The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-01-01
CHRISTMAS At KlLlEARF


even in quiet Killeary. Sir Maurice
Delaney shiyered irnpatiently as the
10y bells from the church where the
singers were practicing vigorously
clashed forth, and, in the distance,
Mickey Dolan, at work in the avenue,
accosted the coachnnan as he passed
with the accustomed, "a Merry Christ
mas to We, Larry!"
Sir Maurice was not a sour or u1l.
christian mantle very opposite, as
any Of the people on his estate would
tell you heartily, but Christmas time,
Of all the year, was most hateful to
him. It had not always been SO.
Time was, only a few years back,
when he had been as CHEEKY and as
ready TO wish "a happy Christmas to
one aud all as was his daughter Terry.
How gay she used to make the old
oak hall with garlands of ivy and
shining holly and mistletoe, how she
used to trip forth daily, carrying good
things to the poor who loved the
ground she walked on, more of her in.
terest in every detail of their simple
| lives and for her bright sweet WAYS
than for her gifts. And then what
quiet evenings they had spent to-
gether, she singing to him in her dead
mothers voice, or sitting on the rug
| at his feet for a chat, with only the
glow of the wood fire for light and
only Pat, her faithful Irish terrier, for
other company.
He had come out to get away from
the memory of it all, but it had fol-
lowed him persistently.
Good evening, Mickey" he said, as
he came up to the man.
| Then, kindly, How are all st
homer
/ Well sir, thankin' you kindly.
Kitty, my eldest, is goin' to be mar
ried tomorrow" volunteered Mickey.
| "Ah, that's the little girl with the
curly hair. hope he's good fellow,
Mickey"
We'll, your HONOR Mickey
scratched his head, hes not the one
I'd. have chosen for her meself. But
there they're that foolish about each
other! And I'd rather see Kitty happy
nor anythin' else"
80 you've given in" said Sir
Maurice, the loneliness in his heart
deepening as he reflected that he
might be a happier man today if he
had put Terry's happiness first, and
"given in" instead of making her
choose between her young English
husband and her father.
Besides, SIR" went on the man
with respectful talkativeness, Il re
membered that Our Blessed LORD
came to bring Peace on Earth and
to teach us to forgive as we hope tt
be forgiven, as Miss Terry (God bless
| herb said to me one Christmas time
when l was angry with some one
May make so hold, your honor,
hesitating with the Unborn delicacy Of
the Irish peasant, knowing, as ever.
one did, something of the state o.
affairs, "as to ask how, Miss TER,
is?"
very well, thank you, Mickey
| very WE'LL" answered his master has
| thy; passing on his way. He won
dered what this man would think o
him If he knew that Terry's address
| even was unknown to her father
And her mother! He had often woI
dered of late did she know, up II
heaven, of his harshness to the little
girl she had left in his care, NIT
of fours two and twenty years ago
4 IN his bitter indignation (hot OLE
| aristocrat that he wasl that hi
daughter, a Delaney, should Tin hi
opinion) so lower herself as to MARI
Jack Stanley, whose position depend
ed on his own brains and energy, no
on his ancestors, and who was no
II even a professional man, he woillt
not forgive. He had torn up, unread
all her letters, and now she neve
wrote.
81 will go to London till thil
! wretched season is over" he told him
| self fiercely as he pursued his lionel.
walk. There, at any rate, nothing
Il will remind me-
il Perhaps, deep down in his heart
there was the thought that Terry wa
| in England, probably in London, ant
that by some strange chance III
might meet her. His mind once mad,
Eup, he could not get away fas
enough from memory-haunted XII
/ leary. He was OF next morning be
fore his bewildered servants hal
realized that he was going, and b.
might was established in a hotel ii
one of the western suburbs of Lon
don.
What is my little girl crying for
asked Terry Stanley, bringing her owl
tearfilled eyes down from the. biz
photograph on the wall before her tt
the little troubled face of the minia
ture Terry at her knee
Cos you're cryin, mammie,' an
swered the child. Everybody shoult
be glad at Kismas, daddy says so"
i And daddy's right, of course
darling taking the little one to he
knee and kissing the baby fac
framed in its scarlet colleen bawl
hood. with you and daddy to low
me ! am glad alwaysall the yea
J round but just now / was thinking
J of the time when my daddy and
spent Christmas together at Killear.
dear old Killeary, that you've neve
seen, Terry where the grass is green
real lovely green, not hay-colored. AM