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

10 WRECKED A.VD XATKD.
Tis(>fu'. They shall not br> nbl to do w'thout mo I know
of Fred Drake than any of them.
Both th boys oome into theil money nt the snme time. I'll
make my fortune that way. I'll do something to astonish the
i one day." And James Gardener, with h s avaricious
tli. :u hfs, fee. .ing Jiis h art on dang ro-a food, stood still,
ding to find something t do with a Peter folded the priper, and placed it lr tween (ho leaves of a
I in his pocket, and then :dt. r :i few more
words h'' left the room, and, knowing his way quite well, lie
ran down stairs nnd out into the shrubbery whieli sheltered the
court at th_' back of the mansi >!!, aud so got out. to the iiublic
road which led down to the village. He di 1 n t loiter. lie
honeysuckle in the had one tiling more to do before i e could rest a moment .
it to the door
he.;;e !.>.:, led w th 11 nver, and enjoyed himr.elf.
And now let us turn to Peter, and see how he took his ood
f n-tnn '. It came on him suddenly, after having boon called a
charity-boy, and after more pity and good advice than has been
recorded hire.
Ha was told the whole truth simply.
He put his cap on aud went up to the mansion, and asked to
Bed Lady Edith.
She came to him where he stood alone in the housekeeper's
room. She was young, not more than tw< nty years of age,
and she was very beautiful, at least in Peter's eyes, for he f. It
how gracefully she walk d, and saw how her bl ck hair was
wreathed about l.er na ill head by Helen Bloomfleld's clever
fing rs. He felt her sweet, slow, quiet smile, that always seemed
so good and true, and he had a strong opinion as to her ho-
liness.
When she came into the room she looked strangely, for her
heavy black dress made her seem older. Slie was pale, and
her voice was low and ead.
Peter. t od there with a flushed warm face, and bright ear-
nest eyes.
He had to keep his hands tightly clasped as a sort of dis-
cipline to prevent his saying too much or speaking too eagerly.
" I am cjme io say that I am thankful. I have been told.
Lady Edith could you tell Mrs. Penwarue? "
" Wnat am I to tell her, Peter?" she asked gently, with a
a smile covering her quiet face, as she looked at the agitated
boy.
"
Tell her tell her that I know know how good he has
"
more
been to me ; how good she is. I can't say any
"Yes, you can," said the lady.
"Wuat what nuist I say ? I can siy anything. I should
have dropped under tlie w ight of it all if I had not seen you,
I think. I was sure you would speak for me. Wh.it else can
I say ? "
"O Peter!" The soft dark eyes were fastened on Peter,
almost with laughter in them. But they said something to the
Loy. and he dropped upon his knees.
The tears in his eyes fell now, and he cried out, not loudly,
but from the very d pth of his grateful soul :
" O Sacred Heart ! O
Sacred Heart ! Heart of Jesus ! All
the good thoughts they had towards me were the inspirations
of that Heart ; from the Heart of Jesus flows all good and all
joy."
CHAPTER IX.
" Yes," said Lady Edith, when the boy rose from his knees ;
" I can now say to my dear aunt wh it she would like to hear.
"
And 1 can now give you th s She held a paper in htr hand
on which s:;me wr ting showed.
"it is her writing !" exc aimed Peter, his voice trembling
with happia ss.
"She thought of writing a note to you, to say good-bye. You
may never see her again, you know. But instead of a note,
such s she might have written, she gave me this paper with a
few words on it only. They are tije words of one whom the
Church has honored, whom we are taught to love." Then she
ga e the pipjr into Peter's hands, and he jead these words:
"Let ua belong to God by love, to our superiors by submis-
sion, and to our neighbors by charity.
' We must li'jht against ourselves to the end, and die with
our arm:, in ou/ hands, for the crown is given only to the vic-
torious."
way.
He got to the priest's garden, ran through
of the church which Father Joseph us. d, and was soon on hi3
knees before the Blessed Sacr iment.
This boy ha 1 never known a re.ation in his life. He had
never had a real h jme, and as yet he had never earned a day's
payment for a day's work. Yet he was there well clothed, well
feJ, safely housed, wise with g o 1 teaching, full of health und
vigor, wi.h good prospects in Lfe, and h s baptismal innocence
unstained I iy wilful sin. The Cuurch had been h s mother,
her devout children his friends, her pries s his teachers, her
promises his inheritance, her Sacraments his strength; and
now, on his knees before our Lord, he made his thauksgi
and he asked for help: "Lord, toach me to love Thee !"
His soul knew, without any more teaching than God had
given it, that "the love of Jesus is never idle in the heart in
which it dwells." In these few words he asked for more t.'inu
any tongue en tell.
One d iy more made the village desolate. Mrs. Penwarne
and her ui> ce left the place. A crowd of people went up t e
hill and lined the road from the entrance cate to t e di.-.tance of
full a mi e, and most of
ing about them.
them had some little token of mourn-
The carriage moved slowly on.
Mrs. Penwarne had had it opened that she might see the
faces of many friends as she said "Good-bye." She was iu
tears, and yet she looked at them, spoke once or twice, and
waved her hand in affectionate farewell when the coachman
:
stopped h s horses at the turn into the great road to the jailway
s'ation at Tre dingtou.
Then Lady Edith desired the servant to close the carriage,
which was done; nnd so the sight of their long loved friend was
lost, and the people, many of tliem with hearts full of i raycr,
returned to their homes.
Several gentlemen from the neighborhood met Sirs. Penwarno
aud her niece at the railway station, where they remained till
she was gone. It was known before night that Mr. Bloomficld
had received a telegram to say that they had arrived safely iu
London, and found all things properly in order.
There was pi. uty of talk in the v llage th t day.
All the servants had been d scharged except Mrs. Binding
and two f.iotmen the elder was to be in the butler's place. All
the servants who were discharged and left at Penwurn
leave to stay in the house for a
liked to do so.
month on board- wagts if tluy
Mr. Bloomfleld was going into the coal-trade at Treddington.
Mr. Breward had found an opening for him. He had ai
suited himself with a home. His daughter wns to go into a
house of business. James Gardener was appointed to the solo
care of the grounds, gardens and woods, at a high salary, out of
which he was to pay for a'l extra services, which at many
tunes of the i; year would be necessary to find for the woods
and the ornamental pleasure-grounds. He was appointed to
this by the new possessor of the estate, and Mr. Reves, the
bailiff, was to take charge of the mansion and live in it as soon
as the servants should have departed.
These arrangements were enough to keep people talking, and
talk they did, with all possible freedom. In the midst of it
Peter had his trials. Rude l.ids tried to get some fun out of
annoying him. James Gardener, with a little ill-nature, encouraged
them. They touched their hats, and calltd Peter
"Squire."
Peter remonstrated once, twice then threatened, "If you
insult mo by trying to make me ridiculous, I'll teach you
manners. "
"Get away to Treddin ton," said Mrs. Beauchamp laughing,
have no desire to
' and don't try to teach people what they