Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

18 THE TWO VICTORIES.
vant knocked repeatedly, and although he heard his master
groaning inside, there was uo answer and ; papa cauio home
after asking old Johnson if he kuew where you had gone, and
learning from him that he had given orders for the cab to
drive here by your directions. I saw that something was
wrong with papa, for he scarcely spoke during dinner, and
instead of staying some time in the dining-room, as he usually
does, he came up almost immediately to the the inestimable happiness of making his first communion.
We might, indeed, endeavor t. in some feeble way
what Edwin felt on this joyful occasion but ; such of our
^ed the name Mossing, and more
.illy
drawing-room,
and when we were all sitting round the fire, wondering what
had happened to make papa so silent and gloomy, even at the
such as may have made their first communion in
circumstances somewhat similar to those under which Edwin
made his, will understand the emotions of his warm young
heart on that happy day much better than we could describe
them. Those who may not have had this happiness would not
understand us, did we take up pages in attempting to portray
the feelings of a heart in which faith and love are bright and
'
Christmas time, he suddenly said, Frank, my boy, come over
here and sit by me, whilst I tell you all a very sorrowful story,'
and then in his own dear, hearty, simple way. he told us poor
'
Edwin's tale ; and, Frank,' he added, clasping my hand, and
pressing it very tightly, '
Frank, my boy, I should be very
sorry to see you follow Edwin's example; but if you did, I
should still be more sorry to see myself following the example
of his father. I couldn't do it; God knows I corldn't, and I'm
very glad that I couldn't and ; go the very first thing in the
morning and find out this poor boy, and tell him that he must
come here, and stay as long as ever he likes, and that mother
and I will make him as welcome and happy as though he were
our own;' and thus, sir," concluded Frank, turning to Father
Eustace, " you h?.ve a true history of the reason of my intrusion
on you this morning, and I hope you will use all your
influence with my friend, Edwin, to induce him to accept dear
papa's invitation. "
It would be useless to endeavor to say how much poor Edwin
felt this act of spontaneous kindness and consideration ; but
he was firm in hia resolution of remaining where he was for
the present, as he knew it was the best position for him in
every way and when Frank had seen more of the kindness of
;
Father Eustace towards Edwin, he ceased to press him, after
his friend had promised to come and see them very often.
The two friends and Father Eustace then had a long talk, on
various matters, Father Eustace and Frank vieing with each
other in their efforts to amuse Edwin, and to render him more
cheerful and happy; and Frank willingly consented to remain
and dine with them, as the good old priest pressed him to do.
The wine-cellar of Father Eustace was not very extensive,
either as regarded the quantity it contained, or the variety of
his stock ; but still, by dint of groping and searching, he man-
aged to produce a bottle of his best; "that," he remarked,
" "
which he brought out only on the very greatest occasions ;
and by the time it had gone round once or twice, poor Edwin
felt more happy, cheerful, and composed than he had done for
many months ;
and when, next morning, he sat down to write
to Ids sister, he was able to do BO in a tone comparatively
cheerful and full of hope.
CHAPTEE XV.
LIGHT AT LAST. FEABS. FBANK SETMOUB IS VEBY BASH.
AFTER remaining two or three days with Father Eustace,
Edwin, to the great delight of old Mrs. Martin, removed to
his own lodgings. They were very snug and comfortable, and
the honest old creature was unwearied in her attention to his
wants. Like most of her sex she was a little given to gossip,
and when she happened to fall in with any of her friends (and,
somehow, this did happen very frequently), the warm-hearted
old woman used to wax quite eloquent on the subject of her
lodger, and his many virtues, and not a little indignant when
she spoke as she usually did rather freely about the harsh-
ness and pride of his father.
Edwin remained with her about three months, and, with the
drawback of his father's continued unrelenting, and his separation
from his sister, he began to feel very happy. The tempest
had passed away, and the sky was already clearing, and
growing very bright. He was in almost hourly communication
with his dear friend, Father Eustace, and after having received
conditional baptism, and otherwise prepared himself, he had
had, on the festival of the Purification of our Lady,
warm, when, for the first time, its Lord and its God comes to
take up His abode within it, comes to make it wholly His,
comes to draw it entirely to Himself, to make it the object of
His own divine complacency, and the recipient of His choicest
graces. Suffice it to say, that when an hour after he had
received, Father Eustace softly approached the kneeling boy,
and gently touched him on the shoulder, to warn him that ho
was about to depart, there was a look on his face, as he raised
it for a moment from his hands, which the good old priest never
forgot, a look in which faith, and love, and angel-like innocence
seemed striving for the mastery, a look which told of
more than words can express; and it was with something very
like awe that Father Eustace gazed upon the upturned face,
and the gushing eyes, and his own tears flowed fast upon the
child of his affections as Edwin softly whispered :
"Dear Father Eustace, a little longer, a few moments
more, all is brightness now, the winter is past, and the rain
is over and gone, I have found Him whom my soul loveth, I
have held Him, and will not let Him go, my heart is breaking
with very love and joy, O leave me with my God. O my
Jesus, my God, my all," he murmured, again burying his face
in his hands, and bowing himself almost to the earth, as Father
Eustace turned softly and even reverently away, leaving the
poor lamb with the Good Shepherd, who had sought it out in
so wonderful a manner, and brought it home to Himself, to
rest upon His gentle breast, and to find there its solace and its
recompense for all that was past and gone.
Edwin was most anxious to depart for college as soon as
but Father Eustace would not allow him to set out.
possible,
"
No, my child; you must get very strong and very well
before I can allow you to depart," was the continual answer of
Father Eustace to all his entreaties to be allowed to go at once.
"
College life is very severe, and only strong men must undertake
it; but rest content awhile, and I and poor old Mrs. Mar-
tin will nurse you, and make you strong; and then I will go
down with you, and you shall commence your ecclesiastical
studies at once."
But although they nursed him tenderly and with never flagging
care, poor Edwin found it hard work to get well. He
sometimes felt so weary, and his bones ached so much, that he
wondered what it could be, and whether he should ever be
quite well again. Although Father Eustace pretended to be
very confident upon the point, and labored very hard to deceive
even himself, still, as he watched the unearthly brilliance which
so often shone in the large dark eyes, and the sudden flush
which so often mantled on the fair young cheeks as he listened,
too, with sad apprehension to the labored breathing, which
was brought on by the least exertion, and saw the struggle
which threatened to ensue between body and soul for the eonquest
of the brave young boy even he, in the solitude of hia
own chamber, would often wonder, too, whether poor Edwin
would ever be quite well again, or whether the trials and
ties of the past few months might not have altogether 1 > :
down the naturally weak constitution of his young friend.
" God forbid that it should be so," would he often whisper to
himself, " yet, O my God, he is in Thy hands, and Thou art a
loving Father, do what seems best to Thee;" and drying his
eyes, he would rejoin his friend his child as he called him
with a smiling face, and talk to him with a confidence which he
himself was far from feeling.
At the end of three months, however, lie seemed sornefhinn:
stronger, and at last Father Etr way to his en!: