushroom
faith Mt Cotton End" the knight cuntin-
ucd warmly. 1t sprang up under King
Henry, and how long did it lasts \ ycar
or two. 1t came in again under King Ed
ward, and how long did it lasts a year
or two. So it will be again. 1t will not
last, Ferdinand.
Il am of that mind" the younger ma1,
answered, nodding his head gravoly.
''Of course You arc!' Sir Anthony re-
Joined as he rested one hand Oh the sun
dial. For ten generations our forcfathcrs
have worshipcd in that church after tho
old fashion, and shall it he changed in my
day. Heaven forbid! The old fashion did
for my fathers. 1t shall do for mo Why,
would rs soon expect that the river yon-
der should flow backward as that the
church which has stood for centuries, anu
more years to the back of them than can
count, should be swept away by these hot
gosDclers! l will have none of them! /
will have no new tangled ways ut Cotton
End!'
well, thinl; you are right" the
younger brother said. by what means nc
had r:slght the knight to this mind with
out COR Uniting himself moro fully can
not tell Yet lit was. Ferdinand showed
himself always tho cautious doubtcr Fa-
Their Carey even must have done him that
justice. But-and this was strangc-the
more doubtful he showed himself the moro
stubborn grew his brother. There arc men
so shrcwd as to pass off stones for bread,
and men so simple minded as to take some
thing less than the word for the deed.
why should it come In our timer
cried Sir Anthony fractiously.
why indced:" quoth the subtle one
Il say, why should it como nowf !
have heard and read Of the sect called Lol-
lards who gave trouble awhile ago But
they passed, and tho church stood. So
will these gospelers pass, and the church
will stand"
1Hao iSO0E CAl'cilcuCo certainty, salu
ferdinand.
tinucd his eyes on the old church, tho old
timbercd house-for only tho gateway
tower at Cotton is Of stonc-the old ycw
trees in tho churchyard. II do not believe
in It, and, what is more, 1 will not have
it, As my fathers have worshipcd SO will
!, though 1t cost mo every rood of land! A
fiD for tho prflar I'm,
IF you really will not change with the
younger gcnerations''-
Il will not!' replied the old knight
sharply. ''Thcrc is an end Of it!''
To-day the reformed church in England
has seen many an anniversary and grown
stronger with each year, and we can afford
to laugh at Sir Anthony's arguments. We
know better than he did. for the proof OF
the pudding is in the eating. But I'm him
and his fellows, who had only the knowl-
edgo of their own day, such arguments
were natural enough. All time, all ox-
pericnce, all history and custom and habit
az known to them were OH their side.
Only it was once again to DO the battle OF
David and the giant OF Gath. Sir An
thony had said, There is an end Of itl'
But his companion, as he presently strolled
up to the house with smile on his satur.
nine face, well knew that this was only
the beginning Of 1t. This was Friday.
On the Sunday, rumor of tln order
having gone abroad, n larger congregation
than usual streamed across the chase 10
church, prepared to hear some new thing.
They weEo disappointed. Sir Anthony
stalkcd in, as Of old, through the double
ranks of people waiting ut the door to re-
ceivc him, and after him Ferdinand and
his wife md Petronilla and Baldwin and
every servant from the house save a cook
or two and tho porter. The church was
full. Seldom had such a congregation
been seen in it. But all passed as of old.
Father Carey S hand shook indeed, and his
voice quavered, but he went through the
ceremony of the mass, and all was done
in Latin. a little change would have been
pleasant, some thought But 10 ono in
this country place on the borders Of the
forest held very strong views. No bishop
had come hcrctic hunting to Cotton End
No abbey existed to excite dislike by its
extravaganza, or by its license, or by the
swarm Of ragged idlers it supported. Fn-
Their Carey was the most harmless and
kindcst Of men. The villagers did not care
one way or the ether. To them Sir An.
thony was king, and II any one felt tempt
- cot v1er. 80. Il l.. -.