Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-11
A Priest S Affection.

and myself behind.
A Priest S Affection.
On the way home Father Dan
talked of the business that hal
brought me back, saying | was not to
think too much of anything he might
have said of Lord Raa in his letters,
seeing that he had spoken from hear
say and the world was so censorious
and then there was no measuring
the miraculous influence that might
be exercised by good woman,
He said this with a certain con-
straint, and was more at ease when
he spoke of the joy that ought to
come into a girls life at her mar
riage-her first love, her first love
letter her wedding day and her first
baby, all the sweet and wonderful
things of a new existence which a
man could never know.
Even an old priest may see that"
he said, with a laugh and a pat of my
hand
We" dropped Mr.. Curphy at his
house in HolmtoWn and then my ia
Their sat with us at the back, and
talked with tremendous energy Of
what he had done, of what he was
going to do, and of all the splendors
that We're before me.
You'll be the big woman of the is
land, and there won't be a mothers
son dare say boor to you"
| noticed that in his excitement his
tongue, dropping the suggestion of mis-
adopted country, reverted to the ra,y
speech of his native SOIL and ! had a
sense of being with him before | was
born, when he returned home from
America with millions of dollars at
his back, and the people who had
made game of his father went down
before his face like a flood.
Such of them as had not done so
then (being Of the "aristocracy" of
the island and remembering the hum
BILE stock he came from were to do
so now, for IN the second generation,
and by means of his daughters mar
riage, he was going to triumph over
them all
Wen beat EN-, gel! My cough,
yes, We'll beat 'em!" he cried, with
flash of his black eyes and a master
full lift of his eyebrows,
AS we ran by the mansions of the
great people of ELAN, he pointed
them out to me with a fling of the
arm and spoke of the families in
tone of contempt.
"See that? That's Christian of
Balla- Christian. The man snubbed
me six months ago. He'll know BET
ter six months to come.
That's Eyreton His missus was too
big to call on your mother-shell call
on you, though, you go bail. See yon-
der big towers in the trees? That's
Folksdale, where the Farragans live.
The daughters have been walking
over the world like peacocks, but
they'll crawl on it like cockroaches.
Hulloh, here's ould Balgean Of
Eagle Hill, in his grand carriage with
his English coachman. See
that. though? See him doff his hat TO
you, the ould hypocrite? He knows
something. He's got an mixing.
Things travel Wen geat EN-, gel,
we'll beat EN-! They'll be round US
like bees about a honeypot.'
1t was impossible no. to catch the
contagion of my fathers triumphant
spirits, and in my different way l
recognized the scenes associated
with my childhood-the village, the
bridge. the lane TO Sunny Lodge and
Murphy's Mouth, and the trees that
bordered our drive
Nearly everything looked smaller
or narrower or lower than hau
thought. but I had forgotten how
lovely they all were, lying so snugly
under the hill and with the sea in
front of them.
Our house alone when we drove up
to it seemed larger than | had eX-
pected. but my father explained this
by saying:
improvements, gel, I'll show you
over tomorrow morning
Aunt Bridget (white-headed now
and wearing spectacles and white
cap). Betsy Beauty (grown tall and
round. with a kind of country comeli-
ness) and Messy Macleod Cooking
like premature old maid who was
doing her best to be a girD were
waiting at the open porch when our
car drew up and they received me
with surprising cordiality.
Here she is at last!' said Aunt
Bridget
And such luck as she has come
home to-" said Betsy Beauty.
There were compliments on the i'm
provement in my appearance (Aunt
Bridget declaring she could not have
believed it, she really could mott, and