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

AttS ~ @fttaf III
I band would be one of them; but he
| was not, and the first words spoken
| to my father were
| His lordship's apologies, sir. He
| has an engagement to-day, but hopes
to see you at your own house to-
| morrow morning"
| recognized the speaker as the
| guardian (grown grayer and even less
| prepossessing) who had crossed with
the young Lord Raa when he was go
| ing up to oxford; and his companions
| were a smooth faced man with
| searching eyes who was introduced as
| his lordships solicitor from London, a
| Mr.. Murphy, whom / knew to be my
! fathers advocate, and my dear old
| Father Dan.
| | was surprised to find Father Dan
a smaller man than ! had thought
him, very plain and provincial. little
country parish priest. but he had the
tender smile ! always remembered,
and the sweet Irish roll Of the vowels
that | could never forget.
God bless you" he said. How
well you're looking And how like
your mother, Lord rest her SOUL
knew the Blessed Virgin would take
care of YOU and she has. she has"
Three conveyances were waiting for
us-a grand brougham for the Bishop,
big motor car for the guardian and
the London lawyer and a still big
| ger one for ourselves.
| We'll, s'lOng until tomorrow then
cried my father, getting up into the
| front row Of his own car with tho
| advocate beside him and Father Dan
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
man could never know
Even an old priest may see that"
he said, with laugh and 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 were before me.
You'H be the big woman OF the is
land, and there won't be a mothers
son dare say boo to YOU
| noticed that in his excitement his
tongue, dropping the suggestion of his
adopted country, reverted to the raay
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 food.
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 gougn
| YES, we II peat EN-, ne tIleut With "A
| flash of his black eyes and a master
| ful lift of his eyebrows,
AS we ran by the mansions of the
great people OF ELAN. he pointed
them out to me with fling of the
arm and spoke of the families in a
| tone of contempt
See that? That's Christian Of
Balla Christian. The man snubbcd
me six months ago. He'll know be-
| 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 1t 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
wen beat EN-! They'll be round us
| like bees about a honeypot"
1t was impossible no. to catch tho
contasion OF my fathers triumphant
spirits, and In my different way I
found myself tingling with delight as
| I recognized the scenes associate
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 | had
thought. but l had forgotten how
lovely they all were, living so snugly
under the hill and with the sea In
| front Of them.
Our house alone when we drove mp
to II seemed larger than I 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 comel'-
ness) and Messy Macleod Cooking
like a premature old maid who was
doing her best to be a girn were
waiting at the open porch when our
car drew up. and they received me
with surprising cordially.
Here she Is at last" said Aunt