CHAPTER XIII.—continued.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VI, Issue 309, 21 March 1879, Page 9

CHAPTER Xlll.— continued.

After practising again in Dublin for some time, I entered the navy as a suigron, and spent the greater pait of the very quiet life I led there in reading the lives of missionary priests, and dreaming that I might even yet be one day called to follow their example. As lam not confessing my sins I need not tell you how much time I wasted ; but in the middle of these dreams an opportunity occurred of visiting Ballycross. To my intense sorrow I found my dear old father so broken down that I resolved never to leave him again, and sent in my resignation at once. It was not too soon, for he only lasted a few shoit months. But those few months opened my eyes. What holier higher fate could I have desired thau the life of usefulness in my early home that my father pointed out to roe before he died 1 Strange blindness of mortals, who often dream and long and even form plans of world-wide beneficence, and forget the simple home-duties that lie directly in their road, and in the performance of which, perhaps, is placed the one means of helping their neighbour and sanctifying their own souls." By this time they had reached the grey stone "steps, but before they ascended them the doctor paused for a moment, and turned to his companion. '•I am afraid, Miss Neville, that you will consider that a great deal of what I have been saying to-night is very egotistical. But I have spoken in all simplicitj', and must trust to you not to mistake my meaning. It has required, believe me, no small effort on my part to intrude my own personal antecedents upon your notice. I have, however, had but one motive in doing so, and it has been this, that if you resolve, as God grant you may, on treading in your mother's footsteps with regard to your people, you may know that there is one person at least, and not far distant, who is solemnly bound by his very conscience to help you in cveiy plan you may propose for their benefit." " T quite understand you, Dr. O'Meara," replied Maude very gently, " and thank you very much. I sincerely trust that I may one day be able to show you that you have not spoken in vain." Mrs. Barton has been as good as her word ; for notwithstanding the number to be provided for. and the vc- y short time for preparation, her supper was a splendid success. As an ox had surrendered his life for the occasion, perhaps the meat was not quite as tender as it might have been. But what of that ? The guests had come to enjoy themselves, and enjoy themselves they did with such good-will that we question very much whether, if slices of leather had been served up to them, with such rich gravy and mealy potatoes, and, better than all, by such kindly hands, they would have found them tough. For the information of our non-Catholic readers, we may say that though St. Patrick "s-day. falling, as it does, in the middle of March, must always come in Lent, so many dispensations are given in our ungenial latitudes that it does not absolutely fall on an absti-nence-day. As our good friend the doctor has already informed us, it did not do so on this occasion, and Miss Neville's friends could therefore cat, drink, and be merry without scruple. As to Maude heiself. never before had she enjoyed anything so much : and she sped backwards and forwards, between her guests and the table at which Mr. Mill and Mrs. Barton stood carving, with platefuls of good cheer, radiant with delight. Her cousins, the doctor, and even Mr. Neville and Professor Broadview were also turned for (he nonce into waiters ; and to Maude it was no small part of the entertainment to see the latter gentleman, spectacles on nose, wandering about with a plate in each hand in the hope ot finding somebody still unserved to relieve him of them. Poor professor ! that somebody never turned up, thanks to that wicked Harry, who always contrived to get the start of him : and had not Maude, out of fchcer compassion, come at last to his rescue, the professor might have wandered about, like Mynheer von Wodenblock, a spectre-vendor of cold roast beef till doomsday. The elder people were brought in first, and when they had eaten as much as people who for many a long day had 6cen neither roast beef and plum pudding would and could, they returned to the barn, where the doctor showed a magic lantern while the younger ones look their place at supper. When this was over another hour's dancing was allowed, aud at eleven the revels were .it an end. Many of the women who had come from a distance remained in the barn, soon well sirewn with straw, for the night, while some of the men took possession of another adjoining it. The rest took their departure : and although, as Mr. Neville had prognosticated from past experiene, a few adjourned to a public-house in the village, and kept it up till morning in a fashion more lively than cdifyirg, the greater part, talking of their young lady all the way, went joyously to" their homes where, before they laid themselves down on their humble pallets' they pi ayed for a thousand blessings, broad and deep, on her and, hers.