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

ElGhI ESEIN LII CHAF i En-.
n FTER my mothers death there
n was no place left for me in
my fathers house.
Betsy Beauty (who was now called
Miss eBtsy and 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 ophei
half in driving, dressed in beautieu!
clothes to 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 his private room, "a privilege
which enlarged her pride without
improving her manners.
Martin Conrad | did not see, for IL
reward for some success at schoo
the doctor had allowed him to spen
his Easter holidays in London II
order to look at Nansen's snip, =.
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 SCUM Is,
and more than once l turned with
timid steps toward my fathers busy
room, intending to say Please,
father, don't send me back T.
school," made no demur when, six
or seven days after the funeral Aunt
Bridget began to prepare for my de-
parture.
There's odds of women" sad
Tommy the Mate, when l went into
the garden to say good-by to him.
They're like sleeps broth, is wom-
men, II there's a head and heart IN
them they're good, and If there ism
you might as we'll be supping no.
water. Our Big Woman is hot water
but she'll die for all"
Within a fortnight l was back 4
the Convent, and there the Reverend
Mother atoned to me for every neg
lect
me-" she said. and from that horr
onward she seemed to be trying 10
make up to me for the mother l had
lost.
l became deeply devoted to her,
AS a consequence her spirit became
nv 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 ils
services because the Reverend Mother
loved them, and perhaps also for tho
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 n1e-the Confessional with It's
sense of cleansing and the unutter-
able sweetness Of the Mass.
For a long time there was nothing
10 disturb this religious side of my
mind. My father never sent for me
and as often as the holidays came
round the Reverend Mother took me
with her to her country nome al
Nemi
That was a beautiful place-a sweet
white cottage, some twenty kilome-
ers from Rome, at the foot of Monte
Cavo. in the middle of the remains
IF a medieval village which contained
castle and a monastery, and had a
little blue lake lying like an emerald
7mong the green and red of the grass
and poppies in the valley below.
In the hot months of summer the
place was like a Paradise to me, with
its roses growing wild by the way
side: it's green lizards running on the
rocks; it's brown faced boys in vel
vet, and it's gleesome girls in smart
red petticoats and gorgeous outside
stays; its 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
| became entirely happy.
I'd fracuapflv from home Oc-
casionally it 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 l.
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 how
well she looked in it.
From Messy Macleod and my faith
er | never heard at all, but Father
Dan was my constant correspondent,
and he told me everything. =
First of my father himself-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 OF
thousands of pounds to ELAN, though
the good Father doubted the advan-
tage of such innovations and lament
ed the decline 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 a
serpent IN her bosom (meaning 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
| "vou couldn't say Tom to a cat he
fore her but she was agate of you to
make il Thomas.