Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-06

n FTER my mothers death there
~ was no place left for me in
my fathers house.
Betsy Beauty (who was now called
Miss eBtsy anG gave herself more
than ever the airs of the daughter
of the family occupied half her days
with. the governess who had been en-
gagged to teach her, and the othel
half in driving, dressed in beautiful
clothes 10 the houses of the gentry
rounda bout.
Messy Macleod. called the youn2
mistress. had become my father
secretary, and spent most of her time
in ms private room, a privilege
which enlarged her pride without
improving her manners.
Martin Conrad l did not see, for il
reward for some success at schoo
the doctor had allowed him to spenf
his Easter holidays in London il
order to look at Nansen's ship, tn
Fran, which had just then arrive
in the Thames.
Hence it happened that though
home made a certain tug at me,
with its familiar sights and sounds
and more than once l turned with
timid steps toward my fathers busT
room intending to say, Please,
father, don't send me back u
school," | made no denur when, six
or seven days after the funeral, Aunt
Bridget began to prepare for my de-
parture.
There's odds Of women" said
Tommy the Mate, when ! went into
the garden TO say good-by to him
They're like sleeps broth is WON
men. If there's a head and a heart III
them they're good, and II there ism
you might as we'll be supp'ng no.
water Our Big Woman is hot waite
but she'll die for all.
Within a fortnight l was back 81
the Convent. and there the Reverer'!
Mother atoneG to Tie for every reg
iect.
II knew you would como back t.
me-" she said. and from that hort
onward she seemed to be trying t?
make UP to me for the mother l hat
lost.
became deeply devoted to her.
AS consequence her spirit became
my spirit, and, little by little, the
religious side of the life OF the Con
vent took complete possession OF me-
Years Go By.
At first l loved the church and it's
services because the Reverend MotEer
loved them, and perhaps also for the
sake of the music, the incense the
flowers and the lights on the altar
but after l had taken my communion
the mysteries of our religion took
hold Of me-the Confessional with its
sense Of cleansing and the unutter-
able sweetness of the Mass.
n0tnlnR
10 disturb this religious side of my
mind NY father never sent for me
and as often as the holidays came
round the Reverend Mother took me
with her to her country home al
Nemi.
That was a beautiful place-a sweet
white cottage, some twenty kllome-
ters from Rome, at the foot of Monte
C'avo. in the middle of the remains
Of a medieval village which contained
i castle and a monastery, and had
,'ttle blue lake lying like an emerald
among the green and red of the grass
and peoples in the valley below.
In the hot months of summer the
place was like a Paradise to me, with
it's roses growing wild by the way
side: it's green lizards running on the
rocks: its brown-f faced boys in vel
red petticoats and gorgeous outside
stays; it's shrines and its blazing sun
sets, which seemed to girdle the heav-
ems with quivering bands of purple
and gold.
Years went by without me being
aware of their going, for after a while
l became entirely happy.
| heard frequently from home. Oc-
casionally II was from Betsy Beauty
who had not much to say beyond sto.
ries of balls at Government House
where she had danced with the young
Lord Raa. and of hunts at which she
had ridden with him. More rarely !,
was from Aunt Bridget, who usually
began by complaining of the ever in
creasing cost of my convent clothes
and ended with accounts of her
daughters last new costume and now
we'll she looked in it.
From Messy Macleod and my faith
e. I never heard at all, but Father
Dan was my constant correspondent
and he told me everything.
First of my father hims elf-that he
had carried out many Of his great en-
terprises, his marine works, electric
railways. drinking and dancing pal
aces. which had brought tens of thou
sands of visitors and hundreds or
thousands of pounds to Elan, though
he good Father doubted the advan-
tage of such innovations and lament
ed the lecline Of piety which had fol-
lowed on the lust for wealth.
Next Of Aunt Bridget-that she was
bringing up her daughter in the ways
of worldly vanity and cherishing
serpent IN her bosom (meanlns Messy
MacLeod) who would poison her
heart some day
Letter From Home.
Next of Tommy the Mate-that he
sent his best respects" TO the III
missy" but thought she was well out
Of the way Of the Big Woman who
was getting that highly tightly that
YOU couldn't say Tom to a cat be-
fore her but she was agate of you TO
make it Thomas"