A/' 
 . J 
 
 J ~* '
 
 
 -

 
 MADONNA HALL, 
 
 1HH> STORY 
 
 OUR COUNTRY'S 
 
 BY 
 
 EMILY CLEMENS PEARSON. 
 
 AUTHOR OF: 
 
 "PRINCE PAUL," " OUR PARISH," "THE POOR WHITE,' 
 
 " RUTH'S SACRIFICE " AND " FROM COTTAGE 
 
 TO CASTLE." 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 JAMES H. EARLE, PUBLISHER, 
 
 178 WASHINGTON STREET. 
 
 1890.
 
 Copyright, 1889. 
 
 BY JAMES H. EARLE. 
 
 All rights reserved.
 
 .-. TO MY COUNTRY .: 
 
 Planted of God; Asvliim of the nations: 
 may He bless Thy loyal people, and rebuke 
 those who are not loyal. May the grace of 
 governing in righteousness abound with thee, 
 that none under thy shelter traitorously succeed 
 in disarming thee, and conveying this God- 
 given heritage to a foreign usurper. . . .
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 I. A DIPLOMATIC INVESTMENT ... 7 
 
 II. BEHIND THE SCENES ..... 20 
 
 III. A BENEVOLENT ERRAND .... 37 
 
 IV. THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS . . 46 
 V. DOOMED 66 
 
 VI. THE DWARF AND His CHARGE ... 83 
 
 VII. DISPOSED OF 95 
 
 VIII. A SURPRISE VISIT ..... 106 
 
 IX. ELSAE'S ASYLUM 112 
 
 X. A RELIGIOUS SENSE OF HONOR . . .121 
 
 XI. ENFORCED OBEDIENCE .... 135 
 
 XII. AN EXPKRIMENT 152 
 
 XIII. EFFECT OF THE KIDNAPPING . . . 168 
 
 XIV. CLARISSIMA AND THE BISHOP , . .176 
 XV. CLARISSIMA AND THE TOMBS ... 189 
 
 XVI. UNMERCIFUL WALLS 205 
 
 XVII. A MUTUAL SECRET . . . . .219 
 
 XVIII. BISHOP BERLIN'S LETTER .... 233
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 XIX. TAKING THE CENSUS AT MADONNA HALL, 245 
 
 XX. HASTENING A DECISION . . . .261 
 
 XXI. NUPTIALS AND A BLUSHING CHURCH . 271 
 
 XXII. TAKING COUNSEL 286 
 
 XXIII. A DISCOVERY 294 
 
 XXIV. A DREAM OF CONQUEST .... 304 
 XXV. THE DREAM INTERRUPTED . . .321 
 
 XXVI. BEWILDERED 340 
 
 XXVII. A SONG IN THE HEART .... 353 
 
 XXVIII. INTO THE LIGHT 363 
 
 XXIX. ACTING A PART 379 
 
 XXX. SURPRISES, AND PLOTS DISCOVERED . 384 
 
 XXXI. THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL . . 401 
 
 XXXII. " MYSTERY " UNVEILED .... 484 
 
 XXXIII. OVERTHROWN 441 
 
 XXXIV. APPENDIX . . . . . -453
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 i. 
 
 U. k)ipl0rr)criic Invest rr)Sr)f . 
 
 CASTLE on an elevated site, reached by a 
 winding drive-way through well-kept grounds, 
 \vas the edifice called "Madonna Hall." 
 
 Arbors, fountains, groves, grottos, shrines, statues, 
 shrubbery and flowers adorned the surrounding 
 park. 
 
 The queen of this establishment, Clarissima Buh- 
 ler, was young, comely, accomplished, unlearned, and 
 persistent. She was sometimes styled " Little 
 Mother," not from her size, but from lack of advanced 
 years. 
 
 One morning tidings came, which put her in a flut- 
 ter of excitement, not unmingled with grief. Her 
 father was dead, and she would now, as she was prin- 
 cipal heir, come in possession of a large property.
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 Bishop Berlin had been chosen administrator, and 
 \vas also her guardian. He was under forty, noble 
 looking, cultured, dignified, and lived an irreproacha- 
 ble life. On hearing the news, the Bishop left his 
 palace, and called on the Superioress Clarissima. 
 
 "Good morning, my lord bishop," she cried, as she 
 met him in the parlor, and grasped his hand. "My 
 poor father is dead, and my property is to be cared 
 for." 
 
 "Your property, little mother?" with a gleam of 
 surprise in his fine eyes, and a ready smile. "I 
 thought you gave it to this convent when you took 
 the veil." 
 
 "Yes, I remember. But as I am superioress, I 
 must have special rights ; and you'll see that I have 
 all the money I want, I'm sure." 
 
 "Certainly," was the genial reply. "Although it 
 is against our rules, I shall take great pleasure in 
 making an exception in your favor, to a reasonable 
 extent." 
 
 "Thank you ever so much," with a beaming face. 
 " I knew you would, you are always so kind and 
 just." 
 
 " I shall, however," he added, with dignity, " be 
 pleased to have you advise with me about the disposal 
 of what I may, from time to time, restore you from 
 your father's estate." 
 
 " All right. I don't mind telling you, since you 
 are bishop. You will see that I am reasonable.
 
 A DIPLOMATIC INVESTMENT. 
 
 Do you know, my lord, that I sometimes envy 
 you ? " 
 
 " Envy me, little mother ? What can you find in 
 me to envy?" exclaimed he, in great astonishment. 
 
 "When I see you driving with those elegant 
 horses, I want to drive, too. I must have horses of 
 my own. You appear in good style, why should not 
 I ? " said the impetuous little woman. 
 
 " Great Hercules ! " he cried. " What are we com- 
 ing to ? You want a span ! " Then after a pause : 
 " You shall have your wish. Have you any horses 
 in view ?" 
 
 " Indeed, I have," replied the lady, excitedly. " I 
 know just what beauties I want. I have long been 
 on the lookout whenever driving in the one-horse 
 carriage, and when in town, and I most admire Sen- 
 ator Southbury's handsome bays that he brought on 
 from Washington. You know that he drove into 
 our grounds in grand style, when he came for his 
 niece, Ella Southbury. I was really so taken with 
 those horses that I scarcely noticed her going away. 
 And they have the funniest names ! One is called 
 ' Tucky Ho,' and the other ' Kentuck.' I hear they 
 are for sale." 
 
 "Ah," cautiously rejoined the bishop, " I am afraid 
 they are not safe. Col. Southbury told me a day or 
 two ago that they were so gay that it was a tiresome 
 job to drive them." 
 
 "I'll risk them," was the lively reply. "Your
 
 I0 AfAJ)0.\\\'A HALL. 
 
 nephew, Hosea Berlin, can manage any horses. I do 
 enjoy being borne along by a dashing span, when 
 sure that the driver has them in control. Besides, 
 you must see that it is a practical investment, as this 
 is half academy and half convent. The Protestant 
 ^"irls are always taken with show and parade, and I 
 expect to get recruits for our ranks by my attractive 
 turnout." 
 
 The bishop laughed heartily at the lady's purpose 
 to enjoy her drives, and at the same time turn them 
 to practical account, saying, approvingly, 
 
 "What a diplomatic manager you are getting to 
 be ! " 
 
 Certain it was, that she had managed her father 
 as to the disposal of the bulk of his estate, having 
 been permitted by the bishop to see him often, and 
 keep his interest alive in the convent with which she 
 was connected, the exception being made in her 
 favor for this purpose. She was also allowed her 
 urgent request to retain her name. 
 
 She had been her father's pet from babyhood, and 
 as it was known that she had a large inheritance 
 coming to her, she reigned as a very queen at 
 Madonna Hall. 
 
 Her brother, HerF Buhler, became a priest, and 
 was pastor of St. Gabriel's church. Her only sister, 
 Madame Josephine Du Pont, a widow, lapsed a little 
 from Rome, connected herself with a ritualistic 
 church, and had charge of a sectarian young ladies'
 
 A DIPLOMA TIC INVESTMENT. 
 
 school. Hosea Berlin, the bishop's relative, was 
 agent, steward and coachman at Madonna Hall, and 
 was so useful that the thought of his leaving could 
 not be endured by Mother Clarissima ; so she paid 
 him a good salary, and commended whatever he did. 
 He was manly, upright and intelligent ; had been 
 educated in the public schools and commercial col- 
 lege, and remained where he was, not for pa or 
 because he was well pleased with the situation, but 
 for other and weightier reasons. 
 
 While negotiating the bargain, Senator Southbury 
 wrote the bishop to send Hosea down to Belleville, 
 his place in the suburbs of an inland city, and he 
 would drive back with him, and show him how he 
 managed the horses. Accordingly, the steward took 
 cars for Belleville, and was promptly on hand at the 
 time appointed. 
 
 The senator had in his care two young ladies, fam- 
 ily connections, who had been visiting in Belleville, 
 and who were returning to relatives and friends at 
 Byington mansion, in the city of his destination ; 
 these were Grace Leavenworth and Florence Fairfax, 
 who had seats given them in the senator's carriage, 
 and were by themselves, as the gentlemen sat with 
 the driver, to guide in the management of the 
 horses. 
 
 While on the way, the two friends chatted in a 
 lively strain of the handsome steeds, of the charming 
 scenery, and then of school life, and of what was 
 before them.
 
 T2 M. 4 DOW A HALL. 
 
 Formerly playmates, they had been very differently 
 trained in the intervening years, were unlike in cul- 
 ture and life-plans, and yet from old associations were 
 attached to each other. Grace was recently from a 
 New England college, and Florence from Madame Du 
 Pont's seminary. 
 
 Mrs. Byington, who was to be their hostess, was 
 Migs Leavenworth's aunt, and a distant connection of 
 Colonel Southbury, for he also had a military 
 title. 
 
 Grace Leaven worth was a type of the efficient 
 American girl in intelligence and self-reliant courage. 
 She was noble and unselfish in every sense of the 
 word, had a lovely face and winning ways, the out- 
 come of her kindly heart, which was modelled after 
 her mother, who "allured to noble deeds, and led the 
 way." 
 
 Florence had plain features, but was not aware of 
 her lack of beauty, although ever studying the art of 
 adornment, as if to supply some possible deficiency. 
 Under defective training, she had become thoughtless 
 and ready to live for self alone. She had graduated 
 from a branch of Madonna Hall, of which Madame 
 Du Pont was principal. Although vain and frivolous, 
 she had good impulses, and when alone with Grace, 
 was a subservient friend ; in company she lost sight 
 of her, unless she could make her available, and add 
 to her laurels. Even her easy school tasks had been 
 tiresome, and she rejoiced to be at large, and free
 
 A DIPLOMATIC INVESTMENT. 13 
 
 from restraint. As the gay steeds bore them on, in 
 the course of the conversation, she exclaimed, 
 
 "How delightful it is, Grace, to have plenty of 
 time to visit and travel ! Are n't you glad that you 
 are educated at last?" 
 
 " Educated!" replied Grace, " I do not know what 
 the sensation is ; I have only just commenced my 
 education. It is a life-work with me." 
 
 " Grace Leavenworth, you are really learned, while 
 I am not ; yet I am educated. I stick to that. You 
 ought to have heard Madame Du Pont give us her 
 parting charge as she bade us adieu. She said with 
 great impressment, 'Young ladies, I must congratu- 
 late you on having finished your education ;' and she 
 looked so sweet that we girls were more in love with 
 her than ever." 
 
 "If I may be allowed to criticise, her remark was 
 a little premature. Is she well educated herself?" 
 asked Grace. 
 
 " She is graceful and accomplished in a society 
 sense," replied Florence, "but would be shocked at 
 the idea of being learned. She says Arch-bishop 
 Fenelon, author of 'Telemachus,' taught that true 
 lady-like delicacy was almost as much spoiled by 
 learning as by vice." 
 
 "A thought worthy of the dark ages alone!" ex- 
 claimed Grace, spiritedly. 
 
 " And Madame quoted from another French 
 writer, ' The woman who thinks, is like the man who 
 puts on rouge ridiculous.' '
 
 .lfADO.\\VA HALL. 
 
 11 How absurd," laughed Grace. "I never dreamed 
 that a teacher of this day could manage to be so far 
 behind the times. ' Incompetent to teach,' an educa- 
 tional board would style her." 
 
 "But Madame is a wonderful teacher," persisted 
 Florence. " She knows what she is about. Her 
 great aim has been to make us accomplished ladies, 
 to be admired in society. Dress, manners, and the 
 ornamental branches, with just enough of the com- 
 mon studies and of the catechism, are the grand sub- 
 stance of her course." 
 
 "She would scarcely make a college professor," 
 observed Grace, smilingly. 
 
 "That isn't her aim in life," replied Florence. 
 " She cares nothing for musty colleges and dry books ; 
 they cannot make a society belle nor a religeuse. 
 For myself, I choose society life, and have all the 
 education I shall ever use. Strangely enough, your 
 college course does not seem to spoil you. You man- 
 age to be stylish, popular and lovely, all in the same 
 breath, without effort." 
 
 " Now you are looking at me through magnifying 
 spectacles," brightly said Grace. 
 
 " I admire you, for you have what I lack," replied 
 Florence ; and yet she was well pleased with herself, 
 and even vain. 
 
 "If there is a difference," sincerely said Grace, "it 
 must be owing to our training." 
 
 "Nothing would tempt me to be drilled as you
 
 A DIPLOMATIC INVESTMENT. I$ 
 
 have been," said Florence. "But outside of schools 
 you are a genius at fitting up a miracle of a bonnet 
 from vapory lace, ribbon and flowers, while I am the 
 slave of my milliner, for I must have a new head 
 piece almost every month." 
 
 "I make mine last longer than that," rejoined 
 Grace, in her lively way. " I would not like to 
 spend too much time on making my bonnets, there 
 are so many other more important things to be done. 
 I have in mind an enterprise that I do so much want 
 to see made a great success." 
 
 "A secret, is it?" asked Florence. "Well, I am 
 all ready to hear, and I may aid you, if there isn't too 
 much work. I hate that, and do not want care ; so 
 what am I good for, except it be to entertain com- 
 pany? How different we are! You are not the 
 least of a coquette, while I glory in it that I am ; and 
 do you know that I have decided to demolish ' Cousin 
 Gus ' as my next conquest ? " 
 
 Grace laughed at this unexpected announcement. 
 
 " You'll see that I am in earnest. I shall capti- 
 vate him, just for fun." 
 
 " Cousin Gus " was a rising young minister, no 
 way related to the young lady. 
 
 " How can you be so cruel ! " exclaimed Grace, in 
 mock alarm. " What if he is susceptible to the soci- 
 ety of ladies ?" 
 
 " Oh, I am sure that he is ! and I intend to take 
 advantage of it. Plodding book-worm ! What does
 
 16 MADONXA HALL. 
 
 he know of human nature ? It is high time I took 
 him in hand," and she laughed merrily at the idea. 
 
 Grace was amused at her friend's small talk, and 
 knew that Mr. Cameron's noble life purpose, good 
 sense and ready tact would shield him well from her 
 attacks, no matter how skilfully planned. 
 
 Mr. Cameron was, besides, unknown to Florence, 
 from early years an admirer of Grace, although not 
 in favor with her ambitious father, who could not 
 endure that his daughter should " wed a poor gentle- 
 man." 
 
 "You may be building an air-castle," replied 
 Grace, a little mischievously. " What if he is 
 engaged ? " 
 
 " I never heard that he was," gaily replied Flor 
 ence, " and I know that he has heart and eyes for 
 something besides books. Grace Leavenworth, you'll 
 think me vain, but I fancy that he is smitten with 
 me. I have certainly made an impression. Why, he 
 even asked me if I would like to go to China as a 
 missionary. That 's one way of asking me to marry 
 him." 
 
 Grace was silent, and did not answer for surprise. 
 She thought she knew Mr. Cameron far better than 
 Florence possibly could, and suspected there was 
 some mistake, yet was uneasy, she scarcely knew 
 why. What was he to her ? Why should she care 
 even if he did bestow attention on her friend ? 
 
 " The idea of my going to the ends of the earth
 
 A DIPLOMATIC INVESTMENT. ij 
 
 to teach the heathen," continued Florence, "when I 
 don't profess anything myself ! Just as practical as 
 that man is! It proves, Grace, that he is not the 
 man to go. Now I shall pit myself against the 
 American Board. You '11 see who '11 win." 
 
 "There may not be any contest," replied Grace 
 cheerily, " for I do not think he has an idea of going 
 himself." 
 
 " I am so sure of my address," rejoined Florence, 
 " it will not disappoint me. I know that I am to be 
 a power in society. I have been educated for it. I 
 put it to you, if girls, petted, spoiled, aristocratic, 
 rich girls, are not the great attraction of the social 
 circle ? " 
 
 "It may be true to an extent," replied Grace, "but 
 I suppose far less than formerly, when there were not 
 so many well trained in the schools. How stale and 
 insipid are the common-places, the insincerity and 
 nonsense of society where frivolity reigns ! " 
 
 " Take care, Grace, or I shall be the hit bird. If I 
 only had beauty sufficient, I really would admire to 
 be a second Madame Recamier. I dearly love to be 
 admired. But how do you propose to help the state 
 of things?" 
 
 " It is easy to see how improvements could be 
 made," was the reply. " There should be the right 
 training and education given all the young ; they 
 should have a noble purpose in living. The strong 
 should not live to please themselves, but should be
 
 1 8 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 ready to help strengthen the weak. Mothers and 
 daughters should grace society together, refining and 
 helping each other." 
 
 "I have no mother," returned Florence, "and I 
 dearly love to have my own way ; and this is my pro- 
 gramme, since will and money rule the world." 
 
 " Florence dear," said Grace tenderly, "do not be 
 too sure of that. I can tell you of something a great 
 deal more worthy of your effort. I have a delightful 
 plan that will give us the happiest kind of employ- 
 ment. It will be making some sad beings happy. My 
 scheme is nearly matured. I have only to get it 
 indorsed by my beloved mother and the ladies asso- 
 ciated with her, and it begins its work. Colonel 
 Southbury's niece Ella has the honor of starting me ; 
 she was a nun, you know." 
 
 " What a funny girl you are ! This is your great 
 secret is it ? How could that poor depressed thing 
 start you, I do wonder!" 
 
 " My sympathy was excited for her, and for those 
 whom she represents," replied Grace. 
 
 " She should not get into such a trap," said Flor- 
 ence. " I do not see what I can do to help her. I "ve 
 no heart for such things, you know. When you need 
 it, I can give some money, if that will help." 
 
 "Of course it will," replied Grace, "and it will lead 
 to your getting interested." 
 
 "There is one thing more that I long to know," 
 said Florence, " and that is, what you think of the
 
 A DIPLOMATIC INVESTMENT. ig 
 
 German Count Stilling. I want to hear the romantic 
 story." 
 
 " There 's not much to tell. We are good friends," 
 replied Grace, blushing. 
 
 It's my opinion that you'll think little of your 
 enterprise, when in company with the count," said 
 Florence with animation. " We girls think he is just 
 wonderful. The very name of a count is so aristo- 
 cratic. Madame Du Pont knows him as belonging 
 to an old distinguished family. It can not be that 
 you are indifferent to him." 
 
 " Oh, no, not indifferent exactly," was the reply, 
 " he is too entertaining and fascinating for that ; but 
 he is past his youthful days, and is simply a study to 
 me." 
 
 Meanwhile the senator and Hosea Berlin had their 
 conversation, not simply of the horses, but of soul- 
 stirring themes and tragic life-struggles. Although 
 unlike in their station in life, they were two of God's 
 children, whose noble hearts flowed together like 
 drops of water. 
 
 Ere nightfall, the eastern city was reached; the 
 proud steeds drew up before the stately mansion of 
 Mrs. Byington, and the lady herself, with her daugh- 
 ter Louise, came out to meet their expected guests, 
 and gave them a most cordial welcome. 
 
 As they entered the house, Hosea turned his 
 horses towards Madonna Hall, which was some miles 
 distant.
 
 20 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 II. 
 
 middle-aged men met one afternoon in an 
 Eastern city, and cordially greeting each other, 
 repaired to a fashionable hotel for refreshments and 
 confidential converse. 
 
 They were old friends, having graduated some 
 twelve years before from a German university. The 
 one with dark brow and enigmatical face was a repre- 
 sentative priest of a certain order ; the other, talented, 
 learned, courtly, but unprincipled and vacillating, had 
 been professor in a college. Tiring of the confine- 
 ment, he had travelled awhile, then mingled in poli- 
 tics, came to grief, and at last, on arriving in this 
 country, engaged in a legalized mercantile business, 
 and was reputed to be wealthy. 
 
 "Our meeting is a good omen," said Father Buh- 
 ler, cheerily, as he settled himself in an easy chair, 
 and pointed his companion to another. " Now, please 
 give me further inklings of your affairs and adven- 
 tures, and if there is occasion, I am at your ser- 
 vice."
 
 BEHIXD THE SCENES, 21 
 
 "Thanks," courteously replied Stilling. "You 're 
 the same old friend." 
 
 "I should hope so," was the reply; "and as you 
 belong to a lay order, we can be as intimate as form- 
 erly." 
 
 "Ah, yes, indeed," returned Stilling. "Well, 
 then, you must know that I have lost my wife and 
 one of my children. My wife died in England, 
 where we tarried while on our way here. My young- 
 est child was a victim to scarlet fever, while I was 
 absent in California a month ago. I have still one 
 little girl ten years old, and it is regarding her dis- 
 posal that I wish your counsel." 
 
 "Why not take the oversight of her yourself?" 
 asked Buhler. 
 
 " There are reasons why this will never do," replied 
 Stilling. "I have decided to marry. The lady is of 
 the high-caste Leavenworth family, and I doubt if 
 she would incline to choose a widower. I therefore 
 pass myself as unmarried ; and what to do with the 
 child is the question. Is n't there an orphan asylum 
 under the care of the church in this vicinity ? " 
 
 "We have institutions of the kind, maintained 
 partly by state aid, but I believe they are crowded to 
 overflowing. We are, however, building a new found- 
 ling asylum, where, as soon as completed, we could 
 give her employment as an attendant or waiteress. 
 She could not be more securely hidden if buried. 
 You need then have no more to do with her, leaving 
 the church to adopt her,"
 
 22 MADOXXA HALL. 
 
 "That would accord with my wishes," replied 
 Stilling, "but what can I do with her meanwhile?" 
 
 " I wonder that you ask me," returned the other, 
 laughingly. " You, a man of such fertility of 
 resources. Why not place her in a factory until our 
 asylum is ready ? To make it safe for your plans, 
 you could pass her in under an assumed name." 
 
 " The very thing ! " exclaimed Stilling. " It will be 
 a great relief. I confess that I 've no real love for 
 her ; some ecclesiastic may be her father." 
 
 " What is this that you tell me about your marry- 
 ing again?" asked Buhler, in no way surprised, but 
 ready to change the subject. " Is the lady 
 wealthy ? " 
 
 Stilling, out of humor, replied, 
 
 " Now, Herr Buhler, I am hungry as a bear, and it 
 is dry talking over one's love affairs when one is fam- 
 ished. Let's be merciful to the inner man, and then 
 we can talk to some purpose." 
 
 " You're right, my brother. Press the bell-knob," 
 rejoined the other, composedly. 
 
 This done, a choice lunch with wines was ordered, 
 and, as they ate and drank, conversation flowed 
 freely. 
 
 "As to the wealth of my lady-love, I am satisfied," 
 remarked Stilling, as he sipped his wine. " I am 
 told that her father pays taxes on a round million, 
 and that indicates a great deal of property." 
 
 "You'll be lucky if you get your prize," said Buhler.
 
 BEHIND THE SCENES. 
 
 " Exactly," replied Stilling. " She is worth trying 
 for, and I shall not give up for trifles." 
 
 " Are you sure that she fancies you ? " 
 
 " She does not show that she does," was the frank 
 reply. " She is coy, and that makes her all the more 
 charming. It may take time, but I am sure of my 
 game in the end. You know me of old." 
 
 " I rather think I do," was the response, with a 
 smile and an arching of the eyebrows. 
 
 " I have power, and know how to use it," rejoined 
 Stilling. "Miss Grace may keep her distance as 
 much as she will ; I know how to bring her to terms 
 by silently working on her mind by my strong 
 will." 
 
 "Yes," rejoined Buhler, beamingly, over his wine, 
 "you are gifted that way. Now see here, Stilling, 
 put off your love affairs a little, and help get us a few 
 rare birds for the church." 
 
 " What ! I gain Miss Grace for the church ! No, 
 sir, it's not to be thought of. I want her and her for- 
 tune too much for that." 
 
 " All right," replied the priest ; " but understand 
 me, my brother, the church is rich, the richest corpo- 
 ration on earth, and if you will turn your abilities for 
 a while just on this line, getting rich and attractive 
 girls for our nunneries, you could have a good per- 
 centage on the fortunes you were the means of bring- 
 ing into the church. Come, what do you say ? I am 
 one of the Board of Visitors of All Saints' nunnery,
 
 24 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 of the convent of Our Lady of the Scapular, and also 
 of Madonna Hall." 
 
 " I will consider the thing," said Stilling, " and 
 confer with you later. But now for my affairs. The 
 Leavenworths must not know that I am a widower, 
 as I told you, and I should prefer that they should 
 not know my business at present. I pass with them 
 as a titled gentleman." 
 
 " All right, Stilling ; keep dark, and bravely carry 
 your plans through." 
 
 " I intend to do so, " he replied ; " and as the end 
 justifies the means, I shall use any means at hand to 
 secure my prize. The old gentleman, Leavenworth, 
 favors my suit ; Miss Grace is amiable and dutiful, 
 and I think is inclined to listen to me to please him. 
 Her mother is conservative and doubtful, regarding 
 me with a critical eye. She is president of a famous 
 society, a perfect lady, whom I greatly admire. I 
 must win her regard." 
 
 " That is important," was the reply. 
 
 " I pass for a devout Episcopalian," continued 
 Stilling. "If they dreamed that I was not what I 
 seem, my suit would be useless. I could not get my 
 personal influence to bear." 
 
 " I see," said Buhler. 
 
 " I am connected with one of the largest industries 
 of the country as silent partner," continued Stilling. 
 "It is the California Viticultural Good Samaritan 
 Union, having the manufacture and sale of wines as
 
 BEHIND THE SCENES. 
 
 their specialty. They wish to promote me to take* a 
 more outspoken part, which I cannot do just now, 
 till my matrimonial affairs are settled. I have vastly 
 helped on this great industry by happy suggestions 
 regarding its management. I have shown them how to 
 make the liquor trade as reputable here as in Europe. 
 A feature which I introduced was to set forth the 
 excellencies of California wines for constant table use. 
 I also proposed to employ lady evangelists to go 
 through the land, preaching the glad tidings of our 
 wines. And, at an enthusiastic secret conference 
 from all parts of California last year, it was resolved, 
 because of the impetus I had given the California 
 Viticultural Good Samaritan Union, that I should 
 be called Count Stilling. I demurred, but finally 
 acceded to their wish, and had it engraved on my 
 card, and was thus introduced to the Leavenworths, 
 although they do not dream how I came by the 
 title." 
 
 " Count Stilling," returned the other, well pleased, 
 " I predict your success. You are doing a good work 
 for the Church, to get a footing in a Protestant fam- 
 ily, and by-and-by I'll help you bring them into the 
 Church." 
 
 "There's time enough for that," exclaimed the 
 Count, flushed with wine. I have n't any faith 
 myself, and shall not care to have my family in 'the 
 Church." 
 
 " Ah ! Well, you are right in the main, my good
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 brother," replied the accommodating priest, patting 
 him on the shoulder. " I do not wonder at this laps- 
 ing from faith. We men are naturally skeptical, and 
 from seeing the entrails of the system as we do, it 
 makes us doubt every thing, in disgust. I silence 
 myself by asking, ' Where is there anything better ? ' 
 Now, in France, where our religion flourished so 
 many ages, it is a fact that thirty-nine out of every 
 forty Frenchmen are simply infidels or atheists, and 
 other countries have the same proportion. Is that 
 better than to be Romanists ? " 
 
 "How is it with the women?" asked Stilling, 
 evading the question. " Have n't they more faith in 
 the Church ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes ; far more ! " said Buhler. " If it were 
 not for the women, we could not exist as a church. 
 You see they are either largely illiterate or convent 
 educated. They are less logical than men, more im- 
 pressible, and more easily managed every way. A 
 woman must have some religion ; she needs it as 
 much as the head-gear she wears." 
 
 " Yes ; and some among you are disposed to take 
 advantage of their weakness." 
 
 "I admit it to you," was the answer; "but who 
 has a better right ? They need guiding, can be ca- 
 joled and flattered; and made to think that, once con- 
 firmed, they can have their sins forgiven as often as 
 they confess, and be securely ticketed for heaven." 
 
 " You priests manage to keep them in subjection."
 
 BEHIND THE SCENES. 
 
 " Yes," replied the other, " unless something sets 
 them thinking. And I declare to you, that once start 
 a genuine woman in that line, and she is a very wolf- 
 cat at it ; she will give you no peace, and will fret 
 herself to death in her cage." 
 
 " I call that sensible grit ! " exclaimed Stilling. 
 " I wonder how any woman with half an intellect can 
 endure the abominable questions of the Confessional. 
 I fell out with my wife for believing in the clergy. I 
 shall never marry any but a Protestant, as I do not 
 care to have another meddling in my family affairs. 
 I would disown children that I suspected were 
 not mine." 
 
 "What do you mean?" cried Buhler in intense 
 tones, his black eyes flashing. 
 
 " I mean no personal offence," more calmly re- 
 plied Stilling. " You can't help your system. If 
 you grow too pious to ask confessional questions, 
 you '11 be reported to the archbishop as heretical in 
 your ways." 
 
 " Of course," said Buhler, " the Church is strict 
 there, although we are to use caution, and not 
 offend the refined and cultured." 
 
 "That is one reason why I doubt that there is any 
 religion to it," said Stilh'ng strongly; "for we know 
 that the first requisite of religion, if there be such a 
 thing, is purity for women." 
 
 " Hush ! hush ! " said the priest. " If we are too 
 near a thin partition, such opinions will be too widely 
 aired."
 
 2$ A/ADOA'A'A HALL. 
 
 Both men looked stealthily around, instinctively 
 drew their chairs nearer together, and talked in lower 
 tones. 
 
 " You remember, Herr," said Stilling, " that I, 
 like yourself, had my early training in a church 
 school, under nuns and Jesuits. Then I studied for 
 the priesthood in good faith. I got as far as Peter 
 Den's ' Moral Theology/ and could go no farther. 
 If that is religion, the less you have of it the better. 
 As sure as you're alive, it will have an overhauling 
 in this country. We may as well open our eyes. It 
 is of the Dark Ages, and must go down. The officers 
 of justice will yet attend to certain details of our 
 system." 
 
 " Very likely, if they get the power, which I 
 doubt," replied Buhler in the same low, guarded 
 tones. Then fumbling in his pocket, he took out a 
 newspaper cutting, saying, " See this." 
 
 Stilling read, 
 
 "According to Judge Halburton, we are pretty 
 sure of this country ; he says all America will 
 be a Catholic country. They gain constantly by 
 emigration ; more by natural increase in proportion 
 to their numbers ; more by inter-marriages, adoptions, 
 and .conversions than Protestants. With their ex- 
 clusive views of salvation, and peculiar tenets, as soon 
 as they have a majority, this country is a Catholic 
 country, with a Catholic government, with the Cath- 
 olic religion established by law." 
 
 " So may it be," grimly replied Stilling, with a 
 cynical smile. At the same time, he intended to be
 
 BEHIND THE SCENES. 
 
 on the side of the winning party, little caring which it 
 might be. " I have never abrogated my vows. And 
 you ? " 
 
 "I am to be counted on as true blue," merrily said 
 the priest. " I was a Jesuit to begin with, and my 
 adherence holds out as the years go by. I tell you, 
 Stilling, we are living for a purpose. It is no less an 
 enterprise than the subduing of this country to Rome. 
 Let the nations of Europe fight their own battles ; we 
 are under marching orders, and have our campaign 
 here. The plan of operations was cut and dried long 
 ago." 
 
 " That's well," said Stilling. " What is the first 
 move ? " 
 
 " Our hidden policy from the first has been to catch 
 the enemy napping," was the reply. "We have an 
 abundance to work with, and long since sent out men, 
 on good salaries, to search the land and buy in desira- 
 ble growing sections, as our plans embrace the whole 
 country. We have every opportunity we could ask 
 in this land, as our religion, although antagonistic to 
 its institutions, is allowed and protected." 
 
 " How weak on their part ! " sneered Stilling. " The 
 same as invite robbers into the house, and entertain 
 them ! " 
 
 " It certainly shows a lack of sense," remarked the 
 priest wisely. " It indicates that they are not capa- 
 ble of holding their great country ; and we, a foreign 
 power, shall yet take and govern it as we please.
 
 30 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 Well, to go on. Our next step is to mass our popu- 
 lation in the large cities, so as to control the votes, 
 and keep our people in the Church." 
 
 " A good move of strategy ! " replied Stilling. 
 
 " Yes," said the other ; " but the right hand of our 
 strength, as it regards the rising generation, is in the 
 parochial schools. We must have the training of 
 our children and youth, or they will slip from our 
 grasp and become American citizens. The pope, 
 foreseeing this, issued his imperative order that every 
 priest see that the children of his parish are in paro- 
 chial schools. If he omits to do it, he is to be 
 deposed from his office." 
 
 " It is easy to make an order," remarked Stilling, 
 " but difficult in this case to put it in execution. Pat 
 in Ireland has of late years refused to heed the man- 
 dates from Rome, when they have a political bearing. 
 The Irish in America, getting every day more en- 
 lightened, are quick to take a hint. The Germans 
 are not far behind. They know that it is everywhere 
 proclaimed that the common schools are the police 
 force of the nation, by which the present form of 
 government is preserved ; and as they have prospered 
 under this form, and suffered under the other, they 
 will cling to what represents their interests, rather 
 than try that which they wearied of in the old country 
 and which seeks traitorously to plant a foreign power 
 on this soil." 
 
 " I see," sadly replied Buhler ; "and I fear that his
 
 BEHIND THE SCENES. 
 
 Holiness is going too far, not understanding the 
 case." 
 
 " McGlynn's movement shows that," said Stilling. 
 " Now he is a born leader, formerly on intimate terms 
 with Henry Ward Beecher. He cannot work in a 
 rut to save his life, and that parochial school business 
 aroused him. His people were aghast, as there were 
 some hundreds of their children in those splendid 
 public schools of New York City ; some of them near 
 graduating with honor. If the Pope was obeyed, 
 every one of them must be taken out and put in the 
 nuns' schools, when the nuns, by good rights, ought 
 to go to school to the children." 
 
 "Yes, in every thing except religion," replied 
 Buhler. " Let 's see, what ground did he take ? I 
 only saw a few items in the paper concerning it." 
 
 " He took the part of his people," replied Stilling, 
 "and said that he did not see good reason why the 
 Catholic children should be taken out of the palatial 
 school-houses, consigned to the unhealthy basement 
 of churches, and fed on the catechism. That 's 
 common sense. Where was he wrong? 
 
 " When we give ourselves to the Church," replied 
 the other, " we are to be like a corpse, and let the 
 pope do our thinking for us, and that is what makes 
 our organization the strongest on earth. We are a 
 unit." 
 
 "Not so on the school question," retorted Stilling, 
 who enjoyed the opposite side ; " the ex-priest's con-
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 tempt for the pope is working mischief. You know 
 that he is the most talented of the priesthood in this 
 country, and would have been archbishop, and even 
 cardinal, if he had kept still." 
 
 " Will it pay for him to stand out against the holy 
 father? It 's pope-politics or nothing with me," said 
 Buhler. 
 
 " Of course," was the reply ; " but do you not see 
 that Catholics generally will not be afraid of the 
 pope's curse now ? They see it is powerless to harm, 
 and will behave accordingly." 
 
 "That is most unfortunate for us," mused Buhler; 
 "but still all the papers we can bribe, keep the masses 
 as ignorant as possible." 
 
 " Ah ! " returned Stilling, " the public know quite 
 enough of that which it were better for our plans 
 that they did not know. Have you read what hap- 
 pened in Chicago recently ? " 
 
 " No ; I read little news," replied Buhler. 
 "There are in that city and in Cook County sev- 
 enty-five different secret clubs of Irish Catholics, 
 many smart, rising men among them. Now, see what 
 influence the defection in Ireland and in this country 
 had on them. At their annual meeting, held recently, 
 they voted that meddling with American politics was 
 not within the province of the pope. He was a 
 foreign power, and those who attempted to do his 
 political bidding here were traitors to this country. 
 That was the honest, outspoken opinion of men, who,
 
 BEHIND THE SCENES. 
 
 seeing that the Italian despot was defunct, as 
 regarded effective cursing, could with' safety cease to 
 be machines moved by another, and begin to think 
 and act as loyal citizens." 
 
 " Have a care, Count Stilling," cried the priest, 
 " or your eloquence will lead you astray." 
 
 " Never fear," was the reply. " I only state things 
 to you, which I should withhold from all others. But 
 don't let us be too sure that we shall get hold of this 
 country just yet. There are too many ifs in the 
 way." 
 
 "We must remember, however," was the rejoinder, 
 " that we have all the means we want to work with ; 
 and money is power. We have a powerful society of 
 Jesuits, trained by all manner of trickery to super- 
 sede, who scruple at nothing to carry their point. If 
 we are smart enough to conquer this country, we 
 mean to hold it." 
 
 "That is all right of course," was the reply ; " but 
 we can profit from experience. Pope Pius IX. 
 planned in the last war a campaign in the United 
 States. He wrote his letter to the confederacy, 
 indorsing the rebellion in 1863. Our order knew his 
 secret despatches. But I entirely lost faith in him 
 when he came out defeated in that General Council 
 that pronounced his infallibility, and he has been the 
 laughing-stock of all Christendom, and Leo has con- 
 tinued to do like foolish things ever since. It was so 
 weak to seek to be called what he plainly was not.
 
 34 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 But then he was seventy-eight years old, just as old 
 as Leo XIII. is now. We must make allowance for 
 decrepitude and childishness." 
 
 " Your memory is better than mine," said Buhler ; 
 "our Church papers were mostly silent about the cir- 
 cumstances of decreeing his infallibility." 
 
 " I was there, and know the details," replied Still- 
 ing. 
 
 " It was arranged that the vast concourse of 
 cardinals, archbishops, priests, and people should 
 gather at St. Peter's Cathedral in the morning. The 
 pope in great pomp was to be stationed at the win- 
 dows looking east, that the sun might shine on his 
 array of jewels, and make him look divine in the 
 eyes of the crowd. He reckoned wrong ; instead of 
 sunlight, there was a fearful thunder-storm, as if all 
 the battalions of the skies were protesting against 
 him ; and the great -conference had to withdraw to 
 safer quarters within the building. But this is not 
 all of the story. It was in July, 1870 ; and the very 
 next day the Germans so beset Paris, that the pope's 
 body-guard, the French soldiers, were summoned 
 from Italy to help defend the city. As soon as they 
 left Rome, the Italians rose, Garibaldi was on hand, 
 and Victor Emanuel was proclaimed king the next 
 September ; and the Infallible was the merest cipher 
 as respects political power, being only a prisoner in 
 the Vatican. His successor, Leo. XIII. is now amen- 
 able to the laws of Italy as a private citizen, specially
 
 BEHIND THE SCENES. 
 
 35 
 
 hated because of the system he advocates, where 
 best known. 
 
 " So sad !" cried Buhler. " He is unfortunate, but 
 we are on hand with our plotting to supply his 
 need." 
 
 Stilling laughed derisively as he poured out an- 
 other glass of wine, saying, 
 
 "His need ! If he is indeed infallible, he ought to 
 have some inherent power to help himself withal." 
 
 " Nonsense !" said the other uneasily ; " you reason 
 too much." 
 
 But Stilling, waked up to be garrulous by the 
 wine, continued, 
 
 " You and I are not duped by false pretences at 
 least, although, as you say, we may not utter our 
 thoughts at all times. I confess to you that I am 
 more of an infidel than anything else. I've studied 
 this religion ; I've sounded it to the bottom ; and I 
 tell you, the Roman Church, so far as its officials are 
 concerned, is a sham, a political, money-making in- 
 stitution. Like the liquor industry, it is run for the 
 money it brings in." 
 
 " Be careful what you say," replied Buhler cau- 
 tiously. "It is a most powerful organization, and we 
 both like power and position. It is for our interest 
 to go in strong on this line ; and as long as we are 
 permitted to maintain our society, and secretly lay 
 plans in this country, which are not allowed in Eu- 
 rope, there is a fair chance for us to overthrow it,
 
 36 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 and seize the reins of power." Then looking at his 
 watch, he exclaimed, " It 's near car time. Come, 
 Count Stilling, let's be off." 
 
 And settling the bill, they hastened for the 
 train.
 
 A BENEVOLENT ERRAND. 37 
 
 III. 
 
 N his return to the pastoral charge of St. Ga- 
 briel's Church in the city of his residence, 
 Father Buhler resolved to act on the promptings of 
 his benevolent heart. So he sallied out and was soon 
 at the doctor's office. 
 
 "Is Dr. Christie in?'' asked he of the door-boy 
 who had answered the bell. 
 
 "He is. Walk in, sin" and he was ushered into 
 a neat office, and smilingly accosted the bald-headed 
 doctor of forty years. 
 
 " I am here, this morning," began the bland priest, 
 "on an errand of good-will and benevolence." 
 
 "Glad to see you, sir," said the doctor, thinking 
 his caller was about to settle the long score of attend- 
 ance on a number of his flock. 
 
 " One of my parishioners," said the visitor, " a fair 
 penitent, is sick with consumption, and needs a 
 physician. The young lady is out of money, and my 
 errand is, this fine morning, to ask, as a great favor, 
 your gratuitous attendance."
 
 38 MADOXNA HALL. 
 
 Dr. Christie was silent from sheer surprise at this 
 cool audacity ; and Father Buhler, nothing daunted, 
 went on, 
 
 " You are famed for generous benevolence to the 
 sick, and I trust that I can depend on your kindly 
 services." 
 
 " Certainly," replied the genial doctor, with a smile 
 that spoke volumes, "so far as the young lady is con- 
 cerned, I shall charge nothing, since she is without 
 means ; but you are aware, sir, that I have a large 
 list of cases of this kind among your parishioners, and 
 as you are on an errand of good-will and benevolence 
 this morning, it occurs to me that you will feel called 
 upon to pay something for this party yourself." 
 
 "It would give me great pleasure to do so," replied 
 the father, " but according to my vows and the 
 church rules I am not permitted to disburse money to 
 the poor for doctors' fees. Aside from my living and 
 the expenses of the altar, if I receive an overplus, it 
 belongs to the bishop. In this respect my hands are 
 tied. It is quite different with you, my good sir. I 
 trust that you will call on this patient soon, and faith- 
 fully attend the case. The address is 64 Maple 
 Street. I wish you a very good morning, doctor." 
 And the neatly-gloved man of benevolence and 
 apostolic descent left to make parish calls, taking the 
 sick girl Mary in his way. 
 
 The young lady, Mary Bryan, had persisted, against 
 much counsel and clerical opposition, in finishing her
 
 A BENEVOLENT ERR A XL). 
 
 39 
 
 course at the High school, and soon after graduating 
 had secured a fine position as a teacher. What she 
 suffered while studying cannot be imagined save by 
 those who have had a similar struggle. She was 
 beset, persecuted, cursed, and excommunicated, but 
 heroically held on her way in the face of every 
 obstacle. The contest, however, added to hard stud}', 
 impaired her health ; and, ere her friends were aware, 
 she was in a decline. She had taught some eighteen 
 months, and, besides paying her expenses and giving 
 freely to her mother, had laid by five hundred dollars. 
 This fact the mother happened to mention to Father 
 Buhler at confessional, and he at once saw fit to 
 change his base of operations regarding the excom- 
 municated young lady. 
 
 "Ah! is that so?" exclaimed he. "Well, we must 
 try and save your daughter. She has sinned a mortal 
 sin, but I will come and pray with her once a week, 
 and shrive her soul." 
 
 "God bless you, father!" exclaimed Mrs. Bryan. 
 " That is so kind of you." 
 
 "I'll make the charge very cheap, almost free 
 gratis, because she is poor," he added. 
 
 " But what'll I do, wanting a doctor ? " asked Mrs. 
 Bryan, chilled that he wanted pay. 
 
 "Give yourself no trouble," replied the man of 
 expedients, "I'll attend to that. I shall provide a 
 doctor free of charge. The five dollars you pay me 
 for prayers each week will cover his bill. Mary shall
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 have the best medical attention, and must come back 
 to the fold of the church." 
 
 " I'll tell her she's kindly invited, and may all the 
 saints and the holy mother help her to come! " fer- 
 vently said the mother. 
 
 While Mary Bryan was in the public school, she 
 had, unknown to her family, joined a Sunday-school 
 where several of her friends belonged. She searched 
 her Bible, and found that "there is one mediator 
 between God and men, the man Christ Jesus," and 
 receiving him by faith she was happy in the Lord. 
 
 After going to confession, and hearing the priest's 
 decision, her mother began to labor anew with her, 
 but with little encouragement. The darkness of un- 
 belief could not cast even a shadow on the clear light 
 that shone in Mary's soul. Her peace 'was like a 
 river,' while Mrs. Bryan was filled with unrest and 
 distress. . 
 
 " Mary, you 're the darling of my heart, and it's hard 
 to part with you, and have you go to purgatory for 
 leaving the true church." 
 
 "Dear mother, do not worry," was the sweet 
 reply. "Just think, Jesus says, ' Come unto me, all 
 ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you 
 rest.' He is the high and holy One, and has prom- 
 ised to dwell in our hearts by his Spirit, if only we 
 are humble and contrite. If we come to Him by 
 prayer, and truly trust in Him, we may be sure of 
 one thing, He will give us rest and not suffering."
 
 A BENEVOLENT ERRAND. 
 
 " But, Mary dear, the priest does not say so," urged 
 Mrs. Bryan. 
 
 " We must be sure and do as the Lord bids us, 
 no matter if the priest does oppose," replied Mary. 
 " There is no other name given under heaven where- 
 by we can be saved but the name of Jesus. And He 
 is so gentle and loving that a little child can come 
 to Him and be received." 
 
 "Well, darling, He does seem to make you happy. 
 I would not mind believing as you do, if I could find 
 rest like you do. But hush ! here 's Father Buhler, 
 himself. Don't oppose him. Let him have his say, 
 that 's a blessed daughter." 
 
 The priest came into the sick-room with imperious 
 air and lordly tread. 
 
 " Are you ready to confess, that I may absolve 
 you ?" he asked Mary, abruptly. 
 
 She shook her head. 
 
 The licensed visitor, however, had regard to busi- 
 ness, and said, " I will go on with the service then, 
 nolens volens" and at once mumbled over the 
 prayers for the sick. And, as the mother accompa- 
 nied him to the door on his leaving, said, 
 
 " I '11 take the five dollars now, Mrs. Bryan," so 
 eagerly that it struck a chill to her heart as she 
 handed him the money. 
 
 Father Buhler, knowing that Mary was grounded 
 in the Bible, avoided talking with her before her 
 mother ; but having an eye single to the money, he
 
 42 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 read prayers time after time, till Mary's patience was 
 exhausted. She plead with her mother to stop his 
 coming, to no purpose, and finally herself forbade his 
 setting foot in the house. 
 
 " These prayers, sir," said she, " are not like those 
 I find in the Word of God. They are idolatrous, and 
 I will not hear another one." 
 
 " I forbid you the sacraments of the Church and 
 Christian burial. You '11 go to torment and stay 
 there. All the masses in the Commonwealth cannot 
 buy you out," sternly said he in great wrath. 
 
 " I have no fear, for my trust is in the Infinite 
 Redeemer, who will keep me safely, whether I live 
 or die," was her firm and calm reply. 
 
 " Most impious, so to disregard the Church ! " 
 cried he, livid with rage. " I shall continue to 
 have prayers with you as long as you live. You 
 can not hinder me, you most cursed of heretics ! " 
 
 Then taking the mother aside as he passed out, he 
 said, 
 
 "This comes of Protestant influence. If you had 
 kept your child from the godless public school, as I 
 charged you, she would have been drilled into the 
 ways of the church, and we could hold her. A curse 
 everywhere follows the public schools. They are 
 death to our success ; and, instead of putting them 
 down, you help them on. Now you see your child is, 
 a heretic, and doomed to perdition." 
 
 "I cannot think so; dear Mary is so happy in her
 
 A BENEVOLENT ERRAND. 
 
 43 
 
 belief. She is full of joy, like an angel, and cannot 
 help singing praises to God." 
 
 "Do n't you dare mention it!" was the savage 
 reply. "She's an apostate of the blackest dye. 
 Once, when the church had political power, she 
 would have been put in the Inquisition to be tor- 
 tured into submission." 
 
 "Dreadful, dreadful! You don't believe in that, 
 do you, Father Buhler?" asked the mother, amazed 
 and distressed. 
 
 "I do," he cried. "We ought to have it here 
 to-day. It 's the only way our church will ever 
 prevail over the gates of hell. It is a great loss to 
 the cause that we have n't it in full-blast operation 
 here and now. That 's why these young folks dare 
 leave the fold. There is too much liberty. I 've a 
 good mind to put the thumb-screws on your daugh- 
 ter this moment!" 
 
 He little knew the spirit of the mother. He had 
 stirred up a very lioness, and with flashing eyes she 
 cried, 
 
 "Father Buhler, get out of my house, and don't 
 you ever dare to darken my doors again ! If I would 
 allow it, understand me, the laws of my country 
 would not. We even have a society for the preven- 
 tion of cruelty to animals. Much more shall our 
 helpless sick ones be cared for." 
 
 "Hush, hush ; be silent," said the priest. 
 
 But she continued,
 
 44 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " Since you, a minister of religion, show a desire to 
 torment my daughter, you are plainly not of God. 
 My daughter's religion is a thousand times better 
 than yours. Take this five dollars and begone ! " 
 
 Her flashing eyes, heightened color and stinging 
 words so wrought upon the false priest that he made 
 haste to depart. 
 
 The door being open into Mary's room, she heard 
 the altercation, and for the first time found that the 
 ecclesiastic had charged five dollars each for his 
 unwelcome visits. 
 
 "Mother dear," said she, "I see that you have 
 given money for that which is far worse than useless, 
 and we have not paid Dr. Christie, who is a skilful 
 physician and a benefactor to the poor. This is very 
 wrong. He has helped me, and I am under great 
 obligations to him, and we must do justly." 
 
 "You are right, darling, and we will pay him every 
 cent we owe him." 
 
 " I 've heard him say that he never takes a case but 
 he prays over it," said Mary. "And I believe his 
 prayers, with his remedies, have been a blessing to 
 me, and I am getting better." 
 
 "Do you think so, my darling? He is a kind 
 man, a man of God. A cruel man is not of God. 
 I 've done with Father Buhler. It 's a pretence of 
 religion that has the heart to torment anybody. 
 Thumb-screws ! Ah, he let out his secret. Now I 
 believe that nuns in the convents are sometimes
 
 A BENEVOLENT ERRAND. 45 
 
 cruelly punished, and there is no one to help them. 
 What a shame it is that in this free country such 
 things can be done, and be covered up from sight ! 
 If you had been a nun, Mary, and had displeased 
 Father Buhler, he would have dealt hardly with you ; 
 I can see that." 
 
 "Yes, mother dear; and I cannot be too thankful 
 that I am not in such a case. I Ve prayed over my 
 troubles, and the Lord has heard me. It was dread- 
 ful for me to hear those senseless, heathenish prayers, 
 and I told Him all about it, and now I praise Him 
 that I shall hear them no more. Hereafter, when I 
 pray, I mean to remember the poor oppressed nuns, 
 as if bound with them."
 
 46 MADOXXA HALL. 
 
 IV. 
 
 . Br> d Justifies 
 
 RS. BYINGTON, Grace Leavenworth's aunt, 
 owned a large estate left her by her husband, 
 and lived in a fine mansion. 
 
 Her only child, Louise, was romantic and easily 
 influenced, and became fascinated with ritual observ- 
 ances while with Florence Fairfax, at Madame Du 
 Font's seminary. Florence had small trace of sham 
 devotion in her nature, and always laughed whenever 
 she saw foolish ceremonies or any verging towards 
 idolatry. Louise was shocked at what "she called a 
 want of reverence, and said, for her part, she thought 
 that " the Catholic religion was too charming for any 
 thing. I like it," she added, "for it is so easy to get 
 rid of one's sins. One has only to confess them, the 
 priest forgives, and that is the end of them." 
 
 "Is it?" asked Florence, for once waked from her 
 usual indifference. "I've heard it said that none 
 can forgive sin but God only." 
 
 " Well, that is a mistake," replied Louise, warmly.
 
 ' THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS. 47 
 
 "Our rector, Father Van Allstyn, do n't teach any 
 such hard doctrine. He do n't believe in a change of 
 heart, either. He says that young people should not 
 think for themselves on religious subjects, but let the 
 church think for them. So you see, if one's sins are 
 forgiven, and the religious thinking done, it is a 
 velvet way to heaven, and one's life flows on as 
 smoothly as a song." 
 
 "Well," exclaimed Florence, arranging her refrac- 
 tory hair, " I don't mind how much thinking others 
 do for me, provided they don't make me swallow the 
 sum total of their cogitations, and try to upset my 
 ideas. I must have my own way. I do not choose 
 to be tied down to set rules of a doubtful character, 
 since I live in a free country." 
 
 It was at recess, and the girls had gathered near 
 to hear what Florence had to say. She con- 
 tinued, 
 
 " I could tell you a story of one who was foolish 
 enough to give herself and her property away, 
 because she was easily persuaded ; when she got sick 
 of her bargain, and wanted to go back to her own 
 lovely home, you see, girls, she could not. She was 
 a prisoner for life, you see ! " 
 
 " Oh, was n't that perfectly awful ! " exclaimed one 
 of the girls. 
 
 " Now, Florence, who was it ? " asked another. 
 " What was her name ? " 
 
 But Madame Du Pont swept into the room without
 
 48 MADOXXA HALL. 
 
 warning, and dispersed them to their studies and 
 classes. 
 
 Louise, however, steadfastly held to her idea of 
 confessing as soon as she had the opportunity. It 
 was sufficient, in her view, that Rector Van Allstyn, 
 her father's cousin, advised it as a great safeguard 
 for young persons. This was a little before the 
 close of school ; and consequently, on her return 
 home, he found her in a promising state of mind for 
 his plans. 
 
 We now turn aside a moment to glance at one who 
 kept close watch of the Byingtons and their friends. 
 Mrs. Byington's housekeeper, Bridget, had been with 
 her for many years. She, was thirty-five, strong, 
 energetic, hard-featured and ungainly, but, as a rule, 
 considered trustworthy, and, feeling that she was 
 part and parcel of the household, prided herself on 
 knowing all that transpired in it. Being very relig- 
 ious in her own estimation, she went often to mass, 
 and was punctual at the confessional. 
 
 One summer afternoon she entered the church, 
 flushed and heated with her walk, and commenced 
 fanning herself as she was seated by the confessional 
 box. The priest was one side of the thin partition, 
 and she the other ; between them was the open win- 
 dow, where a blind revealed her face to him, he 
 looking down upon her, while his was hidden from 
 her. She was so near that he could hear every word, 
 even if she spoke in a low voice, which was not her 
 custom, unless especially guarded.
 
 THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEAi\'S. 
 
 49 
 
 Bridget was voluble, chatty, and loved to gossip, 
 and Father Buhler encouraged her to discourse freely 
 on matters that interested her. 
 
 After the customary opening questions, he said, 
 " Have you other special temptations or sins to con 
 fess, Bridget ? " 
 
 " Not a wan, your riverance, barm' it 's the family 
 concarns. What's a lone body loike meself to do with 
 me temptations ? I bez that swallered up with warrk, 
 arly and late, that I has no time to waste on meself. 
 I drops to slape, throwin' meself on me bed without 
 undressing, for I has to be up in the mornin' the first 
 in the house, to git breakfast, and I goes to warrk 
 mumblin' me prayers to the howly Virgin on the stairs, 
 an' as I rakes out the stove, an' makes the fire." 
 
 "All right," said the priest, "what have you to 
 confess about the family ? " 
 
 "They have got lots of company, now. They 
 always has in summer-time. There 's the mistress? 
 Miss Louise, Miss Leavenworth, Miss Fairfax, an' 
 Miss Southbury. Then Count Stilling is coming, 
 Minister Cameron, an' Colonel Southbury, an' good- 
 ness knows who next ; for everybody an' their cousins 
 come to our house, an' it 's meself is expected to do 
 the cookin' for them all, batin' the girls that help 
 me." 
 
 " Do you want to leave ? " 
 
 " Howly mother, no ! " cried Bridget. " I could 
 not find another place where they'd trate .me so 
 well."
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " You 've a good mistress, then ? " 
 
 "Pretty good, considerin'. There's no end to her 
 money ; but she's a bit close with it, barin' when she: 
 takes a notion to loosen her purse-strings, and then 
 she gives a wonderful deal. Now, to me, your river- 
 ence, she's as close as a Jew; an' she requires me to> 
 see that not a thing is missing from her room, or the 
 young ladies,' either. If anything is missin', the price; 
 of it cooms out of me wages." 
 
 " Indeed, how did that come to pass ? Did you 
 ever help yourself to anything that did not belong to 
 you ? Remember, now, I can look right into your 
 soul, and you must tell me true." 
 
 "Well, well!" exclaimed Bridget, "your riverence 
 is very knowledgeable, to be sure. What's the use of 
 confessing, when your honor can look into me moind 
 like ? If you are lookin' into my soul, you see hidden 
 away one thing I disremembered to confess. I did 
 take some of mistress's things, and some of Miss 
 Louise's a long time ago. They was what they did n't 
 want, an' what would be useful to me." 
 
 " Ah, I see ! Go on," said Father Buhler, in no way 
 surprised. 
 
 " It was n't stalin' at all," continued Bridget, " for my 
 twin brother, Ralph Murray, he's a great scholar en- 
 tirely, when he was studyin' to be a priest, he used 
 to read some of the doctrines to me ; an' in one place 
 it says, ' If your employer does not pay you what you 
 ought to have, you may help yourself to enough to
 
 THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS. 5 { 
 
 make the wages right, if you can do it and not be 
 found out." 
 
 " Yes, yes, I see," said he, busily thrusting his fin- 
 gers through his hair. 
 
 " I wanted to make my pay square like, out of mis- 
 tress's an' Miss Louise's wardrobe, an' sure I was 
 blest in doin' of that same, for I prayed about it to 
 the blessed Virgin to favor me in it. An' sure the 
 blessed mother did." 
 
 " You did well to pray, Bridget," said Buhler, 
 kindly. " What did you take ? " 
 
 "It was n't a sin, father," she argued, "and why 
 should I confess ? " . Then more pleadingly, " Sure, 
 it 's no consequence to your riverence to know all the 
 private affairs of a poor body loike meself." 
 
 "Bridget, hear me,!" said the priest earnestly. 
 ' You must keep nothing from me. Your mind must 
 be laid open to me like a book. I take the place of 
 God to you, and nothing must be hidden from me. 
 What did you take, and what did you do with Mrs. 
 Byington's things ? " 
 
 " I nevet see the beat of it, your riverence, you 're 
 that knowledgeable ! Well, if I must, I must ; but it 
 is not a sin ; my brother, Ralph Murray, and the 
 church-book says so." 
 
 "Very well ; go on," he said, encouragingly. 
 
 The Jesuit always takes the part of the sinner, 
 allows theft and other crimes, if hidden. 
 
 " You see they was all off on an excursion to the
 
 52 MADONXA HALL. 
 
 beach, and left me to put the house to rights. J got 
 through with my warrk, tidied up the rooms, and then 
 the time hung heavy. I could n't go away, for mis- 
 tress said I must stay and watch the house, as the 
 rest of the servants were off, an' tramps might break 
 in ; an' if they did, I was to ring the big bell an' rouse 
 our neighbors and the police." 
 
 " Yes ; go on," said Father Btihler. 
 
 " I went to the mistress's long wardrobe, where her 
 best things was kept, and took down her dresses and 
 laid them on the bed, to look them over. There was 
 ever so many, about twenty. There was six silk, two 
 black ones stiff enough to stand alone, one slate, one 
 green, and two brown. Oh, didn't my mouth water 
 for that lovely green one. Here was jist the chance 
 for me to fit me out to be a lady, for onst. Then 
 there was eight soft woolen dresses. I concluded as 
 me pay was only half what it should be, that I would' 
 as the church rules say, make up the difference, and 
 take six dresses. I put three silk and three woolen 
 dresses into a large sack, and took them to the pawn- 
 shop round the corner. It was kept by an old Jew, 
 and I took out one at a time, and asked twenty dol- 
 lars a piece for them, but the greedy thing only gave 
 me fifty dollars for the lot. But that was better than 
 nothing, and a good morning's warrk ; I did n't com- 
 plain, but hurried to the Five-cent Savings Bank, 
 and put it by safe and sound. Your riverence will 
 not blame me, for it was fifty dollars taken from Pro-
 
 THE EXD JUSTIFIES THE MEAXX. 53 
 
 testant hands and put into safe Catholic care ; and 
 as a thank-offering I gave ten dollars of that same 
 into the church collection." 
 
 " Go on," said he, in a pleased way. " There's more 
 to tell. Did Mrs. Byington find out her loss ? " 
 
 " Whurra, what would I do, desavin' your river- 
 ence ? The mistress didn't find out her loss for a long 
 time; and when she questioned me, I didn't know 
 any more about it than the dead at first, then I said I 
 seed a woman and a man hanging round the house, 
 an' they must have got in and stole the things, while 
 I was tidying the parlor. I had put the rest of 
 the dresses back, barin' a black cashmere, which I 
 took to my dressmaker and had it fitted over. My 
 clothes needed recruiting, and there was Miss Louise 
 flush with trunks and bureaus full. I found the kays 
 convanient, she'd forgot them in her hurry, and I 
 went through her things, for I 'd been paid only six 
 dollars a week, and I valued my sarvices at twelve 
 dollars, seeing they was able to pay. I took two sets 
 of underclothes ; an' if I was a-goin' to git married, I 
 don't know of a better place to git an outfit, if I had 
 as good a chance." 
 
 " But these clothes, were n't they too fine for your 
 use ?" 
 
 " Yes, your riverence, and too small ; but I had me 
 wits left, and I went to me cousin who had helped 
 herself to some of her mistress's clothes, very provi- 
 dential that day, when all the rich folks was off to
 
 54 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 picnic. Her mistress was my size, and we exchanged, 
 and neither mistress suspected what we had done. 
 Father Buhler," added Bridget, " I bees a very busy 
 woman, and has great care of me warrk ; I gave you 
 ten dollars extra to cover sins I might forget to men- 
 tion." 
 
 "Yes, Bridget, I remember; that account is all 
 correct. Did Miss Louise find you out ? " 
 
 " Never a bit did she suspect me, although I heard 
 her say to her mother, ' Something is wrong in my 
 bureau.' I had taken her gold bracelets, and pawned 
 them for ten dollars ; but "one of her lovely breastpins 
 I did so want to wear, and I put it with my things in 
 my drawer, and when I was off at mass they found it. 
 It was worth a great deal, and Miss Louise and her 
 mother was towerin' angry, and came near putting 
 me in jail. I told them I found it when I was sweep- 
 ing, and was n't to blame for its bein' so valuable ; that 
 I 'd no idea it was anything but washed brass. They 
 cooled down then, and as I was the best help they 
 ever had, and they couldn't run the house without me, 
 they made up, and trusted me as much as ever. I had 
 counting the fifty and the ten, and the dress being 
 made over for me, upwards of a hundred dollars as my 
 day's work of rummaging. I was patient, and did not 
 complain, and said prayers two mortal hours on my 
 knees to all the saints and to the howly Virgin." 
 
 " But why did n't you confess all this before, 
 Bridget ? "
 
 THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS. 55 
 
 * 
 
 " It 's out of regard to your riverence," smilingly 
 replied she. " I did n't want to trouble you with 
 things of no account. As long as it was according to 
 rules and the regulation of the church, as my brother 
 explained it to me, it was not a sin to be confessed. 
 It is my sins you told me I was to confess ; and for a 
 Catholic to take from a Protestant to make up wages 
 unjustly kept back, is just and right, and not neces- 
 sary to be confessed." 
 
 " It is certainly allowable at times," sagely observed 
 Herr Buhler. " But be very careful ; do not venture 
 to take anything more for two months, without my 
 consent. You may as well wait longer." 
 
 Then aside to himself, " It is a fact that every 
 thing in this country is, so to speak, the property of 
 his holiness, the pope, and his faithful children ought 
 not to be kept out of the use of it. But we must be 
 cautious. It is not safe yet to spoil the Egyptians. 
 We must bide our time in patience." 
 
 "I'll obsarve your counsel, Father Buhler." 
 
 "How does Miss Louise stand toward the church ?" 
 asked he. 
 
 " She's the best one of them all ; not a bit of a 
 heretic," replied this eavesdropper and spy. " The 
 windows of my room opens right above the side win- 
 dow of Mrs. Byington's room ; and when I leans out 
 to take the air like, and she an' Miss Louise happen 
 to be sittin' there with their embroidery, I can hear 
 every word, for they both speak plain. Mrs. Bying
 
 56 MADONXA HALL. 
 
 ton is High Church, and so is Miss Louise, and she is 
 embroidering a pair of slippers for the new rector 
 Father Van Allstyn, and he's a hearty Jesuit ; a great 
 secret, but I've found it out, and they both are just 
 bewitched to embroider an altar-cloth." 
 
 " Indeed," said the priest. 
 
 " Yes, your riverence, and I heard Miss Louise say 
 that if she outlived her mother, she should give her 
 fortune to the convent, and take the veil." 
 
 " Well, now, that is good news," said the eager son 
 of the church, half-talking to himself. " She is edu- 
 cated, fair and rich, a most fitting offering. Be good 
 and faithful and win her all you can. And the 
 Blessed Virgin will see to the mother." 
 
 " Oh, your riverence, I'll do all I can," was Bridg- 
 et's reply. 
 
 " What more, Bridget ? Who else did you say was 
 a the house ? " 
 
 " Whurra, your riverence, you 're a master man for 
 explorin' of the families. It 's Miss Louise's school- 
 mate and cousin and Colonel Southbury, and that re- 
 minds me that I must be hurryin', and get my kettle 
 on for tay." 
 
 " I know about the Colonel and his record, but 
 are the rest Protestants ? And what may be their 
 names ? " 
 
 " They is Protestants, dyed in the wool," replied 
 Bridget. " Miss Grace Levenworth is Miss Louise's 
 cousin, and Miss Florence Fairfax is her schoolmate."
 
 THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS. 57 
 
 " What more do you know about them ? " 
 
 " I know they don't jist agree with Miss Louise. 
 She' s more for the pope's religion than they be. She 
 believes in private schools, and they believe in public 
 schools." 
 
 " What more ? " 
 
 " Miss Louise says she thinks the confessional may 
 be a good thing for some people ; and the other young 
 ladies, they say it is a sin and a shame, and ought 
 to be put down by law." 
 
 " You heard them say so ? " asked he, in a grave 
 displeased way. 
 
 " I did, your honor. I had to pick currants back 
 of the arbor and garden, and I heard them say so." 
 
 " What else ? " asked he in the same tones. 
 
 " Miss Louise thinks purgatory must be a very 
 good thing to burn up people's sins, and make them 
 clean ; and her friends pooh-pooh and laugh, and say 
 there's no such place at all. And when I was doin' 
 of the chamber work, I see them get their Bibles and 
 turn to varses to prove what they said." 
 
 " You did ? That comes of the cursed public 
 schools and Sabbath-schools." 
 
 " Miss Grace said," continued Bridget, " and oh, 
 she is jist as pretty as a lily, with pink cheeks, the 
 most beautiful of them all. I never seen sich a 
 beauty. I'm jist ravin' about her, and she is sich a 
 foine lady, always doing me some kind turn/' 
 
 " What did she say ? " asked the priest, eagerly.
 
 58 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " Miss Grace said that the Roman church was 
 plainly a money-making concern, and there would 
 be no such thing as masses, the confessional and pur- 
 gatory, if it was n't for the money they bring," replied 
 Bridget. 
 
 " Poor thing ? " calmly replied the priest, although 
 he was sorely vexed. "That shows how ignorant she 
 is of our holy religion. She needs some one to teach 
 her our catechism, poor thing ! " 
 
 " I crossed meself, and said me prayers to the Vir- 
 gin," said Bridget, " and was so agitated that I spilled 
 me currants." 
 
 " No wonder. And what did Miss Louise say to 
 such talk ? " 
 
 " She said that she had very dear friends in that 
 church, and she believed that it was as good as any 
 other, and she was going to stand up for it." 
 
 " Bridget, you bring me good news. The bless- 
 ing of the Virgin be upon you. Keep close watch 
 and come again and tell me how the battle goes." 
 
 Bridget then departed to get " tay," and be faith 
 f ul to the charge given her. 
 
 Buhler shut the confessional box, and went to walk 
 just before supper, so busy with his thoughts that 
 he scarcely noticed where he went. After the even- 
 ing meal, which he dispatched in a very business-like 
 way, oblivious of what he ate, he went to his study 
 and wrote a letter with marked care. As he read it 
 over, there was the peculiar, characteristic smile,
 
 THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS. 59 
 
 which, on rare occasions, lit up his inscrutible face. 
 " I'll teach that clique a thing or two, and it would n't 
 be strange if I hoodwinked the Colonel, and got a 
 familiar footing there." 
 
 When the servant at Byington mansion brought 
 in the evening mail on a silver salver, Mrs. By- 
 ington, Louise, Florence and Grace, with Count 
 Stilling, Colonel Southbury, Ella Southbury, the 
 escaped nun, and Rev. Augustus Cameron were sit- 
 ting on the veranda, enjoying the cool breeze which 
 was fragrant with honeysuckle and other flowering 
 plants. 
 
 The company continued chatting pleasantly as 
 Mrs. Byington perused her letter, when she ex- 
 claimed, 
 
 " Well, of all things, this is a wonder ! " 
 
 " Oh, what can it be ? " cried Louise, sinking down 
 on a hassock at her mother's feet. " If it is n't a 
 secret, do tell what the wonder is." 
 
 " Secret ? " she replied. " No, indeed ; it should be 
 published from one end ot the land to the other. 
 Colonel Southbury, I elect you secretary pro tew, 
 that you may read this to us, after which I shall take 
 it very kindly if you will all freely express your opinion 
 regarding it." 
 
 The senator in his courtly way received the letter, 
 and before the reading, Mrs. Byington said, 
 
 "Mr. Cameron and Count Stilling, I wish espe- 
 cially your judgment upon this letter."
 
 MADONNA IT ALL. 
 
 She said this with a gracious, complimentary air, 
 designed to show that she fully appreciated them. 
 
 All were waiting in pleased expectancy, when 
 Colonel Southbury read in deep, musical voice as 
 follows, 
 
 ST GABRIEL'S PARSONAGE, June 23, 18- 
 MRS. ARTHUR BYINGTON : 
 
 Dear Madam, Pardon the liberty I take in address- 
 ing you. A sense of justice to yourself impels me to 
 this course. Briefly, the circumstances are these : a 
 young man whom my holy oath of office forbids me 
 to reveal, has confessed to me that he dishonestly 
 obtained one hundred dollars from you in some way, 
 and at a certain time, which I may not mention. 
 
 He is poor, and has no means to repay you, as I ad- 
 vised, and as he wishes; but I am happy to send it to 
 you out of my limited stipend, unwilling that one of 
 my flock should be under obligations which I can 
 discharge. 
 
 Enclosed please find check for one hundred dollars. 
 
 Trusting that no one will ever again wrong one so 
 good and noble as yourself, and wishing you prosperity 
 and peace. Very truly your friend, 
 HERR BUHLER, 
 
 Pastor of St. Gabriel's Church. 
 
 "Well, now, Count Stilling, is n't this magnani 
 mous?" said Mrs. Byington. "Yet I have n't the 
 slightest memory of losing one hundred dollars." 
 
 " It is very noble," replied he. 
 
 "Oh, yes," cried Louise, clapping her hands. 
 "Father Buhler is a jewel to do that. Don't you 
 think so, Colonel Southbury ? "
 
 THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS. 6 1 
 
 " I would prefer not to pass judgment, until I can 
 study the man, and have a glance at his motives," said 
 the gentleman, critically. " It is well known that he 
 puts his sick poor in the hands of a Protestant physi- 
 cian, whom he never pays." 
 
 " Ah, you hard-judging men ! " whispered Louise to 
 the Colonel. 
 
 " Mr. Cameron, we await your opinion," said Mrs. 
 Byington. 
 
 " It seems that we have the priest before us," was 
 Mr. Cameron's reply," and are passing judgment upon 
 this act of his. He is for the time being a prisoner at 
 the bar of our opinion. In his missive he gives an 
 excuse for writing. The lawyers are accustomed to 
 say that when people are engaged in making excuses 
 they falsify ; hence, the reason he gives for sending 
 this letter amounts to nothing, in a legal view. The 
 young man of whom he speaks is a myth, and his 
 letter a fraud." 
 
 Florence was greatly taken with the young clergy- 
 man's argument, and turned to give him an approving 
 smile, when she discovered that he was talking in a 
 low voice with Grace. 
 
 ," Yes, Gracie, let 's know what you think ? " said Mrs. 
 Byington. 
 
 "Well, aunt/' was the reply, in her cautious way, 
 " the letter appears to be sincere, and the writer mod- 
 estly expresses himself." 
 
 >unt Stilling, sitting on the other side of Grace,
 
 62 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 bowed assent, and attempted to press her hand, which, 
 she quickly withdrew. 
 
 "What do you think, Florence dear?" asked Mrs. 
 Byington. 
 
 " I am puzzled ; but suppose Mr. Cameron and Grace 
 must be right," replied Florence confused and not 
 knowing what else to say. 
 
 " Yes," said Stilling with a candid air, " we Prot- 
 estants should be just, and acknowledge a noble act 
 when we see it. We are inclined sometimes to be 
 uncharitable because of our prejudices." 
 
 " Colonel Southbury we await your views," said Mrs. 
 Byington, gracefully inclining her head to that gentle- 
 man. 
 
 " Do you suppose, my dear madam," said the sena- 
 tor, a smile of sarcasm lighting his fine face, " if you 
 had been poor and dependant, that this money would 
 have been sent you ? The satellites of Rome do not, 
 as a rule, part with money unless something is to be 
 gained by it. If you were needy and without influence, 
 do not think he would be as generous ? " 
 
 " Why, I think he would," replied Mrs. Byington. 
 "What possible object could he have in sending me 
 the one hundred dollars, if, as you say, the clergy are 
 so loath to part with their money ? " 
 
 " Madam," returned the Colonel, " this is an old 
 trick of wily ecclesiastics, to send large sums on false 
 pretenses to wealthy people, generally those having 
 political influence, and thus get introduced to Prot-
 
 THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS. fa 
 
 estant homes and influential circles, into which they 
 could otherwise never gain access." 
 
 "Can that be possible?" asked Stilling incredu- 
 lously. 
 
 " It is even so," replied Colonel Southbury with 
 dignity. " I have lived in England, Canada and in 
 Washington, and know that it is done ; and from time 
 to time worldly, unsuspecting, rich families are swept 
 into Rome by that device." 
 
 " I do not want to think meanly of so good a man," 
 said Louise with a frown. 
 
 "Well, Miss Louise," he answered, "you must 
 remember that if a Jesuit is faithful to his vows, he is 
 a very cat in duplicity. It is a crime for him to be 
 found asleep when there is any cream to be stolen." 
 
 " What an idea ! " exclaimed Mrs. Byington, laugru 
 ing as well as the rest. " I hope Father Buhler is 
 not of that order." 
 
 " It is his boast that he is," replied the Colonel, 
 gravely, a piece of information that Mrs. Byington 
 did not wish to believe ; and she turned to Miss 
 Southbury, "What do you think, Cousin Ella ? " 
 
 " Do not ask me, aunt," was the low-voiced reply. 
 " I have no faith in the clergy, whatever their preten- 
 sions." 
 
 " I am afraid that you are too critical," rejoined 
 the hostess, " but I am reminded, Colonel Southbury, 
 that I interrupted you ; please go on." 
 
 "Thanks," replied he with a grateful bow ; " I was
 
 64 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 about to ask if we cannot read the Jesuits' oath, but 
 will content myself with an illustration of what he 
 does." 
 
 "That will do just as well for this evening, I think," 
 said Mrs. Byington. " Another time we will give it a 
 hearing." 
 
 "Well," continued the Colonel, " I never watch the 
 actions of the Jesuits, and I have long known them, 
 without thinking how catlike they are. Did you ever 
 see puss station herself where she could watch the 
 pantry-door, and piously wink, opening and closing 
 her eyes in perfect innocence, and pretend that she is 
 asleep, until you think she is too blameless to do 
 harm ? You venture to leave the door open, turn your 
 back one instant, and she is at once wide awake, and 
 slips into the pantry, and does the mischief that she 
 has been planning all along, and which, if you had had 
 your wits about you, you would have prevented." 
 
 " Seems to me that the senator is rather long- 
 winded," whispered Count Stilling to Grace. 
 
 " Go on, Colonel," said Mr. Cameron, who heard 
 the whisper, " I am with you in that view." 
 
 " Oh, it is all in a nut-shell," continued the colonel. 
 " England has forgotten to shut her pantry-door, and 
 so has our country ; the cat-like Jesuit has slid in, is 
 at the cream, and, what makes the case worse, the cat 
 has the strength of a wild animal, and must be dis- 
 lodged by strategy or force. Perhaps, however, a vig- 
 ilant watching will discourage the mischief."
 
 THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS. 65 
 
 " Well," said Mrs. Byington, " I prefer to think that 
 the clergyman meant well." 
 
 " We all seem to enjoy our own opinion," pleas- 
 antly rejoined the Colonel, as the young people started 
 out for a walk. 
 
 The silent, quondam nun, although invited to go 
 with them, remained behind with Mrs. Byington, who 
 was in a perplexed state of mind. Should she po- 
 litely reply to the note, or ignore it ? As Ella South- 
 bury could not sympathize with her, she soon repaired 
 to her easy-chair in the adjacent parlor.
 
 66 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 V. 
 
 A. 
 
 >EV. MR. VAN ALLSTYN, Mrs. Byington's, 
 rector and relative, roomed in her house, taking 
 his meals at the adjoining hotel. A Jesuit in disguise, 
 he worked craftily for the papacy. He was well 
 posted as to the state of affairs in Byington mansion, 
 and it was his influence that made Mrs. Byington and 
 daughter lean towards Rome. 
 
 While the discussion was going on regarding the 
 letter, he was ensconsed in his favorite arm-chair in 
 the corner of the parlor, near one of the windows 
 opening on the veranda, and closely gave ear to what 
 was said by each one of the party. 
 
 After the young people went to walk, Mrs. Byington 
 returned the parlor. In the dim light she did not at 
 first observe him, but at length seeing his chair filled, 
 said, 
 
 " Are you here, cousin Van Allstyn ? " 
 
 " I am here, Miriam. It is the coolest place I find," 
 was his pleasant reply."
 
 DOOMED. 67 
 
 " I am glad that you are comfortable," she rejoined 
 cordially, as she rolled an ottoman near, and sat down 
 beside him. " You must have heard the letter, and the 
 comments, as well." 
 
 " I did so, cousin Miriam," replied he in winning 
 tone. 
 
 "And what is your opinion?" asked she. 
 " I am utterly surprised, cousin Miriam. Only 
 Count Stilling, Miss Louise and yourself had the least 
 appreciation of the noble purpose that led to the send- 
 ing of that letter. The least you can do is to grate- 
 fully acknowledge it, and invite him to call. I want 
 him to meet Colonel Southbury ; they ought to be on 
 intimate terms. When such a holy man of God as 
 Father Buhler is, does a deed of Christian charity, 
 why not give him his due ? What a heathenish set 
 heretics are ! Drowning in the depths of the sea is 
 too good for them." 
 
 " Please, cousin John, do not class me in your list 
 of criminals," laughed Mrs. Byington in a frightened 
 way. 
 
 " Oh, no, cousin ; you are all right, unless you draw 
 back unto perdition. I wish you to walk right along, 
 with your eye on Rome. That is the true Church, 
 and all the mushroom sects that condemn it do not 
 know what they are talking about." 
 
 " Surely you do not include the Episcopal church, 
 the altar where you minister ? " 
 
 "Oh, no, Miriam," he replied. "And yet she is,
 
 68 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 in the nature of the case, very far below the high 
 ideal of the holy mother Church ; you must allow 
 that." 
 
 " Do not hurry my tottering steps too fast, cousin 
 John," replied Mrs. Byington ; " please remember tha t 
 one must creep before one can walk." 
 
 " Of course, that is reasonable, Miriam," he replied ; 
 "but on one thing I must insist, and that is, that you 
 do not hinder Miss Louise's progress. She is younger 
 than you, and can more easily get initiated ; besides, 
 her training at Madame Du Font's school has given 
 her a good start." 
 
 "Hinder Louise!" exclaimed Mrs. Byington in a 
 tried tone, "more likely that she will hinder me." 
 
 "I think not," replied the rector knowingly. "She 
 confesses to me ; it is allowable and optional, you 
 know. Although we do not compel, we strongly 
 recommend "it. She confesses, and I find that she 
 has quite an idea of joining a convent." 
 
 " Joining a convent ! How dared you suggest such 
 a thing before coming to me ? My only one, too ! " 
 and Mrs. Byington burst into tears. 
 
 "Well, as to that," he coolly replied, "you could 
 yourself join, put your property in, and you would 
 be honored as a lady of high degree, if you choose." 
 " I doubt it ! " she exclaimed. 
 
 " Why not ? Many are doing so," he said. " Many 
 rich Protestants are attracted by the glitter and 
 renown of Rome to take this step. It gives one such
 
 DOOMED. 
 
 69 
 
 a prestige ; one rules there unquestioned, you 
 know." 
 
 "But all cannot reign; and there are such fearful 
 stories in circulation about the sins of the clergy, and 
 the treatment of the nuns." she said. 
 
 " Oh, that 's nothing ! The great antiquity of the 
 church proves that it is pure, and the only true 
 church. 
 
 " I suppose so," she replied ; " that is, I cannot 
 prove it is not. I like your preaching, cousin John, 
 and the little circumstantials you have introduced, 
 the altar boys, the choir boys, the candles, the 
 stained glass of the windows, and the dim, religious 
 light." ' 
 
 " I seem to get on slowly, however, compared with 
 my eager wishes," was the answer. "But Rome was 
 not built in a day, neither will it do to change over 
 a wandering church too suddenly to the old standard. 
 We must watch the prejudices of the people, and not 
 overturn too fast." 
 
 " I suppose so. But to return to Louise, I do not 
 want her to spoil her prospects for an eligible match 
 by any talk of a possible going to a convent," plead 
 the mother. 
 
 " Nonsense," was the reply. " What chance has she 
 for such a match ? " 
 
 "Chance enough, as I well know," replied Mrs. 
 Byington, bridling with spirit. " My Louise is very 
 much sought after by gentlemen wishing to marry."
 
 MADOXNA HALL. 
 
 "Miriam," he said, "do not get deceived in that 
 direction. Men, as a rule, do not marry now-a-days. 
 They have their club houses and live celibate lives. 
 What do mothers in England say? Mrs. Lucas, sister 
 of John Bright, makes the statement that ' English 
 mothers no longer look upon marriage as a probable 
 destiny for their daughters.' Girls are not educated 
 to make comfortable homes, and the race of men are 
 so selfish that they do not care to support an idle 
 doll, or take home a useless piece of furniture." 
 
 " I am still sure that a good young lady with 
 money, in this country, stands a fair chance for mar- 
 riage," said Mrs. Byington. 
 
 "Yes, if she is willing to be married for her money 
 and is not too particular. There are adventurers 
 who are ready to take charge of their funds, I sup- 
 pose." 
 
 Ella Southbury, who overheard this conversation 
 from her seat on the veranda, thought that the con. 
 vent claims for rich girls and their money came under 
 this head. She had barely escaped being held, money 
 and all, for life. 
 
 " You'll find, Miriam, that there is not the shadow 
 of a chance that Louise can marry to her mind," pur- 
 sued Mr. Van Allstyn. 
 
 " I have never looked at it in that light," rejoined 
 Mrs. Byington. " You see I am quite sure she could 
 wed Senator Southbury if she wished." 
 
 " Could she ? " thought Ella Southbury. " I doubt
 
 DOOMED. ~ T 
 
 it." She felt almost guilty for being where she could 
 hear what was not intended for her ears, but could 
 not move without attracting attention, and a sense of 
 diffidence kept her still. 
 
 " Senator Southbury ? " echoed the rector. He 
 would be of more suitable age for you. But he is what 
 they call a reformed Catholic, which in my view is a 
 renegade not worthy of notice. When the church 
 gets the helm, he will have to answer for his heresy. 
 He '11 find that it does not pay." 
 
 " He thinks that he had good reasons for leaving," 
 said Mrs. Byington. 
 
 " Of course he had not," replied the rector, in 
 anger. " And, Miriam, there's another thing that 
 needs adjusting. You are pursuing a course in re- 
 gard to a certain person that will bring down upon 
 you the wrath of the church as soon as she has the 
 power." 
 
 " Why, what can you mean ? " asked she, in 
 alarm. 
 
 " Can you not guess ? " replied he, sternly. 
 " I have not the faintest idea," was the reply. 
 " And yet you harbor, aid and abet a fugitive from 
 a convent, in the person of Ella Southbury I Hear 
 what the church says about this sin and its pen- 
 alty." 
 
 The rector reads from his note-book, 
 
 " We decree, further, that all who may have deal- 
 ings with heretics, and especially such as receive,
 
 72 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 defend or encourage them, shall be excommunicated ; 
 shall not be eligible to any public office ; shall not be 
 admitted as a witness ; shall neither have power to 
 bequeath his property by will, nor to succeed to any 
 inheritance. 
 
 " Boycotted at every turn, you perceive." 
 
 " Well, I am glad that I am not a member of that 
 church," said Mrs. Byington, in some fear of what 
 her rector read. " Ella was brought up with Louise, 
 and is one of the family. It is a poor story if we can 
 not befriend her when in trouble." 
 
 " If you were her true friend, you would send her 
 back where she belongs. If you do not, remember 
 that your property will be confiscated by-and-by." 
 
 " I must say," replied Mrs. Byington, " that if the 
 Catholic Church did such a thing as confiscate my 
 property for my doing as I am doing by Ella, I have 
 little faith in it." 
 
 " The truth is," the rector went on, without heed- 
 ing this remark, " young people need to have their 
 course marked out, and to be told what to do. And 
 what agent on earth can do this equal to God's 
 appointed means, the church ? " 
 
 " That may be," replied Mrs. Byington, "but it is 
 not for me to turn traitor to her, and send her back 
 to Madonna Hall. It is enough for me that she saw 
 fit to leave. But she is perfectly silent as to the 
 reason of her leaving. They would not let the sena- 
 tor take her away until they extracted a promise from
 
 DOOMED. 73 
 
 her that she would never divulge a word of the secret 
 workings of that institution." 
 
 " I faithfully warn you, Miriam," rejoined the rec- 
 tor, "she is liable to be seized and taken back, pos 
 sibly not to that convent, but to some neighboring 
 one. She gave herself to the church, in the most 
 solemn covenant, and always will belong there, say 
 what she will ; and unless you are faithful to her, and 
 show her her duty, you will be interdicted for holding 
 papal property. If the convent officials come for 
 her, I pray you, do not interfere to hinder them in 
 their duty. I have put them on her track." 
 
 Ella had heard enough, there was then no safety 
 in her friend's house. Where could she find rest for 
 the sole of her foot ? 
 
 She watched for the company when they came 
 back ; and, after Count Stilling and Mr. Cameron 
 took leave, asked Senator Southbury and Grace to 
 walk with her, which they were glad to do. 
 
 She had her hat and wrap, and as they passed down 
 the street, in a few words she told them her danger . 
 and, thanks to Grace and her mother's foresight' 
 there was a refuge for her, in that provided for youn^ 
 ladies needing a place of safety, in the Aid Society's 
 rooms. 
 
 " Oh, Ella," exclaimed Grace. " I wanted to talk 
 about my enterprise with you to-night. We are in 
 want of a secretary, and you will be just the one ; if 
 you will accept the post, I will be greatly relieved."
 
 74 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " I will gladly accept," replied Ella, " if I am 
 qualified." 
 
 " You will be, fully, as soon as you are introduced 
 to the details," was the reply. " Come with us ; it 
 is only a little way, and you may as well be settled 
 to-night. No one will think of looking there for 
 you." 
 
 Ella tripped along joyously at thought of getting 
 information and succor all in the same evening. 
 
 The senator was a man of few words, but his ex- 
 pressive " Yes, yes," seconding whatever the young 
 ladies said, was very helpful. It is so nice t6 have a 
 strong masculine arm to lean upon when in trouble, 
 and Ella knew that he would stand by her even unto 
 death. 
 
 After a walk of half a mile, they reached the lofty 
 mansion, a wing of which was appropriated to the 
 Aid Society ; and Grace, having a key, ushered in the 
 Southburys, and introduced Ella to the matron as 
 her assistant and secretary, and showed her to a 
 lovely room, a little retired from a front view, where 
 she could have her piano and books, when not in the 
 office. 
 
 " Oh, Miss Leavenworth ! " she cried, as the 
 Colonel and that young lady rose to leave, " I am so 
 relieved and happy. I begin to feel that I can still 
 be of some use in the world. And Uncle Robert," 
 she said, turning to him. "I shall want to see you as 
 often as you want to come."
 
 DOOMED. 
 
 75 
 
 He replied that that would be very often, and the 
 two took leave, committing her to God, and thankful 
 that such a covert was at hand for her in time of 
 need. 
 
 Fathers Krafts and Pecci, being stirred up by 
 rector Van Allstyn, called early the next day to get 
 the wanderer back, but Mrs. Byington, having sent to 
 her room, simply reported that she was not in ; and 
 they left, saying that they would call again. 
 
 The next day Mrs. Leavenworth met Grace at the 
 Aid rooms of the Young Women's Christian Asso- 
 ciation, and most cordially welcomed Ella to her new 
 situation. She was made to feel at home some months 
 ago, and business was arranged for her, greatly to her 
 delight. 
 
 As Grace and Ella were looking over letters, mak- 
 ing notes of and replying to them, Colonel Southbury 
 called and was soon engaged in earnest conversation 
 with Mrs. Leavenworth. 
 
 " I cannot sufficiently thank you, madam, for the 
 'Treatise on Prophecy' you sent me," said the 
 senator. 
 
 " 1 am pleased that you like it," was the reply. " I 
 sent a copy of the same work to several friends as a 
 Christmas token." 
 
 " I am glad you did," rejoined the senator. "It 
 was the most valuable gift that I ever received. I 
 there learned what the papacy is, as described by the 
 Word of God. It was that which removed the
 
 76 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 shackles and set me free. It gave me what I lacked, 
 deep, heart -felt reverence for 'all Scripture.' Rome, 
 in some cases, allows her dupes to have Bibles, that 
 she may deceive Protestents by a show of having 
 them, but the less her people read the Bible, the 
 better Romanists they are. I wonder that I could so 
 long remain at ease, and neglect to search the Word 
 of God. I am engaged in sending prophetical works 
 to thoughtful Romanists, with a few words of my ex- 
 perience and counsel. I believe they can be reached 
 more readily by calling attention to the foretelling 
 and fulfilling parts of God's Word than any other, as 
 is the case with infidels. Show them what God fore- 
 told by his prophets, and how it came to pass in 
 every minute particular, hundreds and thousands of 
 years after, and there is given them faith in the 
 Bible, that all the powers of evil cannot disturb. I 
 am only a beginner in these things myself, having so 
 recently emerged from the power of darkness, and 
 have many questions to ask. You have the advan- 
 tage of me, in having studied them for years." 
 
 "Yes," replied the lady brightly. " And of this one 
 thing I am confident, that prophecy is alight in a dark 
 place, this world, to which we do well to take heed." 
 
 " It is passing strange that predictions of the future 
 are so much neglected. How do you account for it ? " 
 asked he. 
 
 "We have too little persecution, I suppose," 
 replied the lady smilingly. "When things move on
 
 DOOMED. 
 
 77 
 
 smoothly with the church, most are prone to take 
 their ease, and dream of peace and safety ; but when 
 affliction comes, as was the case with the martyrs, 
 there is at once a genuine desire to look into God's 
 mirror of the future. But whoever abides in Christ 
 can have this blessed hungering given. We are liv- 
 ing in a period in which events foretold are fulfilling 
 with great celerity. God's faithful ones, as a rule, 
 are waking up as never before to search the whole 
 counsel of God. It is true many years ago Sir Isaac 
 Newton put by his philosophical studies two entire 
 years, to give undivided attention to prophecy, and 
 said, ' The giving ear to the prophets is a fundamen- 
 tal character of the true Church ; for God has so 
 ordered the prophecies that in the latter days the 
 wise may understand, but the wicked shall do wicked- 
 ly, and none of the wicked shall understand. Among 
 the old prophets, Daniel is most distinct in order of 
 time, and easiest to be understood ; and, therefore, 
 in those things which relate to the last times, he 
 must be made a key to the rest." 
 
 " Yes, yes," said the senator. " I found that the 
 second chapter of Daniel was indeed a key. Some, 
 times it is called the alphabet of prophecy. And we 
 are never at a loss for a miracle, if we will but put 
 ourselves in sympathy with God's movements, and 
 watch for the fulfilling of his word. Prophecy ful- 
 filling is indeed the miracle of the ages, the proof that 
 Jehovah reigns. Will it be possible for the Roman
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 power, think you, to regain what it has lost of politi_ 
 cal authority ? " 
 
 " I do not see how it can, judging from its por- 
 trait given in God's Word," replied the lady. "There 
 is said to be ten times as much space allotted to the 
 description of papal Rome as to any other of the 
 beasts that desolate the earth. We find in Daniel, 
 Chap, vii., that the saints are given into his hand for 
 twelve hundred and sixty days, or years a day in 
 prophecy standing for a year, and then that the 
 judgment shall sit, and they the court of heaven 
 shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy 
 at unto the end. And Paul in Thessalonians says, 
 < Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of 
 his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his 
 coming.' ' 
 
 " Spirit of his mouth, what do you understand by 
 that ? " asked the senator. 
 
 " It must be the sword of the Spirit," was the re- 
 ply, " the Word of God. In the papal persecutions 
 that Word was put down, and those that dwelt on the 
 earth rejoiced and sent gifts to each other ; but God's 
 witnesses revived, the Reformation arose, and now 
 Protestants are one hundred and fifty million strong. 
 Looking at the fulfilling, it appears that the consum- 
 ing by the spirit of his mouth is a gradual consump- 
 lin and lessening of power. Not that Romanism is 
 t-t be wholly destroyed in this way, for it will be alive 
 and on the earth when the Lord descends from
 
 DOOMED. 
 
 79 
 
 heaven to gather his people, and destroy it with the 
 brightness of his coming." 
 
 "Ah, yes! I see," said the senator. "This con- 
 sumption of Rome has been going on for many years. 
 Like the individual 'in the last stages,' it is unaware 
 that it is in consumption, an unfailing symptom at- 
 tendant on the disease." 
 
 "Yes, it is certainly failing," replied the lady^ 
 "although it has the peculiar tenacity of life of the 
 old-fashioned consumption. Wherever the Bible is 
 read and pondered, Rome has less and less influence. 
 Once all Europe dreaded the Pope ; now he is scorned 
 and ridiculed, especially in Italy, his seat and centre 
 of dominion. The people remember how they and 
 their children have had the key of knowledge taken 
 away ; how they have been reared in ignorance and 
 crime ; how their daughters have been duped by the 
 clergy, cajoled into convents to be deceived and 
 betrayed. The disgust and hatred of the Italians is 
 intense, and they will give no quarter to a power that 
 is fitly called, in the Word of God, ' the abomination 
 that maketh desolate.' The contrast between Italy of 
 to-day and Italy of thirty years ago is marvellous." 
 
 " You refer to religious liberty ? " 
 
 "Yes, In 1850, Pope Fius IX. called the Bible 
 ' poisonous reading,' and required all priests to 
 denounce it. It is related that a Protestant clergy- 
 man in Italy, on losing his wife, wanted to put a text 
 of scripture on her tomb-stone. The Pope would not
 
 80 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 hear of it. ' She died a heretic,' said he. What right 
 had she to have a hope of immortality expressed on 
 her tomb-stone ? It was, moreover, contrary to law to 
 publish in the sight of the Roman people any portion 
 of the Word of God. The Bible, Romanism acknowl- 
 edges as her greatest enemy. It caused the reforma- 
 tion. It is in the ascendant. Never again will these 
 two witnesses, the Old and New Testament, be over- 
 come. Too many copies of the Bible are spread over 
 the earth for Romanism ever to regain her old reign 
 of darkness. Besides, she has but a little space in 
 which to work and fill up the measure of her iniqui- 
 ties. In prophecy, as any child of God may see, who 
 will take pains to search her record, she occupies the 
 feet and toes of world-power dominion, and is partly 
 broken ( brittle ). See margin in Daniel ii. Now. 
 mark the change in Italy," continued the lady. 
 " Thousands of copies of the Bible are sold every day, 
 and Protestant churches and schools are being multi- 
 plied right under the shadow of the Vatican, and the 
 Pope is powerless to harm them. He may well call 
 himself a prisoner, and look for some more congenial 
 abode. This is a part of the process of consumption. 
 As he bewails his lost estate, why can he not see 
 that the hand of the Lord is upon him, in cutting 
 off his political strength ' flesh being burnt as if by 
 fire ? ' It does really seem as if the Pope and his 
 admirers were given up to strong delusion to believe 
 a lie, because they do not love the truth."
 
 a 
 
 DOOMED. 8 1 
 
 " It is a fearful judicial punishment," said the 
 senator, " to be left to the darkness and chains of the 
 pit, because one hates what is allied to God and 
 heaven. I saw from the first reading of the book 
 that you sent me that Babylon the great is only 
 another name for Rome, and that she has fallen more 
 deeply into sin since her claim of infallibility." 
 
 "No doubt of it," was the lady's reply. "The fall 
 is a moral one, as we read, and is become the habi- 
 tation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and 
 a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Her last 
 sins are capping the climax. As a corrupt church 
 and political power she is hastening to her doom." 
 
 " Even after the fall of Babylon, it appears that 
 some of God's children are there," said the senator, 
 .'for his call is, 'Come out of her, my people, that ye 
 become not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive 
 not of her plagues.'" 
 
 "Yes," rejoined the lady, "and if he calls them 
 out, will not the way be fully opened, and they be 
 influenced to come out ? And as he works by human 
 instrumentality, will he not set apart his children for 
 this service, and give them all needed grace and 
 wisdom to reach those in the bondage of Rome ? " 
 
 " I doubt not he will," was the senator's response. 
 t' I feel great compassion towards those I have left 
 behind; and madam since, I have means and leisure, I 
 shall do all in my power to reach thoughtful Roman- 
 ists, by showing them the Lamb of God, the times in
 
 82 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 which we live, and the character of the power that 
 holds them in subjection. I have my heart stirred 
 also to have associations started to welcome reformed 
 priests. Many would venture to follow their convic- 
 tions, if thus encouraged. We must be vigilant ; it was 
 while men slept that the enemy sewed tares. If the 
 warning the prophecies give had been heeded, and 
 God's people awakened, the plottings of the treacher- 
 ous Jesuits would have been checked and they would 
 not now be grasping at the throatof the nation's lib- 
 erty, the public schools. The alarm must be 
 widely sounded." 
 
 " It must, indeed," replied Mrs. Leavenworth. 
 "Earnest Christians and the government must take 
 in the situation, and in the strength of the Lord 
 banish the usurpers." 
 
 "Yes, indeed. Men that plot treason should be 
 treated as criminals," said the senator. 
 
 The conversation was here interrupted by a com- 
 mittee meeting in the adjacent parlor, which required 
 the presence of Mrs. Leavenworth and her daughter 
 Grace. The senator was invited to make himself at 
 home in the library and reading-room, of which he 
 was the most liberal donor. Meanwhile, Ella South- 
 bury, having found her vocation, was at peace, even 
 having a song of praise in her heart.
 
 THE Dll'ARF AND HIS CHARGE. 83 
 
 VI. 
 
 OME days after the chat on Mrs. Byington's 
 veranda, Grace, Florence and Louise were walk- 
 ing in the Public Garden around the pond, admiring 
 the fountain on one side and the fine array of flowers 
 on the other. The grateful shade of a Linden near 
 by attracted them, and finding sents they were soon 
 engaged in conversation. 
 
 A dwarf appeared with a hand-organ, and began to 
 play, a lovely little girl collecting the money. She 
 had a worried look, and seemed old for one so small. 
 The young ladies were preoccupied, and at first 
 scarcely noticed the new comers. 
 
 Ella Southbury's disappearane had startled both 
 Florence and Louise, and caused many unsatisfactory 
 queries. Mrs. Byington knew from the Colonel 's 
 manner that her protege was safe, but she hushed up 
 the matter ; did not speak of her, or even dare in- 
 quire where she was, as she wished to have nothing 
 to reveal, and to keep Louise and the rector in the 
 dark about Ella's retreat,
 
 84 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 Grace wisely kept her own council and, fortu- 
 nately, was not questioned. 
 
 Mrs. Byington was still foolish enough to feel 
 flattered by the politic letter of Father Buhler, and 
 Louise very naturally shared her mother's opin- 
 ion. 
 
 " Girls," said Louise, as they sat there under the 
 Linden, " I had that evening, for politeness' sake, to 
 appear to side with the Colonel, or he'd think I was 
 horrid. But since then I've been talking with Rec- 
 tor Van Allstyn, and he says mamma and I do 
 quite right to take sides with the clergyman when he 
 does us a kindness. It is very rude not to appreciate 
 such delicately achieved attentions. We shall soon 
 relapse to barbarism, he says, if we allow ourselves to 
 be boorish when the clergy show us civility and the 
 highest style of courtesy. The rector was eloquent 
 on the subject, and I could not resist his reasoning. 
 I still think as mamma does, that Father Buhler is 
 very courteous." 
 
 " I have little faith in his sincerity," remarked 
 Grace. 
 
 " I don't see why," cried Louise, in alarm. 
 
 " Well, for this reason : he claims that all heretics 
 are accursed, and to be destroyed when the church 
 has the power. Aunt Byington is a heretic, how 
 then, in sincerity, can he wish her peace and pros- 
 perity ? " 
 
 " I 'm sure I do n't know ; but it seems that he
 
 THE DWARF AND HIS CHARGE. 85 
 
 did," replied Louise, of the same opinion still; " and 
 you may be sure what he does is right. Madame Du 
 Pont used to say that she regarded the clergy as 
 infallible as the Pope himself ! " 
 
 " Very likely," replied Grace, decisively. 
 
 Florence laughed at the idea of infallibility in 
 either case, but turned it off by saying to Grace, 
 
 " I noticed that the count thought the letter was 
 all right." 
 
 "He seemed inclined to take a charitable view 
 without inquiring into the case," returned Grace^ 
 smilingly. 
 
 " Yes, indeed," said Florence. 
 
 " It would be useless to attempt to repeat the farce 
 in this vicinity," observed Grace. 
 
 "Of course," said Florence ; "and besides it takes 
 too much money." 
 
 " The majority of the gentlemen voted the letter a 
 fraud," returned Grace, "and with good reason. But 
 here comes the musician." 
 
 The organ-grinder had finished his entertainment 
 for the group opposite, and now came round on the 
 gravelled walk and commenced playing near the 
 young ladies, the little child Elsae keeping imperfect 
 time with her accompaniment. 
 
 " What a beaOtiful child ! " exclaimed Florence. 
 " She may be stolen ! " 
 
 " I would n't wonder, " said Louise. " It 's too 
 bad ! "
 
 86 MADONXA HALL, 
 
 " I think that the dwarf is honest," was Grace's 
 decision. " The little girl trusts and clings to 
 him." 
 
 The quick ear of Paul Merrill caught the drift of 
 what was said, and he flushed to the eyes. As he 
 played tune after tune, however, he gradually re- 
 gained his composure. At length the little girl 
 whispered to him that she was tired, and going to 
 each person present, mutely appealed for the custom- 
 ary pennies, after which the two turned and left. 
 
 The park was alive with humanity. Here, there, 
 everywhere on the many walks that flanked and inter, 
 laced it, were men, women and children making the 
 most of the shady retreat. The dwarf and his 
 charge wended their way through the motley crowd, as 
 usual attracting much attention. Paul was acting the 
 part of a protector to Elsae, yet furtively glanced 
 around, wishing to avoid notice. As they hastened 
 on, they ran against a lady with a pet lap-dog, 
 which she was leading with a blue ribbon. The dog 
 growled and snapped at the child, and was pushed 
 one side by the dwarf. 
 
 "Be done ! " screamed the woman, " or I '11 call the 
 police! " 
 
 " The dog was biting the little girl," explained 
 Paul. 
 
 " But he is such a pretty little thing," pleaded 
 Elsae, " he did not mean to hurt me." 
 
 " Where did you get that child ? " rudely asked the
 
 THE DWARF AND HIS CHARGE. 87 
 
 owner of the pet, as she took him up and coddled him 
 in her arms. 
 
 "That is my affair! " said Paul grandly, "I am her 
 rightful guardian, and shall permit no one to harm 
 her." 
 
 The woman shrank away from heroic Paul, and 
 Elsae said, 
 
 " O Paul, how nice it would be to have a little dog 
 to play with ! " 
 
 " Would you like to have that cross beast, Elsae ? " 
 
 " No, no, not that woman's dog. But when \ve 
 find some good one, that's lost, come trotting 'long 
 all alone, won't you let me call him ? " 
 
 " Yes, yes, little one," replied Paul ; " but we must 
 try to find your sister Anna, first." 
 
 " Oh, I want to see my Anna ! " cried the child, 
 " Will it be great way to find her ? Can we get there 
 to-night ? I 'm so tired, Paul. Wish you 'd carry me 
 as you used to. You 're lame and tired, but could n't 
 you get a carriage for me, like those big babies have ? 
 I '11 sit just as still, and be so light, you could draw 
 me just as easy ! " 
 
 Paul's heart overflowed as he said, 
 
 "I 'd like to do the handsome thing by you, for the 
 sake of the kind mother that loved you, and for your 
 own sake, too, little one." 
 
 Then to himself, " It 's a home that you are need- 
 ing, poor child. May the kind Father above guide 
 to that same."
 
 88 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 The child's worn dress and shoes witnessed that 
 she needed a mother's care. Weary of trudging the 
 streets, she longed to nestle in kind sheltering arms 
 and go to sleep. 
 
 A strong wind rising, dark clouds gathered and 
 brooded overhead, while vivid lightning and heavy 
 thunder heralded the storm. 
 
 Paul looked around for a shelter, the timid little 
 one clinging to his hand. With rapid steps they 
 reached the eastern side of the grounds, the embower- 
 ing willows in the corner offering the hospitality of a 
 temporary roof. 
 
 Meanwhile the park was cleared of visitors ; all had 
 some home, save our wanderers, who cowered beside 
 the trunk of the most patriarchal of the trees, which 
 proved a defence from the angry gusts, as the wind 
 swayed and surged the heavy masses of sea-green 
 foliage. 
 
 " Will father find us ? " asked the little girl, quak- 
 jng more in terror of her unnatural parent than of 
 the storm. " Is the fire made, and will the dinner be 
 ready? Oh, where 's my Anna ?" she burst out cry- 
 ing heart-brokenly, as her many sorrows came to 
 mind. 
 
 "There, there, don't cry. The dinner is almost 
 ready, and you shall have all you want, when this 
 blow is over," said he kindly. 
 
 " Thank you, good Paul," murmured the child
 
 THE DWARF AND HIS CHARGE. 89 
 
 through her tears. " I 'm glad the dinner is ready, for 
 I 'm so hungry." 
 
 Happily the force of the storm was spent before it 
 reached them, and the willow-thatched roof shield" 
 ing them well, they soon emerged into the " clear 
 shining after rain." 
 
 As he led Elsae, Paul was apprehensive. A pang 
 shot through his honest heart as he thought of the 
 delicate child, and his incapacity suitably to care for 
 her. 
 
 He talked the matter over with himself, 
 "What will I do with her? How I wish the kind 
 shelter of an orphan's home would brood her till these 
 troubles are over." 
 
 But as he turned from the willows, he had no idea 
 where such a place could be found. The suspicious 
 looks and words that he had met in the park, dis- 
 tressed him, and he knew not what to do. He has- 
 tened as rapidly as his limping gait and load would 
 permit toward the main thoroughfare of the city, 
 Elsae hurrying beside him, pinched with hunger. 
 They soon reached a restaurant, the windows of 
 which beckoned to passers by with an attractive 
 display of food, fruit and candies. The two entered. 
 Paul getting leave to deposit his organ, and passing 
 through the confectionary department, they came 
 to a long room lined on each side with curtained 
 recesses. - 
 
 " Come, little one, take this seat," said Paul, help-
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 ing her to a place by the narrow marble table, " and 
 I'll sit near you and cut up your food." 
 
 Then consulting the bill of fare, 
 
 " You shall have a dinner of roast turkey, to drive 
 the hunger away." 
 
 " Oh, yes, good Paul, quick ; please, I'm so hungry 
 and tired. I did n't sleep nice away from Anna, and 
 the cold breakfast made me sick." 
 
 Paul shivered with emotion and said, 
 
 " It's a shame, honey, that you are forsaken, and 
 left to suffer.'' 
 
 He then gave the order to the young lady waiter, 
 and the famished travellers were speedily devouring 
 their repast. 
 
 Paul, however, saw that he was pursued with sus- 
 picion even in the quiet of the eating house, and 
 feared that he should be arrested for kidnapping. 
 
 " I cannot take her with me any more, that 's 
 settled. But where can I leave her, and who will 
 care for her while I am on my tramps with the 
 organ ? She has led me a pretty chase, and I am 
 trapped into this sharp-eyed city to meet with trouble 
 and ruin." 
 
 Paul's reverie went on, 
 
 "She is ever> r inch a lady. Small hands and feet, 
 high blood like her noble mother, who is sleeping her 
 last sleep." 
 
 " Paul," said Elsae, interrupting his train of thought, 
 "why don't we go and find my sister Anna?"
 
 THE DWARF AND HIS CHARGE. 91 
 
 "We will directly," replied he. "Why do n't you 
 eat your turkey ? You do n't eat as much as a little 
 bird. Eat and you '11 grow well and strong, and help 
 Paul find Anna." 
 
 The child had enjoyed her dinner better than her 
 protector feared. He now ordered a glass of milk 
 and a slice of plum-pudding, and urged her to eat 
 and grow. 
 
 "Paul," whispered Elsae, "you did n't say our 
 Faver grace ; say it, and I'll eat a little more." 
 
 The dwarf said a few words in a low voice, Elsae 
 listening reverently. 
 
 "Our Faver in heaven don't forget we are His 
 children," said she. " I remember you told me that, 
 Paul." 
 
 " You are a great scholar to remember my lesson. 
 You '11 never be worried if you keep that in 
 mind." 
 
 "But, Paul, don't you ever let anybody take me 
 away from you, till we find Anna, will you ? " 
 
 Tears came into Paul's eyes, and he bent over his 
 plate as if taken up with his dinner, as the little one 
 went on, 
 
 " If any one tries to take you away from me, I shall 
 tell God, and He wo'n't let them." 
 
 "No, no, He wo'n't let them," echoed Paul. 
 
 As he went to pay his bill, he asked the women 
 at the counter if the child could remain while he was 
 out on an errand. Then going back to the table he
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 explained to Elsae that he must leave her a short 
 time to look for a place to spend the night. 
 
 "Oh, don't, good Paul; I 'fraid. Don't leave me 
 here all alone," she sobbed. 
 
 " You forget who can take care of you," returned 
 he. " There, now, wipe away your tears ; be a good 
 girl, stay here, and take care of my organ till I come. 
 Lie down on this seat behind the table, and go to 
 sleep. The angels will watch over you, and I'll be 
 back and wake you in a jiffy." 
 
 Elsae was a reasonable child, and smiles took the 
 place of tears, as she bade Paul good-by, and com- 
 posed herself for a nap. 
 
 Well was it that he went forth alone, for scarcely 
 had he turned the corner, to seek a safe covert in the 
 outskirts of the city, when one whom he most dreaded 
 to meet with the child passed him in a carriage from 
 the depot. It was Stilling and his daughter Anna. 
 
 Paul recognized the dark face and trim beard of 
 the man, the more readily as he was once his valet and 
 man-of -all- work. The face was turned from him, and 
 he was positive that he did not see him. 
 
 But the discovery of his proximity, and that his 
 child Anna was with him in the carriage, caused 
 Paul to elect himself a detective for the purpose of 
 getting information of Stilling's movements. 
 
 "I wish my wit had n't come too late," exclaimed 
 Louise, as the three gained the house and were 
 sheltered from the rain. " I ousrht to have taken the
 
 THE DWARF AND HIS CHARGE. 
 
 93 
 
 dwarf and the little child home, and had mother see 
 them. Would n't she coddle that child ! " 
 
 "I thought of it," said Florence ; "but as your 
 mother has a house full of company, said nothing." 
 
 " I planned to keep an eye on them, and see what 
 could be done," said Grace ; " but they were swept 
 away by the crowd, and the storm coming up, they 
 probably sought the nearest shelter. They will, I 
 think, be in the neighborhood for some days, and it 
 is likely that we shall see them again." 
 
 " It is strange that the dwarf has charge of the 
 child, is n't it ? " asked Florence. 
 
 " Yes," replied Grace. " I would like to inquire 
 into the matter. The little girl is very beautiful, and 
 I could scarcely keep my hands off her. I noticed 
 that he was very kind to her, and she seemed to con- 
 fide in him. Through some mishap the child has 
 been left to his care. I tried to get a chance to speak 
 to them, when the storm separated us, and we 
 hastened in. I told Aunt Byington at once, and she 
 sent James to find them, but he did not succeed." 
 
 "As you say," replied Florence, "it is likely that 
 we shall meet them again." 
 
 " Oh, yes," said Louise, " the organ-grinder has not 
 half canvassed this place yet." 
 
 " I shall never feel quite at rest till I find the two, 
 and learn if there is any thing I can do for them. 
 The little girl needs a mother's care," said Grace, 
 thoughtfully.
 
 94 
 
 MADOXXA JIALL. 
 
 "Of course," replied Florence, laughing, "you'll 
 get up another Aid Society for such tramps, small 
 and otherwise." 
 
 " If I can save suffering, I shall be sure to do it," 
 was the reply, with a cheery laugh.
 
 DISPOSED OF. 
 
 95 
 
 VII. 
 
 true and the counterfeit are found side by 
 side . From the time when Abel brought an 
 acceptable offering to the Lord, and Cain substi- 
 tuted something not in God's order, and was not 
 accepted, there have been the true and false worship- 
 pers, God's people and world-wide idolaters. In the 
 Christian Age the church has been counterfeited, 
 a substitution of rare Satanic art, devised, if possible, 
 to deceive the very elect, by outward semblance, by 
 signs and wonders. Within, it is full of dead men's 
 bones, and all uncleanliness, and the child of God 
 that for a time is ensnared, is rejoiced to get free. 
 
 Infidelity, lawlessness and every evil work are the 
 legitimate fruits of this anti-Christian system, whose 
 Jesuitical aposilcs tamper with and indorse crime. 
 Stilling was an unresisting exponent of what an edu- 
 cation from distorted text-books and a false religion 
 can do in the way of encouraging natural depravity, 
 being led captive of Satan at his will.
 
 96 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 
 
 His family and abilities had given him positions of 
 trust, while in the old country, but in business, suc- 
 cess was prevented by his defaulting disposition. 
 
 Although he managed for a time to avoid detec- 
 tion, he could not quiet suspicion. At last, in some 
 transaction with a premier, he failed in good faith, and 
 was relegated to America to start anew in life. He 
 \vas in disgrace, although not publicly. The prince 
 nobly preferred to give him a chance to retrieve his 
 character. 
 
 His exile he accomplished in a way most gratifying 
 to himself, taking his wife, who was wealthy, his 
 two children and a servant with him. While in Eng- 
 land, his companion sickened and died. Arriving in 
 America, he became known as a wine merchant, 
 having the secret of making a variety of choice brands 
 from certain vials which he carried in his valise. 
 
 Having a few thousands on hand to invest, he soon 
 had a family wine store in full blast, besides a beer 
 garden in New York, and saloons in Boston. He was 
 also one of a syndicate to buy breweries. He paid 
 little attention to his children, and had not the ser- 
 vant, Paul Merrill, had more compassion than their 
 father, they would have perished. 
 
 He had courteous manners, and was gifted in con" 
 versation, and soon became popular with the liquor 
 class ; and in California, partly because of his princely 
 bearing, they delighted to honor him and call him 
 Count.
 
 DISPOSED OF. 
 
 97 
 
 It became necessary, he thought, to advance his 
 interests, to ignore his children, Anna ten, and Elsae 
 six years of age, as he wished to secure their mother's 
 property. He was equal to the emergency. He 
 would secrete the children, under assumed names. 
 Quite opportunely, for his purpose, Elsae, the 
 younger, fell a victim to scarlet fever while he was 
 absent in California. This story the boarding mis- 
 tress told him, and sent her off with Paul, as she had 
 some suspicion of Stilling's plans. The very day that 
 Paul appeared with Elsae, Stilling took a trip to get 
 and dispose of, his daughter Anna. Reaching his 
 destination at an early hour, he had the child hastily 
 made ready, hustled her into the hack with her trunk, 
 and took his place beside her. 
 
 "Oh, please, father, where are yoa taking me?" 
 cried Anna, in low, imploring tones. "Dear mother 
 did n't want to leave Germany, and she died. Shall I 
 die among the strange people too ? " 
 
 "Hush! hush!" cried he, with livid face of sup- 
 pressed anger. " Hush ! it will be better for you if 
 you never mention Germany. And, listen to me, 
 there are reasons why you must never speak of your 
 mother again." 
 
 This was a terrible blow to -the loving, sensitive 
 heart of the little girl. Never speak of her idolized 
 mother ! But she would think of her all the more, 
 and, by and by, she would go and dwell with her in 
 tlu- beautiful land. She might not speak her mother's
 
 98 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 name, but surely she might talk about her little sister* 
 from whom she had been so suddenly parted. She 
 was bound to her with a love stronger than death. 
 
 " I promised her that I would always love and take- 
 care of my little Elsae!" she faltered. " Oh, what, 
 shall I do ? Where shall I find her ? " 
 
 " Hush ! hush ! " hissed the man. "You 've been- 
 told that she was dead and buried, the landlady 
 told you so." 
 
 "They say she died," sobbed Anna, "but they did 
 not let me see her after she was dead, and I never 
 knew she was sick, and how can I believe it ? " 
 
 "It is hard to think her dead," replied he, more 
 calmly, " but she is dead all the same. And now, 
 Anna, you must remember another thing, and that is, 
 you must not Call me ' father ' again ! " and his dark, 
 magnetic eyes were fixed on the child as if they would 
 indelibly imprint the command. 
 
 " Will you truly remember, and never call me 
 'father ' again as long as you live ? " 
 
 " I veil nevar call you ' vateS no more ! " she sobbed, 
 as the tears coursed down her cheeks. " Shall I say 
 i mon pere ? ' ' 
 
 " No ! no ! Stop your crying this instant ! Can 't 
 you comprehend ? I do n 't want you to claim rela- 
 tionship to me in either English, German, or French. 
 It would be at a great loss for me to own you for my 
 child," he added, more calmly, " such is the state of 
 things in this country. And you are not my child-
 
 DISPOSED OF. 
 
 99 
 
 remember, only a child I adopted. There is great 
 commotion, and it is necessary for me to put you in 
 the mill to work for your living." 
 
 Anna held her breath in dismay of this unknown 
 terror. 
 
 "Besides," he went on, "if you should dare to say 
 I was your father, I must make declaration to the 
 authorities that I am only your guardian, as I have 
 exhausted all my monies in providing for you and your 
 sister. You are neither of you worth a stiver. If 
 the policemen find this out, they will put you in an 
 insane asylum or a poor-house. In that manner do 
 they provide for poor children in this distracted 
 country. Alas ! it matters not how virtuous and 
 good they may be. It is money that rules in this 
 land," sighed this counterfeit of a man. 
 
 The little girl was bewildered with fear. 
 
 "Though you may not see me," Stony Heart con- 
 tinued, " I shall always keep an eye on you, and know 
 what you say and do. If you should tell what I 
 charge you to keep secret, I shed tears when I think 
 what would happen. To insure your safety, I shall 
 change your name, and you are Mary Burt, and I am 
 only Count Stilling, the friend of your father, who 
 died in the war." 
 
 What with the mystery, the threats, and the tears, 
 poor Anna was utterly dazed. 
 
 Once more he sought to impress her with his 
 ]>o\vcr, and pointing to the long line of towering 
 lies, said, with a grand air,
 
 100 MADOWA HALL. 
 
 " The man who owns those brick palaces has more 
 power than a king, but his power is not so great as 
 mine ! See to it, Mary, that you tell no tales." 
 
 She could only shrink appalled from his stern 
 gaze. 
 
 " Driver," he called, putting his head out of the 
 window, "stop at Madison Mill." 
 
 "And this is that same, your honor," said he, rein- 
 ing in his horses before a lofty edifice. 
 
 Stilling stepped from the hack, and leaving the 
 child to get out alone, had a moment's talk with the 
 driver, who agreed to take charge of Mary Burt's 
 baggage till the mill-bell rang at night, when she 
 would know where she was to board. 
 
 As Anna stood waiting in the mill-yard, with the 
 memory of her father's dreadful words haunting her 
 and the fear of the strange, dark future before her, 
 she was as if in a frightful dream. 
 
 The hackman drove off, saying, " I '11 see your bag- 
 gage at your boarding-place, Mary Burt." 
 
 Stilling entered the maple-shaded mill-yard, and 
 strode up the gravelled path to the door that led to 
 the counting-room. It was noon, and groups of peo. 
 pie were passing in, and standing opposite the desk 
 of the pay-master in the room adjoining. 
 
 " Is Mr. Blake, the superintendent, in ? " inquired 
 Stilling, as he entered the counting-room. 
 
 " He is not ; he is in New York to-day," replied 
 the gentlemanly foreman. "Will you be seated,
 
 DISPOSED Of. 
 
 "Thank you," replied Stilling, "I will sit a mo- 
 ment," in his most affable style, a striking contrast 
 to his hard ways in the carriage. "I am sorry my 
 friend, Mr. Blake, is absent." Lowering his voice, he 
 said to the foreman, " I wrote him about a little girl I 
 picked up, this orphan, Mary Burt. She has the 
 qualities to make a good mill-hand, and as she is alone 
 in the world, I thought it a worthy deed to introduce 
 her to your busy microcosm," and he ended with a 
 gracious smile. 
 
 " Thank you, thank you, sir," replied the fore- 
 man, impressed by the condescending manner of the 
 stranger. " Sh'all I tell Mr. Blake who called ? " 
 
 "I beg pardon, sir, Mr. Blake knows me. Here is 
 my card." 
 
 The foreman took and read it. 
 
 "JOHANN STILLING, COUNT, F. R. S. LL. D., 
 " Imperial Counsellor and Secretary to His Royal 
 Highness and Aulic Counsellor to the Grand 
 Duke of Baden." 
 
 " Oh, ah, indeed ! " said the foreman, overcome with 
 the presence of the august personage. 
 
 " I will trouble you, sir, to see that this child has 
 work given her according to her years, and is directed 
 to a suitable boarding-place, Catholic preferred. My 
 urgent official duties forbid further delay." 
 
 " Boarding-place, your honor ? " asked Lizzie O'Con- 
 nor, a gem of an Irish girl, in rich sweet tones, an 
 operative who had come in with a note for the fore- 
 man.
 
 102 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 The count looked silently down upon her from the 
 height of his sublimity, and having given the matter 
 in hand to his new-made deputy, the foreman, motioned 
 him to reply. 
 
 "Yes, Miss Lizzie," said the courteous official, 
 "Why do you ask?" 
 
 " My neighbor, Mrs. Bryan, is wanting a boarder, 
 sir." 
 
 "Ah, is she? That will be just the place for the 
 young thing. Much better than putting her in a 
 boarding-house. Will you see that she goes there 
 with you to-night ? Mary Burt, this is your friend 
 Lizzie O'Connor. Lizzie, you may find her work in 
 your room, till further orders." 
 
 " Thank you kindly, sir. I will befriend the little 
 girl." 
 
 Count Stilling made a stately bow to the foreman, 
 and without the least leave-taking of his child, went 
 his way. Anna saw him go, with a sense of relief, 
 and yet her grieved heart was sinking with the dread 
 of meeting strangers. 
 
 Thus parted the father and the child as he sup- 
 posed his only child, and hidden by the crowd 
 around the paymaster 's desk, Paul Merrill saw and 
 heard all, as he thought it duty to watch Stilling. 
 
 Lizzie O'Connor was a ruddy damsel of sixteen, 
 working in the mill for awhile, from choice. She was 
 a charming child of nature, a rare specimen of vig- 
 orous health. Her brown hair was curly, and fashion
 
 DISPOSED OF. 
 
 or no fashion she would wear it in the most becoming 
 way. There was the soul of kindness in her eyes, and 
 when she smiled, which was on the slightest pretext, 
 she had dimpled cheeks that a city belle might envy. 
 
 Her father, Patrick O'Connor, joined the Union 
 army in the late war ; being thoroughly loyal and 
 brave, he soon rose to the position of major, and, at 
 the close of the war, when peace was declared, settled 
 in a manufacturing suburb of the growing city. He 
 was a skilled machinist, and holding a responsible 
 place in a large factory, made and saved money, and 
 investing in town lots, became very wealthy. Al- 
 though a foreman in the machinist department of the 
 mammoth mill, he was owner of many stores and dwell- 
 ing houses, all built under his direction, without the 
 loss of one hour from his regular business. 
 
 Lizzie was an only daughter, and had she wished 
 she might have led an idle life. It was no part of 
 her father's plan to have her work in the mill, but 
 inheriting from him and her thrifty mother a tireless 
 energy, she was blessed with genuine love of labor. 
 Light-hearted and gay as a lark, singing wherever 
 she went, she must be busy or she was out of her 
 element. She begged her parents to let her work a 
 part of the year, and they could not deny her what 
 made her so happy. School-life she also enjoyed ex- 
 ceedingly, and was a leader in her class in the public 
 school, and when vacation came, just gambolled in her 
 easy post in the mill. She bore with her so much
 
 104 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 enthusiasm that she soon excelled and became fore- 
 woman in the cloth-room, where she took her new 
 friend, and showed her how to pick the slivers and 
 imperfections from the cloth. 
 
 " Jolly, is n 't it, Mary ? " asked Lizzie, dimpling 
 with joy, that she could initiate another into her 
 loved labor. 
 
 As she deftly handled the cloth, meanwhile 
 sharply watching that Anna did her task well, her 
 mirth-inspiring ways lighted up the sober faces in 
 that room like the sunlight. 
 
 Some of the operatives had grown gray in the ser- 
 vice; some had home burdens pressing them down, 
 which, added to long continued monotonous labor, 
 made the clang and din of shuttle and gearing almost 
 unendurable. When'will some genius take pity on the 
 ears and nerves of worn-out mill people, and invent a 
 noiseless substitute for excruciating cogs'? 
 
 It was a happy thing that Lizzie could help dispel 
 the clouds that brooded over several women who had 
 assumed the martyr air of a tread-mill existence. 
 They forgot themselves in an assumed anxiety for 
 the mirthful forewoman. 
 
 " You '11 spoil your work if you caper and cut up in 
 that way, Lizzie," said a thin, elderly lady. 
 
 " Will I ? " was the lively reply. " Who works 
 better than I ? I am bound to have the prize in the 
 mill, as well as in school ! " 
 
 This new life of working for a living struck our
 
 DISPOSED OF. 
 
 105 
 
 friend Anna as very pleasant, so much did the happy 
 ways of Lizzie brighten it. The girl was a universal 
 favorite, and as the two at six o'clock trudged toward 
 Mrs. Bryan's cottage, amid a streetful of operatives, 
 many were the blessings invoked upon her. 
 
 " Don't be after hurrying so," exclaimed a neigh- 
 bor, trying to keep pace with her. "Take your time, 
 Lizzie ; there's luck in leisure." 
 
 Thus blithely chatting on their way, we leave them, 
 while we take a peep into Mrs. Bryan's cottage, soon 
 to be Anna's boarding-place.
 
 I0 6 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 7i Q_ f^ ., 
 
 /I CJuppise. y/isil, 
 
 HEN Dr. Christie next called at Mrs. Bryan's 
 cottage, he was depressed and half sick. He 
 had had a succession of night cases, his wife was ill, 
 debts pressed, and he felt more like being doctored 
 than exerting himself in his profession. Although of 
 a cheery temperament, he was almost ready to 
 repine. 
 
 " Verily the wicked flourish," thought he. " There 
 is that scamp Buhler, he has an easy berth, a good 
 living, no debts to haunt him, no sick cases troubling 
 his dreams, while I work like a dog, with spare pay, 
 and many of my patients dead-heads. If I were 
 doing genuine mission-work, and helping the deluded, 
 it would be some comfort ; but the few words that I 
 drop are like pearls before swine, and I am simply 
 helping the Romish Church. This will never do. I 
 feel traitorish when I so freely aid those that are 
 ready to destroy our free institutions." 
 
 In this strain of reflection, the doctor rang the bell,
 
 A SURPRISE VISIT. 
 
 ID/ 
 
 and was again ushered into Mrs. Bryan's buff cottage 
 with brown blinds. It was a pretty place, situated on 
 a wide street bordered with shade trees, and flowering 
 front yards. 
 
 Mrs. Bryan met him with a bright smile, 
 
 "Good morning, doctor." 
 
 "Good morning. How is the young lady, this 
 morning ? " 
 
 "Oh, she 's happy as a lark. Come right in." 
 
 He found his patient sitting up in her arm-chair 
 and looking much better. After kindly greetings, 
 the said, 
 
 "Doctor, I have found out that mother has been 
 paying the priest five dollars whenever he called to say 
 his abominable prayers, although I stopped my ears 
 every time, it was such a profanation to hear them, 
 and only endured them till dear mother's eyes should 
 be opened , but we have not paid you one cent. 
 You have been here twenty times, and I owe you 
 forty dollars ! " 
 
 " Oh, no," said the doctor, the tears starting in his 
 expressive eyes. " I could not think of taking more 
 than half-price, which would be twenty dollars." 
 
 "But you must take the right price," earnestly 
 replied Mary, "or you can never come here again," 
 and she handed him the money. 
 
 The physician was much affected, for that morning 
 a bill of forty dollars came in, which he had no means 
 to pay.
 
 108 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " Now, Miss Mary, I did not expect pay from you," 
 said Dr. Christie. "In the circumstances I cannot 
 feel it right to take so much. You will need all your 
 means for comforts in your sickness." 
 
 " Never mind, doctor," said Mary ; " I am pro- 
 vided for. The money you have earned in attending 
 me is sacredly yours, and I shall not consent to keep 
 any part of it from yourself and family." 
 
 " No, indeed, doctor, we could not think of taking 
 your services without pay," chimed in Mrs, Bryan. 
 "We've .been paying Father Buhler five dollars a 
 week, right along, and we 've decided to stop and give 
 you a chance !" 
 
 The doctor was astonished at the trickery of the 
 priest, who told him that Mary had no means what- 
 ever. 
 
 " Well," said he, in reply to Mrs. Bryan, " may you 
 never have cause to regret it." 
 
 " There 's no danger of that," replied Mary, " for 
 it is only doing right, and I have great confidence 
 that I am to get well, since you always pray over your 
 cases.' 
 
 " I've faith in medicine, when God blesses it," said 
 the doctor, "and I have had some remarkable an- 
 swers to prayer, and if you have faith to be healed, we 
 will look for brighter days." 
 
 "I have faith," replied Mary cheerily, "and I feel 
 new life in my veins. God has heard prayer, because 
 we take Him at His word, and praise His name. I
 
 A SURPRISE VISIT. 
 
 do believe that I am really well," and she rose and 
 walked across the room to the surprise of the doctor 
 and her mother. 
 
 " Why, Mary, how well you look ! " exclaimed Mrs. 
 Bryan, the tears springing to her eyes. "The sickness 
 has left you, my darling ! It is the hand of the Lord, 
 and I believe in your religion ! " 
 
 The doctor cordially shook her hand, and took 
 leave, too happy and grateful for words. 
 
 The door bell rang, and 'Lizzie O'Connor entered 
 with Anna, to introduce her to her boarding-place. 
 
 "Good morning, Mrs. Bryan," said she, brightly. 
 " I 've brought you the boarder you were asking for. 
 Her name is Mary Burt." 
 
 "Why, how do you do, Mary Burt ?" said Mrs. Bryan. 
 " You 're the fine picture of a child ; I am very glad 
 to see you. Come right in, and take off your things. 
 We '11 have dinner soon, when my brother comes from 
 the mill." But she gazed lovingly on her as she 
 thought her like her daughter of the same age whom 
 she buried two years before. 
 
 Mary Bryan took her into her heart-confidence at 
 once, for it seemed like having her lost sister back 
 again. 
 
 She showed her her room and where to put her 
 things, and the child began to feel at home directly, 
 and as Lizzie left, she said, " I '11 call for you a little 
 before one o'clock and we '11 go back to the mill 
 together. Good-by till I come," added she, cheerily.
 
 IIO >lfADO<\\VA HALL. 
 
 Mary Bryan was so kind and loving that the new 
 boarder wanted to tell her the sorrows that oppressed 
 her. But the dread of her father was on her, and it 
 was hard to overcome her depression, although others 
 were happy about her. 
 
 Mary Bryan was really healed of her sickness, and 
 there was a great wave of joy in the cottage, and as 
 the family sat down to dinner, she said grace very 
 fervently, " O Jesus, I do thank Thee that Thou hast 
 healed me. Bless this food, and give us grateful 
 hearts." 
 
 This in a Catholic household, and Mr. Bryan, the 
 brother-in-law, in full sympathy with Mary's joy and 
 gratitude. 
 
 " I want you to tell me all about it when I come 
 home to-night," said he. " It is a marvel of healing, 
 such a sick body as you were, too ! " 
 
 "The Lord healed me," said Mary softly and rev- 
 erently. " With Him all things are possible." 
 
 "I believe it ! " replied her uncle. " You are made 
 well, and you were going right down in consump- 
 tion." 
 
 "Well, praise God I am all right now, and this 
 food is delicious ! " 
 
 " I believe God heard prayer for you, darling, be- 
 cause we paid the praying doctor and sent off the 
 grasping priest," said the mother, a new light in her 
 eyes. 
 
 "Did you pay Dr. Christie?" asked Mr. Bryan.
 
 A SURPRISE VISIT. MI 
 
 "Yes, I paid him this morning," said Mary Bryan. 
 
 "It was a good thing that you did," he replied, 
 " for I know that he is in trouble, because so many 
 of our people call him in, and do not pay him. He 
 ought to be paid every time he calls. If everybody 
 would do that, he would get along nicely, and would 
 not be worried by the wolf at the door." 
 
 " How smiling everybody is, and how happy we all 
 are ! " said Mrs. Bryan, as she helped serve the food. 
 
 " It is a day long to be remembered," said Mary, 
 "I can now go back to my school. How delightful 
 it is to be well again ! I never was so happy ! " 
 
 Happiness is infectious, and Anna forgot for a 
 little her burden, in the general rejoicing. She had 
 indeed found a refuge in a restful home, where love 
 and kindness were abundant and overflowing.
 
 II2 M A DO W.I If ALL. 
 
 IX. 
 
 fAUL, still intent on watching the Count, followed 
 him from Madison Mill as he strode down the 
 street and stepped into a saloon to console himself 
 with a glass of beer, then sauntered to a shady seat in 
 the adjacent park. 
 
 As Stilling was fanning himself with his hat, the 
 dwarf suddenly touched his shoulder. He started, 
 and a look of amazement came over his face. 
 
 " Ah, Paul, is it you ? " he cried, excitedly. 
 
 " It is me," replied Paul, with manly independ- 
 ence, "a live set of flesh and bones, if you did 
 beat me within an inch of my life." 
 
 " Oh, yes, I remember, " heartily laughed Stilling ; 
 "but I always thought the world of you, Paul, and 
 never meant any harm. You know gentlemen will 
 forget themselves and get overcome with wine and 
 temper sometimes. But I am willing to let by-gones 
 be by-gones. Remember my good turns, my trusty 
 Paul, that T was n kind master, in the main, and paid
 
 ELSA&S ASYLUM. 
 
 you well. Now let me give you another token of my 
 regard." 
 
 Paul shook his head at the bright gold piece offered 
 him, but prudence got the better of contempt, as he 
 thought of the children, and he accepted it. 
 
 Stilling had the faculty of calming the anger of 
 those whom he had injured, and a well-poised will it 
 was that could withstand his influence, enforced by 
 his smooth tongue. 
 
 "What brought you here? What can I do for 
 you ? " asked he, cordially. 
 
 " I made an oath to your lady, when her soul was 
 passing, that I 'd never forsake the children. Where 
 can I find them ? " 
 
 " In the graveyard," replied Stilling, in well-feigned 
 grief. 
 
 Paul seemed overcome as Stilling opened his 
 heart to him, saying that he was all alone in the 
 world, and longed for Paul to return to him as his 
 confidential servant. He confided to him that he was 
 so desolate that he had decided to marry Miss 
 Leavenworth, an accomplished heiress, even pointing 
 out Byington Mansion, where she was stopping, not 
 far from his hotel. Laden with information, Paul 
 rose to go, Stilling begging him to call at his hotel, 
 and he would engage his services. 
 
 Paul hurried away to the restaurant which shel- 
 tered one of the Count's " buried children." He found 
 the child afraid something had befallen him.
 
 II4 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 "See here," he said, "I 've something nice for you. 
 I shall never forget you, while there is a beat to my 
 heart or breath in my body." 
 
 Elsae smiled brightly through her tears. 
 
 "Now," said Paul, "you must eat this fruit, and 
 I '11 come back soon, and we '11 go and take a walk." 
 
 Then giving the child a tempting orange, he 
 stepped into a stationer's, next door, and asked leave 
 to write a note. The obliging clerk gave him writing 
 materials, and directed him to a desk. 
 
 Paul wrote as follows, 
 
 "Miss LEAVENWORTH, A well-wisher is hoping 
 that you will pause before listening to the stranger, 
 Mr. Stilling. He is a trustless man. This from 
 one who knew him in the old country, and who is 
 ready to testify when called upon." 
 
 Paul then, inquiring of the clerk about Children's 
 asylums, found that, after application, references were 
 required, with account of parentage. He saw that this 
 was not to be thought of. He returned to the res. 
 taurant just as Mrs. Ranney, a shop woman, entered 
 to purchase confectionary. Elsae ran to meet Paul, 
 and Mrs. Ranney's glittering eyes lighted on her. 
 She smilingly accosted the child, giving her a stick 
 of candy, and asked if she would not like to be her 
 cash girl in her beautiful store a few squares off. 
 Elsae blushed and looked pleased. Paul thought 
 the opening worth trying, and, after inquiries, followed 
 the woman, and before night the child was a fixture 
 in her store on Blank Street,
 
 ELSAE^S ASYLUM. 
 
 "You'll let the little one work easy, just to amuse 
 her," suggested Paul. " I will see to her support, if 
 only she can have a home and kind people around 
 her." 
 
 "Never you fear; I will do well by her," replied 
 Mrs. Ranney, smilingly. 
 
 Hoping for the best, Paul left, and proceeded to 
 arrange his business. He first found a foreigner, who 
 was glad to hire his organ to help out his livelihood. 
 He then sought a tailor's establishment and obtained 
 employment as a journeyman, for he was a rare work- 
 man in this line, having spent years at the business. 
 
 " What you staring at ? " asked Mrs. Ranney, in 
 her sharp way, as, on entering, the child surveyed the 
 array of toys and other goods. " Did n't you ever 
 see any thing before ? Here, come into the back room ; 
 you ain't fit to be seen ! " and she ushered her in there, 
 and seated her on the lounge with a bounce that 
 brought the tears into her eyes, ai\d made her sensi- 
 tive mouth quiver. 
 
 " One thing must be settled to start with," con- 
 tinued she. " You are a poor child, and nobody in the 
 wide world cares for you but me. Who is that dwarf 
 of a man with you ? is he your father ? " 
 
 "No, ma'am ; he 's my Paul." 
 
 " When he comes and asks if you like me, and want 
 to stay here, you must say that you do." 
 
 " Yes, ma'am," replied Elsae, in great distress. 
 
 " If you ever complain to him one word, I've got a
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 great black cat that lives in the cellar, and I '11 shut 
 you up with her, and she '11 tear your eyes out ! " 
 
 Elsae began to cry. 
 
 " Shut up, or down stairs you go, to 'the black 
 cat ! " 
 
 The child was so thoroughly frightened that she 
 did not dare even sob. 
 
 " Can you wash yourself ? Do you know enough 
 for that ? " Then speaking to one of the girls in the 
 next room, "Here, Susan, just give this child a good 
 scrubbing, and put on the dead girl's suit you '11 find 
 in that trunk." 
 
 Elsae was horror-struck. Was a little girl killed by 
 that dreadful black cat ? 
 
 Susan was fifteen, and had been taken from an 
 orphan Home when eight years old. The report of 
 the institution said that she had found a good place. 
 Susan, however, could not verify this statement. 
 She had learned to work steadily all day and was so 
 worn down that her face had a blank, joyless look* 
 and she moved mechanically, as if in a dream. 
 
 " Mind you do as I say, and no words, while I 
 attend to matters in the front shop." 
 
 Susan's eyes filled with tears, as she led the way to 
 the wash-stand in the recess where was a bed. The 
 little one knew that she was sorry for her, and it 
 eased the load on her heart. 
 
 " Can 't I talk ? " whispered Elsae, as her face was 
 being sponged.
 
 ELSAE'S ASYLUM. 
 
 Susan shook her head, and stooped to kiss her. 
 Nobody had done that since she was with her sister 
 Anna. Elsae could stand it no longer, but relieved 
 her full heart by crying, softly, 
 
 " Oh, where 's my Anna ? Take me to my 
 Anna ! " 
 
 " Hush, darling," whispered Susan. " I 'm afraid 
 she '11 beat you, if you do n't ! " 
 
 Elsae again smothered her sobs. 
 
 " Ca n't I ever talk with you ? " asked the child. 
 
 " Not if you can help it. She 'd whip me if she 
 knew that I talked kind to you, and it 'd be the worse, 
 for you, too. 
 
 " Ca n't I have a doll, or some of those pretty 
 things to play with ? " 
 
 " Oh, no; them's to sell to rich folks. But never 
 mind, I '11 make a rag-baby out of my old apron, and 
 you shall take it to bed, to-night." 
 
 These words brought a ray of happiness to that 
 little sorrowful heart. 
 
 "Come, hurry up there ! It is time you were sew- 
 ing again," sharply said Mrs. Ranney, peering in. 
 " Saint Christopher ! how mortal slow you be. You 
 might have earned lots of money for me while you 've 
 been dressing that child. I do wonder what such 
 slow pokes were made for ! " 
 
 At that moment the door opened, and a customer 
 entered the front shop. Mrs. Ranney vanished and 
 appeared at the counter smilingly, saying in her 
 sweetest tones,
 
 U8 MADONA'A HALL. 
 
 " Oh, how do you do, Mr. Perley ? " shaking his 
 hand. " Have n 't been in town of late ? Thought 
 so ; if you had been, you surely would have called. 
 How are your benevolent enterprises getting on ? " 
 
 "All right," said the old gentleman. " We have to 
 be benevolent for self defence in this country. We 
 have to lay good foundations, and maintain our insti- 
 tutions, or everything will go to ruin." 
 
 "Just so," she replied, without taking his meaning. 
 
 "We cannot be civilized," he continued, "if we do 
 not give freely to all good enterprises." 
 
 " So I think, Mr. Perley. I adopt a great many 
 orphans, and bring them up to industrious habits, and 
 then get them good places in the country." 
 
 "That is very noble in you, I am sure, Mrs. Ran- 
 ney," he replied. 
 
 " Nobody knows the expense and labor it takes," 
 this rare woman went on ; " but I must have the 
 blessed privilege of doing some good in the world." 
 
 She put her handkerchief to her eyes, as if troubled 
 with tears. 
 
 " I am deeply interested in your self-denying efforts 
 to help the desolate, and shall be glad to contribute 
 my mite," as he handed her a crisp bill. 
 
 " I thank you, kindly," she said smilingly. " You 
 are very generous." 
 
 " Not at all. Do n't be afraid to apply to me if there 
 is any further need," rejoined the old gentleman. 
 " But I must now go to my train," and with a polite 
 bow he left.
 
 ELSAE^S ASYLUM. 119 
 
 Mrs. Ranney then called her daughter Angelina, 
 from the work-room up stairs, to come and assist her. 
 
 " Angelina," said she, as she entered the shop, 
 " I've picked up another nuisance of a child, and you 
 must break her in, and see that she is busy every 
 minute." 
 
 " I'm sick of this breaking in business," replied 
 Angelina. " 'T is n 't every child that can stand all 
 work. What is that child to do any way ? " 
 
 " She is to save Susan's time. You must teach her 
 to sweep, and dust, and put rooms in order." 
 
 " But she is so little, what can you expect of her ? 
 She must have a small broom if she is to sweep." 
 
 " Yes," replied the mother. " Get a small broom ; 
 she will learn better, and do more work." 
 
 Little Elsae was told to sweep the shop. It was get- 
 ting late ; she was tired, and did her best only to have 
 it to do over again, and looked upon Mrs. Ranney as 
 the most dreadful woman she had ever seen, and, 
 what was worst of all, she had promised not to tell 
 Paul. The tears kept dropping into the dust as she 
 swept in her child-way. 
 
 Angelina helped her as much as she dared, when 
 her mother's back was turned, but the poor little thing 
 was very wretched. At supper time she had a dry 
 crust, and even that had not been earned, according to 
 Mrs. Ranney. She slept on the woodbox, in a dark 
 closet, with a chair-cushion for a pillow, and an old 
 shawl thrown over her. As Susan put her to bed she
 
 120 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 did not forget to give her the rag-baby doll, and hug- 
 ging it closely as if it were Anna, the grieved child 
 was soothed, and saying her prayers, fell asleep.
 
 A RELIGIOUS SENSE OF HONOR. 121 
 
 X. 
 
 /I I \<meri0us crjse 0| 
 
 fATHER BUHLER and his sister, Madame Du 
 Pont, were greatly attached, having been brought 
 up together, until he studied for the priesthood. 
 She visited at his house in vacation, and they kept 
 alive the old home affection. He made her a confi- 
 dent of many of his plans. He had little faith, how- 
 ever, in her reasoning powers, and took the liberty of 
 enforcing his own ideas when it suited his purpose. 
 
 "Josephine," said he, one morning, as they sat at 
 the breakfast table partaking of an elegant repast, 
 "I Ve a favor to ask of you, and you must not say 
 me nay." 
 
 She looked up smilingly, saying, 
 
 " Anything in reason, Herr. What can I do for 
 you ? " 
 
 " It is not so much for me," he replied, " as for my 
 friend, Count Stilling. You see, he has lost his wife 
 and two children, and there is a large property com- 
 ing to him through the wife, now that the children 
 are no more."
 
 122 MADONNA HALL, 
 
 " Yes," said Madame ; " then I suppose he will be 
 far more wealthy." 
 
 " Of course he is well off now," was the reply, 
 " and when he comes in possession of this, he will 
 double his property ; but the business is not yet 
 accomplished." 
 
 " Why not ? " asked Madame Du Pont. 
 
 " Well, you see he must send the proof to the trus- 
 tees, or agent of the property, that his children are 
 dead." 
 
 " I suppose so," rejoined Madame. " Why do n't 
 he send ?" 
 
 " He will, just as soon as he gets it ready. His 
 papers, certifying to the fact, must be signed. I shall 
 sign, and I also want your signature." 
 
 " Have I ever seen his children ? " asked she, in a 
 bewildered way. " I simply recall that he is of a dis- 
 tinguished family/' 
 
 " Of course, Josephine, you 've seen them," replied 
 he, by way of strategy ; " they were in your school, 
 and both of them died of scarlet fever, do n't you 
 remember ? I really believe, Josephine, that you are 
 losing your memory. But I want you to brush it up, 
 and sign this document," and he showed her a paper 
 with blanks filled out, and with his signature affixed, 
 certifying that Anna and Elsae Stilling died of scar- 
 let fever at such a date, and in such a place. 
 
 " If you say so, I suppose I must do it," said 
 Madame, hesitatingly, as they rose from the table;
 
 A RELIGIOUS SENSE OF HONOR. 123 
 
 " but what if you are mistaken, and I am cited to 
 appear in court ? " 
 
 " No danger. I '11 manage it, and you shall be well 
 rewarded for your testimony. The property is in the 
 hands of an agent in this country, and Count Stilling 
 comes in possession the moment that there is clear 
 and positive proof that the children are dead." 
 
 " I can only indorse what you say," said Madame, 
 helplessly. " If I am questioned as to my personal 
 knowledge of their death, I must be silent, for I can 
 not remember the circumstances." 
 
 " I will take you to a lawyer, beforehand, and tell 
 you just what questions will be asked, and what you 
 are to answer, and you '11 find no trouble," replied 
 the crafty Jesuit. 
 
 " Are you sure this is honest ? " she asked. 
 
 " It is perfectly honest in a religious sense, and 
 what more can you ask ? " cried he, triumphantly. 
 
 " I suppose you are right, but you do mystify me 
 dreadfully." 
 
 " Even if you did unconsciously commit a sin, I, a 
 regularly ordained priest, can at once absolve you, 
 and you become as innocent as the babe unborn." 
 
 "That is a very convenient doctrine for some peo- 
 ple," laughed Madame. " But this seems allowable 
 since you indorse it, and agree to take the conse- 
 quences." 
 
 " You '11 sign it, then ? " 
 
 " I suppose so ; but don 't make a mistake, and have
 
 124 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 me sign my share of my property away, as you once 
 tried to do, and my late husband, Monsieur Dupont, 
 prevented." 
 
 " Now, Josephine, you Ve certainly a most remark- 
 able memory ! You Ve made a great mistake, and if 
 he told you that, he falsified. I am the very soul of 
 honor, as you well know. " 
 
 " "Ah, well," she replied, "but your sense of honor 
 provides only for the interests of the church. My 
 private, personal concerns would meet with little 
 favor from you if put in competition with church 
 claims." 
 
 " I do not complain," gaily rejoined he, " although 
 you thus berate me. If I keep my holy vow, the 
 church must, of course, be first," and pressing a 
 knob, he sent for a lawyer friend, and the Count. 
 
 On their arrival, the document was signed, after 
 which, Stilling courteously remained for conversation, 
 as he was favorably impressed with Madame Du 
 Font's lady-like appearance. 
 
 " I have had great pleasure, Madame," said he, as 
 he seated himself beside her, " in meeting two of your 
 late pupils, Miss Fairfax and Miss Byington." 
 
 "They are charming," replied the lady. "Espe- 
 cially Miss Louise, who may yet become a member 
 of a ritualistic church." 
 
 " Yes, Madame," replied Stilling. " I have noticed 
 that she is already deeply interested in that direc- 
 tion."
 
 A RELIGIOUS SENSE OF HONOR. 125 
 
 Madame smiled sweetly on him, saying, 
 
 " I am delighted to hear that you have observed it 
 I have been the means of influencing numbers of 
 young ladies to become religious. It is either society 
 belles or devotees." 
 
 " Being so useful must be a great gratification to 
 you," beamingly remarked Stilling. 
 
 " It is indeed," replied the lady, fanning herself, 
 " I tell my girls that as there are more women in 
 the commonwealth than men, there is a chance that 
 they may not marry, and they must look about and 
 see what they can do. But I would myself never 
 join a convent, and few smart girls can be persuaded 
 to take the veil. It may possibly be better than to 
 starve outside." 
 
 ' Very true," responded Stilling ; " but I protest 
 against confining them there if they prefer to leave." 
 
 " I coincide with your views," exclaimed Madame 
 Du Pont, with a winning smile. 
 
 " I do not ! " cried Father Buhler, flushing. "They 
 are fickle, and do not know their own minds.} If they 
 were let out, they would tell tales." 
 
 "That could be managed," replied Stilling, who 
 sought to be on the opposite side of Father Buhler, 
 and have an argument " If they choose to go into a 
 cloister, let them go, and have it arranged to have it 
 occasionally visited by certified officials, and if a nun 
 is discontented, let her make it known, and be allowed 
 to leave."
 
 126 .I/./ />av,v./ HALL. 
 
 "Johann Stilling! what do you mean?" cried 
 Father Buhler. " Do you know that if our cloisters 
 were thus visited, they would shortly disappear ? They 
 must have privacy in order to exist." 
 
 " We must remember," said Stilling, glancing at 
 appreciative Madame Dupont, " that when convents 
 were established, there was a very different state of 
 society from what there is at the present day. What 
 was fitting in the dark ages, is not appropriate now. 
 Women are raised in the social scale, and insist on 
 being educated ; they cannot long be held in subjec- 
 tion, even if they consign themselves to a kind of 
 slavery. 
 
 " No, no ! " murmured Madame, earnestly fanning 
 herself. 
 
 " The Government, waked up by the most influen- 
 tial men and women of the nation, " continued Stil- 
 ling, in a burst of affected enthusiasm, " will strive to 
 see that all the women under the flag are protected 
 by the flag ! " 
 
 " What nonsense ! " cried Father Buhler. " You 'd 
 pull down our venerable church on our heads ! " 
 
 " Why, I am surprised ! Count Stilling is commc 
 ilfaut!" exclaimed Madame, more than ever pleased 
 with him. 
 
 " Keep cool, Father Buhler," said Stilling, " and 
 remember, whatever I say, I mean no offence, and 
 shall never utter any treasonable sentiments out- 
 side of this house."
 
 A RELIGIOUS SEXSE OF HONOR. 
 
 127 
 
 " I accept your apology," replied Buhler, mollified, 
 "and we are friends again.'' Then to Madame, 
 "Josephine, would you be kind enough to gather 
 some flowers from the garden, a bouquet for our 
 parlor, and one for the church ? " 
 
 " Gladly, brother ; I admire to be among the 
 flowers," although in her secret heart she had much 
 rather remain where she was. 
 
 As she gracefully left, Buhler drew his chair nearer 
 to Stilling, and said, 
 
 " I wanted to see you alone a moment. She thinks 
 the children are really dead, and I feared every in- 
 stant that you would betray yourself. She must be 
 allowed to think so, for she cannot keep a secret. 
 She is so constituted, you see ; she was not put up 
 for a crafty manager, and cannot be made over." 
 
 " Ah, yes, I see," said Stilling. " Now a word 
 about my affairs. When I came back with my 
 eldest child, I acted on your hint, took her to Madi- 
 son Mill, found work for her, had her name put on the 
 pay-roll, and gave her in charge of the superintendent 
 as Mary Burt, saying that she was an orphan I had 
 found, and could recommend as a beginner. I also 
 requested the man of affairs to see that she had a 
 Catholic boarding-place, which he agreed to do." 
 
 "That may do for awhile," said Buhler, "until 
 the Foundling asylum is finished. But will she keep 
 dark about her name ?" 
 
 " Her name is changed," replied Stilling, "and she
 
 128 MADO.VA'A HALL. 
 
 is entered on the books as Mary Burt, so they call 
 her in the mill. I begin to breathe more freely, and 
 I am under the greatest obligation to you for helping 
 me out." 
 
 " Don't mention it," said the other. " I am only 
 too glad to serve you. How do you prosper in mat- 
 rimonial plans with Miss Leavenworth ? " 
 
 " Tolerably. But Miss Grace will keep me at a 
 distance, and plainly is in no hurry to have the matter 
 settled, yet she treats me with polite consideration. 
 What can I do to win her admiration ? " 
 
 " Well, now, Johann, this to me, a celibate priest, 
 when you are learned in that lore, and I am supposed 
 to know nothing about it. But I should say, find out 
 what her preferences are, and humor them. Attend 
 church regularly ; read prayers devoutly ; study her 
 peculiarities and assimilate yourself with them. Be- 
 come her very slave to win her, and with your strong 
 will, you cannot fail to succeed." 
 
 There is no doubt of that," rejoined Stilling. " But 
 I must run over to New York to-night, and have this 
 business squared up with the agent, draw my money, 
 when I can launch out as is fitting ; and I shall not 
 forget you, Herr Buhler." 
 
 " Nor I you, old fellow. Come in, on your return, 
 and let me know how your affairs prosper. Say, you 
 don't find the other child, do you ?" 
 
 "No signs of her," replied Stilling. "I was told 
 she died of scarlet fever. I doubt if she ever turns
 
 A RELIGIOUS SEXSE. OF HOXOR. 
 
 129 
 
 up. If she does, it will be easy to prove her an 
 imposter, in the face of this certificate." 
 
 "That 's where you are correct. Your prospects 
 are bright, and I prophesy a brilliant career for you 
 as a rising man. You must go into politics, and help 
 us that way. With your splendid presence and 
 address, I predict that you will be sent to Congress. 
 I can help you politically. We clergy always aim to 
 maintain close relations with Government officials. It 
 is our secret of working ; we fawn and flatter, bribe 
 and influence, anything to gain the balance of power. 
 We are a mighty political machine in good running 
 order." 
 
 "Yes, Herr Buhler, I see that you are well 
 posted." 
 
 " Good-by, old fellow," said Buhler, as the other 
 rose to go. 
 
 " Good-by/' rejoined Stilling. 
 
 Soon after Stilling left, Madame Du Pont came in 
 with a quantity of lovely flowers, and as she arranged 
 them, said nervously, 
 
 " See here, Brother, if I sign certificates to order 
 for you, I Ve a favor to ask." 
 
 " Ask away, Josephine ; I '11 do what I can for you 
 to the half of my kingdom." 
 
 "You must know, then, that I want to get settled in 
 life. I 'm tired of teaching, and have given it up," 
 plaintively explained the lady, 
 
 "How settled?'' asked he, in surprise. "I
 
 130 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 thought you were disposed of. What in time do you 
 mean ? " 
 
 " How obtuse you can be, Herr, when you try. If 
 you must be told, I would like the attentions of Count 
 Stilling with matrimony in view. We were getting 
 on beautifully, when you exiled me to the garden,'" 
 she said, regretfully. 
 
 Buhler roared with laughter. 
 
 " I would n't have believed this of you, Josephine.. 
 And Stilling, of all men, to fancy him ! " 
 
 " Why not ? Is n't he an eligible match ? He has 
 a large property, I heard you say, and our certificates 
 helped him get a part of it. He is a magnificent 
 looking man, and you have a very good chance for an 
 introduction looking toward our union." 
 
 "Josephine, you are too verdant. Count Stilling 
 would not want a wife as old as you are,- to begin 
 with." 
 
 Madame brustled up. If there was one thing more 
 than another that she prided herself on, it was her 
 youthful appearance. 
 
 " Old as I am ? cried she. " Herr, you know that 
 I am still young and fine looking. I do not feel or 
 look a day older than twenty-five," as she glanced in 
 the mirror opposite, "and no one takes me for more 
 than that. I am still in the market, and if you 
 choose, you could make a good match for me." 
 
 She was a fair, stout lady of forty. 
 
 " Perhaps so," was the candid answer, " but I
 
 A RELIGIOUS SENSE OF HONOR. 131 
 
 should hesitate about giving you to Stilling, even if 
 he asked me for you." 
 
 " Why, pray ? " asked she, in open-eyed wonder. 
 
 " Reasons enough, Josephine ; he is a Jesuit, 
 although a layman. Do n't you ever take any stock 
 in marrying one of that order." 
 
 "Why, you 're talking against your own society! 
 I supposed you thought its members were perfect." 
 
 " So they are for the use of the church, but that is 
 very different from the interests of the home and 
 family. If you study your own welfare, you'll steer 
 clear of being linked for life to one of the order." 
 
 "I 'd run the risk in the case of Count Stilling," 
 replied Madame. " He is perfectly fascinating. You 
 only make me more interested in him." 
 
 " Josephine, you are foolish," returned the brother. 
 "Count Stilling is not in the market, even. He is 
 engaged to a lovely young heiress, and that settles 
 it." 
 
 " Oh, yes, of course," was the disappointed reply, 
 'unless he changes his mind." 
 
 " Which he will never do," replied the brother. 
 " I wonder, Josephine, why you do not wake up to the 
 chances which you have of promotion. It is true 
 that you run one of the city branches of the church 's 
 great suburban academy and nunnery, Madonna Hall, 
 but I regard Sister Clarissima as your superior in 
 management, although much younger. If you would 
 wake up, I could obtain for you an equally eligible
 
 132 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 position, as Superioress of an establishment, and you 
 would no longer be outdone by your younger sis- 
 ter." 
 
 " Herr, I do not fancy being a Superioress ; it is so 
 old-like. There 's Clarissima, she is settled for life> 
 and if she wants to make a change .and marry, she is 
 not free, she cannot get away." 
 
 " Why should she want to get away ? " asked Buh- 
 ler, angrily. 
 
 "Then I never could abide to enter a cloister, join 
 a strict order, and make a lot of heartless religious 
 vows, which I could not, with my lively, volatile nature, 
 ever keep. I have no desire to quit the world for 
 some time to come, if I ever do. I am too young 
 to turn nun. I love my liberty of coming and going ; 
 I love society, dress, parties, and assemblies, far too 
 well to take the veil." 
 
 " You obstinately stand in your own light, when 
 you might have a magnificent situation," frowned her 
 brother. 
 
 " I have explored that field a little," was her 
 aggrieved response. " In the first place, after giving 
 up the world and taking the veil," with a sob in her 
 voice, "I have got to be subject to the notions and 
 whims of the clergy, whoever they may be, resident 
 or otherwise, and above that, there is the head 
 Mother of all the convents in the United States, who 
 ivHcles in Cincinnati, and is Superioress of all other 
 Superioresses in the land. She herself is amenable
 
 A RELIGIOUS SEXSE OF HOXOR. 133 
 
 to the bishop nearest at hand of that diocese, I 
 mean, and he to the Archbishop, he to the Cardinal, 
 and he, in turn, to the Pope. It is one great snarl of 
 wheels within wheels, and one shaft, the Pope, turns 
 them all." 
 
 " What of that ? " asked Buhler, as he walked the 
 floor. " It only shows the perfection of the system ; 
 and to be subject to the powers that be, is the virtue 
 and holiness that makes saints." 
 
 "As I now teach," continued Madame, "I am 
 independent, and I would not part with that for the 
 world. Another thing, I can never marry if I take 
 the veil." 
 
 " That 's the trouble with you, and many besides 
 you/'. replied Buhler. "You do not assimilate with 
 the church. You think that you can arrange and 
 manage things better far than she can ; but you are 
 very unwise and short-sighted. The church has great 
 power and wealth, and you do well to be incorporated 
 in it. 
 
 " Do n't urge me, Herr ; I shall never really bf 
 happy until I am again settled in life, and have c 
 home of my own, as I used to have when Monsieur 
 Du Pont was alive." 
 
 " Well, Josephine, you must have good courage, at 
 your time of life, to seek a second settlement, when 
 there is in this country such a great overplus of 
 females.'' 
 
 " At my time of life, Herr ! " outspoke Madame, dis-
 
 134 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 pleased. " Why will you harp on that string ? You 
 are aware that I pass for much younger than I am, 
 and you ought to know better than to meddle with 
 my age. I am very French in my make-up, as my 
 dead husband used to say, and he did not honestly 
 think that I should ever grow old ! " 
 
 Buhler was merry over this idea, and enjoyed 
 teasing her. 
 
 "You dress very becomingly, Josephine, and that 
 makes all the difference ; and to do you justice, you 
 are a very good-looking woman for one of your age," 
 and he ended with a provoking laugh. 
 
 " You are unbearable, Herr Buhler ! What comfort 
 can you take in tormenting me ? I '11 pack my things 
 and go to the mountains right off, and leave you to 
 your reflections. If I immured myself as you wish, 
 I could never mingle in improving society ; never go 
 to any watering place, assemblies, musical soirees, 
 lectures, or anything elevating, but mope and mourn 
 in stupid convent walls. There are some people in- 
 sane enough for such a life, but I am thankful I am 
 not. It is, however, for my interest to stand by the 
 church, and while I cease to fight you, when I leave, 
 you will please remember that I shall marry the very 
 first good opportunity," and Madame swept out of 
 the room with an air of offended dignity, and took 
 the next train for the White Mountains.
 
 ENJ-'ORCED OBEDIENCE. 
 
 XL 
 
 B 
 
 fATRICK and Margaret O'Connor were proud 
 of their only daughter, Lizzie. She was 
 bright, rosy, robust and energetic, making easy work 
 of whatever she undertook. In the mill she was 
 soon promoted to take charge of the cloth-room, 
 where everything moved with easy precision under 
 her wise management. This was only in vacation 
 time, yet she became a necessity, the superintendent 
 averred, and could not well be spared. 
 
 Nevertheless, when school -term time came, she 
 could not be persuaded to remain longer in the 
 factory, although the inducement of fewer hours and 
 higher wages was tried. A ready and enthusiastic 
 scholar, the leader of her class, no money could 
 prevail on her to remain away from her loved 
 teacher's instructions, and the crowning year in the 
 high school. 
 
 The O'Connors being wealthy parishioners of 
 Father Buhler, his eye had been on the daughter 'for 
 some time. It galled him that she would attend her
 
 136 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 chosen school, and besides she had not been to con- 
 fessional for two years. These things were highly 
 criminal, and as shepherd of his flock he must look 
 after the wanderer. 
 
 Accordingly he called on the O'Connors, about 
 tea-time one evening, thinking she would be at home. 
 Greeting Mrs. O'Connor, he asked for her daughter. 
 She was away, had gone home with a school-mate. 
 
 Covering his disappointment as far as possble, he 
 said, 
 
 " I charged you to have her remain in the parochial 
 school. How dared you disobey my orders ? " 
 
 " Now, Father Buhler," replied Mrs. O'Connor, 
 very smilingly, "it is a hard question you ask me. 
 We wanted to please your reverence, but our child's 
 interests prevented." 
 
 " Do you pretend to say that the parochial school is 
 inferior to the public school ? " asked he, shocked 
 beyond measure. 
 
 " That 's what the scholars in the high school say, 
 who have tried both schools," was the answer. 
 " There 's Lizzie's friend, Katie, who is in the parochial 
 school, has to learn useful knowledge evenings, of 
 her brothers, who are in the public schools." 
 
 "That shows how ignorant and bigoted they are ! " 
 rejoined he. 
 
 At this moment Mr. O'Connor came in, and 
 Father Buhler beset him to take his daughter out of
 
 ENFORCED OBEDIENCE. 
 
 137 
 
 her school, and send her where she would " learn 
 something." 
 
 " Learn something ! " echoed the astonished father- 
 " How can nuns, called incompetent as teachers 
 by one of our most learned men, teach our Lizzie? 
 She has tried, and outgrew them years ago. When 
 a little tot, she was head and shoulders above them. 
 They 'd try to teach her history, but she 'd get books 
 from the public library and find they did n't know. 
 You must visit the high school and hear Lizzie say 
 her lessons. Everybody says she is the first-rate 
 scholar, arid learns all their books clean through. 
 Take her out of school? It would break her 
 heart." 
 
 "The Pope requires it, and must be obeyed," was 
 the reply. 
 
 " But that New York Father says the Pope don ' t 
 dream what he is doing, when he meddles with the 
 public schools of this country," said Patrick, with 
 unheard-of independence. 
 
 "Did you know, my son," solemnly replied Father 
 Buhler, " that he is an unfrocked priest,- and under 
 the ban of the infallible Pope ? " 
 
 " Yes ; but he seems to be alive and well, and the 
 ban is harmless," replied Patrick, with a smile that 
 told that his sympathies were with the condemned 
 priest. 
 
 " Patrick O'Connor, you surprise me !" slowly ami 
 sternly rejoined Father Buhler. " You are commit-
 
 138 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 ling a great sin in allowing your daughter to attend 
 a public school, and yoli can only settle with me for 
 it by the way of an indulgence, I permitting it on 
 condition of your paying me a sum proportionate to 
 the guilt. Otherwise, I might as well give a dog the 
 sacraments as to give them to you." 
 
 "I 'm ready to do the fair thing by you," said 
 Patrick, relieved at the prospect of making his peace 
 with the Father, but in no way convinced of the sin 
 of helping his daughter get an education. 
 
 " What is to pay, Father? " asked he, in his pleas- 
 ant way. 
 
 " I wish you to remember, my son, that this is a 
 sin that calls loudly to heaven for vengeance, and 
 unless atoned for by your sacrifice of money, you 
 may expect judgments to follow your family." 
 
 " Name the sum," said Patrick ; " I am not quite 
 broke yet. Lizzie is going to graduate that school 
 just as sure as she is alive and well, Father Buhler 
 I promised her that, and I never break my word with 
 my child." 
 
 "Then for this great sin, Patrick O'Connor, I 
 adjudge you to pay me the sum of one thousand dol- 
 lars, in installments of one hundred dollars per month, 
 the first to commence now." 
 
 Patrick took out his plethoric pocket-book, and 
 counting bills, said, 
 
 " Here's one hundred dollars, the first payment. 
 Now give me my discharge in writing."
 
 ENFORCED OBEDIENCE. 
 
 Father Buhler, tearing a sheet from his note-book, 
 wrote, after giving the place and date, 
 
 "Received of Patrick O'Connor, on account, one 
 hundred dollars, in indulgence, for his daughter 
 Lizzie's attendance at a public school." 
 " (Signed) 
 
 HERR BUHLER, 
 "Pastor of St. Gabriel's Church." 
 
 This was a fraudulent proceeding, as only a bishop 
 can grant a license to attend a secular school. 
 
 "One thing more," said Buhler to the mother, 
 after Mr. O'Connor left. " I find that your child is 
 criminally negligent as it regards coming to confes- 
 sional ; she has not confessed for more than two years. 
 She is getting to be a great backslider, and it will 
 take many a hard penance to recover her lost ground." 
 
 "Oh, Father Buhler!" cried Margaret, "Don't 
 you be hard on her, seein' we 've paid you for her 
 transgression. Do let dear Lizzie study her lessons 
 and graduate in peace. She '11 make it all up betimes. 
 She 's a dear, true-hearted child, and she 's always 
 making somebody happy." 
 
 " Send your daughter to me to confess, to-morrow 
 afternoon, without fail," abruptly answered he. 
 
 " That I will," said Margaret. " I '11 see that she 
 comes." 
 
 And without more ado, Father Buhler departed. 
 
 When Lizzie came home, she was distressed to 
 hear that her mother had promised that she should 
 20 to the confessional.
 
 140 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " Oh, mother dear, why did n't you put him off ?" 
 cried she. " None of the girls of my class go, and it 
 will be as much as my reputation is worth. Since 
 there has been so many lectures and books showing 
 the actions of bad priests, how can a young lady with 
 any self-respect go to confessional ? I Ve half a mind 
 not to stir a step." 
 
 " Oh, Lizzie darling, the Father has been very 
 good, and allows you to attend the high school, 
 although it is against the Pope's regulation, so I 
 would swallow my scruples and go this once." 
 
 " Well, mother dear, as it is pleasing to you, I will 
 yield this once, but I 'd rather go to the stake, I 
 really had." 
 
 " Father Buhler has been very kind and forbear- 
 ing," said the fond mother. " But your father had 
 to pay him a great sum to get leave.." 
 
 " Did he ? " 
 
 " Of course, darling ; that is the way of the 
 church." 
 
 " Well, then, after this once, I will keep away. I 
 doubt if I ever go again." 
 
 The afternoon came and Lizzie was at the confes- 
 sional. 
 
 Father Buhler was secretly rejoiced, although his 
 face wore a very sanctimonious look, as he took his 
 seat in the confessional box and put on his, stole. 
 
 After introductory questions, which he saw he
 
 ENFORCED OBEDIENCE. 
 
 141 
 
 must cut short, or lose sight of his penitent, he 
 said, 
 
 " Have you any special sins to confess regarding 
 your attending school ?" 
 
 " I have none," was the reply, " You remember 
 my father settled the school matter." 
 
 " Oh, ah, I believe I did make such an arrange- 
 ment. But leaving the school out of the question, 
 you have grievously sinned in staying away from the 
 confessional so long ; what have you to say to that ? " 
 
 " I have had my time taken up with my studies.". 
 
 " Not reason sufficient. Do you statedly pray to 
 the Virgin Mary, and all the saints ? " 
 
 "I do not as much as formerly," was the guarded 
 reply. 
 
 " So I thought. Those public schools are death to 
 our religious duties. It will be necessary for me to 
 impose a heavy penance on you for your remissness. 
 You will now come into the vestry, that I may ex- 
 plain what I wish you to do." 
 
 Lizzie hesitated ; but finally concluded she would 
 see what he had to say, and would then take leave. 
 
 No sooner had she stepped into the next room, 
 than Father Buhler had an usher, who was waiting, 
 take her in charge, saying, 
 
 " I will explain directly." 
 
 Her eyes flashed fire, and she tried to go back, but 
 the two men bore her on through the long church 
 passages, leading into Buhlcr's house, she struggling
 
 142 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 and screaming, so that her cries were even heard by 
 people in the street. 
 
 When in his apartments, Buhler put her in a room 
 that he could barricade, and in which the window was 
 well guarded. 
 
 " Lizzie," said he severely, " You are contumacious. 
 The sacrament of penance only can remove your 
 great sin. It is your penalty to stay here till it is 
 my pleasure to release you," adding in the same stern 
 tones, " and the better you behave, the sooner you 
 will have your liberty." 
 
 Lizzie's face was aflame with distress and anger, 
 as she glared at him ; but he was content, since he 
 had her in his power. The rare independence of her 
 father, in saying that his daughter should graduate, 
 determined him to take measures to prevent it. She 
 regarded him with a withering look of scorn, too 
 enraged to speak, and he judged it best to leave her 
 to herself, to her inexpressible relief. 
 
 When meal time arrived, Sister Nabby, an old 
 nun, brought in a glass of water and a slice of bread ; 
 this was all she had for supper, and after a few kind 
 words from the nun, was left to her meditations. 
 When night came on, no light was given her, and 
 she slept on the lounge without any covering, awoke 
 with a chill, got up and walked the room for exercise, 
 her mind revolving the strange plight she was in. 
 What would her poor father and mother do ? She 
 was quite sure they would come straight to Father
 
 ENFORCED OBEDIENCE. 143 
 
 Buhler and insist 'that he knew where she was 
 Would he tell ? Would he not conceal his knowledge 
 of her imprisonment ? If so, how could she be 
 helped ? 
 
 A loving school-mate had given her, as a birthday 
 present, an illustrated text, 
 
 " Call upon Me in the day of trouble ; I will deliver 
 thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." 
 
 Lizzie thought it beautiful at the time, and so com- 
 forting to one in affliction, little dreaming that she 
 would ever need to remember it for herself. In her 
 extremity she did call on the name of the Lord, and 
 felt a calm assurance that she was heard. 
 
 Buhler came in occasionally, to see if she was 
 penitent, and if he could make her agree to give up> 
 her school, and be transferred to Madonna Hall. 
 
 "Lizzie," said he, when he had tried several days 
 to convince her of her sinfulness in going to a public 
 school, and in omitting confession, "you are stiff- 
 necked and rebellious, but I 've concluded to give you 
 a chance to finish your education at a celebrated 
 seminary." 
 
 " It 's better than here," replied she, craftily, 
 thinking, if once out of doors, she could find some 
 way of escape. 
 
 "That 's like a sensible girl. You are no longer 
 contumacious," replied he, joyfully. 
 
 She smothered her feelings, and said, more pleas- 
 antly than she had yet spoken,
 
 144 
 
 MADOXNA HALL. 
 
 " Can I really go to Madonna Hall ? " 
 
 "Yes," he replied, " the carriage of the Superioress 
 is here, and you can go with her." 
 
 "Very well," said she, with dignity, as if conferring 
 a favor ; " but I must go first, and get my clothes, 
 and say good by to my father and mother." 
 
 "I can not allow it," was the reply. "The Superior- 
 ess can not wait. You can go as you are, and be 
 furnished with clothes when you get there." 
 
 She put on the semblance of acquiescing, but her 
 indomitable will was far from being broken, and she 
 allowed Father Buhler to conduct her out of her 
 prison, and present her to the Superioress, who 
 received her very cordially. 
 
 " Are you ready to go with me ? " she asked, with 
 a genial smile. 
 
 " Yes, Madame, I am ready," replied Lizzie, cour- 
 teously. 
 
 This pleased the lady, who thought that she had 
 secured a prize for the nunnery, and yet it came over 
 her, what a pity for such a bright young creature to 
 be shut in convent walls ! 
 
 Lizzie was rosy and fresh looking, despite prison 
 quarters and fare, and the weight of worry that was 
 on her. 
 
 Father Buhler at once treated to cake and an 
 abundance of tempting fruit. 
 
 The driver, Hosca Berlin, just then appearing with 
 the carriage, was called in to partake of refreshments
 
 ENFORCED OBEDIEXCE. 
 
 at request of the Superioress ; and as they left, Father 
 Buhler took Lizzie's hand, and told her that her 
 penance was over, he had forgiven her wayward- 
 ness, and now she could start life anew and make a 
 woman of mark, even a saint. 
 
 She bowed demurely, took her seat in the carriage 
 with the Superioress, and was driven off. She had 
 seen Hosea before ; he was a business acquaintance 
 of her father. She knew that he was kind and 
 might be glad to help her escape. 
 
 Father Buhler saw the carriage roll away with tri. 
 umph in his eye. Once in Madonna Hall, she could 
 not get free, and could be managed and subdued. 
 
 The Lady Clarissima, although ill at ease, was 
 taking the young girl away as a matter of course. 
 She was one whom her brother saw fit to put under 
 discipline in the institution, and she did not then dare 
 outwardly object to the plan. She was genial and 
 affable to patrons and strangers, but tried to be severe, 
 as in duty bound, towards the nuns, when occasion 
 required, as was testified by her dignified manners 
 and the ponderous keys she always bore about her 
 person. 
 
 Lizzie, bright and sharp, set her wits at work how 
 to get free before the carriage should reach the 
 driveway of the dreaded nunnery. She became 
 uneasy, got up and down in her seat as if possessed 
 to get out of the carriage, and finally catching the 
 satchel of the Superioress, which she had placed 
 beside her, threw it out of the window.
 
 146 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 The lady instantly had the carriage stopped, and 
 bade her get out and bring the bag, as Hosea could 
 not leave the horses. 
 
 Lizzie sprang out ; at which Hosea gave his steeds 
 a touch of the whip, that made them wild, and away 
 they sped at the top of their speed, leaving the fugi- 
 tive free to go home. 
 
 The span on the run frightened Mother Clarissima 
 almost out of her wits. She screamed, 
 
 " Stop ! stop ! Hosea, stop the horses ! " and 
 getting frantic, threw up the front window of the 
 carriage, and took hold of the driver to emphasize her 
 words. 
 
 He turned with an appearance of agitation, put 
 on of course. She could not hear his reply. He 
 would help Lizzie get free at the expense of run- 
 ning the horses. 
 
 Mother Clarissima, who sank back in her seat in 
 despair, commenced prayers to the Virgin and the 
 most powerful of the saints, to help in her extremity. 
 The idea of being killed by a runaway team was 
 terrible. There was the possible lingering agony, with 
 broken limbs, staved-in head, and crushed body, but, 
 worst of all, afterwards the dreadful torments of pur 
 gatory. She called vividly to mind the teachings of 
 the church on this doctrine, how one must, at one 
 time, be in the fiercest furnace fire, and then in the 
 most intolerable arctic cold ; she had taught this, 
 with illustrative engravings, so often, to classes of
 
 ENFORCED OBEDIENCE. 
 
 147 
 
 nuns, and had so expiated on these horrors, that now 
 they were as facts to her lively imagination. She 
 seemed to hear the wailing of the lost, and was sure 
 that she should soon join the despairing host. 
 
 What added poignancy to her distress, was the 
 thought, that instead of investing her money, by ask- 
 ing the Bishop to buy off purgatorial pains, she had 
 foolishly purchased the idolized horses that were to 
 be the cause of her death. 
 
 " Oh, my lost opportunity ! " thought she. " If ever 
 safe again, I will attend to my true welfare at once. 
 I will have large sums given to say masses for my 
 soul's repose." 
 
 Poor thing ! She held a view of after-death punish- 
 ment like that which the heathen have held for long 
 ages. Not the slighest advance from their priest- 
 ridden, benighted superstition. 
 
 Hosea guided the horses to the turnpike that led 
 away from the crowded streets.- He could thus avoid 
 returning and overtaking Lizzie. 
 
 "Hosea!" cried the lady, close against the win- 
 dow, " stop ! For the love of Heaven, stop the 
 horses !"' 
 
 "Do not fear," he said. "I am master still, and 
 they are cooling down." Which she saw was true. 
 
 Finally, he drew rein before an old-fashioned inn, 
 in a quiet town, miles away from any railroad. 
 
 Mothe r Clarissima was found to be in a hysterical 
 btate, and was carefully lifted out, a room assigned
 
 1 48 .}r.\r>o.\.\.-i HALL. 
 
 her, and restoratives administered. She soon be- 
 came more composed, and finally fell asleep. Mean- 
 while, the horses were groomed, and soothed with 
 kind words, and when rested, suitably fed. 
 
 The Quaker landlord and his wife, being efficient 
 allies of the Aid Society, gladly received refugees 
 committed to their care. More than once had Hosea 
 helped a homesick nun escape to this refuge. 
 
 The innkeeper and his wife were as hearty in their 
 desire to aid poor women in escaping from the iron 
 heel of Papacy as were the gracious and kindly 
 "thee" and "thou" Samaritans of the anti-slavery 
 times to help their colored neighbor on the wing 
 from bondage to freedom. 
 
 It was a repetition of the old device of the under- 
 ground railroad, in the days of the fugitive slave law, 
 when whole-hearted Christians passed the flying ones 
 from one refuge to another, showering kindness on 
 them in the name of the Master. 
 
 The inn-keepers were lineal descendants of a noble 
 line of Quakers, had charge of wardrobes, prepared 
 by certain Christian ladies of the Dorcas type, so that 
 a nun arriving there might be entertained, assume a 
 disguise, and be transferred to her own home, if of 
 Protestant parents, or to some family or institution 
 where she could find suitable employment. The 
 grand idea was to help the helpless, who were mourn- 
 ing over that life-mistake of choosing the vocation 
 of a nun.
 
 ENFORCED OBEDIENCE. 
 
 149 
 
 When will the government of this boasted land of 
 liberty make investigation, and become aware of the 
 fact that she has thousands of these unprotected 
 women, who are crying to God for help beneath the 
 flag of freedom ? 
 
 Hosea, had been for some time a most useful 
 helper in this work of mercy. He had all the quali- 
 ties that make the successful business man, and a 
 sincere desire to be God-approved. He had no faith 
 in the Roman system, having been for years a re- 
 formed Catholic. 
 
 As he went to town to give his orders for the con- 
 vent, it often happened that he had to wait the 
 arrival of a train, or the goods ordered, were delayed. 
 On one such occasion, years before, he found his way 
 into the reading-room of the Young Men's Christian 
 Association, where was abundant information on the 
 great questions of the day. 
 
 One of the first books that he read was " Hislop's 
 Two Babylons," showing the origin of idolatry to be 
 in the ancient city of Babylon ; that Nimrod and Semi- 
 ramis were- pioneers in starting it in the world, and 
 that a remarkable similarity to the first appearance 
 of the system has always characterized it, wherever 
 found, no matter under what name. The book dealt 
 with authentic facts, and was conclusive. Hosea 
 was convinced ; he had seen the system and some of 
 its enormities, and had made it a study. The book 
 was the key which unlocked its mysteries. His
 
 ISO 
 
 MADONNA HALL 
 
 public-school education had made him a true Ameri- 
 can and an independent thinker. His intellect was 
 his own, and could not be bought, or intimidated by 
 papal threats. 
 
 Buying a New Testament, he finished his business, 
 and went back to Madonna Hall with his soul stirred 
 to its depths. But where could he hide his treasure, 
 and read it undisturbed ? In a flash he thought of a 
 place. As one of the horses was vicious, at times, 
 and none dared to come near his stall but the one 
 who fed and groomed him, Hosea decided to have 
 his sanctum in the room beyond, which could only be 
 reached by passing the fractious horse. This he 
 fitted up to suit himself, and there the battle with 
 superstition and error was fought, and there he found 
 Christ an all-sufficient Redeemer and Advocate. He 
 obeyed and became a man of faith and prayer. 
 
 Meanwhile he had his soul vexed with seeing so 
 much of a system that was only a revamping of the 
 old heathenism, with a thin varnishing of Christianity 
 to deceive the unwary. He felt it duty to remain 
 at his post, not only for the sake of aiding nuns who 
 wished to be free, but also as a missionary incognito, 
 to scatter light in the institution, that the deep dark- 
 ness of idolatry might be lessened. He kept on hand 
 a supply of New Testaments and managed to distri- 
 bute them after each reception. The Protestant 
 company had the credit of the work they would 
 gladly have done. They were found, often treasured,
 
 ENFORCED OBEDIENCE. 
 
 and proved the means of bringing some sorrowful 
 souls to Christ, the Life-giver. Hence, one after 
 another, the cloister inmates would attempt to get 
 away, and Hosea and the carriage would be dis- 
 patched for them. 
 
 When sent in pursuit he invariably returned with- 
 out the flying nun. He could not conscientiously 
 remand to bondage. 
 
 As soon as the Superioress was sufficiently recov- 
 ered, Hosea dutifully took her to her castle. He had 
 accomplished his mission ; had obtained a disguise 
 for a nun, which he feared would soon be needed, for 
 the music teacher, Estelle, who from reading a Tes- 
 ament had become a Christian, and dared avow it.
 
 152 MADOX\.l HALL. 
 
 XII. 
 
 NE day Florence went to meet Grace as she was 
 returning to Mrs. Byinsrton's, from her usual 
 O J O 
 
 visit to the Aid Rooms. As they were conversing by 
 the way, Florence abruptly said, 
 
 "I can not make out why you are still dissatisfied 
 with Count Stilling." 
 
 " Indeed ! " exclaimed Grace, coloring. Her own 
 heart was full of enthusiasm at the successful work 
 that day accomplished at the Rooms, in the rescue 
 and safe forwarding of a young nun who longed f or 
 home, and it struck her as surprising that Florence 
 felt no interest in this great movement, and was at 
 leisure to speculate on her private affairs. 
 
 "I would not be so undecided!" pursued Flor- 
 ence. 
 
 "There is an old saying, 'Decide in haste, ami 
 repent at leisure.' Would you run that risk?" 
 replied Grace, good-naturedly. 
 
 "You are too cautious," returned Florence. "I 
 intend to take a certain somebody by storm, other-
 
 A A' EXPERIMENT. 
 
 153 
 
 wise, I would bring you to terms as it regards the 
 Count." 
 
 "How would you do it?" asked Grace, smil' 
 
 inirly. 
 
 < * s 
 
 ' I should make myself very fascinating, and cut 
 you out." 
 
 Grace laughed at her friend's vain audacity. 
 
 " You think that I could not do it," said Florence, 
 a little piqued, "but why should he not fancy me, as 
 well as you ? If you have more beauty, I have more 
 society airs ; while you have cultivated your mind, I 
 have studied style of manners. This impertinence is a 
 specimen, you think, but really, now, if you are fine- 
 looking, you are so occupied with your schemes for 
 helping those in trouble, that you are in. your own 
 way, and do little execution in the line of getting 
 admirers, compared with what you might. What 
 would you say, if I ensnared the Count into caring 
 more for me than he does for you ? " 
 
 " It would not be very noble on your part, if he 
 were genuine and worth having," was the reply 
 "But now, as far as he is concerned, I should 
 not be disturbed. He is the algebraic unknown 
 quantity to me, and is likely to be." 
 
 " You do not use the tact usual with society ladies 
 in encouraging him to make advances," said Flor- 
 ence. 
 
 " I design to keep him at a distance, until I am 
 perfectly sure who and what he is," returned Grace.
 
 154 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 "1 remember ray wise mother's words, 'Be chary of 
 strangers, especially of foreigners who may be only 
 adventurers.' That reminds me of something that 
 came to light to-day, showing how ill-omened birds 
 of prey flock to this country as if it were common 
 spoil. A faction of Romanists clammering for the 
 dominion, are busy fabricating history to prove that 
 we are indebted to them for our independence and 
 progress, when the record of that power always has 
 been that of suppressing discoveries in science, and 
 desolating every priest-ridden land she ruled." 
 
 " There is such a thing as being too careful, and 
 never getting ahead in the world," replied Florence, 
 busy in the line of her thoughts, and not attending to 
 what Grace said. " Nothing venture nothing have ; 
 is my motto." 
 
 " It is well to remember that haste makes waste," 
 said Grace. " I believe in using common sense, and 
 committing our ways to the Lord ; in having every- 
 day duties to do, in living for a purpose, and if called 
 to it, to ' adopt a righteous, unpopular cause,' as 
 the Whittier advises, and in no wise managing in 
 heart affairs." 
 
 " Of course you do," was the nettled reply. 
 " Well, I shall still plan and manage, and you will not. 
 We shall see which makes the best success." 
 
 "Agreed," replied Grace, "but you will not 
 leave the Heavenly Guide out of the account, will 
 you?"
 
 AN EXPERIM-EXT. 
 
 155 
 
 " Why, yes, I suppose so, for I never saw His hand 
 in my affairs. How can I reckon on what I know 
 nothing about ? " 
 
 " O Florence ! it is very sad to ignore a loving- 
 Father, when you would be so happy and useful if at 
 peace with Him. I took the step of yielding all to 
 Him long ago, and am delightfully at rest." 
 
 Florence was silent, industriously biting her finger 
 nails, a habit she had when mentally debating a 
 question. At length she said, 
 
 " You have not as much love of admiration as 
 most young ladies." 
 
 "Seriously, Florence," replied Grace, "I do not 
 tnink it desirable for a young lady to be either beau- 
 tiful or rich, and have doubtful flatterers, as is often 
 the case. An unworthy man may be eager to bear 
 off a prize of beauty or wealth, and poor girls are 
 more to be envied than the rich, for whatever are 
 their trials, they are not obliged to listen to nonsense, 
 and be put to their wits' end to know what a man 
 means by complimentary speeches and persistent 
 attentions." 
 
 " Well, upon my word, Grace, you are critical and 
 sharp. You puzzle me more than ever. I wonder if 
 you have any real regard for that man." 
 
 " I find that my regard is mainly tempered with 
 doubt," replied Grace. Then to herself, "I should 
 distinctly give him the go by, were he not on such 
 Ultimate terms with my honored father."
 
 156 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 "With doubt! Is that so?" returned Florence. 
 " Well, I suppose everybody has misgivings. I have 
 myself ; and I '11 frankly tell you, Grace, that I am 
 smitten with Mr. Cameron. You '11 think that 
 :i mounts to little, I have so many fancies, but he is 
 the most princely man I have ever met. What do 
 you suppose makes -him keep away so much ? " 
 
 " His heart is in his chosen life work, and he has 
 little time for ladies' society," replied' Grace. " I 
 even heard that he had decided not to marry." 
 
 This was what he told her, when three years before 
 she had declined his proposal of marriage. 
 
 " Oh, that must be a mistake ! " cried Florence. 
 " I am sure he cares for me, and if he does not make 
 his appearance soon, I shall teach him a lesson." 
 
 "What an idea?" exclaimed Grace. " I think it is 
 time wasted to manoeuvre in such cases." 
 
 " There's where you are wrong," rejoined Florence. 
 " Now I am already for my blue silk. Would n't you 
 wear the blue ? " The young ladies having previously 
 reached the house, were getting ready for dinner. 
 
 "Yes, the blue, by all means," replied Grace, "and 
 I will wear white, and there will be no annoying 
 contrast between us." 
 
 The young ladies had finished their toilet, and were 
 preparing to descend to the parlor, when Bridget 
 knocked at the door, and handed in Paul's note to 
 Grace. As she read -it, she flushed down to her 
 neck, and sinking into a chair, exclaimed,
 
 AN EX PER I ^r EXT. 
 
 " What nonsense ! Who could have written this ?" 
 
 '' Sure enough," said Florence," as she glanced it 
 over. " Somebody is interested in your affairs ; but I 
 would not let it influence me in the least." 
 
 " I shall show it to my father and mother, and 
 start an investigation about this man's record." 
 
 " Oh, no," replied Florence, " I would not do that. 
 It would forever disaffect the Count, and you know 
 he maybe a saint after all. How romantic to receive 
 an anonymous letter. I do so admire a sensation, 
 and I really wish that I were in your shoes this 
 minute ! " 
 
 Grace could not help laughing at the way she went 
 on, and said, looking at her watch, 
 
 " Now, it lacks one-half hour to dinner, and we 
 must go down to the parlor and entertain the guests 
 until the bell rings." 
 
 She resolved that she would see that the Count 
 did not influence her, and learn more of his antece- 
 dents, before committing herself, or allowing him to 
 make any advances. Indeed, she felt more than ever 
 that she must not in the least trust him. 
 
 A part of our narrative from Florence's point of 
 view can be told from her letter to Rev. Mr. Cam- 
 eron about this time. 
 
 BYINGTON MANSION, July 16. 
 
 DEAR MR. CAMERON, 
 
 When I asked if I might write you, it was with 
 little thought, but since you s'o kindly replied, "Cer- 
 tainly, if you wish," I have decided to accept your
 
 158 .i/.//;av/r. / J/ALL, 
 
 courteous permission. Jt seems long since you left. 
 Do you know that I had fondly hoped that you would 
 return, and take me to the Sacred Concert ? Just 
 now, however, I am quite taken with Grace Leaven- 
 worth's affairs, as my letter will show. Count Still- 
 ing dined here yesterday. He met Grace with a 
 faultless mixture of deference and affection, and 
 soon, as usual, led the conversation to himself. He 
 .is the most charming of egotists, and his hearers 
 were spell-bound, at the recital of his disinterested 
 deeds and heroic exploits. What with his gift of 
 speech and courtly presence, J think Grace will be 
 moved to accept him. He is unmarried, as he never 
 saw the right one until he met friend Grace, and now 
 he will relinquish his post in foreign affairs, the 
 flatteries of courts, and condescend to settle down in 
 democratic America, to devote his life and fortune to 
 making her happy. How romantic! Why are there 
 not more stylish heroes from over the ocean ! Not 
 that I despise ministers, when they are noble like 
 yourself, but it was not a handsome thing for you to 
 leave me unattended at the dinner party, when every- 
 body inquired for and missed you so much. 
 
 At the concert in the evening, I confess that I 
 accepted the Count as my escort, Grace having an 
 engagement at the Aid Society, of which she is presi- 
 dent ; of course I could not refuse him. 
 
 I shall run down home this week to attend to my 
 plants, and if you will kindly call, I will be glad to 
 give you further news. 
 
 Very truly, 
 
 FLORENCE FAIRFAX. 
 
 This specimen of Florence's ill-bred presumption 
 reached Mr. Cameron while in his study preparing for 
 the Sabbath. He was not a little surprised, and valued
 
 AN EXPERIMENT. 
 
 159 
 
 it only for the news it bore respecting Grace, whom 
 he still fondly loved, although he gave no sign. All 
 he thought of Florence in her half-way advances was, 
 " What a foolish girl ! " 
 
 As it regarded Grace, he was a trifle jealous of the 
 Count, and while he could not bring himself to be- 
 lieve that she would ever marry him, he had some 
 fears of that possible calamity. He determined to 
 seek an opportunity to reason with Grace about the 
 risk of throwing herself away on a stranger. Oh, if 
 he could only assure himself that she still had some 
 tender regard for him ! 
 
 Augustus Cameron was early thrown upon his own 
 resources, and by persistent industry had worked his 
 way through college, and the theological course. 
 Very early in life he had an object in living. And 
 the man who has the moral courage to have nothing 
 to do with the many tempting things that beset him, 
 but steadily seeks to accomplish the one worthy thing 
 undertaken, is sure to succeed. 
 
 Young Cameron graduated with high honor, and 
 whole-souled and eloquent as a preacher, soon drew 
 crowds. 
 
 Florence, in common with other young ladies, was 
 fascinated with the popular young preacher, who was 
 the rising star, and fancied that she could more 
 effectually interest him in her by one of the strangest 
 of her odd freaks. She was for a few days at home 
 in her native city, where he was preaching. She was
 
 160 MAJ)OA\\'A HALL. 
 
 there to care for her plants, she said, but she had 
 another care, her maid Josie thought, and she knew 
 her young mistress well. 
 
 The morning after her arrival, having sent a char- 
 acteristic note to Mr. Cameron, asking him to call, 
 she repaired to the conservatory, which opened from 
 the back parlor. 
 
 She had been for some time busily engaged, when 
 the door bell rang, and Josie came to say that a gen- 
 tleman was waiting in the parlor. 
 
 "Show him in here." 
 
 Josie opened her eyes in astonishment, but knew 
 her place too well to offer remark. 
 
 " Show him in, I say. What are you waiting 
 for?" 
 
 Then as she left the room to do her bidding, Flor- 
 ence said to herself, in the height of her self-conceit 
 and vanity, 
 
 " He does n't dream of my accomplishments, but 
 I will enlighten him." 
 
 She wore a dainty white wrapper, and her hair was 
 elaborately curled. As Mr. Cameron came in, she 
 looked up from a moss-rose bush, which she was 
 smoking, to destroy the insects, removed the cigar 
 from her mouth, and advanced to meet him, holding 
 it carelessly in her fingers. 
 
 He was at first too surprised to speak, and took 
 her hand, thinking she was bereft of reason.
 
 AN EXPERIMEXT. 
 
 " Miss Florence, I can not believe my senses," 
 he said, gravely. 
 
 With a forced laugh the young lady led him to a 
 divan in the parlor, where she seated herself beside 
 him, her eyes sparkling with a strange light. 
 
 " Do n 't you believe, Mr. Cameron, that I have a 
 good reason for smoking this cigarette ? " 
 
 " I can not conceive of a good reason for so disgust- 
 ing a thing," he replied, his strong aversion to the 
 vile weed asserting itself. 
 
 " I thought so," exclaimed Florence, more soberly. 
 " I might waive the subject, but I am frank. I did 
 not hide my experiments, you see. And it is not so 
 very bad taste either, for I am told that many fash- 
 ionable New York ladies smoke cigarettes and are 
 proud of it. Now, look here, please," and she led 
 him to a wilderness of choice plants filling the win- 
 dows of the room. 
 
 "Just see my beauties, this azalia, wonderful, 
 is n 't it ? Grandpere paid fifty dollars for it. This 
 fuchsia, too, see, it is beginning to droop, and my 
 darling roses have n't half the bloom and buds they 
 ought to have." 
 
 "Do you give them plenty of water?" asked Mr. 
 Cameron. 
 
 " Yes, Josie attends to that. But do you see those 
 little green insects ? " 
 
 "Yes," replied he; "they are the parasites that are 
 injuring the life of the plant."
 
 MADOXXA HALL. 
 
 " I know ; that is the disease," said Florence, "and 
 this cigar is the remedy. Am I not right in smok- 
 ing? Does not the end justify the means ? " 
 
 " No, no, it does not, he replied. " Never do evil 
 that good may come. It is a filthy habit, and if there 
 were no other remedy, let the plants die, or hire some 
 old smoker to do the job for you." 
 
 "That would be shifting the responsibility, I see,," 
 said Florence, quickly. " But who could I get ?? 
 There's the Count. Shall I ask him to come down- 
 weekly, and smoke my plants ? I could give it up,, 
 then." 
 
 "Far better do so than to smoke yourself," he 
 replied. " The things that are lovely and of good . 
 report should engage a young lady." 
 
 These words greatly surprised Florence, who 
 looked to see him consumed with jealousy, when she 
 mentioned Stilling. 
 
 Mr. Cameron rose to go, pleading an engagement, 
 and Florence saw what a sad mistake she had made, 
 and that she had only disgusted him ; and hastened 
 to say, quite humbly, by way of apology, 
 
 " I could never have succeeded with my darling 
 plants without it, and I chose one of two evils : having 
 plants with smoking, rather than do without them." 
 
 " Do without them, by all means, Miss Florence," 
 he replied. " I would feast my eyes on the beautiful 
 out of doors rather than perform such pernicious 
 service for the plants.. It is not safe to meddle with,
 
 AN EXPERI.MEXT. 
 
 tobacco. It is sometimes flavored with opium, 
 physicians tell us, and the wrapper on the cigarette 
 is whitened with arsenic, and there may be a trio of 
 poisons, ready to work deadly mischief. You will 
 find that green-house men recommend sprinkling 
 plants with an infusion of hellebore, which is a suffi- 
 cient remedy for insects." . 
 
 " Is it ? I will gladly try it," replied Florence, 
 more abashed than she had ever been in her life. 
 "You remind me so much of Grace." 
 
 " Thank you. I admire her more than any woman 
 living," was the hearty reply, as with a polite bow 
 he took leave. 
 
 When Florence came to look at what she had 
 done with the eyes of another, she was thoroughly 
 ashamed. The necessity of smoking was a pretence, 
 as the green-house man in the vicinity would gladly 
 take charge of the plants. 
 
 On her return to Byington Mansion, she met 
 Grace in the conservatory. 
 
 " I 've disgraced myself forever," she said, as she 
 briefly made confession, purposely omitting Mr. 
 Cameron's expression of regard for Grace, adding, 
 " I am resolved that it shall be the last of the cigar 
 business." 
 
 " I hope so," replied Grace. " I could not be more 
 surprised if you had told me that you had set fire to 
 the house to destroy the insects." 
 
 "I might as well have done it, I know," said the
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 other as she pulled a rose to pieces. " I wish I could 
 undo it. Is n't it horrid that the foolish things we do 
 can never be undone ? " 
 
 "Yes, can never be undone," echoed Grace. "It 
 is very sad ; but as you are cured of all desire to re- 
 peat the freak, I 'd think of something else. Did 
 you hear Mr. Cameron preach ? " 
 
 " Oh, dear, yes, and that is what set me to think- 
 ing, so that I am almost killed. He is perfectly 
 splendid. I 've made up my mind, however, not to 
 marry him." 
 
 " Have you ? " was the composed reply. " Where 
 did you hear him preach, and what was his sub- 
 ject ? " 
 
 " I heard him last Sabbath, at College Street 
 Church. Mr. Greig is away on his vacation, and Mr. 
 Cameron supplied his pulpit. I really never listened 
 to a sermon before. I have always been thinking of 
 my own dress, or searching for artistic effects in the 
 dress of others. In church and out of the church, 
 dress has been my idol. I am a saint in that line, 
 and it is time I changed. I wish you would help me 
 keep my resolve to do better." 
 
 "We'll join hands and help each other," replied 
 Grace with a bright smile. " But you have not told 
 .me about that wonderful sermon." 
 
 " I am coming to it," was the reply. " It was 
 about "Moral Balances," from the passage, 'Thou art 
 weighed and art found wanting,' with what Paul says.
 
 AX EXPERIMENT. 
 
 ' to every man not to think of himself more highly 
 than he ought to think.' He said that individuals 
 and systems of religion were being weighed and 
 measured, and should see to it that they did not over- 
 estimate their goodness. That was strange to me. 
 These scales that Mr. Cameron produced brought 
 down my castle of pride. For, honestly, I never 
 denied myself for others ; I always served self first, 
 and 1 ought now to be humble." 
 
 " I wish I had heard the sermon," said Grace, 
 greatly interested. " Tell me more about it, please." 
 
 "Oh, don't ask me that," exclaimed Florence. "I 
 can only remember a few thoughts. He said that 
 some, in weighing themselves, selected their best 
 deeds, and put them into the scales, as if they were a 
 specimen of their entire character. I thought of the 
 Catholic Church, and myself also. My good deeds, 
 and the good deeds of that church are like toppers in 
 a strawberry box, in sight. But in order to have a just 
 estimate of character, he said the faults and sins must 
 go into the account, as well as the virtues and 
 worthy deeds." 
 
 " That surely was a wonderful discourse, and it 
 found a heart ready to receive it," gently said Grace. 
 
 " I have been obliged to think," was the reply. 
 " My schoolmate and neighbor, Anna Morton, died 
 when I was at home ? She was so gay, and I can- 
 not help asking what if it had been me ? " 
 
 " You are right," said Grace ; "you are dealing with
 
 166 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 yourself honestly. And you know that there is One 
 who can supply all your lack, and all the fitness He 
 requires is to feel your need of Him, and accept of 
 Him." 
 
 " Yes ; but how can I do it while I lack the dis- 
 position ? My will is in the way ; I can not consent to 
 what I know I ought to do. I have a settled aversion 
 to that way. I cannot command my feelings." 
 
 " Well, then, let your feelings go," cried Grace. 
 " Step along in the path of obedience without them, 
 and do what you know is duty, and God will bless 
 you, and take care of your feelings. They will come 
 around all right, if you listen to God's Word, sent 
 home by His Spirit," continued Grace tenderly. 
 "You will seek eternal life through Christ." 
 
 " How did you learn all these things ? " asked 
 Florence evasively. 
 
 " I have always studied the Bible more or less, 
 whether at home or in school, and have been, from a 
 child, under the wing of religious influences. The 
 blessedness of life is to love to do what the Lord re- 
 quires of us. All is peace and harmony then. The 
 enterprise in which I am engaged is a helpful school 
 to me, I meet so many sorrowful hearts that need 
 sympathy and kindness." 
 
 " I shall never trifle with Mr. Cameron again," 
 interrupted Florence. "I would not blame him if he 
 never spoke to me again. If you see him, please tell
 
 AN EXPERIMENT. 
 
 him that I am a true penitent. You think I am, 
 don't you ? " 
 
 " Yes, dear, I think you are improving," replied 
 Grace, encouragingly, although she saw that Florence 
 was more concerned in regard to what Mr. Cam- 
 eron thought of her than in making her peace with 
 God. She hoped for the best, that the good seed 
 sown would yet spring up and bear fruit. 
 
 "What a pity she was started wrong," Grace said 
 to herself. 
 
 With all Florence's admissions and contrition, the 
 substratum of her selfishness was still intact. Convic- 
 tion is not conversion. To know that one ought to 
 turn and the turning, are two very different things 
 She admitted that the rebukes of Mr. Cameron's 
 searching sermon were just ; that she was weighed 
 in the balances and found wanting, but her con- 
 trite spasm was soon over, showing that without good 
 training, a symmetrical character is impossible. 
 "Just as the twig is bent, the tree 's inclined,"
 
 168 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 
 
 e-cl | ffje: jj i<ar)<appir)q . 
 
 EAN WHILE there was great distress in the 
 cottage of Patrick O'Connor. The idolized 
 child, the joy and brightness of the household, was 
 still missing. 
 
 Mr. O'Connor was a matter-of-fact man, and his 
 first question was, when, the next day after she left, 
 they found she did not go home with a schoolmate, 
 " Where did she go, Margaret ? " 
 
 " She started for the confessional," replied his wife* 
 mournfully, " Poor darlin ' ! I had hard work to per- 
 suade her to go," and the fond mother broke down, 
 crying. " She did n't want to confess, and I mis 
 trust that she is this minute doin' of some penance 
 on the cold marble floor of the chapel." 
 
 " Went to the confessional, did she ? " exclaimed 
 Patrick, with his heart swelling. " If so, Father 
 Buhler can tell us where she is." 
 
 But that dignitary chose to be invisible ; and Mar- 
 garet passed a sleepless night, crying as if her heart
 
 EFFECT OF THE KIDNAPPING. 169 
 
 would break, while her husband was stirring up the 
 city police to no effect, and after midnight, coming- 
 home, walked the floor, anathematized the priest, 
 and made bitter speeches, wringing his hands in the 
 agony of suspense. 
 
 In the morning he called at the church, and found 
 Buhler preparing to celebrate mass. 
 
 "Good morning, Father," said he. " I called to ask 
 what you have done with our Lizzie ? " 
 
 "What I've done with your Lizzie!" Buhler 
 bluffly replied, in well-assumed astonishment. 
 
 " Yes," said Patrick, sturdily. " I understand she 
 came here to confess, day before yesterday afternoon, 
 and no one has seen her since." 
 
 "That is a mistake," stolidly replied the priest. 
 " She has not been here, and has not confessed to 
 me for two years. Did she plan to confess ? " 
 
 " Yes ; and Margaret says she came here." 
 
 " Well, then, she doubtless sought out some other 
 father. There are a number of the clergy at the 
 Cathedral. Most likely she went there. Young lady 
 penitents admire to confess to young priests." 
 
 That was all the satisfaction Mr. O'Connor could 
 get from the wily Jesuit, whose religion allowed him 
 to resort to lying and ignore facts wherever it suited 
 his convenience. 
 
 Patrick went home and told his wife, and another 
 day of sorrow and agony passed in the O'Connor 
 household, the father and all his friends diligently
 
 I/O 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 searching and making inquiries in every direction- 
 He advised with the chief of police ; he set detectives 
 at work, but no one of them thought it best to arrest 
 Buhler, and hence discovered nothing. 
 
 When Lizzie suddenly appeared on the scene, both 
 parents cried over her for joy. 
 
 " The Lord be praised ! " was all they could 
 say. 
 
 When she told them how she had been taken into 
 Father Buhler's house to do penance, kept there, and 
 finally ordered to Madonna Hall, they were too over- 
 whelmed with surprise and anger to utter a word. 
 
 " If this is the game he plays," outspoke Patrick 
 at length, " I '11 report him to the bishop." 
 
 " It is the most wicked thing I ever heard of," 
 cried Margaret angrily. 
 
 " He 's the thief of the world ! " added Patrick. 
 " Stealing of goods is bad enough, but when it comes 
 to stealing our child, I say, ' Hold off.' " 
 
 "I 'm sick of such a religion !" exclaimed Lizzie. 
 " It is dishonest to the core and I believe that the Bible 
 the priests forbid so much is of God, and was given 
 for us to read and learn His will. Do you know, Sister 
 Nabby, the old nun at Father Buhler's, has a few 
 leaves of the Bible left, of the one he tore in pieces, 
 which she has managed to keep and hide away in 
 her room." 
 
 " She has ! " exclaimed the mother, with upraised 
 hands.
 
 EFFECT OF THE KIDXAPPIXG. 
 
 I/I 
 
 " Yes ; and mother dear, when I cried like my heart 
 was breaking, and Father Euhler was off at the con- 
 fessional, she very carefully brought one leaf it was 
 more precious to her than gold, and on it was the 
 thirty-fourth Psalm ; she read it to me, and, mother 
 dear, you can't think what a comfort it was." 
 
 " The blessed nun ! " said Margaret. 
 
 " Yes ; the Lord sent her with His Word, to calm 
 my mind," added Lizzie. " I was almost crazy. She 
 read the beautiful verse, ' The angel of the Lord en- 
 campeth round about them that fear Him, and deliv 
 ereth them.' That was a strong tower into which I 
 fled for safety. I know that I do fear God, and so, 
 of course, His angel made his camp all around me. 
 
 " Why, you blessed child, I believe he did, or you 
 would not be here ! " exclaimed Margaret, clasping 
 Lizzie to her heart. 
 
 " I believe that myself !" echoed Patrick. " If the 
 Lord from Heaven had not helped you, we should not 
 see you here to-day." 
 
 " I know that is so," replied the daughter. "And 
 those Bible verses are so comforting when one is in 
 trouble ! Oh, how I wish every poor homesick nun 
 could have them to read ! It is so cruel to shut them 
 away from the light and comfort there is for them. 
 Sister Nabby is a patient soul, and full of the love 
 of God ; she has been so blessed in reading those few 
 pages ! She talked lovely. She said the Lord cared 
 for all His creatures, dark as the ways seemed some-
 
 172 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 times. Not a sparrow falls without His notice. He 
 numbers the very hairs of our heads. He bore all 
 our sicknesses and sorrows, and by and by, in a 
 little while, He will appear to deliver us." 
 
 " You don't say ! " exclaimed Margaret, in bewilder- 
 ment. 
 
 "I should n't wonder ! " cried Mr. O'Connor. " It's 
 likely He '11 appear when such high wicked doings 
 are carried on. It 's my business to go to the chief 
 of police, and have him look into the matter. And 
 if I don't get relief that way, I shall appeal to Bishop 
 Berlin, and through him, to the Pope. I '11 see if 
 my child can be smuggled off, when she goes to con- 
 fessional. By the way, Lizzie, don't venture there 
 again. It is n't safe." 
 
 " I would n't dare go there again, father dear," was 
 her calm reply." 
 
 In the absence of the bishop, Buhler always put on 
 airs, and tried to take the helm of management at 
 Madonna Hall. He called on Lady Clarissima some 
 days later, and at once commenced in a critical 
 tone, 
 
 "Seems to me you made a great miscarriage, 
 instead of getting the girl Lizzie safely in convent 
 quarters." 
 
 "Yes, brother, let me explain. The horses 
 became unmanageable, and ran away, and that child 
 somehow got out in the melee, and, as Hosea could 
 not stop the mad steeds, we lost sight of her."
 
 EFFECT OF THE KIDNAPPING. 
 
 1/3 
 
 " Of course," replied Father Buhler. " It was 
 very badly managed. The girl went home and 
 exposed me. I would not have had it happen for thou- 
 sands of dollars. My reputation is impeached, and 
 were I not pastor of a powerful church, I should be 
 sent to state-prison if this offence were proved." 
 
 " Is it possible ? " exclaimed Mother Clarissima, 
 vigorously fanning herself. 
 
 " It is possible, and more than probable," replied 
 he, crossly. " If things continue to retrograde at the 
 present rate, there is no telling what will happen to 
 the best of us. The father of the girl Lizzie," Buh' 
 ler went on, " has threatened to bring my case into 
 court, but lacks witnesses to prove his point, which 
 is, that I kidnapped his daughter. She asserts it, and 
 my attorney will take the ground that she is not sane j 
 and will bring witnesses to prove that she was wan- 
 dering the streets, and frequenting saloons, during 
 the days she says she was shut up in my house." 
 
 " What ! take refuge in lies ? " exclaimed Mother 
 Clarissima. 
 
 " It destroys her testimony, you see," said Father 
 Buhler. " If there is the least proof that she is 
 insane, her word is of no account. I threatened to 
 do this to intimidate her father, and have him take 
 his case out of court, which no doubt he will." 
 
 " You can be prosecuted for libel ! " cried the 
 Superioress, greatly shocked. " It is a dreadful thing 
 to spoil the girl's character."
 
 174 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " No doubt I could gain my case," was the reply, 
 ignoring her last sentence. " But the ill odor of a 
 law-suit of the kind, when the doings of the church, 
 past and present, are so much criticised, would do me 
 much harm. As it is, I must confess that I continue 
 to lose members of my flock. First I know, they 
 slink off and become Reformed Catholics. This 
 threatened suit, if not headed off, would work badly 
 for me in this direction." 
 
 " I am sure it would," said Mother Clarissima. 
 
 "Yes," rejoined Buhler, "and I guard them every 
 possible way. And whenever I have my confiden- 
 tial talks, I impress it on them that the sects hate 
 a turn-coat. ' If you want to be employed by Prot- 
 estants,' I say to them, ' and want to be sure and keep 
 in their good graces, stick closely to your religion ; 
 they wil honor and respect you for it.' Yet they 
 sometimes leave for all that. And I see, Clarissima, 
 that you lose a nun every now and then." 
 
 "Yes, I do," replied she, demurely, "indeed, quite 
 often. What possesses them to be so discontented ? 
 and how do they manage to escape ? Now I take 
 every pains to guard my citadel. I have a lodge, 
 overlooking the park gate, and the head gardener, or 
 one of his men, sleeps there every night as a watch- 
 man." 
 
 "Yes, yes," returned Father Buhler, "sleeps. But 
 a true watchman never sleeps ! I think that 's the 
 mischief. The gardener is a hard-working man, and
 
 EFFECT OF THE KIDtfAPPING. ^5 
 
 needs his sleep. I '11 warrant I could get through 
 the gates with an army and he 'd be none the 
 wiser." 
 
 "What can I do?'' asked the Superioress. 
 
 " I would advise to have Hosea in charge. He is 
 bright, sharp and alert. I do not think there could 
 be much escaping under his eye." 
 
 " Neither do I ; I like your suggestion. I shall see 
 it put in force. I think Hosea would make a good 
 watchman. When he is not otherwise engaged, I 
 will put the lodge in his care." 
 
 This settled, Buhler was pacified and took his 
 leave.
 
 HALL. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 .1 rje. 
 
 NE evening at the pupils' reception at Madonna 
 Hall, the Superioress, giving Bishop Berlin his 
 favorite arm-chair, seated herself beside him, as she 
 wished to confer with him on a matter of great 
 moment. 
 
 The object of the gathering was to encourage the 
 music scholars ; some ' thirty of whom, one after 
 another, made their progress known on the piano, 
 while the assembled convent and invited friends 
 listened. Some had talent, and it was pleasant to 
 hear the sprightly rendering of their lessons, but for 
 the most part the exercises were hum-drum and 
 monotonous. There were several of the clerical man- 
 agers present. Fathers Krafts, Williams, Pecci, the 
 Pope's nephew, and Buhler, who were seated among 
 the audience. Late in the evening the aged Irish 
 Archbishop Bland arrived. 
 
 Bishop Berlin soon turned to the lady by his side, 
 with a rare smile, saying,
 
 SISTER CLARISSIMA AXD THE BISHUP. 177 
 
 " Well, Little Mother, how do you and the span 
 prosper ? " 
 
 "I am getting well and strong, my lord, and am 
 not inclined to quit going to drive, even if the horses 
 behaved badly, on one occasion. 
 
 " I am afraid that you will commit suicide that 
 way yet," said he, more gravely. "The idea of your 
 choosing the span that Colonel Southbury had his 
 match to handle, when he is a prince of horsemen ! 
 I thought by this time that you would be glad to sell 
 them, since they served you such a trick. But it 
 seems you like them still." 
 
 "Indeed, I do," she replied, "just as well as 
 ever." 
 
 " I admire fine horses, myself," he rejoined, " but 
 they must be safe, and I would not risk my neck 
 behind those capricious bays, and I dread to have 
 you." 
 
 " It is said to be the finest turnout in the county," 
 said the lady. 
 
 " That may be," was the reply. " But I am sur- 
 prised that Hosea should let them get the better of 
 him." 
 
 "It happened in this way," replied the lady, bent 
 on clearing him from blame. " You see, the horses 
 had on common bits, and the firmer he held the 
 reins, the faster they ran. He uses curbed bits now, 
 and says there is no danger." 
 
 " You must have had a fearful fright," said the 
 Bishop.
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " I had indeed," was her answer. " I thought my 
 time to die had come, and, my lord, I would have 
 given worlds just then to have seen you, and have 
 one thing settled." 
 
 " Ah, Little Mother, what could it be ? " he asked 
 with great concern. 
 
 " I am afraid some of the company will hear," she 
 replied, in a low voice, partly shielding her face with 
 her fan as she spoke. 
 
 " Take my arm and I will lead you out on the 
 piazza," he said. 
 
 They found a seat on the other side of the build- 
 ing, where the ding-dong of the piano could not be 
 heard. There was a trellis laden with a fragrant 
 honey-suckle ; climbing roses were flaunting near by, 
 and the notes of the whip-poor-will came from the 
 orchard. Here the Superioress felt that she could 
 freely talk with one whom she had just discovered 
 was her dearest friend. 
 
 Madonna Hall in the moonlight was enchanting. 
 The subdued rays shimmering through the tree-tops, 
 glistening in the spray of the fountains, coying with 
 flowers, peering into shrine, grotto, and arbor, making 
 the well-trimmed greensward very beautiful, partly 
 in shade, and partly in light ; the scene was like a 
 poet 's dream of paradise. 
 
 The bishop had an eye for beauty, and seemed to 
 see it all, while Mother Clarissima, although a lover 
 of nature, was too much taken up with her thoughts 
 to notice her surroundings.
 
 SISTER CLARISSIMA AND THE BISHOP. 
 
 1/9 
 
 "My child, what was it that you wished settled?" 
 he asked, very tenderly. 
 
 "You remember, Father, what I asked when my 
 property came into your possession, that all that I 
 needed should pass through my hands." 
 
 "Yes, Little Mother, I did agree to that," and he 
 took her hand, and smoothed her hair in a fatherly 
 way. "What shall I get for you ? " 
 
 "Oh, nothing," she replied. " But when I thought 
 I should be killed, I had some hard thoughts about 
 you." 
 
 " About me ? What have I done to cause them ? " 
 he asked, greatly puzzled. 
 
 " It 's what you have n 't done ! " she replied, in a 
 perverse way. 
 
 "You speak riddles, Sister Clarissima. What 
 duty toward you have I neglected ? " 
 
 " I do not blame you, my lord, any more than I 
 blame myself, but I think that we both have been 
 very negligent. You know that I came out from the 
 world, and turned from its vanities. I, an heiress, 
 did this, and agreed that my property, when it fell to 
 me, should be freely given to the church, and you 
 were to be the administrator." 
 
 "I remember that, dear child," said he, indul- 
 gently. "I persuaded you to take the step, and I 
 thought in your youth and beauty you made a most 
 acceptable sacrifice. At the time I wrote a letter to 
 the Pope, and he sent you his approbation and bless- 
 ing."
 
 !8o MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " Yes , Father, I know, and that is all very well; but 
 I was just heart-broken when I came so near being 
 killed, and I thought I was going straight to Purga- 
 tory. Oh, how I wished that I had devoted a part of 
 my estate to pay for masses for the repose of my 
 soul." 
 
 " But you were n't dead," was his reply, "and your 
 soul was n't in burnings. Would you pay money 
 before it is due ? " 
 
 " Why not, if it is sure to be demanded ? " she 
 asked. " Why not, when money is plenty, have masses 
 said in advance, to save me from suffering when I get 
 there, if go I must ? " 
 
 "The church does not forbid it," he said, unquietly, 
 wishing she would cease her questions until his mind 
 was settled. He was investigating the matter, was 
 shaken in his belief, and the absurdity of the doctrine 
 began to appear, and yet he could not fully ex- 
 pose it. 
 
 " Oh, I 'm so glad ; then it must be done," she 
 cried. " If money paid for masses will do the cleans- 
 ing just as well, why isn't money the greatest savior 
 of them all ? I mean more than Jesus, Mary, Joseph, 
 and all the rest to whom we pray ? " 
 
 The Bishop was startled, but could not repress a 
 smile, as he said, 
 
 " Oh, you naughty Clarissima ! you must stop rea- 
 soning, or I can not tell where you will end." 
 
 "We've got to go there, truly, every one of us?"' 
 she asked, persistently.
 
 SISTER CLA&ISSI&fA A XI) THE BISHOP. 181 
 
 "The church so affirms, and the church is supposed 
 to know," was the cautious reply. 
 
 " I do n't like the doctrine one bit," she said, bit- 
 terly. 
 
 "We must, I suppose, make the best of it," he 
 replied. " The church teaches that money paid for 
 masses greatly shortens the intensity and time of 
 suffering." 
 
 " Then the rich are relieved, and do not have to 
 stay as long as the poor?" 
 
 "Yes," replied his lordship, hesitatingly, "if 
 there is no provision made for the poor ; but the 
 church is supposed to be very thoughtful for her 
 paupers." 
 
 " If I were poor, I 'm very sure she would forget 
 me," replied the lady, decidedly. " I 'm right glad 
 that I am rich, my lord, for, if you will manage this 
 matter wisely, I possibly may escape the suffering I 
 dread so much," and she nervously shivered with 
 fear. 
 
 " I will gladly do all in my power." 
 
 "A thousand thanks!" cried the impetuous lady, 
 "and now if I commence to have masses said, cannot 
 I intercept this mandate of torture, and be free?" 
 
 " I will do the best I can for you, Little Mother, 
 but the church consigns us to go there the moment 
 we die." 
 
 " Well, I do n 't intend to," replied she, with her 
 old-time spirit, "if it takes every cent of my money to 
 keep me out."
 
 MADOXNA HALL. 
 
 "Not so fast, little one," pettingly said his high. 
 ness, again caressing her beautiful curly hair, for a 
 strange infatuation had come over him, and he, for a 
 moment, seemed to lose his dignity, but regaining it, 
 said, as if to turn the subject, 
 
 "The church holds your money. What are you 
 going to do about it ? " 
 
 " That is to say, you do, my lord," replied she 
 archly, " for I have been in the church long enough to 
 know that you do just what you choose with such 
 funds, and this large property is subject to my orders, 
 as you told me." 
 
 " I dare say I did, for 'you are so charmingly rea- 
 sonable that I can trust you," said he, fondly. 
 
 " Thanks. I '11 try to be worthy of your confi- 
 dence," she rejoined. " I must, however, have my 
 way about this, and I hope that it will be your mind, 
 too." 
 
 " Very likely," replied he, in an amused way. 
 
 " You know, Father, that you promised me eternal 
 felicity, if I would give myself to the church, and now 
 you tell me, after all my self-denying life, I must go 
 to torment. No, your reverence, I take back my 
 vows, my money as well, and turn away from a church 
 that is so faithless to its promises ! Protestants, I 
 am told, do not have a purgatory in their system, and 
 if this matter cannot be made straight, I will turn 
 heretic. I really will ! " 
 
 " Hush, hush ! " my child," said the bishop, sooth- 
 ingly, " I fear you will be crazy ? "
 
 S/STXJt L7..1A-/SS/J/A A.\D THE BISHOP. ^3 
 
 " I believe the prospect of that place of pain does 
 make me just wild, for go there I will not ! " she cried 
 vehemently. 
 
 " I will see what can be done," said he, gently. " I 
 am hopeful that there is a way to arrange to have 
 you escape. I think I shall have good news for you. 
 I will study on the subject, and tell you later." 
 
 " But, Father dear, that is so uncertain. I must 
 now have a business statement. You are my con- 
 fessor, and know just how sinful I am, and also know 
 on what basis this after-death penance is calculated. 
 What is the amount of my sin, and what is to pay if 
 I die this moment ? " 
 
 The bishop was quivering with the thought of the 
 absurdities of this dogma of the church, which was 
 adopted from heathenism only as late as 1438. 
 
 " Let 's see," was the outwardly calm reply, " you 
 have had the Sacrament of Baptism, and the church 
 teaches that cleanses from all original sin, so you 've 
 only your own sins to answer for." 
 
 " Yes, Father, and every time I confess, if you 
 absolve me, my sins are all blotted out. Now, if I 
 confess when dying, and you forgive me my sins then, 
 how happens it that I must go into a furnace of fire 
 to be cleansed ? " 
 
 The bishop was greatly embarrassed by this 
 strong way of putting the case, but made reply, 
 
 " I remind you, my child, that you must rely solely 
 on the judgment of the church in this matter,"
 
 1 84 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 "Yes, my lord, I do," she replied; "but I am a 
 business woman, as Superioress, I am so of neces- 
 sity, and business is business, and what I want is 
 the account of my sins, and what it will cost to be 
 cleansed from them. If you do truly absolve me, I 
 do not see as they can possibly reach a large 
 amount." 
 
 " I think you are a very darling child," murmured 
 he, under his breath, with glistening eyes. " You 
 are a most queenly woman, and very few are as inno- 
 cent ; but in confessing, one is apt to forget some im- 
 portant sins. It is this fact that makes the church 
 think post-mortem fires so necessary to fit the soul 
 for heaven." 
 
 "Oh, dear me! I'm just distracted!" she ex- 
 claimed. " Can not you possibly think of any way by 
 which I can be reprieved ? Can I not give money 
 to priests to say masses in advance, and have this 
 account strictly kept ? The least carelessness of the 
 priests would work woful mischief. And so many of 
 them are incompetent from taking too much wine. 
 How can I trust the interests of my soul with them ? 
 They may take money to say five hundred masses, 
 and possibly forget and not say fifty. Who is to 
 keep this record right ? " 
 
 " Be calm, my child, be calm. 
 
 "What is the rule in this case? How is sin 
 computed, and how much money is needed for a cer- 
 tain amount of guilt ?
 
 SISTER CLARISSIMA AND THE BISHOP 185 
 
 " Those are hard questions, easier asked than 
 answered," he replied. 
 
 "Is it best to pay before the work is done ? " again 
 queried this woman of affairs. " We do not in other 
 cases ; however, I wish it done for me. I want Father 
 Buhler and Father Williams to say, each, five hun- 
 dred masses for my soul, and have witnesses by, 
 to count and know that the full number are said. 
 When the work is done, they shall be paid the five 
 or ten dollars each mass, as they see fit to charge." 
 
 " You are quite a little manager," was the reply ; 
 "it shall be done." 
 
 " Will this number be sure to keep my soul from 
 what I so much dread ? " 
 
 " I hope they will," replied he, while in a sea of 
 doubt himself. 
 
 " See here, my lord, what I found in the City News," 
 and moving into the moonlight, she read a cutting 
 from that paper, 
 
 " One of the Australian courts is called upon to 
 decide a novel and difficult question. A Roman 
 Catholic merchant left in his will a bequest of $7,000 
 to be used to deliver his soul from purgatory. 
 The executor demands legal proof from the local 
 priests that the conditions of the will have been com- 
 plied with before he will pay over the money. 
 
 "Now, my lord, can you not tell me you should 
 know precisely when I have paid enough." 
 
 " I will look up the matter," he replied, annoyed
 
 1 86 MADOA'NA HALL, 
 
 beyond measure by her persistency. " I must ac- 
 knowledge that there is great looseness here." 
 
 He then added, " You must beware lest you ques- 
 tion too much. The church considers it sinful, and it 
 calls for penance in this world, as well as in the 
 next." 
 
 " I know it, Father ; but I crave pardon in this 
 thing. There should be a system of debt and credit 
 about the matter ; an account book and ledger should 
 be kept, and when money is paid in, like this of 
 mine, it should be credited, and there should be no 
 mistake. Else, how can you know when one has paid 
 a sum sufficient to be released from suffering ? Tell 
 me, my lord, do you certainly know when any soul is 
 cleansed by fire, and rises to heaven ?" 
 
 " This is a mooted question, and I am not wise 
 enough to know," was the dignified reply, by which 
 he hoped to waive the subject till he could fully 
 examine its record. 
 
 "But, pardon me," rejoined the lady, "it must be 
 a mistake to keep this, that concerns the soul, myste- 
 riously in the dark. When money is given, some one 
 should be empowered to return a receipt for what is 
 paid, for a certain amount of guilt, or the door is 
 open to untold swindling. Even if the church is the 
 richest firm in the world, she seems to have a most 
 unaccountably loose way of conducting affairs. 
 Really, now, does any one but God know when a soul 
 is ready for heaven ? "
 
 SISTER CLARISSIMA AND THE BISHOP, jg/ 
 
 " My own opinion is, none but God knows," replied 
 the bishop, candidly. " But this will lead to 
 heresy." 
 
 " No, my lord, business is n' t heresy. I must have 
 this question settled right, and will you not help 
 me ? " 
 
 "Assuredly," was the genial rejoinder. "I will 
 look over the old records of when this became a part 
 of the church system, in connection with holy 
 scripture, and, if you still insist, I will set those 
 two priests saying the number of masses you 
 mention, and have a reliable person on hand to keep 
 the record. In case you may not need so many as 
 you name, what shall be done with the remainder ? " 
 asked he, absently, as if thinking of something else. 
 
 " Pass it to your own account," replied she, 
 radiant with hope that money could be made to serve 
 her so well in the next world, " if, indeed, you need 
 it. According to the best authorities, you can not 
 sin. You surely do not expect to go to that dreadful 
 place?" said she, in a sweet, coaxing way. 
 
 " I am in doubt. I must go as a sinner, unless 
 forgiven. You are far more of a saint than I am, my 
 child," he said, tenderly. 
 
 "Oh, no, indeed, you are wrong there," was her 
 reply. "But this praying and paying ahead is in the 
 line of an indulgence, is it not ? " 
 
 " It may be so considered. What put that thought 
 into your mind ? " he asked, with a puzzled smile.
 
 188 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 "Oddly enough, I was thinking of the two-hundred- 
 thousand-dollar indulgence the Pope has lately given 
 Prince Amandeo, the Duke of Aosta, to marry his 
 niece," replied the lady, blushingly. 
 
 The bishop was glad of the turn the conversation 
 had taken, and to be relieved of the close questioning 
 of the persevering little lady. Truth to tell, his faith 
 was terribly shaken in most of the dogmas of Rome, 
 as he studied the Word of God, and he preferred not 
 to talk about a doctrine regarding which he had so 
 many misgivings.
 
 SISTER CLARISSIMA AXD THE TOMBS. 189 
 
 XV. 
 
 a err<a fle 
 
 H, how came you by that item of news ? " asked 
 
 : 1 Bishop Berlin, not a little surprised, as Mother 
 Clarissima spoke of Prince Amandeo, and the indul- 
 gence given him to marry his niece. 
 
 " I read it in the church paper you so kindly lent 
 me," replied she, blushingly. 
 
 The Bishop's face was alight with well -pleased 
 interest. 
 
 "What did you say in your heart, Little 
 Mother?" 
 
 The lady felt that turning her heart inside out for 
 the bishop to examine, now, when he was her ideal of 
 one to be loved, and she did not wish him to know it, 
 was especially trying, and she shrank from the rude 
 ordeal. Why could he not be merciful, and let her 
 pass? But he was too willing to ascertain just how 
 her mind was affected towards himself, to be guilty of 
 so grave an omission. As she paused irresolute, he 
 repeated the question.
 
 190 
 
 HALL. 
 
 " What did you say in your heart, Little 
 Mother?" 
 
 " Must I confess ? " deprecatingly said she, with 
 rosy cheeks and downcast eyes, which he thought im- 
 mensely charming. 
 
 " Your heart must be open to me, Little Mother," 
 he replied, in kindest tones. 
 
 "Well, then," rejoined she, desperately, "I thought 
 if his holiness could grant canonical dispensation 
 for that which is a crime, he would be better 
 employed in giving leave for that which is according 
 to nature, and no crime." 
 
 " I thought so, too," replied the bishop, seizing her 
 hand, with moistened eyes. " God revealed this to 
 you, Sister Clarissima. I have loved you long, and 
 hopelessly," and he drew nearer, and put his arm 
 around her, and tearfully kissed her. 
 
 " Oh, Father, is this right ? " she blushingly 
 demurred, drawing away from him. 
 
 " I beg pardon. I intend to see that it is right. 
 Where God draws two souls together as one, it is 
 wrong not to marry. Forbidding to marry is the 
 great bane of the church. It is an innovation, and 
 dates back, I find, only as far as the eleventh cen- 
 tury. Now it shall be my life purpose to have the 
 innovation set aside." 
 
 "Is it possible to have it done?" asked the lady, 
 her heart beating between hope and fear. 
 
 " It is. The Pope can revoke it if he chooses.
 
 SISTER CLARISSIMA AND THE TOMBS. 
 
 191 
 
 There are some countries where marriage of the 
 clergy is allowed. It is tolerated among the Orient- 
 als. It should be everywhere ; and one of the first 
 reforms of the church, which has fallen into grave 
 errors, shall be, God helping me, this mandate forbid- 
 ding to marry. I shall at once secure the dispensa- 
 tion from the Pope in my own case ; and then have a 
 numerously-signed petition of American clergy, to 
 present at the Vatican for consideration. It will be 
 sure to be granted after a time, for we are doing 
 more for Rome in this country than is being done in 
 any other. The Pope can, and must, listen to us," 
 continued the bishop. "We have, both of us, 
 deserved well of the church, and there is no reason 
 why we should not be united in holy bonds." 
 
 " I hope the powers there will listen to you," 
 replied the lady, as she leaned her head restfully 
 against his shoulder. 
 
 " I am sanguine that they will. I have great influ- 
 ence at Rome. Cardinal Alimonda owes me a debt 
 of gratitude, I plunged in and saved his life, when 
 his boat upset in the Tiber, and he came near drown- 
 ing. He will intercede for me. Shall I take a pres- 
 ent to the Pope, Little Mother ? " 
 
 " By all means," replied she, happy at the prospect 
 of being united to the man she almost worshipped. 
 
 " I will leave you now, my darling Clarissima, as I 
 have other pressing duties to attend to this evening. 
 Early to-morrow, as soon as I can arrange with
 
 192 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 Fathers Buhler and Williams, I shall take passage for 
 Europe. With God 's blessing, I shall succeed, my 
 Testament shall be published, and we will have our 
 wedding day the same month, September next, that 
 is appointed for that of the Prince Amandeo, if you 
 so elect, Little Mother." 
 
 She complied with an eloquent smile and blush, 
 although she did not understand his allusion to pub- 
 lishing. 
 
 He hastened to explain, by saying : " I neglected 
 to tell you, my darling Clarissima, that I have for 
 some time been engaged in translating the New Tes- 
 tament into English, and I wish to get the Pope's ap- 
 proval." 
 
 " The Pope's approval ! " exclaimed the lady. " How 
 can he commend it, when he forbids the circulation 
 of the Sacred Writings ? " 
 
 " Let me tell you, my darling, that we live in an 
 era of change. The Pope himself, at times, feels the 
 quickening life of the forces around him. He gave 
 Henri Laserre, the cultured French Catholic, leave 
 to publish and circulate the New Testament, which 
 he had translated into French. I hear that there 
 have been many hundred thousand copies scattered 
 in France, to the great delight of the translator and 
 the readers, and the glory of God. 
 
 " I am surprised, my lord," exclaimed the lady. 
 " When will wonders cease ? " 
 
 " I regard it as one of the most remarkable events
 
 SISTER CLARISSIMA AND THE TOMBS. 
 
 193 
 
 of the period," was his reply. " It is true the Pope 
 revoked his sanction of the work the next year, but 
 Laserre is even now pleading his case at the Vati- 
 can. I have examined the New Testament to learn 
 its teachings as interpreted by the fathers, in regard 
 to the celibacy of the priesthood." 
 
 " Do you find any proof that the clergy must live 
 single ? " asked she. 
 
 " Not a particle. The Bible precept and example 
 are all in the opposite direction. Paul expressly says 
 that ' marriage is honorable in all.' I have the work 
 of translating nearly done, and can finish it on ship- 
 board, if diligent. I am in a state of transition 
 myself ; and as I translate from the Greek and the 
 Syriac, I am filled with wonder that the church 
 should have wandered so far from the early Christian 
 simplicity." 
 
 " Indeed ! " said the lady. " What is to be 
 done ? " 
 
 " There must be a return to the primitive faith and 
 practice and the very first step concerns the home 
 and family, which is to annul the edict forbidding 
 to marry." 
 
 " I 'm sure you 're right, my lord ; you always 
 are ! " exclaimed the lady, with enthusiasm. 
 
 The bishop then took affectionate leave, and the 
 lady, radiant with hope, returned to the company, 
 bringing a brightness into the room which seemed 
 to electrify all present. She had a mobile face, that
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 was beautiful when she was happy, and plain when. 
 distorted with fretful regrets, or passion. 
 
 Now her happiness overpowered every other emo- 
 tion, and still, to be consistent with herself and her 
 faith, she ought to be angry with Sister Estelle, the. 
 music teacher, who was under the ban of the clergy,. 
 for apostatizing. She was in a tumult of conflicting 
 feelings. Must she be stern with Sister Estelle ? ; 
 She remembered her own perverse sayings to the 
 bishop, and his inexhaustible patience, for which she: 
 loved him better than ever, and in her heart said, " I 
 will try and win by love from henceforth." 
 
 She then ordered refreshments. 
 
 Now Sister Estelle had not tasted anything for 
 some time but bread and water, and was, under this 
 fare, only the shadow of herself. As Mother Claris- 
 sima saw this, it sent a pang through her heart. 
 She was so genial in her imagining of the probable 
 success of the bishop's mission, that she simply over- 
 flowed with benedictions to all the sisterhood, and 
 took occasion to go out of her way to say a kind 
 word to Sister Estelle ; complimented her success 
 in teaching the pupils, and charged her to stay and 
 partake of the refreshments, although it was a depart- 
 ure from established rules. 
 
 Estelle hesitated, but with a rare smile, said, 
 " Thank you," and seating herself, remained, although 
 some of the clergy present looked frowningly upon 
 this lapsing from rules. She was pale, faint, and fain-
 
 SISTER CLARISSIMA AND THE TOMBS. 195 
 
 ished with fasting, and felt grateful to God, and 
 kindly to Lady Clarissima for so unexpectedly offer- 
 ing her a 'share of the food. 
 
 Delicate slices of bread-and-butter sandwiches, 
 cold tongue, jelly-cake, and a variety of other kinds, 
 ice cream and fragrant tea and coffee were among 
 the good things provided, and which were, some of 
 them, especially acceptable to the famished nun. 
 
 She was filled with wonder. What did it mean ? 
 Wherefore this respite ? Was her faith anew to 
 be assailed ? But constantly acting in the fear of 
 God, she determined to stand fast, and witness a 
 good confession. As she anticipated, ere the repast 
 was ended, the Superioress found a seat beside her, 
 and rolling back the divan on which they sat, had a 
 little private talk. 
 
 " Estelle, darling," said she, in her most persuasive 
 way, " I am glad to see you eat. It has hurt me to 
 have you fast and suffer so much." 
 
 "Has it, Mother Clarissima?" she said, wist- 
 fully. 
 
 " It has indeed," was her reply ; " and now, dear, 
 do not go on in this way, you hurt so many others ; 
 for my sake, soften a little." 
 
 " I am doing this for the dear Lord's sake," was 
 the response. 
 
 "But it is all so unnecessary; you can be a true 
 saint all the better for being in the fold of the 
 church. Oh, Estelle, I have within the last week had
 
 196 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 such a revelation of what suffering is, in a dream, 
 that I cannot bear to have any human being made 
 to endure it." 
 
 " It is the Lord 's work upon your heart," tearfully 
 replied Estelle. 
 
 "Well, I hope it is," was the reply; "and I am 
 determined to influence you to save yourself from it. 
 It is no use -to set yourself against the church, she is 
 so powerful. As well might a mole seek to move a 
 mountain." 
 
 "But do you not forget that the Lord is infinite in 
 power?" replied Estelle. "He can remove the 
 mountain into the sea, and He has said that true 
 faith can do likewise. If according to His will, there 
 is no limit to it." 
 
 The Superioress was strangely moved by this 
 unpremeditated speech, and knew not what to reply. 
 At length she recovered herself sufficiently to 
 say, 
 
 " I am sorry, Sister Estelle, that you will not let 
 me help you." 
 
 A great change had, indeed, come over the Superi- 
 oress. Her kindly disposition to all made it difficult 
 for her to be as firm and exacting as her position 
 required. She had hoped that she would succeed in 
 influencing Sister Estelle to ease off a little in her 
 faith, that she might persuade the clergy of the 
 church council to be patient, and give her a longer 
 probation. She had set her heart on this. She
 
 SISTER CLARISSIMA AND THE TOMBS. 
 
 197 
 
 found, however, that she had seemingly made no 
 headway, as far as the nun was concerned, and the 
 gathering in the parlor separated without any satis- 
 faction in this direction. Mother Clarissima was 
 revolving the matter as she went to her room, and 
 putting her hand in her pocket for her pencil to 
 record her plans for the morrow, she pulled out a 
 Japanese napkin, in which was folded a poem. Some 
 one of the sisters had put it there. She was in an 
 impressible mood, from having so recently taken leave 
 of her lover, and could relish reading poetry. She 
 was, indeed, in quest of something choice to show 
 the bishop when he returned, which he would com- 
 mend her taste in selecting. In a tumult of feel- 
 ing, she read that soul-thrilling lyric, "The Drop of 
 Water," which so vividly pictures the agony of tor- 
 ment inflicted, in the years gone by, on one who 
 simply confessed Christ ! But this was only one of 
 millions of sufferers in the cruel papal persecutions, 
 that for twelve hundred and sixty years had the 
 power to condemn to torture all heretics dwelling 
 under its sway. 
 
 THE DROP OF WATER. 
 (INQUISITION GOA, 1560.) 
 
 " They have chained me in the central hall, 
 * And are letting drops of water fall 
 
 On my forehead so close to the granite wall, 
 Drop drop.
 
 1 98 MADONNA HALL, 
 
 They were cold at first, but they now are warm, 
 And I feel a prick like the prick of a thorn, 
 Which comes with the fall of each drop so warm, 
 
 Drop drop. 
 
 A circle I feel beginning to form 
 
 A circle of fire round each drop so warm, 
 
 A circle that throbs to the prick of the thorn, 
 
 Drop drop. 
 
 The circle is growing between my eyes, 
 Each drop that falls increases its size, 
 And a flame of fire upward flies. 
 At each 
 
 Drop drop. 
 
 It 's growing larger, my God ! the pain 
 Of this awful, damnable, circular flame, 
 Cutting its way through my throbbing brain, 
 
 Drop drop. 
 
 It 's growing larger, dilating my brain, 
 Before its circular, throbbing flame, 
 Till I feel like a universe of pain, 
 
 Drop drop. 
 
 Suns of fire are falling fast. 
 
 Drop drop. 
 
 On to my brain, O God ! can this last ? 
 
 D rop cl rop. 
 
 The stars of the universe all beat time, 
 As each raging sun of heat and flame 
 Falls with a measured throb on my brain, 
 
 Drop drop. 
 
 Time has grown as large as my brain, 
 
 Drop drop. 
 
 Ten million years of agonized pain 
 
 Lie between the fall of each sun of flame, 
 
 Drop drop. 
 
 Something is coming ! 
 
 Drop drop.
 
 SISTER CLARISSIMA AND THE TOMBS. 
 
 199 
 
 Something is going to happen I 
 
 Drop 
 
 Something has snapped ! 
 
 The falling suns cease ! 
 
 O God ! can it be that you 've sent me release ? 
 
 Is this death, this feeling of exquisite peace? 
 
 It is death." 
 
 The Little Mother had been softened and ready to 
 cry from her want of success with her friend Estelle, 
 and as she read she felt that this must be a true 
 picture of suffering of a kind that she, in her late 
 reflections, had not imagined. "I am afraid it is too 
 true," she murmured, and the tears came freely, and 
 her heart was in her cry. It was the bitterness of a 
 pent-up soul in darkness, groping for light. 
 
 At length, as the tears cleared, she glanced again 
 at the line next to the heading, 
 
 INQUISITION GOA, 1560. 
 
 " More than three hundred years ago," she mur- 
 mured, " and the system is not all done away with 
 yet. We have traces of it in our discipline of nuns 
 who turn from the faith." 
 
 The revelation that the Pope could sanction the 
 crime of incest, and make it no crime, because of the 
 bribe of money and influence, had unchained her 
 woman's wits and set her thinking ; and doubtless, 
 too, the bishop's words had power. She would no 
 longer adopt the code of barbaric ages, as it con- 
 cerned her treatment of the sisters. Some way, she
 
 200 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 would see that every one condemned should be set 
 at liberty ; banished from the institution they might 
 be in some cases, but should be free to return to 
 friends, or wherever they wished. 
 
 As she sat by her window, and looked out upon 
 the lovely scene before her, " What a beautiful 
 world," she mused, " and yet how many are miser- 
 able. Henceforth, it shall be my part to make as 
 many happy as I can." 
 
 Suddenly she remembered that there were nuns 
 starving in four cells of the tombs, as the wing base- 
 ment was called. 
 
 Heretofore, in aiding in the disciplining of the nuns, 
 she had thought that she did God service. Now she 
 felt a responsibility of guilt incurred.. She resolved 
 to visit their cells at once, and give them food and 
 water, and lessen their misery all in her power. 
 With her to decide was to act, and donning a 
 close-fitting head-gear a mask for disguise, and a 
 dark duster, she took a lamp to the store-room, 
 and filled a basket with food a bottle of milk, a 
 can of water, and four drinking cups, and with her 
 dark lantern went out the secret door that led to 
 the tombs. 
 
 Her heart sank within her as she thought of the 
 'scenes she must witness. How she longed to call 
 her right-hand man, Hosea, and have him protect 
 her. But it would not do. She hoped that Fathers 
 Krafts, Williams and Pecci would not appear and
 
 SI'S TEX CLARISSIMA AND THP: TO.IfBS. 2 <DI 
 
 upset her plan. They had gone to their rooms in a 
 monastic building not far away, and she had no 
 reason to think they were in the vicinity of the 
 wing. 
 
 Passing the gravelled walk and the hawthorn 
 hedge, she opened the ponderous door and entered 
 number six. Only a few days before she had locked 
 the nun Esther in that prison cell, for persistently 
 saying that she did not believe the Pope infallible, 
 and that she would not worship saints, but only 
 God. 
 
 " She may be a dreadful apostate," said the lady 
 superior to herself, " but I '11 not see her pine away. 
 If God chooses to punish her, it is another thing." 
 
 The lantern's light fell full on the face of the 
 nun. Sister Esther was soundly asleep on her 
 couch, pale, but not emaciated. What could it 
 mean ? She had prepared herself to see a living, or 
 possibly a dead skeleton, and here the sister was, 
 apparently, in better health than when she locked 
 her in ! 
 
 She had heard the story of Daniel in the lion's den, 
 and it flashed over her that God had preserved her 
 from death. A solemn awe came over her. She 
 almost feared to breathe. Esther must be a saint ; 
 one whom God loved and preserved. One of the 
 drinking cups fell, and waked the sleeper, who started 
 up in surprise. 
 
 " Have no fear," said the lady superior gently, " I
 
 202 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 am only a Sister of Mercy, whom God has sent to 
 you. I have brought you food ; and if the Virgin so 
 wills it, you shall be set free. But do n't give me the 
 praise, or reveal my name, if you know me. This is 
 of God." 
 
 " Oh, how kind you are ! " exclaimed Esther, grate- 
 fully. " It is the Lord indeed who sent you. Now I 
 know that He hears me when I call on his holy 
 name." 
 
 " At any rate, I could not get rid of the impression 
 that I must come." 
 
 Deftly spreading a napkin on the bit of a table, she 
 left her with food for twenty-four hours, without 
 making herself known. 
 
 She then visited the other cells, with a similar 
 result, only the sisters were in each case waked by 
 her coming in, and were not the, least alarmed. It 
 was a joyful sound. As she had finished the round of 
 the occupied cells, and stepped outside, it occurred to 
 her that, possibly, through some neglect, an old, with- 
 ered nun, called "Crazy Nell," might still be in the 
 large cell, number five, although she had been con- 
 signed to be carried to the Insane Retreat, established 
 for such cases in a neighboring county. 
 
 Resolving to make thorough work, she again opened 
 the door with her key, and entered. Somehow she 
 caught her foot in a crevice, stumbled and fell ; the 
 lantern went out ; she .lost her key, and the strong 
 spring on the self-locking door closed it with a slam, as
 
 SfSTEK CLARISSTMA AND THE TOMBS. 203 
 
 if violently pushed by mortal hands. Was it possible 
 that Crazy Nell had slipped out, and was this her 
 work ? 
 
 Here was a dilemma. 
 
 The Superioress herself imprisoned in the tombs, 
 which might not be visited for weeks ! As this 
 flashed into her mind, she eagerly felt around for the 
 key, but without success. After carefully searching 
 in vain, she came to the conclusion that she must 
 have whirled it outside the door as she fell. She 
 thought that she remembered hearing its thud on the 
 pebbles in the instant ere the door closed. She sank 
 down in a miserable heap, and wept bitterly. What 
 was there to prevent her from starving ? All the 
 food in the basket she had given to the nuns. She 
 had, an hour before, tried to imagine the slow 
 torture of madness brought on by the regular, inter- 
 minable drop, drop, of water falling on the brain, but 
 now it seemed to her that nothing could exceed the 
 slow agony of the horrors of starvation. 
 
 " Oh, how cruel I have been ! " she cried. " I have 
 never thought of making the case of others my own, 
 and now my retribution has come." 
 
 It is true that for a little while, since her bright 
 out-look in regard to her -union with the bishop, she 
 had let her woman's heart assert itself, but this was 
 exceptional, never, until now, had she really felt 
 for those in bonds, as bound with them. 
 
 How in a flash the deeds of her convent life came
 
 204 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 up for review. How she had listened complacently 
 to the hard judgment of the clergy, in condemning 
 suspected nuns. How she had obdurately locked 
 them in their cells, thinking that she was doing 
 saintly service. And now, strangest of all, as she 
 had measured to others, it was meted to her. 
 
 " Oh, what shall I do ? " she cried. " Who will 
 come and deliver me ? " 
 
 The grim walls of the dark cell seemed to echo, 
 "No one! no one! You can not expect any one 
 to come. You must stay here and starve, as have 
 others before you." 
 
 Almost wild with terror, she tried to shout. She 
 screamed in her anguish, but suddenly remembered 
 that the walls were several feet thick, and so muffled 
 that no sound could possibly escape outside. Soothing 
 down, she mused, 
 
 "I am glad I fed the sisters before I die, and I am 
 glad that masses are being said for the repose of my 
 soul." 
 
 Again, as she thought of the great happiness almost 
 in her grasp, when the bishop returned, contrasted 
 with her death of ignominy, and his disappointment, 
 she swooned away in sheer despair and grief.
 
 UNMERCIFUL WALLS. 
 
 205 
 
 XVI. 
 
 CirjirjerciTul walls. 
 
 construction of the buildings of the Romish 
 Jr church, especially in regard to the thick walls 
 and niches, in the peculiar foundations and basements, 
 is ever a subject of remark to thoughtful observers- 
 There is, sometimes, a succession of arches and cells, 
 designed, it is supposed, in convents, to confine the 
 refractory ; in large churches and cathedrals, to 
 secrete arms and ammunition, should occasion require. 
 It is reported, on good authority, that the cells and 
 under-ground passages in the cellar of the Jesuit col- 
 lege at Washington are fit to alarm loyal Americans. 
 Of what possible use are such walls in a free 
 country ? 
 
 Madonna Hall, so regal in exterior beauty, was at 
 first an exception to this rule of building. There 
 were, it is true, cells under the main edifice, but it 
 was found when nuns shut up there became hysteri- 
 cal or insane, their voices could be heard in the rooms 
 above and in the adjoining grounds. The clerical 
 part)', guided by Archbishop Bland, said this would not
 
 206 MADONNA HALL, 
 
 -. 
 
 do ; a wing must be built for disciplinary purposes. 
 It was remote from the rooms occupied by the sisters, 
 pupils, and callers. Massive walls of masonry, made 
 to smother sound, rendered it impossible for the voice 
 of any human being confined there to be heard out- 
 side. This, the desolate prisoner, Clarissima, in her 
 agony realized full well. 
 
 We cannot suppose, however, in these United 
 States, demolished buildings could tell tales, like 
 those of Mexico, since 1857, and even to this day. 
 We choose rather to imagine that some merciful 
 Hosea averted the execution of cruel decrees. 
 
 Hosea beheld the laying of the corner-stone amid 
 imposing ceremonies. He saw the mighty wing rise 
 step by step. It was said specially to be devoted to 
 holy, mysterious uses, and none of the pupils or 
 sisterhood were permitted to enter its precincts. 
 When Hosea thought of the grim rooms and niches 
 in the basement called the "The Tombs," he was 
 thrilled with nameless horror. He knew full well 
 that as light dawned and revealed the superstition of 
 their belief, that some of the nuns would protest, and 
 in every case, unless fortunate enough to escape, this 
 meant imprisonment, possibly death. 
 
 While he loathed the system more than tongue 
 can tell, what could he do ? Should he forsake the 
 old rotten hulk, and leave the innocent without a 
 helper, or should he remain, and do the work which 
 he felt was given him to do ?
 
 UNMERCIFUL 
 
 207 
 
 The fact that Mother Clarissima so fully trusted 
 him, gave him a great advantage. No matter what he 
 did he was never suspected or reprimanded. He 
 felt that this was providentially ordered. Girding 
 on fresh courage, he resolved to watch his oppor- 
 tunity and still be faithful to God in doing deeds of 
 mercy. 
 
 He was efficient in all his appointed duties, and lived 
 for a purpose, happy in his sublime trust in God. 
 Glad was he that no clerical visitor dared invade his 
 sanctum, for there, as he groomed his horses, read, 
 prayed, or sang in low voice lofty hymns of praise, 
 it was to him a very Bethel. 
 
 Obadiah of old fed the Lord's prophets by fifty 
 in two caves; so the Madonna Hall steward, as the 
 years passed, whenever there were prisoners, re- 
 paired to the Tombs, at midnight, opened cell after 
 cell, and left food for those that would otherwise have 
 perished. 
 
 Strangely, the clergy did not in this case follow 
 up the discipline after the offender was committed 
 to the cells. Hosea, at the dictum of lady Clarissima, 
 had full charge, subject only to Father Pecci as his 
 assistant tomb commissioner, and accordingly could 
 act out the impulses of his noble nature. It often 
 happened that nuns, weary of convent life, were 
 enabled to escape before being immured in the under- 
 ground prison. The bishop and the Superioress 
 were not as relentless as were the old-time persecu-
 
 208 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 tors. The clergy brought complaints, and insisted 
 on punishment, as they knew any backsliding from 
 the confessional. By some of them, the bishop was 
 thought dilatory in the matter of discipline. Had 
 he been more exacting, he would doubtless have 
 interviewed Hosea, and criticised him for allowing 
 so many to escape his hands, when in assumed 
 pursuit. The philosophy of the Bishop in action 
 was this : " If they do not want to stay let them go, 
 there are plenty more to fill their places." 
 
 For all this, there was a cruel system of penalty 
 attached to the rules of the institution, which had 
 never been officially abolished. The clergy in the 
 vicinity were accustomed to call on Archbishop Bland 
 to pass judgment on contumacious nuns, saying 
 Bishop Berlin was too merciful and lenient. 
 
 To return to Lady Clarissima : 
 
 When she became conscious, it was all like a fright- 
 ful dream. "Why am I here?" she asked herself- 
 <- Is it not because I have been so hard to the poor 
 nuns ? How could I be so cruel ? The bishop said 
 that the church had fallen into grave errors. I see it, 
 and cruelty to nuns is one of the worst. Now I must 
 die because of it, and I deserve my fate." 
 
 She again sobbed heart-brokenly, crying and pray- 
 ing : "Oh, how cruel to make such thick walls. I could 
 be saved if these were not muffled and made to stifle 
 sound. Oh, hard-hearted priests, I understand you." 
 "O blessed God, if Thou wilt deliver me, I will
 
 L'XMERCIFl 7. II 'ALLS. 
 
 2CX) 
 
 see that no nun shall ever moan helplessly in these 
 cells. I '11 have carpenters and masons come, and 
 these walls shall have windows, and be thrown open 
 to the light of day. But it is useless to plan ; I shall 
 never escape ! never escape ! Oh, how dreadful to 
 starve by inches ! O Lord, if Thou wilt please deliver 
 me, I will serve Thee all the days of my life." 
 
 She did not once think of praying to Mary. In 
 her agony, the creature was forgotten, only the 
 great Creator could help. 
 
 As she said this, a sweet peace filled her soul, such 
 as she had never known before, and she felt like say. 
 ing, "I can trust Him." 
 
 She was at length startled by the turning of the 
 lock. As the door was swung open, she called out : 
 " Who is there ? " 
 
 " It 's only me, Hosea. Why, Mother Clarissima, 
 how came you here ? " as he brought the lantern to 
 shine on her face. 
 
 " O Hosea, I never was so glad ! The Lord sent 
 you." Then, as he gently lifted her up, " How came 
 you to look for me here ?" 
 
 " I was impressed to come. After I found the key 
 beside the door, I could not rest till I investigated." 
 
 " That is so like you, Hosea ; you are always on 
 hand at the right time. It is so good in you. I can 
 not thank you enough. I should have died if you had 
 not come." 
 
 "I found you, Mother Clarissima," Hosea boldly
 
 2io MADONNA HALL. 
 
 said, " because I have been stirred up to care for the 
 sisters that are left to die by the slow horrors of 
 starvation." 
 
 "You are right, Hosea. The Lord stirred you 
 up, and I owe my life to you. I have suffered an age 
 in this night, and I made a solemn vow, if the Lord 
 delivered me, that I would do as I would be done by, 
 and have a heart of pity for the helpless sisters. I 
 feel faint, and must lean on you. I am as weak as if 
 I had had a siege of sickness. Now, everything looks 
 so different to me. I must think we are very wrong 
 as a church ; something must be done. My religion 
 sternly forbids me to think, reason, or argue, least of 
 all criticise its teachings. But in my distress and 
 woe, I promised the Lord that I would, and I believe 
 He sent you in answer to my prayer just as truly as 
 I believe that I am alive. I do praise Him ! " 
 
 " I trust He did. I want all my movements guided 
 by Him." 
 
 He then helped her safely into the mansion, she 
 Waning heavily upon him, and in a low voice show 
 ering benedictions on him all the way. 
 
 To retrace a little : 
 
 Just as she had finished the rounds of the four 
 cells, and was entering the large cell, Hosea having 
 started for his "night work," thought he heard the 
 outside door bang in shutting. In making his calls, 
 he found that food had been left in every cell, and 
 each nun was sure that the voice of the sister of
 
 UNMERCIFUL WALLS. 211 
 
 mercy was that of the Superioress. It was too 
 great a change to hope for, but their hearts were 
 made glad, and after other night duties, which occu- 
 pied some hours, he went to see that all was right in 
 the large cell, Number Five, little dreaming the lady 
 Superioress herself was there imprisoned. 
 
 After entering the mansion, as she took leave of 
 him for the night, she said, 
 
 "You seem to me like a messenger from heaven. 
 I am so happy to be free. I shall now know how to 
 pity those shut up in prison. God bless you. Good- 
 night, my son." 
 
 " Good-night, Mother Clarissima," was the heart- 
 felt reply. 
 
 Hastening to her room, and closing the door, so 
 great was her exhaustion that she laid down on her 
 couch without undressing, and peacefully slept till 
 morning. 
 
 With her waking powers stronger than ever, was 
 this new resolution, born of that dreadful lesson in 
 the cell. "As I am a living woman," thought she, " I 
 wish some way could be devised to give our clergy a 
 taste of what they so freely prescribe for others. 
 But for myself, I can no longer be cruel to nuns." 
 
 Mother Clarissima's rooms were connected with 
 the precincts of Hosea by telephone, and she often 
 had occasion to summon him by this means. 
 
 About a week after her cell adventure and release, 
 one morning, at nine o'clock, she called to him,
 
 212 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " Hosea, you there ? " 
 
 " Present," was his answer. 
 
 " You may harness Tucky Ho into the small car. 
 riage, dress yourself suitably, and drive round to the 
 front entrance. You are to take me to the city." 
 
 " All right. I '11 be there directly," he replied. 
 
 Now this was unusual ; but since her fright the 
 lady seemed to lean on and look to Hosea more than 
 ever before, and now she wanted to confer with him, 
 and take an airing at the same time. 
 
 Hosea was well dressed and had a dignified man- 
 ner. The Superioress was arrayed in her costliest 
 black costume, with white head-band, and nun's bon- 
 net, and large cape collar, and made a fine medieval 
 appearance. 
 
 " Now, my son," said she, as he helped her into 
 the carriage, " before we start for the city I wish you 
 to drive slowly through the grounds. I must ex- 
 amine if the gardeners have done their work well." 
 Then, as they drove around, she said, " See, the ter- 
 races and lawn are well shaven, and really have a 
 neat appearance. I want to look at the hawthorn 
 hedge beyond the graveled walk." On reaching it, 
 by a branch off from the serpentine drive-way that 
 receded from and approached the lofty mansion, she 
 added, " There, I thought it would be apt to be a 
 little shabby, because it is near the wing, which vis- 
 itors never see. You may tell the gardeners that this 
 hedge must be better trimmed, just as well kept as if
 
 UNMERCIFUL WALLS. 
 
 213 
 
 in front of the main building. But I do not want any 
 flowers here. I shall have masons and carpenters at 
 work on these walls and basement cells as soon as 
 the bishop comes back. The clergy won't dare inter- 
 fere then." 
 
 " Yes, Madame," replied Hosea. 
 
 Then, as they came again in front of the mansion, 
 and drove towards the street, 
 
 " See, Hosea," with a chill of undefined emotion, 
 "those climbing roses over that arbor where the 
 Virgin and Child stand." 
 
 " Yes," replied he ; "that is a magnificent rose." 
 
 " I call it the Queen of the Prairie," said she ; "but 
 I may be mistaken in its name, there are so many 
 roses. I can call it that, if I choose ; what is to 
 hinder ? No one here knows as much as I do about 
 flowers, and it is a poor story if I cannot call that 
 rose what name I choose, do n't you think so ? " This 
 mechanically, while underneath was a strong current 
 of conviction setting against image worship. 
 
 " Of course," replied Hosea, " on the same princi- 
 ple that you name a pet cat or dog. I do not attach 
 much importance to it any way." 
 
 "I am glad you think so," she said, "for it pleases 
 me that I can give names to the flowers that I do not 
 know, that will be their names, and no one can dis- 
 pute me. That is of little account, it is true," she 
 added ; " but as to the Virgin and Child, I used to 
 pray to them whenever I passed this arbor, but, do
 
 214 
 
 MADO.\\\'A HALL 
 
 you know, since I had that terrible experience in the 
 cell, I cannot pray to the Virgin or one of the saints 
 any more, to save my life I cannot. I feel that it is 
 blasphemy ; I can only pray to God. What do you 
 think of that ?" 
 
 "You are quite right there. He says, ' Thou shalt 
 have no other gods before me,' " was Hosea's delighted 
 reply. 
 
 " Is that so ? Well, that settles the matter," re. 
 plied the lady, who was not familiar with the Bible. 
 
 " It does with me," was Hosea's reply. 
 
 " I am so glad ; and here I 've been dreading to talk 
 with you about it, for I could not tell my thoughts to 
 any one of the sisters, as they confess to the priests, 
 and the bishop has gone to Rome. I thought, of 
 course, you 'd think me an apostate." 
 
 "Oh, no," replied Hosea. "The apostates are 
 those who worship something else besides God." 
 
 "It must be so," said the lady, in deep conviction. 
 " What a revelation is this, and how mistaken I 
 have been all my life ?" Then, as they were driving 
 through the grounds, " Stop a moment, my son. You 
 see here the image of St. Joseph, who is a patron 
 saint, and resides in this grotto. Our clergy tell us, 
 and I have taught the same myself, that it is of great 
 use to seek his protection, and that there is no end to 
 the calamities that would have befallen us if we had 
 not prayed to him : the Madonna first, then St. Peter, 
 St. Joseph, St. James and St. John, and all the rest
 
 UNMERCIFUL WALLS. 21$ 
 
 of the divinities. Now just as true as God commands 
 us to worship Him only, this is idolatry, and exceed- 
 ingly sinful. I 've done with it, and sweep them all 
 from the board, and I 'm sure the bishop is of the 
 same mind, and, as soon as he returns, we '11 have 
 every vestige of sham worship removed from our 
 midst, clergy or no clergy. I must say that I never 
 knew what peace was till I found it in the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, by calling on his name, when I was in the 
 depths. I then believed that He was able to save me." 
 
 Hosea had been praying for this, and yet could 
 scarcely believe the things he heard. Was it indeed 
 true that Mother Clarissima had turned to God? His 
 whole soul was filled with praise, but his words were few. 
 
 Soon they passed out of the grounds, for the lady 
 had errands in town, and while on the way, by illogi- 
 cal transition, confided to Hosea that a part of her 
 business in the city was to pay for masses for her 
 soul's repose, and if possible do away with the pains 
 of purgatory. 
 
 "The business is almost concluded, "she continued. 
 " I 've only to pay money and take receipts ; then I 
 shall be at rest as it concerns anxiety for my sou!';; 
 estate in the world to come." 
 
 Hosea saw that she did not yet fully comprehend 
 the plan of salvation through Christ, and longed to 
 shed light on her pathway. 
 
 "Mother Clarissima," he said, "will you allow me 
 to say a few words ? "
 
 216 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 "Certainly, Hosea. I want your opinion." 
 
 " You only pray to the Lord of heaven and earth 
 as your God ? " he asked. 
 
 " Yes ; I now worship Him only," was her reply. 
 
 " Then you believe on Him and receive Him as 
 your Saviour, and feel that He has forgiven all your 
 sins ? for He says, ' Whosoever shall call on the 
 name of the Lord shall be saved.' We can be saved 
 in a moment. It is only look and live, or have life in 
 Him." 
 
 " Is that all ? Oh, this is all so new ; but I do 
 believe, I do receive Him as my only Saviour ; and am 
 I not then a child of God ? " 
 
 " You certainly are. He gives you that power the 
 moment you believe, and His shed blood washes away 
 your sins, and saves you from all punishment." 
 
 " Then of what possible use are the masses?" asked 
 the lady, with tearful earnestness. 
 
 " They are no use whatever," was the reply. 
 " They rob the Lord of His glory as if He were not 
 an all-sufficient Redeemer. He saves us by His one 
 offering of His blood on the cross. This trying to 
 patch up a religion that leaves out the Lord from 
 heaven as a complete Saviour, is of the Wicked One, 
 and must come to nought." 
 
 " How blind we have been," replied the lady. " We 
 bargained for the masses to be said, and the money 
 is now due. What is best to be done ? " 
 
 " I would wait till the bishop returns," said Hosea,
 
 UNMERCIFUL WALLS, 2 \7 
 
 " and see what he thinks about it. The clergy do not 
 care for the money at present, and by that time you 
 will "have clearer views of this great salvation, and 
 will know what to say. You will see that masses are 
 the most abominable part of the idolatry of the Cath- 
 olic church. The blasphemy of supposing that the 
 priest, no matter how corrupt, can make a wafer-god 
 the real Lord Jesus Christ, and eat him. The creat- 
 ure make the Creator ! It is too abominably absurd, 
 and too fearfully blasphemous to be endured for an 
 instant." 
 
 " I am grieved at heart that we have been so 
 wicked," returned the lady, in a gush of tears. " But 
 what good news it is that there is no purgatory for 
 those that are forgiven." 
 
 " None at all. Jesus says, ' Whosoever believeth 
 on me hath eternal life, and shall not come into con- 
 demnation.' Where is there any chance for the 
 burnings you fear?" 
 
 " Why, how beautiful that is ! I have had all my 
 worry for nothing. Oh, if I had only found the true 
 Saviour before. I have been so sensitive to suffering 
 that the fear of after-death burnings has shadowed 
 me all my life. Now I rejoice in God, my Saviour, 
 and long to tell others that ' Whosoever believes and 
 receives the Lord Christ, will be happy now and 
 hereafter. But if this faith is widely accepted, will 
 it not affect the income of the church ? " 
 
 " Most surely it will. The doctrine of purgatory
 
 2i 8 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 was borrowed from paganism, and grafted on the 
 Romish system, simply to put money in the hands 
 of ecclesiastics. 
 
 " What a shame ! " was the reply. " I do rejoice 
 that I am saved, and shall not come into condemna- 
 tion and be made to suffer." 
 
 Hosea, in order to test her further, said, 
 
 " I wish there were less suffering among the 
 nuns." 
 
 " There shall be. I am planning for it, and shall 
 need your help. When the bishop returns, we shall 
 arrange for a different ordering of things. Every 
 brick in Madonna Hall shall yet testify for the Lord 
 alone."
 
 A .MUTUAL SECRET. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 IT )uf uccl @3e 
 / 
 
 and Mother Clarissima had an intensely 
 interesting conversation as the carriage wound 
 along the driveway of the park and outside the con 
 vent grounds on the thoroughfare leading to the city. 
 Then for awhile each was silent in deep thought. 
 
 " What I want to say, further, Hosea," said the 
 lady, at length, " is, that cell Number Nine must be 
 vacated to-night. Sister Jessie, who is shut in there, 
 is alive ; for I have the key to the Tombs, and you 
 have another. She was condemned to die for apos- 
 tacy was kept on scant fare for weeks, and the 
 last two weeks of her imprisonment has not had a 
 mouthful of food except what you and I have given 
 her. God bless you, my son ! I have watched you 
 and found you out. I am heart and soul with you in 
 helping off condemned nuns. Help them all you can. 
 If you need money, let me know ; and if we want 
 success in this we must still sacredly keep our own 
 counsel ! "
 
 220 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " Noble Mother Clarissima ! " he exclaimed, the 
 tears starting. "A blessing awaits you for this." 
 
 " I have it already, my son. I was never so happy 
 in my life." 
 
 When Hosea found that Mother Clarissima was 
 firm in her decision to befriend the nuns in their 
 extremity, she looked to him like an angel of mercy. 
 It invested her really fine face with a halo of loveli 
 ness. 
 
 " I shall need Number Nine to-morrow, or the night 
 after," she said, " as I must this once go through the 
 farce of putting another nun there. Can you have it 
 ready to-night, so that Father Pecci can do duty to- 
 morrow." 
 
 " Oh, yes, indeed." 
 
 " You know Sister Estelle, our music teacher, 
 Hosea ? " 
 
 " Yes," he replied. " At the musical receptions in 
 the parlor she sometimes sent for me to sing tenor." 
 
 "Did she? I had forgotten. Well, until of late 
 she has been the most obedient of nuns." 
 
 " You don't mean that she has been condemned ? " 
 asked he, eagerly. 
 
 " Listen, my son, how it came about. At the 
 school examination we had a few Protestants present, 
 friends of some of the scholars, and the very next 
 day several Testaments and tracts were found. I 
 only discovered one. Sister Estelle secured a Testa- 
 ment, and read it. Do you know, Hosea, that if our
 
 A MUTUAL SECRET. 221 
 
 nuns were allowed to read the Bible, that our nunnery 
 would shortly collapse ? The Bible and our system 
 must be antagonistic. The clergy say it won't do. 
 Sister Estelle read that book, which the Pope calls 
 pernicious, and there was an end to her obedience." 
 
 "Is n't that a little strange ? " asked Hosea, with a 
 peculiar intonation of voice. 
 
 " Oh, no," was the reply ; " it always works in that 
 way. Sister Estelle was brought up in a convent, and 
 has been kept so closely that she has had no possible 
 chance to become heretical. She had a training in 
 music, being ten years in a Philadelphia nunnery 
 before she came here. I suppose she thinks now, 
 because we have petted her, that she can do as she 
 pleases." 
 
 " Why not allow her to keep on teaching. She is 
 lady-like and quiet." 
 
 " Hosea, my son, you little know what you are 
 talking about. After Estelle read the Testament, 
 which I found hidden in her room, she called a num- 
 ber of sisters together, and told them what she had 
 read. -She said that Jesus alone could forgive sin, 
 thus striking at the very root of our system. And I 
 see now, Hosea, that the dear soul was right. She was 
 eloquent, and had them all crying as if their hearts 
 would break, when I suddenly opened the door, after 
 I had listened awhile to what she was saying. There 
 was a scattering, you may believe, but Sister Estelle 
 stood up bravely, and said,
 
 222 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " ' I ought to obey God rather than men, and if it 
 costs me my life, I will confess Christ alone as my 
 Saviour. As for the Virgin and the saints, I can never 
 think of worshiping them.' 
 
 "Now I suppose you '11 say that I am just like her, 
 and I see that I am. That fearful cell experience 
 made a different woman of me. Estelle's lessons 
 then struck home. 
 
 " Well, the clergy said that she must be silenced, 
 or the contagion would spread. So she was fed on 
 bread and water, and now, unless she retracts, she 
 will be doomed to a basement cell. I love her dearly, 
 and wish I could think of some way of saving her. 
 I '11 tell you, my son, if you can manage to have her 
 removed to a safe retreat, it will do my heart good. 
 She might get another start in life." 
 
 " I am sure that I can. I will be on hand, and see 
 that she is taken away," he replied, joyfully flushing 
 with emotion. 
 
 Sister Estelle was a great favorite in the institution. 
 She was graceful, accomplished, and far more intelli- 
 gent than most of the sisterhood. Hosea thought it 
 a pity to be so abrupt in the decision. " Why not 
 wait awhile," he said, " before resorting to extreme 
 measures ? " 
 
 " Hosea," gravely replied the lady, " the clergy are 
 clamorous, and we must keep our interest a secret, or 
 we shall fail. I know what his lordship would say. 
 It would be to do as I please. He has gone to Rome
 
 A MUTUAL SECRET. 
 
 223 
 
 on an errand which, if successful, will make my life 
 very happy. I feel strangely softened, and want 
 everybody happy, too. Still, if I am not seemingly 
 strict in ruling this sisterhood, I am liable to be set 
 aside before he returns. The fathers have no pa- 
 tience with slack management. It must always be 
 rigid. If a sister shows signs of being uneasy, she 
 must be closely watched. So, you see, Hosea, that it 
 wo n't do for me to show that I sympathize with them 
 in the least. Hear what the church says through her 
 priest, in the famous book called, ' Ethica Christiana.' 
 I have it by heart. 
 
 " It is lawful to take the life of another if that be 
 the only means of preserving one's own honor and 
 reputation. The church knows no compassion where 
 her honor and interest are concerned. She can not 
 err, and it is praiseworthy to execute her infallible 
 decisions when called to do so." 
 
 " Murder is licensed there very plainly," remarked 
 Hosea. " It is most abominable." 
 
 "As for me," replied the lady, "I can never again 
 help put such a decree in practice. I abhor it from 
 the depths of my soul. I trust the Lord has forgiven 
 me for the things I have done ignorantly in unbelief 
 And now I want you to free Sister Estelle." 
 
 " I think I can do it," he calmly replied, while his 
 heart was praising God for so wonderfully opening 
 the eyes of the Superioress to see things clearly. 
 
 "I must, of course," said she, "when she is con-
 
 224 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 demned, conduct her to her cell, but you are a man 
 of expedients, and can see her fed and taken away." 
 
 " I will do it," he replied, earnestly. 
 
 He had thought and prayed much over Estelle's 
 case, and before he knew of her conversion longed to 
 tell her of the way of life. Through his prayers and 
 efforts she had found it. Could he not also be hon- 
 ored in saving her from suffering ? He had at length 
 strong faith that he should be, and his heart was at 
 rest as it regarded the matter. 
 
 Leaving the Lady Superioress at Bellevue, where 
 she was to dine with the Leavenworths, he made 
 haste to arrange for the rescue, at the Aid Society. 
 
 It was quite awhile prior to this that Grace Leaven- 
 worth had met Hosea, found he was in the faith, and 
 from him learned the wants of the occasional refugees 
 from Madonna Hall, and neighboring convents. 
 
 This information was at the time just what she 
 needed, in addition to that she had, to give her society 
 an active existence. Whenever he came in town, he 
 was to call at the Aid Rooms, and leave or take orders. 
 He was charged to apply to her in any emergency, 
 and she and her associates would be ready to help to 
 the extent of their ability. 
 
 And when a nun was once in that fold she was as 
 safe as if in her father's house. Mrs. Leavenworth 
 being president of the parent society, managed to 
 inaugurate many plans for shielding those that needed 
 a protecting wing. On this occasion, Hosea found
 
 A MUTUAL SECRET. 
 
 225 
 
 Grace and Ella South bury in the office, and very ready 
 to listen to his report of the case in hand. 
 
 " It is a hazardous thing that you are to do, to- 
 night," said Grace, as she learned the details of what 
 he had planned, " but I believe that One will help 
 you, and give you success." 
 
 "He always has," replied Hosea ; "I could not 
 attempt it otherwise." 
 
 "Thank Him, and take courage," rejoined Grace. 
 " He is on the side of right, and will fight our battles 
 for us, as my dear mother often says. But now to 
 business," added she, in her brisk way. " We have 
 a dress and disguise ready, have n't we, Miss South- 
 bury ? Oh, yes, here they are ; you put them away ; 
 and here's the mask for the effigy which is to be put 
 in the niche of burial." 
 
 These were compactly put up, and by Hosea 
 placed in the space under the carriage seat. It was 
 then arranged that Miss Leavenworth should have a 
 trusty friend in waiting with a carriage at midnight, 
 outside the convent park entrance, opposite the 
 barn. 
 
 Hosea attended to his duties as steward in getting 
 house supplies, and punctually at the hour appointed, 
 called for the Superioress at Bellevue, and in due 
 time they arrived at Madonna Hall. 
 
 At midnight, Hosea cautiously made his way to 
 Number Nine, and found Mary Brown, alias Sister 
 Jessie, the New England nun, supposed to be de-
 
 226 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 ceased, arrayed in the disguise he had brought from 
 the Aid Society. Noiselessly she accompanied him 
 out of the Tombs into the moonlight, he turning to 
 lock the ponderous door. Reaching the hedge border- 
 ing on the highway, he opened a concealed passage,, 
 and conducted her to the conveyance in waiting,, 
 in care of Colonel Southbury. In a few word he told 
 him the case of Sister Estelle, asking that the car- 
 riage be sent for her on the third night. 
 
 The chaise moved quietly off, while he returned, 
 and going into the Tombs, put the cell to rights, and 
 prepared the effigy, with its death-like mask, ready 
 for Pecci 's inspection the next day. Father Pecci 
 was commissioner and convent coroner to certify 
 when a nun was dead. Now this man had a mortal 
 terror of death, could not endure to look at, or touch, 
 a dead body, and only the money paid him, and the 
 honor of office, led him to retain the post. He was 
 just the one inadvertently to help Hosea in saving 
 life. The steward kept the father's secret of his 
 weakness in the presence of death, as he coveted the 
 place, and was ever ready to certify, facts or no 
 facts. 
 
 The process was simple. When the effigy was 
 ready, Hosea led Father Pecci into the dimly-lighted 
 cell, where lay the supposed nun, covered to the chin 
 with a winding sheet, and all he had to do was to 
 guide Pecci's nervous hand in the gloom to touch the 
 cold face or mask. When this was quickly clone, the
 
 A MUTUAL SECRET. 
 
 227 
 
 father, with one hand to his nose for fear of infection, 
 made for the out-door air, and was ready to take his 
 oath that the nun had departed this life. In the cir- 
 cumstances, the figure the flying father cut was 
 amusing, but Hosea had his mind on his work and 
 remained to put the straw image in its niche, and, 
 after adding the required quantity of lime, to wall it 
 up with bricks and mortar. 
 
 While he hated the system that he must circum- 
 vent with such stratagem and pretence, he re- 
 joiced that he had saved a precious life. Mary 
 Brown, so long mourned in her lonely New Hamp- 
 shire home, through his and Grace Leavenworth's 
 efficiency, was the very next day returned to the 
 stricken household. 
 
 Her history was not unlike that of many others. 
 Three years before, getting tired of her country 
 home, she had sought to earn her living in the city. 
 Unhappily, she joined a church, which was really in 
 the interests of Rome, was drawn under fascinating 
 influences, and as an easy way of getting more educa- 
 tion, and a chance to teach, was persuaded to enter 
 the Madonna Hall convent. The religious advantages 
 had also been glowingly depicted, and later she was 
 led to believe that by taking the veil she would be 
 sure of salvation. She awoke to find that she had 
 been deceived. She had had good Sabbath-school 
 : action while at home, and the false and blasphem- 
 doctrines of the Catechism became unendurable
 
 228 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 when she compared them with the wonderful teach- 
 ings of the Bible. She prayed to God, renounced 
 what she had tried to receive, was known as a dis- 
 contented nun, and refusing to come to terms, was 
 under ban and punishment. 
 
 When she reached home, it was to her friends like 
 having her from the dead. Delighted beyond meas- 
 ure to be free from that which can be, when priests 
 are corrupt, the worst form of slavery, she made a 
 confident of her mother, telling her how she had been 
 condemned to die without judge or jury. And now, 
 should the clergy hear of her escape, they would 
 have it in their hearts to recover or destroy her. 
 
 Madonna Hall community, and all allied to it, 
 Mother Clarissima and Hosea excepted, were unsuspi- 
 cious of her rescue, supposing her effectually silenced. 
 
 The next day after Father Pecci's hurried autopsy, 
 which, as usual, made him faint, Hosea put the cell in 
 order, for occupancy by Sister Estelle. As he went 
 on with his work, brain and heart were busy. It was 
 a rare joy to him to know that the Mother Clarissima 
 was coming into the light, and was in full sympathy 
 with him in saving the nuns. It seemed too wonder 
 ful to be true. But, on the other hand, he thought it 
 a risk to lock the Sister Estelle in the cell, as he 
 feared the priests might discover his attempt to make 
 her free. 
 
 The evening following, the sister was summoned to 
 the chapel, and Fathers Krafts and Pecci were a com
 
 A MUTUAL SECRET. 
 
 229 
 
 mittee to make a final effort to have her recant. She 
 was firm, and resisted all their demands. She would 
 rather die than deny her Lord. The Testament 
 which Hosea had left in a pile of music had been 
 studied, and committed to memory, and when the 
 book was destroyed with curses by Father Krafts, 
 who happened to be officiating in the chapel of the 
 nunnery when the discovery was made, although 
 deprived, she was not robbed of God's Word, having 
 many precious chapters in her memory. 
 
 Not long after the trial, the Superioress, coming into 
 the hall, called out, " Lelia, Mary, Addie, and Celia, 
 bring Sister Estelle into the judgment room." 
 
 This was an apartment adjoining the chapel. 
 Archbishop Bland, Fathers Krafts, Buhler, and Pecci, 
 were in attendance, as they severally had talked and 
 labored with her, and now were resolved to have the 
 matter finally settled. The sisters signified to Sister 
 Estelle that she was summoned to appear before her 
 judges. 
 
 She arose with a loving look, and said, as she dis- 
 missed her scholars, 
 
 " Come to the Lord Jesus Christ, the only door, 
 for he that climbeth up some other way is a thief and 
 a robber. Judgments are near at hand. Escape 
 for your lives ! " 
 
 Then 'serenely closing the piano, and arranging 
 her music, she turned and accompanied the nuns to 
 the dreaded room.
 
 230 MADONNA HALL.. 
 
 There sat her judges in solemn conclave, thinking 
 in their blindness that they were doing God service. 
 
 As she appeared before them, the Archbishop 
 began, 
 
 " What have you to say for yourself, Sister Estelle ? 
 Are you ready to be confessed to-day ? " 
 
 "No, your grace, I shall never be confessed 
 again." 
 
 A look of cruel anger came over the Archbishop's 
 rubicund face, as he said, roughly, 
 
 " We may make you. Remember, we can torture 
 you till you are ready to confess." 
 
 On second thoughts, however, as he was impressed 
 with her queenly air, and called to mind that " any 
 one can lead a horse to drink, but a dozen men can- 
 not make him drink," he suddenly changed ground, 
 saying, with an icy smile, 
 
 "Will you not retract, just a little? Remember, 
 if you will, the new music teacher shall be sent away, 
 and you shall retain your honorable position." 
 
 " You shall, indeed ! " echoed the Mother Supe- 
 rior, with an encouraging look. 
 
 " Sister Estelle, we have great hopes of you," 
 added Father Krafts. "The Superioress has a 
 western appointment in view, and you were our elect 
 lady for that vacancy." 
 
 " It has no temptation for me," was the calm reply. 
 " Once I was blind, and now I see. Shall I forget what 
 the Lord has done for me, and turn again to darkness
 
 A MUTUAL SECRET. 
 
 231 
 
 and sin ? I have found the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
 He has given me eternal life, because I believe on 
 Him." 
 
 " What a darling angel she is ! " thought Clarissima. 
 "My soul is knit to her soul ! " 
 
 "Hush your mouth!" cried the Archbishop. 
 "You've sealed your doom. We've no demand for 
 heretics here ! You will now be locked in cell No. 9, 
 which will not be opened" for two weeks, when your 
 dead body will be taken out and buried. As you will 
 not recant, you will now accompany the Mother 
 Superior." 
 
 Sister Estelle stood with the look of a queen, say- 
 ing, 
 
 " Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And may He 
 give you repentance unto Life. Farewell." 
 
 Then she followed Mother Clarissima to what all 
 present thought her living tomb. 
 
 The nuns turned to hide their tears. Sister Estelle 
 had been the life of the institution ; all the music and 
 song clung to her, and since she had been converted 
 she had obtained a copy of " Gospel Songs," and before 
 the officials were aware the entire academy and nun- 
 nery were singing the Gospel. This was easily done, 
 as some of the pupils from Protestant families had 
 become familiar with the songs elsewhere. The 
 effect was wonderful, and afterwards not a few dated 
 their conversion to the singing of those hymns, so full 
 of penitence, praise and true worship.
 
 232 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 Mother Clarissima showed Estelle into her cell, and 
 said in a low voice, as she wept on her neck and kissed 
 her, 
 
 "Keep dressed, and be in readiness, for I have 
 planned to have you escape to-night. Hosea will 
 take you to a carriage at twelve." 
 
 Estelle was almost overpowered with gratitude. 
 
 " This is so kind of you ! " she exclaimed. " You 
 will not lose your reward ; I trust that I am one of 
 the least of His little ones." 
 
 " Bless your heart, you 've stood nobly," whispered 
 the Lady Clarissima. Then hastily kissing her, she 
 locked her in the sepulchre-like cell, and returned to 
 the main building. 
 
 Before leaving, the Archbishop explained to the 
 tearful nuns that they had reason to rejoice, as Sister 
 Estelle could only be saved by the "Baptism of 
 Blood," that is, by an unnatural death. He even 
 intimated that she might yet be canonized as a 
 saint, through the efficacy of this stern penalty of the 
 church. 
 
 It was some hours before midnight when Estelle 
 was immured, and at last Hosea appeared, and silently 
 conducted her to the carriage in waiting, and she 
 found an asylum with kind friends ere the morning 
 dawn.
 
 &ISHOP BERLIN'S LETTER. 
 
 XVIII. 
 Tisr)0p . JcycplTr) s . JJe-ffep. 
 
 ROME, August, 1889. 
 
 Y DEAR CLARISSIMA, My letter on shipboard 
 you have doubtless received. A kind Provi- 
 dence has prospered my mission, and I have 
 joyful news to communicate. The Pope readily 
 granted me an interview, and was very cordial, calling 
 me his 'dear son.' He acceded to my request, and 
 gave me a dispensation to marry. I will return soon 
 and hasten our union. He also blessed my plan of 
 issuing the New Testament. 
 
 I have so much that I want to tell you, dearest, 
 for my soul is as if it had been swept over by a 
 mighty tempest, and through the grace given me, I 
 feel that I am coming out wholly on the Lord's 
 side. 
 
 Since my arrival here, a converted Trappist priest, 
 whom I knew in college, has given me " Gu in ness's 
 Lectures on Romanism," also Birk's, Faber's and 
 Newton's works on Prophecy, and day after day we 
 sit down to discuss the positions taken, comparing 
 them with the only true test, Holy Scripture. It has 
 been a terrible struggle. I have spent sleepless 
 nights over the great question, and have been much 
 in prayer ; and, my darling, there is no getting a\vay 
 from this conclusion : We are in truth the apostate- 
 church the Anti-Christ of the New Testa n,.
 
 234 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 The system is worldly and rotten, and, coming out, I 
 disown allegiance to it, and it shall be my work 
 henceforth to help God's blinded children from the 
 wreck to the rock Christ Jesus. 
 
 I must tell you that I have read enormously. 
 Among other things, Hon. Mr. Gladstone's " Vati- 
 can Decrees." It contains the gist of a most impor- 
 tant matter. I will quote a few passages. In refer- 
 ring- to his former article, he says, 
 
 "I was speaking of the question whether a handful 
 of the clergy are, or are not, engaged in an utterly 
 hopeless visionary effort to Romanize the church and 
 people of England. At no time since the reign of 
 Bloody Mary has such a scheme been possible. But 
 if it had been possible, in the seventeenth or eigh- 
 teenth centuries, it would have become impossible in 
 the nineteenth, when Rome has substituted for the 
 proud boast of semper eadem, a policy of violence and 
 a change of faith ; when she has refurbished and pol- 
 ished anew every rusty tool she was fondly thought 
 to have disused ; when no one can become her con- 
 vert without renouncing his moral and mental free- 
 dom, and placing his civil loyalty and duty at the 
 mercy of another ; and when she has equally repudi- 
 ated modern thought and ancient history." 
 
 He then says that the people of England have a 
 right, on purely civil grounds, to expect from their Ro- 
 man Catholic fellow subjects some declaration of opin- 
 ion, in reply to that ecclesiastical party in their church, 
 who have laid down, in their name, principles adverse 
 to the purity and integrity of civil allegiance. 
 
 The grand old man is correct, and an explanation 
 is due in America as weil. But I do suppose a 
 straight-forward apology would be impossible with the 
 Jesuit faction, who, with their sympathizers, are the 
 only Catholics that aim to rule the country. When 
 confronted with the light, they either slink away, or
 
 BISHOP BERLINS LETTER. 
 
 235 
 
 strive to appear very innocent and pious, assume 
 lamb-like airs, until they can quiet suspicion and 
 resume their infamous work in the dark. 
 
 He says further, 
 
 " It is the peculiarity of Roman theology that, by 
 thrusting itself into the temporal domain, it naturally 
 and even necessarily comes to be a frequent theme of 
 political discussion. To quiet-minded Roman Catho- 
 lics, it must be a subject of infinite annoyance, that 
 their religion is, more than any other, the occasion of 
 conflicts with the state, and of civil disquietude. 
 This is brought upon them by the authorities of the 
 church. 
 
 "The Pope of Rome is a trespasser on ground that 
 belonged to the civil authority. All other Christian 
 bodies are content with freedom in their own religious 
 
 o 
 
 domain. They never pretend that the state is not its 
 own master ; make no religious claims to temporal 
 possessions or advantages, and consequently are never 
 in perilous collision with the state, as are the Ro- 
 man Catholic leaders and their admirers." 
 
 Gladstone goes on to say, 
 
 " The Rome of the Middle Ages claimed universal 
 monarchy. The modern Church of Rome has aban- 
 doned nothing retracted nothing. And we know 
 very well that a pledge from Catholics is worthless 
 unless dictated by Rome." 
 
 The Premier speaks of " the moral murder of 
 stifling conscience and conviction." This must be 
 the case when a loyal Catholic tries the feat of keep 
 ing both his allegiance to his country and his vows to 
 the Pope. It is like walking two opposite roads at 
 the same time, which is impossible. 
 
 I must tell you, darling Clarissima, I find that 
 there has been a great change in the mode of opera- 
 tions of the Romanists in both England and America. 
 Years ago, they declared that their religion did not
 
 236 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 in the least interfere with their duties as citizens ; 
 the Pope's power to claim obedience was strictly and 
 narrowly limited. It was denied that he had any 
 right to interfere in civil government. Now, it is 
 openly declared that he has this sovereign right in 
 all lands, and that he will take possession as soon as 
 he can, and he has the ridiculous cheek to call on 
 everybody to help him. He really does outbeg all 
 the mendicants I ever heard of. But this deceit 
 was practised to beguile the nations, and gain time, 
 a transparent trick that was long since discovered and 
 as widely scorned. 
 
 " Let me come in," says the wild beast, assuming 
 an innoffensive form and air. " I will never interfere, 
 or do you any harm, just let me lie down by your 
 fireside." 
 
 The mild, pleading voice is believed, and the 
 creature let into the body politic ; and after a little he 
 is a mammoth beast, which begins to show his greedy 
 appetite, indicating that he is ready to destroy and 
 devour. 
 
 Am I wrong in calling the papal power a beast ? 
 It is so called in the Revelations, chapters thirteen 
 and seventeen. For one, I have done with serving 
 the behests of this destroyer, and am appalled when 
 I reflect to what a pass it .ias brought us. 
 
 The dogma of infallibility is one of the greatest 
 of religious frauds. It is decreed that " even if the 
 judgments of the Pope do not appear to be infallible, 
 they are unappealable, irreversible ; no matter what 
 blunder he makes, as in the public school ques- 
 tion, and all men, clerical and lay, are bound truly to 
 obey, and from this Catholic rule no man can depart, 
 save at the peril of his soul's salvation." 
 
 This I quote from church documents. 
 
 The Premier says again, " Individual servitude, 
 however abject, will not satisfy the party now donii-
 
 BISHOP BERLINS LETTER. 
 
 237 
 
 nant in the Latin church, the state must also be a 
 slave." 
 
 The Pope claims, with the approval of the council, 
 absolute obedience at the peril of salvation of every 
 member of his communion. This, in open day, by a 
 pontiff who has condemned free speech, free writing, 
 free press, liberty of conscience, and the study of 
 civil and ecclesiastical matters. 
 
 Can this kind of tyranny ever be tolerated in 
 America, when it has been cast off in Italy, where it 
 originated ? I am not alone. Good old Catholic 
 Bishop Doyle said, " In case the Pope assumed the 
 ground he is now taking, we shall oppose him by 
 every means in our power, even by the exercise of 
 our spiritual authority." 
 
 I am in correspondence with Dr. Yon Dollenger of 
 Germany. He voted against the Pope's infallibility 
 in 1870, and writes me that it never would have 
 passed with the clergy had they not been led astray 
 by the class-books from which they took their ideas 
 during their seminary education, since the proofs 
 given in those books are for the most part false, dis- 
 torted, and shockingly vile. The principal and favor- 
 ite works of modern theological schools are, "The 
 Moral Theology of St. Alphonso Liquori," the "The- 
 ology of the Jesuit Terrone," and especially the 
 shameless works of Gury. More pernicious text 
 books it would be hard to find, worse, if possible, 
 than those that are hurtfully medicated to make crim- 
 inals of children in certain church schools. 
 
 I will, when we meet, show you that Rome is 
 Babylon, pictured plainly in the Sacred Writings. Of 
 Rome it may be said, it covets universal dominion, 
 secured by the Inquisition. And this in the centen- 
 nial year of the overthrow of the Bastile in France. 
 
 Now, briefly, let me tell you a few points I have 
 settled, showing that the church to which \ve belong
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 is a slavish copy of the Pagan power which it super- 
 ceded. 
 
 Do you not remember, last winter, wnen we were 
 reading the report of the speech of the ex-pastor of 
 St. Stephen's church at the New York Academy of 
 Music, he said, " It was a thousand pities, when 
 the Pagan emperor, Constantine, was converted to 
 Christianity, that he mingled church and state ; that 
 the pontiffs were made rich in worldly things and 
 sought worldly power, which was not according to the 
 Saviour's example, who became poor, and the apostle 
 Peter, who said, ' Silver and gold have I none,' - 
 counting it joy to bear the reproach of the Master ?" 
 Well, that started me on a line of investigation that 
 has opened my eyes to the delusion in which we have 
 lived. An author I am studying shows clearly that 
 the Madonna of Rome is just like the Madonna of 
 Babylon. The features and complexion of the two 
 are the same. Until recently there was nothing 
 either Jewish or Italian in the Madonna of Rome. 
 The idea of worshipping a mother and child was bor- 
 rowed from the pagan worship of old Babylon, started 
 by Semiramis, which system has helped shape the 
 heathenism of the entire world. Hislop says, fur- 
 ther, " Our Jesuit missionaries were astonished to 
 find the counterpart of the Madonna and her Child as 
 devoutly worshipped in Thibet, China and Japan, as in 
 Rome itself." 
 
 There were monks and nuns in ancient Babylon. 
 Monasteries are to be found in Thibet and Japan. 
 
 After Constantine was converted to Christianity, 
 there was a mingling of its doctrines with paganism ; 
 the Roman church put the Virgin Mary and the child 
 Jesus in the place of Semiramis and her son, thus 
 gaining popularity with the pagans. As paganism 
 disappeared externally, in the very same proportion it 
 was absorbed and became the inspiring power of the
 
 BISHOP BERLINS LETTER. 
 
 239 
 
 papacy. I am astonished, confounded, humbled, at 
 these revelations. 
 
 Baalti was the Babylonian for "my lady," the 
 Latin is Mea Domina, which is corrupted in Italian 
 into " Madonna." 
 
 I find that the confessional, purgatory, celibacy, 
 and,, indeed, every thing that makes Romanism what 
 it is, have been borrowed from old idolatries 
 counterfeit religions. I have been detained in mak- 
 ing these investigations ; besides, as the great occa- 
 sion of the Pope's emptying purgatory, in honor of 
 his Jubilee, was coming off, I determined to remain 
 and see the performance. I had some weeks before 
 finished all my business with the Pope, or, with my 
 recently changed views, I know, not how I could have 
 asked his license to marry, or to issue the New Testa- 
 ment. 
 
 I am more and more shocked at the Pope's dreadful 
 and growing presumption. In the light of God's 
 holy Word how blasphemous his conduct ! Soon 
 after his Jubilee, I am told that he canonized a good 
 many new saints to please those who made him the 
 richest presents. My missionary friend informs : 
 "To many towns and cities that had contributed 
 liberally to his Jubilee he gave a new idol, by taking 
 an individual of their choice whom they said once 
 lived there, and making a patron saint to whom they 
 could pray in times of trouble. To add to their faith 
 in the new saint he offered the first prayer as he 
 turned him over to those for whom he was designed. " 
 Was there ever a greater imposition, or such foolish 
 credulity ? 
 
 It does really seem as if Leo XIII. was left to do 
 weak and presumptuous things. His canonization 
 of saints, impious and blasphemous as it was, did not 
 suffice. He must show his supposed infallible power 
 anew ; so he essayed to do what no finite being can
 
 240 MADOXNA HALL. 
 
 do, free souls from purgatory, and pose as an infinite 
 being. This occurred last Sunday, 3Oth inst. No- 
 tice had been sent over the world that on that day he 
 would offer a propitiatory sacrifice, which would 
 cleanse the myriad of souls in purgatory, suffering for 
 their sins. All the faithful of every church were 
 directed to pray for the dead at the same time, for 
 which service the Pope would grant them plenary 
 indulgence. It seems that while triumphing in his 
 Jubilee, he could not be happy unless he released the 
 millions of his children who were wailing in the abyss. 
 The clergy taught that his divinity gloriously shone 
 forth in this act, and that it was a deed of unheard-of 
 clemency. Why, in the name of mercy, if he had the 
 power, did n't he do it before ? 
 
 Leo was to bestow a special blessing on all those 
 who would visit the eternal city, and assist his holi- 
 ness on this occasion, and the poor deluded devotees 
 crowded into Rome, thousands of tickets having been, 
 issued to the faithful, to secure sitting or standing 
 room in St. Peter's cathedral. Many Romanists 
 themselves thought the imposition supremely ridicu- 
 lous, a great trick to beguile the superstitious, for 
 there are multitudes of men capable of reasoning in 
 Rome, and, as is well knewn, the ruling power is 
 down on that gigantic lie of the centuries, the 
 Papacy, The cathedral is six hundred and thirty-two 
 feet in length ; greatest width four hundred and 
 forty-six feet ; height, four hundred and forty-eight 
 feet. It is doubtless the most magnificent religious 
 edifice ever built, and has from the first been a temple 
 of idolatry, mainly built by money gathered from in- 
 dulgences granted in the time of the monk Tetzel. 
 
 The Pope was to commence the services at nine 
 o'clock, in the morning. I secured a place by the high 
 altar, in the centre of the church. The canopy cov- 
 ering this altar, under the center of the dome, is of
 
 BISHOP BERLINS LETTER. 
 
 241 
 
 bronze, supported by four spiral composite columns, 
 rich with foliage of gilt, and is ninety-five feet high to 
 top of the globe. 
 
 I had some two hours to wait, with a missionary 
 friend, Rev. Wm. Van Meter, who joined me. We 
 had camp-stools and filled the time in reading what 
 Daniel, Paul, and John say of the beast, the man 
 of sin, and the woman, as we sat there under Rome's 
 high altar of idolatry. 
 
 The priests had commenced saying masses for the 
 dead a half-hour before we arrived, and kept on say- 
 ing them for the space of two hours, till half-past 
 eight. The church says that St. Peter was buried 
 under the high altar where we were. Reliable authori- 
 ties consider this legendary, and doubt if he ever 
 visited Rome. Nevertheless, on the right of the 
 altar his image sits in his chair, that is to say, the 
 old statue of Jupiter, which was in the pagan Pantheon, 
 is revamped and called St. Peter, the first Pope. The 
 altar was covered with cloth of gold and purple, 
 and lighted with one hundred and twelve immense 
 yellow wax candles in silver candelabra of elaborate 
 workmanship. Galleries of seats were arranged on 
 each side of the high altaj, for bishops, archbishops, 
 cardinals, and distinguished individuals. 
 
 The Pope, as the clock struck nine, was borne in, 
 sitting in his chair, on the shoulders of dignitaries. 
 They carried him into the Chapel of the Sacrament, 
 where they assert the body of Christ, in the form of 
 bread and wine, is always present. What a shock- 
 ing perversion to claim that He is present in these 
 elements, when they were instituted at the Last 
 Supper, to be partaken of by His disciples as a 
 memorial of His death and absence until He comes. 
 If He has come, or is present, they fail of significance. 
 But Rome will persist in making an idol of the 
 bread.
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 The Pope, after praying, was gorgeously arrayed, 
 placed again in his chair of state, and borne on as 
 before, smiling and scattering blessings, till he 
 reached the high altar, when he was let down and 
 clad in priestly robes, and with the help of three of 
 his men went up the steps to pray. The mass of 
 sufferers, it was understood, had commenced to move 
 out of the regions of anguish. But a further per- 
 formance was necessary, the huge host had only 
 started. The Pope came down and put on his ordi- 
 nary garments, and had his chaplain say a prayer, when 
 we are to suppose that the procession moved on, 
 although previous to this most absurd performance, 
 very loose ideas were held in the church, some sup- 
 posing that souls must be in the purifying fires till 
 the judgment day. 
 
 Again he put on his pontifical robes, over which his 
 assistants placed a bright mantle, and then was 
 seated on a throne in front of the altar of confes- 
 sion. 
 
 There, as God's Vicegerent, claiming the right to 
 loose or bind in heaven, earth and hell, he pompously 
 pronounced the absolution for those in torment. 
 Then, if we may believe him, purgatory at once was 
 evacuated of its wailing hosts, and millions changed 
 groans for songs, and rose to heaven. The Pope 
 claims that he accomplished this at that moment. 
 Hut where is the proof? Let him show that even 
 one soul ever gained heaven by his fiat! 
 
 I was simply stupefied with astonishment at this 
 heaven-daring presumption. Considering the enlight- 
 ened age in which we live, it is one of the most blas- 
 phemous deeds ever performed, always excepting the 
 mass, and most surely portends sudden retribution. 
 
 I said to myself, as I looked on this sinful vision of 
 pride, Is it possible that the credulity of the masses 
 will accept the falsehood ? Many present had friends
 
 BISHOP BERLINS LETTER. 
 
 243 
 
 whom they had been taught were in purgatory ; they 
 were glad to hear that they were released, and that 
 no more money would be claimed, and I saw some 
 among them laughing and joking, when on their way 
 home, as if returning from anything but a religious 
 ceremony. 
 
 Will there not be a terrible revulsion when the 
 thought occurs, as it surely will, If it rests with the 
 Pope to release from suffering, why did he wait so 
 long ? Was it not simply for the money the friends 
 of the lost were paying ? Will not the mass of 
 Romanists lose faith in him more and more, and hate 
 him as the people of Italy do ? Will not the clergy 
 complain that their pay, which comes from saying 
 masses for departed souls, is cut off ? When will 
 purgatory be sufficiently filled, to bring back the 
 needed income for the prosperity of the church ? Will 
 not this exit from the prison-house of after-death- 
 penance, make the money charges much higher for 
 those who are from time to time consigned there ? 
 
 Oh, my Clarissima, I see it clearly now ; the doc- 
 trines of devils have beguiled us. We have been far 
 astray; the dogma of purgatory is purely pagan. I 
 had much to learn when we talked it over. " Pagan- 
 ism leaves hope after death for sinners, by means of 
 the punishment of purgatorial pains." I find that this 
 was taught in Greece, Pagan Rome, Egypt, Tartary 
 ruid India. It is carrying out the principle embodied 
 in the blazing and purifying Baal fires. 
 
 But I fear I shall weary your patience, and I must 
 close, wishing you could be here and we could talk 
 face to face, for my heart is overflowing with the 
 strange revelations of the mixture of Christianity and 
 Paganism everywhere found in the apostacy. 
 
 You have heard of the great exposition at Paris, 
 now in this centennial year of the down-fall of the 
 Bastile prison, which was used as an inquisition when,
 
 244 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 Rome ruled France. Among the wonders of the 
 picture gallery under new France are vivid reproduc- 
 tions, on canvas, of the scenes of horror practiced by 
 the Inquisition on those who dared confess Chri>i 
 I shall stop a day in Paris on my way home. God is 
 unveiling the corruption of Rome as never before. 
 
 I hear the Lord of heaven and earth saying, 
 " Come out of her, my people,. that ye be not partakers 
 of her plagues." I shall hasten home, take you to 
 my heart and under my protection, and we will strive, 
 in the strength which God giveth, to help others into 
 the path of life. 
 
 Now, dearest, if you are in doubt and do not under- 
 stand me, calmly trust in God till I come and make 
 it plain ; and may He keep you under the shadow of 
 His wings, and " bring us fully out from the power of 
 darkness and translate us into the kingdom of His 
 dear Son." Yours ever, 
 
 BERLIN. 
 
 When the lady Clarissima received this letter, she 
 was almost overwhelmed with conflicting emotions ; 
 and although she could "not clearly see things so 
 changed about," and needed to read and re-read it 
 carefully, pondering its strong passages, yet she 
 finally settled her mind in comparative quietness, 
 saying to herself, " It will come out right, for his 
 lordship is always clear-headed, and never makes 
 mistakes."
 
 TAKING THE CEXSl'S AT THE PI ALL. 245 
 
 XIX. 
 
 frje feerjsus <af y Icr<a0r)r)a J~L(Zcll. 
 
 |I[ SHORT time after the events of the last chap- 
 ter, Madonna Hall received a remarkable visit. 
 It happened that the Lady Clarissima, in citizen's 
 dress, had joined Madame Du Pont and gone to the 
 beach for the day, and the ecclesiastics residing in the 
 vicinity were feasting at Father Buhler's house, in 
 the city, as they must have a convivial time at least 
 once a week. 
 
 Soon after noon, a carriage drawn by Senator 
 Southbury's new span passed through the park 
 entrance, along the serpentine driveway, and 
 stopped at the coach-ring in front of the establish 
 mcnt. Trees, shrubs, flowers and fountains were 
 rejoicing, oblivious of sin and sorrow. Fragrant 
 sprays nodded familiarly from trellis and shrubbery, 
 and a choice variety of bloom smiled a welcome from 
 many a parterre. The inmates of the carriage ad- 
 mired the rare beauty that met the eye, and yet their 
 enjoyment was alloyed by the thought that they were
 
 246 MAt>ON?fA HALL. 
 
 to make an official call which might be unpleasant 
 for some of those interviewed. 
 
 The fact was, the hitherto careless majority of loyal 
 citizens had waked up to take means to save their 
 country by exposing its invaders. Among other 
 causes of complaint, a loud and earnest protest had 
 been made. A host of true-hearted Americans had 
 petitioned Congress for laws to protect helpless 
 women immured in convents. 
 
 Colonel Southbury was one of the most active of 
 the committee of one hundred in effecting the passage 
 of this law. This he could the more easily do as he 
 was in the Senate, and was both influential and elo- 
 quent. It was simply to guide a popular uprising, to 
 stand by the Constitution and the liberties of the 
 county. 
 
 A law had been framed that every nunnery in the 
 land should be visited by four commissioners, two 
 gentlemen and two ladies, to ascertain the state of 
 the nuns. They were instructed to be patient and 
 take plenty of time, and do the work thoroughly. 
 
 In taking the census, the real name, age, parentage, 
 and place of birth were to be ascertained, and each 
 nun was to be asked if she wished to be free. Parents 
 bereft of daughters, hidden under assumed names, 
 could thus learn where they were, and nuns longing 
 for freedom could be released. 
 
 Colonel Southbury and his chosen assistants, Rev. 
 Augustus Cameron, Mrs. Leavenworth and Grace,
 
 TAKING THE CENSUS AT THE HALL. 247 
 
 alighted, and leaving the horses in care of the out- 
 rider, made their way over the three sets of terraces, 
 and reaching the front entrance, rang the bell. 
 
 A demure-looking nun, in costume of the Middle 
 Ages, opened the door. 
 
 " Is the Mother Superior in ? " asked Colonel 
 Southbury. 
 
 " She is away for the day," was the reply. " Will 
 you come in ? " 
 
 The nun, Sister Sophia, supposing that the callers 
 were rich patrons of the academical department, 
 ushered them into the parlor. 
 
 " What can I do for you ? " asked she, politely. 
 
 "My errand is with the nuns of this place," said 
 the Colonel. " What number have you here ? " 
 
 Now Sister Sophia had been trained not to answer 
 irrelevant questions. But she was dazed, and suppos. 
 ing that she was to officiate in the Superioress's place, 
 replied, quite off her guard, 
 
 " We have a house full now, in all two hundred. 
 It is vacation time; the one hundred scholars have 
 gone home, and their places are filled with nuns from 
 other nunneries. It is a retreat for them in sum- 
 mer." 
 
 " For how long a time is this ? " 
 
 "Only from June to September," was the reply. 
 
 " Ah, yes, I see," replied Colonel Southbury. " We 
 will now call in the nuns. Ring the great bell for the 
 Madonna Sisterhood, and we will take the census."
 
 248 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 What he meant by census, the nun porteress did 
 not know, but still looking on him as a Romanist, a 
 friend of the nunnery, whom the Superioress expected, 
 who was to be shown everya ttention, and unaccus- 
 tomed to question when bidden, she rang the bell, 
 and the nuns hastening down from all the stories 
 crowded into the reception parlor, where Colonel 
 Southbury, with Mr. Cameron and the ladies, begged 
 them to be seated, and with a few words of welcome 
 put them at their ease. 
 
 Each of the visitors was provided with a pencil 
 and note-book, and selecting a row of sisters, asked 
 of each her name, age, parentage, former place of 
 residence, and, lastly, if she was content to stay in 
 the nunnery, telling her, if not, she could this day 
 have leave to depart, as a home and kind friends 
 awaited her outside, and as the law of the land- was 
 her protector. 
 
 It was found that there was a general dread of giv- 
 ing the former name ; it was looked upon as being false 
 to their vows. But finally each one was persuaded to 
 do so. Some were too frightened to give much 
 account of themselves ; others were only too willing, 
 and answering, said they were longing to get away ; 
 others still were seemingly angry that these ques- 
 tions should be asked, and said that if the Superior- 
 ess and officiating priest were present they would not 
 be allowed. 
 
 But there came an interruption. The door-bell
 
 TAKING THE CENSUS AT THE HALL. 249 
 
 was violently rung, and a gentleman admitted to the 
 hall, was heard to say, 
 
 " I wish to see the lady of the house. I am looking 
 for ray daughter, who I suppose is hidden here under 
 a new name." 
 
 " I know nothing about your daughter," protested 
 the porteress. " The Lady Superior is away." 
 
 "But to-day the census is to be taken, and the real 
 name of each nun will be given." 
 
 " I know nothing about it," said the nun, stolidly. 
 
 By this time another anxious father, and two 
 frantic mothers, had pressed into the open door-way, 
 each asking piteously for a lost child. 
 
 Mr. Cameron, hearing the noise, stepped into the 
 hall and learned the case. Glancing out the door, he 
 saw an array of pilgrims in carriages, and pilgrims on 
 foot, hurrying towards the mansion, evidently on the 
 same heart -thrilling errand. 
 
 " Dear friends," said he, with misty eyes, to those 
 in the hall, " we are taking the census, and shall, in a 
 short time, know the real name, parentage, and former 
 lence of every inmate of this institution. We 
 can then answer your inquiries. The Lady Superior 
 and the Bishop are absent, which I greatly regret, as 
 they are fully in sympathy with this movement of the 
 Government to do away with a great wrong." 
 
 Then turning to the porteress, he said, 
 
 " Will you give these friends seats in the academy 
 hall for awhile."
 
 250 MADOWA HALL. 
 
 She silently obeyed, and as soon as the space by 
 the hall door was cleared, another company of stricken 
 seekers for long-mourned daughters presented them- 
 selves, and implored the young clergyman to help 
 them in their extremity of searching. 
 
 There were gray-haired men and women, with hair 
 prematurely blanched from sorrow. Eyes once bright 
 and piercing had become faded and dim with weep- 
 ing. All the while their loved ones had been lost 
 they had kept vigil, constantly praying the God of 
 heaven to guide them in their search, but until the law 
 was made, no nunnery would reveal the true name ; 
 when once a nun had taken the fatal veil, her exist- 
 ence, so far as the outside world was concerned, was 
 enveloped in the silence and mystery of death. 
 
 A few months ago a young lady was foully mur- 
 dered in an eastern city, and two hundred parents, 
 from different parts of the state, came to the place 
 where the body was kept, each hoping, fearing, to iden- 
 tify a lost daughter. Doubtless, some of the same two 
 hundred were at Madonna Hall on this day. The 
 school-room was crowded, and other apartments were 
 needed to accommodate the crowd. It was a Charley 
 Ross search a hundred-fold multiplied. The interest 
 was intense, overwhelming. The long pent-up sor- 
 row and grief were culminating in suspense too 
 oppressive to be borne. Some of the feeble mothers 
 fainted, and were carried out on the verandah. Mr. 
 Cameron kindly had them cared for, and received the
 
 TAKIXG THE CEXSUS AT THE HALL. 251 
 
 new-comers, as many questions were asked by group 
 after group, as they arrived. He finally returned 
 to the parlor where the record was being taken. 
 Meanwhile some of those waiting found their way over 
 the park -like grounds, and, as the shrines and idols 
 were discovered, many were the exclamations of sur- 
 prise and astonishment that any in this land of gospel 
 light could be so unbelieving and superstitious as to 
 worship the creature rather than the Creator. What 
 a revelation ! The rankest idolatry in a professing 
 church, in the midst of Christendom. The fathers 
 and mothers who were grieving for their daughters 
 felt an added burden in sighing and crying for the 
 abominations permitted in the land. 
 
 As Mr. Cameron resumed his place in taking the 
 census, several sisters were heard to find fault with 
 the proceedings, when Colonel Southbury replied, in 
 his kindest way, 
 
 " Ladies, do not fear. We are your friends. We 
 are simply obeying the laws of the United States." 
 
 " Every nun in the land can be free if she wishes," 
 said Grace, in clear ringing tones. 
 
 "It is against the laws for you to be confined here 
 without your full choice," added Mr. Cameron. 
 
 "We only owe allegiance to Rome," was the an- 
 swer from an old nun, too set to be set at liberty, and 
 who had found an asylum in this country, when 
 nunneries were visited by Government agents in 
 Europe.
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " If you only owe allegiance to Rome, you should 
 go there by all means," replied Colonel Southbury. 
 
 " I 'd rather stay here," she answered. 
 
 "Very well, then ; you can do so, if you will obey 
 our laws. But this country has decided not to enter- 
 tain enemies any longer, unless she has them either 
 under lock and key, or under the watchful eye of her 
 officials." 
 
 " Praise God," said an old nun. " I 've been pray- 
 ing for this for many years." 
 
 " It is too good to be true," said another. 
 
 " Can the Government of the United States make 
 the priests obey ? " asked a young, pallid sister, trem- 
 blingly. " I thought they were only bound to obey 
 the Pope." 
 
 " Why should they not obey our Government acorcl- 
 ing to their vows, and forego the Italian Pope, who is 
 himself only a private citizen ? " asked Colonel South- 
 bury. " Your name, Miss ? " he went on, addressing 
 the next, while Grace, with her rare tact, sunny face, 
 and genial ways, was winning favor and taking names, 
 her mother and Mr. Cameron showing by their long 
 list that they were not far behind. 
 
 When, at length, the one hundred who composed 
 the sisterhood were taken, they left for their rooms, 
 and the next one hundred, the guest nuns', were rung 
 down. These last being simply there during vaca- 
 tion. 
 
 Father Williams arrived, but deemed it unwise to
 
 TAKING THE CENSUS AT THE HALL. 
 
 253 
 
 interfere, although the new order of things filled him 
 with surprise and perplexity. 
 
 The same process of inquiry had similar results. 
 
 " What does all this mean?" exclaimed a strong- 
 willed, hard-featured nun. " You '11 suffer for this, 
 when the Archbishop arrives." 
 
 "The Archbishop is only a servant under the 
 United States laws," was the reply of Mr. Cameron, 
 " and if he disobeys, he will suffer imprisonment, or be 
 banished." 
 
 This was a new thought, and caused a murmur of 
 wonder among the nuns. Could it be that the 
 Archbishop was less to be feared than the Govern- 
 ment of the land ? 
 
 " You have no right to question us, and we have no 
 right to answer, or even listen," said one to Grace. 
 
 " But the law requires this, and you must obey, or 
 take the consequences." 
 
 " It is a mortal sin for us to converse with stran- 
 gers," said another, crossing herself and mumbling 
 prayers. 
 
 When the question was put, " Are you contented?." 
 there was so much abject fear that not one in ten 
 dare honestly tell that she was sick of her life, and 
 that she had been disappointed and shocked when she 
 first learned its character. 
 
 One, when asked the question, " Are you con- 
 tented?" broke down and cried, "O my Mother! 
 take me to my mother." At this, others showed
 
 254 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 more courage, and deep down in their hearts there 
 was still burning the love of kindred, and the old 
 home, and finally when the census was completed, it 
 was found that twenty-five out of. the two hundred 
 ventured to say they were longing to be free. But 
 this was not all. With the long list of real names 
 Mr. Cameron stationed himself in the hall, and call- 
 ing the waiting crowd to order, slowly and distinctly 
 read every name. Five parents responded, and their 
 daughters were restored to them with tears of joy. 
 
 These were all found among those that said they 
 wished to be free. The recovery of these daughters 
 was to the parents like life from the dead, and the 
 rejoicing was overwhelmingly touching. It was the 
 mighty surging of a sea of mingled joy and grief, as 
 there were many fathers and mothers witnessing it 
 who were still bereft of those dearer to them than 
 life ; and they left with almost hopeless hearts to 
 continue the search, as other mysterious nunneries 
 were by law laid open to the light of day. 
 
 As the sad ones left, the fortunate parents were re- 
 joicing, and there were heart-felt praises to God, and 
 hand-shakings and congratulations. In the midst of 
 this wave of happiness, as they left Madonna Hall, who 
 should appear but the Lady Clarissima, and her sister, 
 Madame Du Pont. Quickly learning the state of 
 affairs, they entered into the general gladness with irn 
 mense enthusiasm, the Lady Superior fairly clapping 
 her hands for joy.
 
 TAK1XG THE CENSUS AT THE HALL. 
 
 255 
 
 "God is in this movement," she said. "It is the 
 beginning of better things." 
 
 " Well, upon my word ! " exclaimed Madame Du 
 Pont, " this is getting changed around. I am simply 
 delighted ! I always did hate mystery, and a walled-in 
 convent, as I have often told you, sister." 
 
 "Yes, I remember," replied the Superioress, 
 brightly. " Now, dear friends," said she, to Colonel 
 Southbury, Mr. Cameron, and the Leavenworths, " I 
 can not thank you enough for myself and the Bishop. 
 I received a letter from his lordship a few days ago 
 which has stirred my soul in the right direction. I 
 wish all the sisters to know that I fully approve of 
 what you have done, according to the new laws, which 
 should long since have been made." 
 
 Then conferring with the Commissioners, it was 
 decided to order a barge and at once fit off those that 
 wished to leave. They were to have rooms at the 
 Y. W. C. A. until they could find situations, or be 
 received into their old homes. Meanwhile they would 
 be where they could still learn of Christ and the way 
 of salvation only through Him. 
 
 In due time the twenty nuns were ready, and at 
 i'equest of Lady Clarissima, Rev. Mr. Cameron held a 
 short service of prayer, committing them to the keep- 
 ing of the Great Shepherd, and asking for His special 
 blessing. 
 
 They each embraced the Lady Clarissima, saying 
 that they were sorry to leave her, although heart-sick
 
 256 MADOXA'A HALL. 
 
 of convent life. All eyes watched the well-loaded 
 barge as it wound out of the grounds, and many a 
 blessing was invoked on the retiring nuns. 
 
 Madame Du Pont had meanwhile taken Father 
 Williams under her care, and was very busily seeking 
 to reconcile him to the new order of things. 
 
 "See here, Father," said she, in her persuasive 
 way, " we must accept the inevitable. The Pope has 
 long since lost his political power, and Signor Crispi, 
 the Italian Premier, who knows all about it, says he 
 will never get it again." 
 
 "No doubt that he is right. His temporal power 
 is of the past. I am sorry to say he is a criminal, 
 indicted before the nations !" said Father Williams. 
 
 "That means," said the shrewd little lady, "that 
 the church is losing ground. That means that the 
 people of Italy, who should know him best, and who 
 really hate him most, having set the example, all the 
 Catholic world will shortly follow suit, and do as the 
 Italians do ! " 
 
 " Madame, I think you have hit the nail on the 
 head. It is only a question of time ! " replied Father 
 Williams, strangely well-pleased, for he had long 
 mourned over the iniquity covered up in the system. 
 
 "Well, then, we must see," said Madame, "that 
 there will be great changes everywhere in the Catho- 
 lic ranks. Contempt for the weak, but would-be 
 powerful Pope is getting to be more and more com- 
 mon. The Government here is waking up to see
 
 TAKING THE CE.VSi/ti AT THE HALL. 
 
 257 
 
 things as they are, and to enforce laws to regulate 
 and do away with Jesuit manoeuvres and oppressive 
 institutions." 
 
 " But this is all so sudden," said the Father ; " I 
 am scarcely prepared for it. I tremble, while I hope 
 for better things." 
 
 "I do not wonder in the least," replied the sympa- 
 thizing widow. " I was taken quite by surprise when 
 Clarissima read me the Bishop's last letter from 
 Rome. I wish you could see it, too. It is very 
 remarkable how he has been guided. I think, as my 
 sister does, that the hand of God is leading him ; 
 then, you know, he will come out all right." 
 
 " Certainly ', and I would not be afraid to follow 
 where Bishop Berlin leads," said Father Williams, 
 with enthusiasm. " He is a true man and conscien- 
 tious." 
 
 " I am glad you think so, for, do you know, my 
 sister just worships him." Then, confidentially, be- 
 hind her fan, " Did it ever occur to you what the 
 special errand of the Bishop is, in going post haste to 
 Rome?" 
 
 " I am not aware what his errand is," was the reply. 
 
 " Well, as you are his most intimate friend, he 
 doubtless would have told you, if he had had the 
 opportunity." 
 
 "He doubtless would," was the reply of the per- 
 plexed Father. "We are accustomed to confide our 
 plans to each other."
 
 2 :;S MADONNA HALL. 
 
 "Of course," said Madame, "and you surely ought 
 to know this, which Clarissima has told me as a great 
 secret. The Bishop is in Rome to get a dispensation 
 to marry her ! What do you think of that ? " 
 
 The Father gasped almost spasmodically, caught 
 his breath, and said, " I am too surprised to have any 
 clear ideas ! " 
 
 " There is nothing wicked about it, is there ? "' 
 asked she, coloring. " What 's the harm ? " 
 
 "It is a great step," was the reply; "but I have' 
 long felt that the clergy ought to have leave to marry,, 
 if they wish." 
 
 "That is because you are a wise man, and very 
 clear-headed," exclaimed the lady, admiringly. 
 The Father fairly blushed, he was so pleased. 
 " I wish to ask," said he, " if the Pope gave him 
 leave ? " 
 
 "Oh, yes, he gave him leave, and his blessing as 
 well. The Bishop plunged into the Tiber years ago, 
 you remember, and saved a Cardinal from drowning, 
 and is much thought of at Rome." 
 
 " Well, well ; this is news, indeed ! " exclaimed the 
 Father. 
 
 " I thought you, of all others, ought to know it," 
 pursued the lady, 
 the Bishop. But 
 to a convent life because it broke up home and family 
 plans, and have often pointed to Clarissima as a for- 
 lorn specimen of an old maid, although she is not 
 
 A," since you are the bosom friend of 
 it the joke of it is, I always objected
 
 TAKIXG THE CEXSUS AT THE HALL. 359 
 
 thirty, and here, all at once, she steals a march on me, 
 and is shortly to become a bride ! It makes me feel 
 my loneliness afresh ! " and with this pathetic speech 
 the tears actually came in her bright eyes, and im- 
 pressed the Father that she was a very lovely and 
 captivating woman, and, of course, the conversation 
 waxed more and more -interesting. 
 
 Evening drew on, and tea was served, after which 
 Hosea harnessed the horses to take Madame Du Pont 
 to her quarters in the city. She politely asked Father 
 Williams to take a seat in the carriage, and how it 
 came about we cannot tell, but before the evening 
 conversation was over they were pledged to become 
 united as soon as the way was opened. 
 
 The clergy who dined with Father Buhler did not 
 return to their monastic dwelling until late at night, 
 and knew nothing of the census taking and its conse- 
 quences until the next day. 
 
 "A nice state of things, truly!" said Father 
 Krafts, when he heard the news. 
 
 "I 'd like to know," said Father Pecci, "what right 
 the Government has to search out and parade all our 
 affairs ! " 
 
 "So audacious! " was Archbishop Eland's exclama- 
 tion. 
 
 "It is these indomitable, irrepressible Yankees," 
 said Father Krafts ; " they make the poorest papists in 
 the world. They will think for themselves, and that's 
 against all rule, in our church."
 
 2 6o MADONXA HALL. 
 
 " If it comes to this, that we, as Jesuits, cannot rule 
 here, we must try it elsewhere," said the prelate ; 
 "but I am far from giving up the game. We shall 
 doubtless win yet. These Americans are a careless 
 money-loving race, and we have the advantage in 
 being wily and ever on the alert. They are no match 
 for our holy intrigues. We -have abundant means, 
 and have found out that many editors, lawyers and 
 politicians can be bribed, with large sums of money, 
 to do our bidding."
 
 HASTEXLVG A DECISION. 261 
 
 XX. 
 
 TILLING tried in vain to get an opportunity to 
 converse with Grace at Mrs. Byington's Soiree. 
 J o 
 
 Although apparently pleased with his courteous 
 address, she carefully avoided seeing him alone ; feel- 
 ing intuitively that he had something to say to her 
 that she would be pained to hear, she made herself 
 busy helping her aunt and cousin receive and enter- 
 tain the company. In his unfailing complacency, the 
 German lover did not suspect the true state of the 
 case, but imagined that she indulged in a certain com- 
 plimentary coyness arising from her deep regard for 
 him, as she was at ease in general society. With this 
 solace to his slightly disturbed feelings, on retiring 
 for the night in his hotel quarters, he slept more 
 soundly than ever, resolving with his first waking 
 thoughts to devote the day to Miss Leavenworth, 
 plead his cause, effect an engagement, and as soon as 
 possible bring about a union. 
 
 Accordingly, at the earliest allowable hour, with 
 his fine equipage, which was bought with his chil
 
 262 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 dren's money, drawn up before the door, he called on 
 Miss Grace with the air of a prince imperial, and 
 proposed an excursion. At first she commenced 
 excusing herself, but her aunt, coming in at the 
 moment, prevailed on her to go, saying the change 
 would do her good. Stilling gracefully handed the 
 young lady into the cabriolet, and the driver starting 
 up the horses, they were borne rapidly away from the 
 city's din, into the charmingly diversified suburbs, 
 and as the wheels quietly rolled over the smooth road 
 there was ample opportunity for conversation. As 
 Grace was most becomingly dressed, Stilling began 
 by an approving remark indicating his full apprecia. 
 tion of her rare taste. Although she did not show 
 that she was offended by his carefully chosen words, 
 she skilfully turned the current by calling attention 
 to a common topic of the day. He was at once 
 interested, and sought to take views akin to hers that 
 he might fully ingratiate himself in her favor. After 
 discoursing on city news, in a very sensible way, 
 which she appeared to enjoy, he said, 
 
 " I recently saw a striking statement which must, 
 I think, awaken interest among the thoughtful." 
 Posing as a religious man, he related a religious item. 
 " It is said that during the last one hundred years of 
 missionary effort, some three million of converts have 
 been made, while in the same time the heathen popu- 
 lation has increased two hundred million. Now, Miss 
 Grace, I learn that you are skilled in mathematics,
 
 HASTENING A DECISION. 363 
 
 how long would it take to convert the world at that 
 rate?" 
 
 " I should say that it would never be converted at 
 that rate," was her ready reply ; " with means suffi- 
 cient, however, it might be evangelized. We know 
 that ' this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in 
 all the world for a witness to all nations.' ' 
 
 " I doubt not that you are right ; you always are, 
 Miss Grace ; but for myself, as on many other relig- 
 ious questions, I am at sea without a chart. Oh, that 
 you would consent to be my guide," and he looked 
 volumes of meaning, which Grace appeared not to 
 notice. 
 
 While intently studying her face, he said, " I saw 
 this fact also among the current notes : ' The Pope of 
 Rome and the Sultan of Turkey are the two chief 
 prisoners of Europe ; the Pope in the Vatican, and 
 the Sultan in his Kiosk.' What does this indi- 
 cate ? " 
 
 "The religious press says, it shows the loss of 
 power of the systems they represent," replied 
 Grace. 
 
 "Of course; you Ye hit it exactly, Miss Grace," 
 was the reply, with a beaming face. " And what is 
 very striking, I find that many distinguished people 
 think so too, in regard to Romanism. You remem- 
 ber that Ireland is the only country over which Leo 
 XIII. has political dominion, and heelings to this last 
 vestige of secular power as the drowning man does to
 
 264 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 a straw, and with about as much avail," laughed 
 Stilling. 
 
 " I suppose so," she replied with more animation. 
 " Do you think that Ireland will gain her freedom ? " 
 
 " It looks like it ; they are so terribly in earnest. 
 Protestants have won confidence by showing them- 
 selves true friends. The chief leader has a good fol- 
 lowing among the Catholics as well as Protestants. 
 The Pope has for years sent his mandates to Ireland 
 only to have them contemptously set aside by the 
 people. Miss Grace, how passing strange it is that 
 he can not learn wisdom, and cease to command where 
 he is sure to be disobeyed." 
 
 " Do the Irish thus dare to defy him ?"she asked. 
 
 " Indeed they do. For some years they have 
 declared that they will hold their country against 
 Rome. She may give them religion, but not poli- 
 ties." 
 
 " I am glad to know it," replied Grace, pleased to 
 have a conversation in which she could gain informa- 
 tion. "I have been puzzled to find just the state of 
 Irish home affairs from the papers." 
 
 She was off her guard, and the Count, fully cog- 
 nizant of the fact, and eager to take advantage, 
 adroitly led the conversation to personal matters. 
 He commended her aunt and her reception, ending 
 by saying, 
 
 " Do you know, Miss Grace, that I met with a 
 great draw-back in my enjoyment yesterday? "
 
 HASTENING A DECISION. 265 
 
 " Indeed, what could it be ? I am sure aunt was 
 anxious to have you enjoy yourself." 
 
 " The fault was not with her, Miss Grace. I longed 
 for a confidential talk with you, and was almost dis- 
 tracted that I could not gain it." Then abruptly, " I 
 had it in my heart to ask if you would become 
 mine." 
 
 Grace blushed scarlet, but was silent. She knew 
 not what to say, yet there were confused question- 
 ings in her mind, if only she could utter them. \Yhat 
 added to her embarrassment, Stilling continued to 
 regard her with intense eyes, and at length said, 
 
 " Miss Grace, you have a strange power over me. 
 You move and influence me as I was never moved 
 and influenced before. You are interwoven in my 
 every thought, in every fibre of my being. I try to 
 talk on general subjects, but you see how miserably I 
 fail. It is of you, and you only, that I can think. 
 Will you not intrust your happiness to me ? " 
 
 Grace was disconcerted still more, and strangely 
 could not summon voice to reply. Stilling, taking 
 much for granted, and making a favorable interpreta- 
 tion of her blushing silence, diverged upon the 
 eloquent theme of his adventures and travels. He 
 was a very hero, and so many thrilling incidents 
 attended him, that Grace, despite her conservative 
 resolutions, woman-like, was for the time captivated, 
 and wondered at her previous lack of faith in him. 
 No man devoid of heart and principle could woo with
 
 266 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 more assurance than he, and yet after awhile it 
 occurred to him, that she did not respond as he wished, 
 but maintained an ominous silence, a fact which he 
 would have discovered earlier had he not been so 
 much taken up with rehearsing events of his remark- 
 able career. 
 
 " You are silent, Miss Grace. Why this reserve ? " 
 as anew it came over him that he was not fully 
 influencing her as was his purpose. 
 
 On the other hand, Grace, calling to mind her 
 determination before starting, felt that she must 
 arouse herself, or she would yield too much to his 
 powerful presence, and with a great effort at self- 
 possession she said, 
 
 " I wish to waive this matter for the present, sir. 
 It is so sudden ; and we are as yet comparatively 
 strangers." 
 
 Stilling was thunder-struck, but quickly recovering 
 himself, said, 
 
 "It shall be as you wish." 
 
 After a few moments' silence, he continued in a 
 gentle, dignified way, 
 
 " Let me read you a few lines from a letter your 
 honored father wrote me on this subject. He says, 
 
 " In reply to your earnest request for the hand of 
 my precious daughter, I refer you to her. On your 
 gaining her consent, I give her to you as a sacred 
 charge, feeling that you are worthy of her, and that I 
 shall be proud to claim you as my son."
 
 HASTE.\7A'G A DECISION. 267 
 
 He then plead his case, as no other could, and with 
 his plausible tongue and magnetic eye was finally 
 irresistible ; especially because he was her father's 
 choice, Grace was moved to accept him. She reluc- 
 tantly smothered an old affection with the thought 
 that it was her duty to learn to love the Count, and 
 as if under a magician's wand for the moment, she 
 forgot her doubts and fears, and there glistened on 
 her finger a costly engagement ring. 
 
 The Count was jubilant at his success, while Grace 
 was shortly beset with former forebodings. She had 
 strangely forgotten to speak of the note which had 
 been sent to warn her, and now dared not allude to 
 it, but resolved to see her father and mother immedi- 
 ately, and show them the letter, and find out what it 
 could mean, by thorough investigation. 
 
 Meanwhile, Stilling was so deeply absorbed with 
 his ambitious thoughts that he did not heed her lack 
 of joy and air of depression. It was a grand occasion 
 with him. He decided that he would make the 
 engagement short, and precipitate the bridal day. As 
 at the close of the eventful excursion, he returned 
 Grace to Byington Mansion, and took affectionate 
 leave, there was trembling on one side, exultation on 
 the other. 
 
 Paul, as in duty bound, resolving to offset the 
 Count's influence, sought an interview with Miss 
 Leavenworth. Instead of calling at the house, how- 
 ever, he lingered near the conservatory, admiring the
 
 268 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 plants. It was the day after the excursion, and he 
 had not long to wait, for Grace, being a florist as well 
 as a botanist, was fond of helping in the care of 
 the flowers. She had entered the greenhouse, and 
 was training a plant, when Paul suddenly stood beside 
 her, saying, 
 
 " May I speak a word with you, lady ?" 
 
 " Certainly. What can I do for you ? " asked Grace, 
 kindly. 
 
 " I would do you a good turn, lady," was the 
 reply. 
 
 "Thank you," said Grace, cheerily. "What can 
 you do ? Are you a gardener ? " 
 
 " I am not," he replied. " Please speak low, lady ; 
 there may be treacherous ears listening," looking 
 around cautiously. " If you can keep a secret that 
 concerns your happiness, I '11 tell you one." 
 
 "I '11 try my best," returned Grace, with a bright 
 smile, her curiosity rising. "It is worth trying for, 
 if it has to do with my happiness. I hope I am in no 
 danger at present." 
 
 " Indeed, I am sorry to say that you are," replied 
 Paul, earnestly. " I will trust to your honor, for you 
 have a sensible look. I wrote you the letter of warn- 
 ing." 
 
 " You !" exclaimed Grace. "You wrote that let- 
 ter? What right had you to interfere with my 
 affairs ? How dared you do such a thing ? " 
 
 " If you will be so kind as to wait and hear me,"
 
 HASTENING A DECISION. 269 
 
 replied he, unabashed, " you will understand. I was 
 in the confidence of the stranger, Stilling, that is 
 seeking to marry you. I was his serving-man for a 
 year, and know him through and through. He is a 
 faithless man, and you '11 do well to have no dealings 
 with him." 
 
 Grace trembled from head to foot, and leaned 
 against a pillar for support. 
 
 " Do you mean to say that he is not what he seems 
 to be?" 
 
 " I do, and I can prove it," was the reply. 
 
 " How can I know that you tell me the truth ? " 
 
 " You must be your own judge. I am doing self- 
 denying work for his children, and if I served myself, 
 as he does, you 'd have reason to distrust me." 
 
 " What children do you deny yourself for ? " asked 
 Grace, in a dazed way, dreading, yet anxious, to hear 
 what he had to say. 
 
 " They belong to this fine man who calls himself a 
 Count," was the reply. 
 
 " Has the Count children ? " asked she, a deathly 
 pallor on her face. 
 
 "He has two very sweet children." 
 
 "Two children ? Impossible ! I was told that he had 
 never married. Where are they-? I must see them." 
 
 " Come with me, and you shall see them," replied 
 Paul. 
 
 "There must be some mistake," faltered Grace, 
 staggering under the weight of the tidings.
 
 270 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 Just then a huge shadow, and a stealthy tread, 
 neared the house of flowers, and Grace, knowing who 
 it wa?, motioned the dwarf to withdraw behind the 
 partition, which he had barely time to do, when Stil- 
 ling made his appearance. 
 
 "Ah, it is here that my beauteous queen hides 
 herself," he said, in blandest tones. " But why so 
 pale, my dear Grace ? Are you ill ? " 
 
 She acknowledged that she was faint, and giving 
 her his arm, he silently assisted her to the house. 
 With keen intuition, suspecting the truth, he abruptly 
 put her in charge of her aunt. The full conviction 
 that her indisposition was caused by some new dis- 
 trust of him, led him to punish her by excusing him- 
 self, saying that he had an engagement with a 
 friend. He left in bad humor, for, when crossed, he 
 had the temper of a fiend. He passed rapidly down 
 the street, full of ill-will towards Grace, for the fancied 
 slight of further lack of confidence, when, as he sup- 
 posed, he had completely settled her mind as to his 
 worthiness. He was revengefully angry, and although 
 he had no idea of relinquishiog Grace and her for- 
 tune, if, by a summary punishment, he could have 
 forever made her incapable of doubting him, he would 
 have done it. That-she was disposed to criticise him, 
 was a bitterness most obnoxious. When once she 
 was his, he would teach her that it would not be. 
 endured.
 
 NUPTIALS AND A BLUSHING CHURCH. 2 /I 
 
 XXI. 
 
 <ar<a 
 
 FTER the census, matters at Madonna Hall 
 became settled in an improved condition. 
 Bishop Berlin returned, having accomplished his 
 mission, which was to obtain leave to marry the Lady 
 Clarissima. The joyful event of the wedding occurred 
 soon after his arrival, and was informal, being in 
 place of one of the musical receptions in the convent 
 parlors. The bishop had previously given the clergy 
 residing near an inkling of his views on the subject 
 of matrimony, to guard against too great a shock 
 to their prejudices in his new departure. 
 
 Lady Clarissima, under the direction of Madame 
 Du Pont, was arrayed in white, as were the sister- 
 hood, and even Madame herself. The bride wore a 
 crown of orange blossoms and a white veil. The guests 
 declared that she looked too lovely for anything on 
 earth. The new music teacher played the wedding 
 march, and then the bishop with Lady Clarissima 
 stood under an arch of roses ; Madame Du Pont
 
 272 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 and Father Williams were beside them, while Father 
 Williams performed the ceremony. 
 
 The occasion passed off as naturally as possible, 
 the bishop and his bride looking radiant with happi- 
 ness as they received congratulations. 
 
 Father Buhler, of course, was at first scandalized 
 at this innovation, calling it " a sin against con- 
 science." But he was accustomed to call darkness 
 "light," and light "darkness." Archbishop Bland said 
 the marriage of the clergy was of the devil, and refused 
 to be present. Indeed, so important an event as the 
 wedding of the bishop could not occur without criti- 
 cism and opposition. 
 
 The bishop realized this, and at the proper moment, 
 calling the attention of the company assembled, 
 said, 
 
 " When I was ordained a priest, I made a solemn 
 oath that I would never marry. Some of you 
 wonder that I am led to break my vow, and ask if 
 my own conscience does not condemn me for set- 
 ting it aside. I wish, my friends, to say a word about 
 vows. You know the Bible story of the daughter of 
 Herodias dancing before Herod, and the rash oath 
 he made that he would give her what she asked, to 
 the half of his kingdom. She asked the head of 
 John the Baptist. Now, was it right for Herod to 
 keep that vow ? " 
 
 "Of course not," replied Father Williams; "he 
 committed a greater sin by keeping it than he did in
 
 NUPTIALS AND A BLUSHING CHURCH. 273 
 
 making it. An oath against the laws of God must not 
 be kept." 
 
 " But, my Lord Bishop," said Father Krafts, " that 
 cannot be said of the holy oath of celibacy, most 
 surely." 
 
 "Ah, yes it can," was the reply of the bishop. 
 " In the first place, it is not a holy, but a most unholy 
 vow. It is against God's sacred provision for the 
 welfare of the race ; it crushes out the holy family 
 affections, and disobeys the first command of our 
 Creator : 'It is not good for man to be alone ; let 
 us make him a helpmeet like unto himself.' Has God 
 ever annulled this mandate ? " 
 
 " I think not, my Lord Bishop," replied Father 
 Williams ; "but the church has." 
 
 " Yes," rejoined the bishop. " Now let us see 
 what the Saviour did about this law. He did not 
 choose his apostles among unmarried men ; they 
 lived with their wives when at home, and they some- 
 times went with them and labored abroad. Our 
 Lord was entertained at the home of Peter, and 
 healed his wife's mother of a fever. He gave the 
 beloved John a charge, and he took His mother 
 Mary to his home." 
 
 "Yes, yes; He looked out for His mother," said 
 Father Pecci, "because she was the blessed Virgin." 
 
 " Now listen to the words of Paul," the bishop 
 continued. "He says, 'Have we not power to eat 
 and drink ? Have we not the power to lead about a
 
 274 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 believing wife as well as the other apostles, and as 
 the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas ? ' If these 
 teachings are disregarded, untold evils will result. 
 Every thoughtful man among us has often asked, 
 What is the remedy for the besetting sin of the clergy ? 
 We read it in the Bible, 'To avoid fornication, let 
 every man have his wife, and let every woman have 
 her husband.' Celibacy is the great cause of forni- 
 cation, and marriage is the Bible antidote. All here 
 present can witness to what I say, and the fearful 
 corruption of the Church of Rome is a standing 
 proof that the vow of celibacy is not of God, but of 
 the prince of the power of the air, who worketh in the 
 children of disobedience." 
 
 "I insist," said Father Buhler, excitedly, "it has 
 always been a law of the infallible church that the 
 priests should be celibate." 
 
 "Oh, no, my son," replied Bishop Berlin ; "you are 
 mistaken. You forget your history. All the church 
 historians acknowledge that her priests were not 
 required to be celibate for almost a thousand years. 
 Even now, the clergy in Greece and Asia are per- 
 mitted to marry. And when it was at first proposed 
 at the Council of Nice that priests should be for 
 bidden to marry, the proposition was rejected by an 
 almost unanimous vote. It was a hard matter for the 
 church to adopt that miserable decree, and I firmly 
 believe that the Pope will be so beset with petitions 
 to grant permission to marry, that he will, for the
 
 NUPTIALS AXD A BLUSHIXG CHURCH. 
 
 sake of peace, give a general dispensation, and have 
 no more trouble about it. He allows me to give this 
 liberty to a certain number of priests, for a monied 
 consideration.' 1 
 
 The clergy present received this with surprised 
 acclaim, and the way the nuns fell to blushing was 
 beautiful to see. 
 
 "Well, now,'" outspoke Father Pecci he was a 
 small, nervous, man, and since he could not fill the 
 post of cardinal, had been consigned to the priest- 
 hood, " I do n't see why Uncle Leo could not in 
 this, his year of Jubilee, make another joyful celebra- 
 tion, and Jet us all marry." 
 
 A general laugh met this proposal of Father Pecci, 
 who would be likely to wait some time before any 
 woman would choose him. 
 
 "Well, why not?" cried Father Williams, coming 
 to the rescue. " It is understood that the Pope has 
 recently opened the gates of the nether-\vorld purga- 
 tory, and sent millions of tormented souls to heaven, 
 and why not keep on in his work of saving from suf- 
 fering? We all know that our vows of celibacy are 
 vows of humiliation and self-denial, most unnatural 
 and crossing." 
 
 " I see that you brethren of the priesthood," said 
 Bishop Berlin, " and you sisters, are mostly satisfied 
 that I am right in breaking my vows of celibacy. I 
 have not only the sanction of God's holy Word, but I 
 have also the leave of the Pope, who claims that he can
 
 276 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 annul and cancel every possible obligation arising from 
 an oath. I acknowledge to you that this is the supreme 
 moment of my life. I have long loved my Clarissima, 
 but never allowed her to suspect the state of my 
 heart, until I saw the way clear to ask the Pope's 
 consent. What do you suppose emboldened me to 
 venture to do such an unheard-of thing ? " 
 
 No one could tell. 
 
 "Well, it was that shocking dispensation of the Pope, 
 giving Amando the Duke of Aosta the right to marry 
 his niece. I said, ' If the Pope can give this prince 
 the right to sin, he can as well release me from the 
 bondage of a sinful vow, and allow me to marry my 
 Clarissima.' ' 
 
 "Yes, yes, why not?" said Father Williams, and 
 others. 
 
 " Now, brethren," continued the bishop, " do noth- 
 ing disorderly, but when any of you are firmly per- 
 suaded in your minds that you wish to be united in 
 holy bonds to the object of your choice, let me know, 
 and I will see what I can do for you." 
 
 At this, Father Williams stepped forward beside 
 Madame Du Pont, who was blushing like a young 
 girl ; clasping her hand, he said, 
 
 " My lord Bishop, we are ready, and take you at 
 your word." 
 
 The bans had been published, and the bishop had 
 been beforehand instructed,and in turn read the mar- 
 riage service and offered prayer. Then came the cus-
 
 NUPTIALS AND A BLUSHING CHURCH. 
 
 277 
 
 ternary congratulations, and anew the wedding march 
 was played, and every face beamed with joy. No one 
 there was more ready to welcome the new departure 
 than the Pope's nephew, Father Pecci, and in connec- 
 tion with Father Williams, with whom he was accus- 
 tomed to advise, he had as a toast, at the entertain- 
 ment which soon after a caterer provided in the 
 Academy hall, 
 
 " Hurrah for Madonna Hall ! the burial ground of 
 t he celibacy of the priesthood of Rome in Amen 
 tea." 
 
 This was received with enthusiasm, and in the 
 hush which followed, the bishop reverently, with bowed 
 head, said, 
 
 " For this sacrament of marriage we do bless and 
 praise Thee, Divine Redeemer. Thou didst conde- 
 scend to attend the marriage at Cana of Galilee. 
 Thou didst there begin Thy miracles, showing that 
 Thou wast from heaven, and many believed. Wil{- 
 Thou grace this wedding-feast with Thy presence, and 
 may these nuptials prove to be the beginning of mira- 
 cles, which shall purge out the wicked leaven that has 
 wrought such evil among Thy children." 
 
 " I have been reading on this subject," said Father 
 Williams, breaking the impressive silence a few mhr 
 utes later, "and find that marriage is honorable in all. 
 This is Scripture, literally understood, according to 
 the opinion of the fathers, as we are allowed to inter- 
 pret. If it is thus honorable in all, why forbid it to
 
 278 M.nn>. \.\\-i //.//,/.. 
 
 two hundred thousand priests, multitudes of whom 
 would provide homes for as many joyless nuns ?" 
 
 " That is well said," replied the bishop. " I shall 
 insist on following up the matter, and the end will be 
 good results." 
 
 Most of the nuns were possessed with a lively cu 
 riosity to know if the dispensation was to be general. 
 It is true, some talked against it, from religious habit, 
 and "could not be expected to turn at once," but it 
 was a sensation of a new and healthy order in their 
 community. 
 
 After some pleasant discussion with Father Buhler, 
 and others of the clergy, the bishop turned to another 
 subject, saying that it had been stated in the news- 
 papers that Catholics were denying the facts of his 
 tory. 
 
 " It is a hopeful sign," replied Father Williams. 
 " It shows that they are- blushingly beginning to see 
 themselves as others see them." 
 
 "To fear history," rejoined the bishop, "is to own 
 yourself conquered. History is our master, and we 
 cannot distort or obliterate recorded facts, or fabri- 
 cate fiction and call it history. If Protestants have 
 history on their side, it is too late now, they will 
 beat us. If we are ashamed of our record, it only 
 remains for us to make a better one. Like the phi- 
 losopher, say we are wiser to-day than yesterday.'' 
 
 "If we can, my lord Bishop," replied Father 
 Buhler.
 
 NUPTIALS AM) A BLUSHING CHURCH. 279 
 
 'We can, if we will. We have made a good com- 
 mencement this evening ; there are two less celibate 
 priests," and all joined in the bishop's laugh. " As 
 we discover the corrupt excrescences, which one after 
 another have become attached, barnacle-like, to our 
 system, we must agitate, protest, remonstrate, and 
 petition, till we get them removed. If that cannot be 
 done, we must turn and forsake them. Indeed, if we 
 lay claim to being a Christian church, we must do as 
 other Christian churches do, build on the rock, Christ 
 Jesus ; encourage genuine, not garbled education, 
 which is equivalent to no education. We must keep 
 pace with the times ; abolish the things of which we 
 are ashamed." 
 
 " How can that be done ? " asked Father Williams. 
 
 " By freeing ourselves from the Jesuitical element, 
 that cannot honestly remain here, being pledged to 
 support the political power of an Italian, as the 
 supreme head of this country. Very little can be 
 done in the right direction as long as we are tram- 
 melled by their intrigues. They must be exiled from 
 the land, as they have so often been from the coun- 
 tries of Europe, where Catholics have been first and 
 foremost to exclude them." 
 
 "I have something to say about that," intensely 
 replied Father Buhler, "We have colleges and 
 learned men, and, if left alone, would be strongly in- 
 trenched. I do not propose to go out of the country." 
 
 "You do not," returned the Bishop, with becoming
 
 280 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 dignity, " then, my brother, I advise you to revoke 
 your miserable vow, which makes you a traitor here, 
 for ' no man can serve two masters : he will hold to 
 one, and despise the other.' In good faith take the 
 oath of allegiance, and become a loyal citizen of the 
 United States. This is the duty of the hour. My 
 mission is from henceforth to help wake up the 
 people to see that the Constitution is honored, and a 
 scene of anarchy avoided. We could not live in some 
 countries; our fallen church has made them" only fit 
 to move away from. See here, I '11 read you a part 
 of my friend's letter. He is traveling in South 
 America, in the state of Ecuador." 
 The bishop reads, 
 
 " One-fourth of the property in Ecuador belongs 
 to the bishop. For every one hundred and fifty peo- 
 ple is a church. Of the population, ten per cent, are 
 priests, monks and nuns ; and two hundred and 
 seventy-two days of the three hundred and sixty-five 
 of the year are observed as fast and feast days. 
 Priests control the Government in all its branches, 
 dictate the laws, and see to their enforcement. Not 
 five per cent, of the people can read or write, and 
 three-fourths of the children are born illegitimate. 
 In hardly any place in the world is property so 
 insecure. Beggars and bandits abound. A railroad 
 or stage-coach does not exist ; hardly a road or bene- 
 volent institution. The ecclesiastical order has 
 gobbled the state. It elects the president and legisla- 
 ture. In a word, the Pope rules in Ecuador, as he does 
 not in Rome, and manages there, as everywhere, to 
 keep the people in ignorance and poverty."
 
 NUPTIALS AND A BLUSHIXG CHURCH. 2 8l 
 
 "Now, my Lord Bishop, I do not see why you make 
 out so dark a record for us," cried Buhler, in a tried 
 tone. 
 
 "I do not make it out, facts and history pro- 
 claim it. History, the great dictator, to whom the 
 Pope and papacy must bow. You Jesuits reach out 
 and try to smother the voice of history, to stop the 
 onward march of civilization. You are not friends 
 of education, because you think the masses can not 
 be managed, if educated ; you are some five hundred 
 years behind the times, and if you remain where you 
 are, will be overwhelmed by waves of progress, more 
 resistless than the mighty waves of the sea. These 
 great movements for the uplifting of the race, caused 
 by the widespread influences of the Bible, it is useless 
 to combat. Woe be unto him who seeks to raise his 
 puny arm against that which God ordains." 
 
 " My Lord Bishop, your charge against Jesuits still 
 surprises me," said Father Buhler. " I thought you 
 were one with us and reckoned on your help to 
 influence the elections this fall." 
 
 " That's the trouble," replied the bishop. " You 
 Jesuits will always be meddling with politics. There 
 is where Rome apostatized. That is why we have 
 become obnoxious in this land. To make amends, 
 the rallying cry with your order should be, ' Disarm ! 
 disarm ! ' Merge loyally in this hospitable country, 
 and not like the viper warmed to life by the fire of 
 the husbandman, seek fatally to sting your bene-
 
 282 MADONNA //.//.A. 
 
 factor. If indeed you will not retract, and do justly 
 here, go back at once to some defunct kingdom of 
 the old world, made such by your wiles, and, folding 
 your arms, die with it." 
 
 "Yes, yes, brother," said the bride Clarissima, 
 intensely awakened. " Help this noble country that 
 has sheltered us, and not be obliged to take refuge 
 in another." 
 
 " Sister, you are only the bishop's echo, and what 
 can you know about this question?" rejoined Buhler 
 bitterly. Then turning to the bishop, " I think you 
 are fearfully hard on us when we are so near getting 
 the reins of power, and if we succeed, you might be 
 the same as prime minister, at least." 
 
 " I abhor from my inmost soul all ill-gotten spoils," 
 was the stately reply, "whether highway robbery, 
 bank-stealing, defaulting, or any form of swindling a 
 nation out of its government and funds." 
 
 "We have a good name," said Buhler. "The 
 Society of Jesus, that sounds well, and is above all 
 suspicion of evil." 
 
 " In every sense I disagree with you," replied the 
 bishop. ' You profess to be what you are not. 
 You deny Him, and His teachings in every possible 
 way. His deeds were good-will to men ; yours are 
 subjugation, crowding down every noble aspiration, 
 taking away the key of knowledge, hiding the way of 
 salvation. The Pope agreed to what I said of you 
 Jesuits when I was in the Vatican, and, my
 
 NUPTIALS AND A BLUSHING CHURCH. 283 
 
 Clarissma, I am sure believes what I say," and he 
 looked on her in a loving, admiring way. 
 
 She blushingly assented. 
 
 " Sister mine," asked Buhler, turning to the bride, 
 Mrs. Williams, " were you ever in favor ot Jes- 
 uits ? " 
 
 "I must own," she replied, "that I once sym- 
 pathized with them, but I have lost patience, since 
 I 've found them out. I learn that they have brought 
 down on us the contempt and disgust of the best 
 people of the land, an'd we have our hands full to get 
 a standing place among them. Those who indorse 
 the Order are looked upon as full of treachery and 
 deceit." 
 
 " In what respect ? " asked Father Pecci, who was 
 wonder-struck at the turn of the tide and the stand 
 taken by one so recently from Rome, and in the 
 confidence of his kinsman of the Vatican. 
 
 " In every respect that indicates character," was 
 the reply of the bishop. " I wish you, my brethren, 
 Buhler, Pecci and Krafts, would leave the Order, and 
 make acknowledgement for ever belonging to it. All 
 good Catholics will support you in it. Far better be 
 a bandit, his crimes are light compared with the 
 conspiracy which plans to throttle this nation and 
 confiscate its treasures. What is highway robbery to 
 that ? Besides, you Jesuits obstruct the streams of 
 knowledge, even trying to go back and poison the 
 fountain head of history. We, as a church, are blush-
 
 284 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 ing over our record of the dark ages, and you come to 
 the rescue with lying divination, and say that 'black 
 is white,' and insist that the school-books shall be 
 changed over to suit the black white theory, and that 
 the rising generation shall be nurtured on falsehood. 
 Your intrigues are an outrage ; your doings an execra- 
 tion." 
 
 " I have yet to learn how we poison the fountains 
 of knowledge," said Buhler, with an abashed air of 
 unwilling conviction. 
 
 " Histories," replied the bishop, " that take the 
 same ground that some thirty Dictionaries and Ency- 
 clopaedias of standard world-wide renown, are rejected 
 because they define indulgences, and what they have 
 done for Rome, as if we could blot out the fact that 
 St. Peter's cathedral was built in a great measure by 
 money obtained by granting indulgences ! It is use- 
 less for us to say that indulgences are not patent in 
 our church, when the Pope is constantly issuing them. 
 They are in order, as the recent dispensation given a 
 prince to marry his niece, and many similar grants, 
 show." 
 
 "Admitted that we do revise history, how do we 
 harm geography," asked Pecci, anxious to drop the 
 question of indulgences. 
 
 "I am told," was the reply, "that the scholar is 
 taught in his Manual of Geography that London is 
 the chief town of a small island off the coast of 
 France. How long can children of this era be blinded
 
 XUPTIALS AXD A BLUSHING CHURCH. 285 
 
 to the fact that London is the largest city on the 
 globe, having five millions of inhabitants ? " 
 
 "Well," said Buhler, "I must own that the case 
 looks dark for us. I do n't mind breaking my oath, 
 since I made it with a mental reservation. If, you, 
 my Lord Bishop, can lead the way out, I think I am 
 ready to follow." 
 
 "And I can say no less, my Lord," meekly said 
 Father Pecci ; in which assertion Father Krafts also 
 joined. 
 
 But how can men accustomed to do evil learn to do 
 well, save by the grace of Christ ? We shall see that 
 this was a fit of repentance of short duration.
 
 286 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 XXII. 
 
 S Mrs. Leavenworth came into the Aid Rooms 
 one day after a prolonged absence, Grace wa? 
 specially delighted, and planned to consult her the 
 first spare moment. She was also warmly welcomed 
 by her associates in the good work ; and soon finding 
 Ella Southbury, she gave her words of the kindest 
 appreciation of her skill in her department. Then 
 there were several newly-arrived refugees to initiate 
 into the comforts provided for them. When they 
 were cared for, and made to feel quite at ease, through 
 the united efforts of mother and daughter ; when others 
 were forwarded on their homeward way, and business 
 affairs arranged, Grace laid her commands upon her 
 mother, and smuggled her into the small parlor that 
 she might have her all to herself. Seating her on the 
 sofa, she clasped her neck, saying, 
 
 " O mother, I have so longed to see you." 
 " Have you, darling ? and my heart has gone out to 
 you. I felt that you were in trial. Why did you not
 
 TAKIXG COUNSEL. 287 
 
 write ? Ah, what is this, an engagement ring ? This 
 shows that you have settled matters in regard to the 
 Count. You are engaged ! And this is the first 
 intimation you give me." 
 
 "Yes, mamma, engaged, and yet it is not a genu- 
 ine engagement, or I would before this have told you." 
 
 "Well, that is strange," replied the loving mother. 
 " Now tell me all about it, and if there is a shade of 
 doubt, you must become disengaged ! " and she con- 
 cluded with a cheery laugh, for her habit was to 
 brighten every life under her influence. 
 
 " It is just here, mamma. I am puzzled to under- 
 stand how I became engaged so very suddenly in the 
 face of my resolution. I am a marvel to myself. Just 
 see this ring ; it does not suit me. I have deter- 
 mined to put it by. It is shocking to my feelings, 
 and sacrilege to wear it." 
 
 " You certainly must not wear it if it makes you 
 unhappy. It seems to me that there are two ques- 
 tions to be settled," replied the mother. " Is this man 
 worthy of your love ? and, if so, do you love him ? " 
 
 " Yes, mamma, you are right," replied the daugh- 
 ter. "When I am in his society sometimes I admire 
 him ; but this must be simply his personal magnetism, 
 for when away from him, I am tortured with question- 
 ing suspicion, which shows that I do not even fully 
 respect him." 
 
 " There mus: be some reason for this," wisely said 
 the mother.
 
 288 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " Yes, there is, indeed, and that is the trouble." 
 
 She then showed her mother the anonymous letter, 
 telling her that she had seen the writer, the dwarf, 
 Paul Murray, and of his further charges against 
 Stilling. 
 
 " Darling child, what a trial you are going through ! 
 Who is this dwarf, and what did you say to him ? " 
 
 " I am trying to find out who he is, and shall not 
 rest until I do," was the reply. " At first I reproved 
 him ; but decided to hear his story, which was to the 
 effect that he was for years in the Count's employ, 
 and knew him to be a false man ; he testified also that 
 he had been married and lost his wife, and had two 
 little girls living. Do you wonder that my strength 
 is gone, and that I am scarcely able to keep up, when 
 I hear such horrible things ? " 
 
 " I do not, indeed, my darling," was the sympa- 
 thizing reply. " I am utterly surprised. I had sup- 
 posed him above suspicion, and it seems absurd and 
 slanderous to say such things of him ; but in the cir- 
 cumstances you do well to pause before going a step 
 further. You must be cautious, and learn all about 
 him." 
 
 " So I think, mamma. But is n't it dreadful to be 
 suspicious ! If it were not for the noise of the affair, 
 I sometimes think I would have the dwarf leave his 
 deposition with a lawyer. First, he should produce 
 the children and have their testimony taken. If, 
 however, no good proof could be sustained, my en-
 
 TAKING COUNSEL. 289 
 
 gagement would be forever broken. I could not 
 marry a man whom I had so far doubted as to bring 
 his affairs before a justice, even if he was cleared and 
 could forgive me, and still wished me to keep my 
 promise." 
 
 "Of course not," said the mother. 
 
 " Was n't it strange," added Grace, " that I did not 
 think a word about that letter when he took me to 
 drive, until after the engagement ? " 
 
 "Very strange," was the reply. 
 
 " When he asked me why I was so reticent and 
 grave," said Grace, " I did venture to say to him that 
 we were almost strangers, and that I knew too little 
 of his antecedents." 
 
 " What did he say to that ? " asked Mrs. Leaven- 
 worth, in surprise. 
 
 " He was startled at first, but soon regained self 
 possession. What surprises me is the ease with 
 which he dispelled my apprehensions, and the power 
 he exercised over me to induce me to become engaged 
 to him. It is more than I can account for. I must 
 be strangely weak and vascillating, and how can I 
 trust him when he influenced me so strangely ? " 
 
 "You may well ask that," replied the mother, lost 
 in thought. 
 
 " I sometimes think," said Grace, ".that the dwarf's 
 story may have a shadow of truth, and narrow-minded 
 prejudice and malice make up the charges he brings. 
 But, as we say of a corrupt system of religion, ' a. lie
 
 290 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 that is a lie may be met with and fought outright, but 
 a lie that is part a truth is harder to fight, so if this 
 man is guilty of light offences, and is charged with 
 more serious ones, I see not how he is to be 
 cleared." 
 
 " It seems to me, if a good man, that he is patient 
 and forbearing," said the mother, "or he would not 
 care to go on with his engagement. I am sorry all is, 
 not well for your own sake and for your father's, 
 sake. He has long corresponded with and is greatly 
 taken with the Count. I myself do not want to give: 
 you up for many years, if ever." 
 
 " I must at once get at more positive informa- 
 tion," said Grace. "I must have good reason if I 
 receive what the dwarf says ; and if there are 
 children, as he asserts, must follow up the matter 
 and see them." 
 
 " I 'd like to cross-question that dwarf. Where can 
 he be found ? " asked the mother. 
 
 " I do not know. He will doubtless come again ; 
 he is quite in earnest to break up my engagement, 
 and he was on the point of telling me where the 
 children could be found when the Count appeared, 
 and put an end to his communication." 
 
 Here Mrs. Leavenworth's carriage came, and she 
 was obliged to take leave of Grace, and join her hus- 
 band at her home, some miles distant. 
 
 " Be very careful what you do, dear child," she said 
 as she left, "and we must sift this matter to the
 
 TAKING COUNSEL. 
 
 291 
 
 bottom. All will come out right, darling, if we do 
 our best and trust in God to help us." 
 
 Saying this, the good lady embraced her daughter, 
 and bade her good-bye. 
 
 Before she left town, however, her sister, Mrs. 
 Byington, sought her counsel. 
 
 " Look here, sister Mary, I am in a difficulty, and 
 want the use of your good judgment a few mo- 
 ments." 
 
 " All right, sister ; what can I do for you ? " was 
 the genial answer. 
 
 "You see, Mary, I am in danger of being unduly 
 influenced by Cousin John Van Allstyn. I know 
 you '11 think it so foolish, but he has roomed here, 
 and is my pastor, and I have become used to thinking 
 in his rut, and something must be done, or I fear I 
 shall some day fall into the Catholic church, as he 
 wishes." 
 
 " Why, Miriam, you, of all persons ! I never 
 dreamed of such an evil befalling you. How did the 
 danger happen to exist ? " 
 
 " It is his constant, persistent influence, I make 
 no doubt, and, what is worse, he is over persuading 
 Louise more than me. That's what opened my 
 eyes. He has for some time tried to coax her to 
 join a convent." 
 
 " The idea ! " exclaimed Mrs. Leavenworth. 
 
 " She has promised him that she will do so, at 
 some future time, and give her property to the church.
 
 MADONXA HALL. 
 
 Now I have a plan, do you know how he tries to 
 move me to succumb to Rome?" 
 
 " I have n't the faintest idea," replied Mrs. Leaven- 
 worth. 
 
 " You must know then, that he has for some time 
 told me, and almost made me believe, that when the 
 Romanists get power, they will at once confiscate my 
 property, and most likely imprison me, because I 
 sheltered Ella Southbury when she came back. 
 That frightens Louise, and she is ready to bow down 
 to that which she thinks is soon to be the ruling 
 authority. To offset all this bad influence, I want 
 to sell my place to your husband. We talked the 
 matter over, and he said he would buy it whenever 
 I was ready to dispose of it, and now, while cousin 
 John is off on his vacation, I wish to arrange things, 
 and take Louise on a tour to Europe. We will travel 
 awhile, and then settle down in Germany. I think, 
 Louise must go on with her marred education. Cou- 
 sin John is not to know where we are. I shall 
 manage that. I see that this is the only way to keep 
 her from going into a convent. Louise is just pos- 
 sessed when the rector is around, but calms down 
 when he is away. What do you think of my 
 plan ? " 
 
 "I think it is wise," replied Mrs. Leavenworth, 
 "and will help you all I can. If mothers, who have 
 daughters inclined to listen to syren songs about the 
 beauties of the foul cloister, would awake to iho
 
 TAKING COUNSEL. 293 
 
 danger, take them abroad, more fully educate them, 
 and give them worthier work to do, they would save 
 many a one from the destroyer." 
 
 " I think so," was the reply. " Now please tell 
 your husband to come down to-morrow, and I will 
 have papers made out, and deed this estate to him. 
 Cousin John's things can be removed to his old rooms 
 in the hotel. I shall leave a note for him, saying I 
 have decided to go abroad. Of one thing you may 
 be sure, none of my property will ever help sustain 
 a nunnery ; and when Louise comes to her senses, she 
 will say the same of hers, when she receives it. If 
 not, I have made my will so that not one cent can go 
 to the covetous system." 
 
 "Oh, Miriam, I am rejoiced to find you so decided 
 for the right." 
 
 " I saw it all, almost as soon as cousin John left, 
 on his long, three-months' vacation. He is travelling 
 in Alaska for his health, you may know, and does 
 not write. I think he is on some mission of a secret 
 kind. Tell your husband that now is my time to get 
 clear of what may be a life-long trammel, and I want 
 him to help me out immediately by buying my 
 place." 
 
 "All right, sister; I will give him your message 
 and am sure he will be glad to do as you wish," and 
 the cheery lady hastened away.
 
 29 j. MADONNA HALL. 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 fAUL, having received his pay for a job of work, 
 immediately called at the store on Blank street, 
 to see little Elsae. Mrs. Ranney, with smiles, 
 assured him that the child was well and happy, and 
 had gone to bed for a forenoon nap, and she did not 
 wish to disturb her. She added that it would be 
 better for the child if he did not call often, until she 
 was wonted to the place. He left money for her board, 
 and, weary with over-work, started to cross the city 
 to Mrs. Bryan's cottage, to inquire after Anna Still- 
 ing. As he painfully made his way up the street, 
 he found himself in a stream of mill-people, eager for 
 home and dinner. He eyed them attentively, and 
 thought them a happy set of laborers. They were 
 mostly hale-looking, laughed and talked cheerily, still 
 keeping on a quick pace, and wasting no time. 
 
 He said to himself, "I wish I had a snug place in 
 the mill, and my regular wages of honest day-light 
 work coming in."
 
 A DISCOVER Y. 295 
 
 Just then a familiar curly-head came near, and a 
 voice exclaimed, 
 
 " Oh, good Paul, is it you ? I'm so glad ! " 
 
 " I am glad to see you," was the tremulous exclama- 
 tion of Paul, as the child Anna Stilling clung to him, 
 crying for joy. 
 
 "Lizzie, oh, Lizzie!" for that young lady had 
 joined them, "this is our Paul. He was very 
 kind to mother, little sister, and me. I was afraid 
 I should never see you again, Paul, it has been so 
 long." 
 
 ' I give you a grand welcome, Mr. Paul," heartily 
 replied Lizzie. "Come in ; this is the place where 
 Anna boards," as they reached 64 Maple street, the 
 attractive cottage of the Bryans. 
 
 Mrs. Bryan and Mary kindly greeted Paul, as 
 Lizzie introduced him. He asked the favor of board- 
 ing with them, which they were glad to grant, and it 
 was to him like making land after a stormy voyage. 
 He could not, however, be idle, but soon made him- 
 self useful in helping Mrs. Bryan refurnish her rooms, 
 his good taste being never at fault. 
 
 " You are a jewel of a helper," said Mrs. Bryan. 
 Do you know, dear soul, that you remind me of my 
 sister? What was your mother's name before her 
 marriage, lad?" She called him "lad" not because 
 of his age, but from his size. 
 
 "Norah Neil," was the reply. 
 
 " Bless your heart ! She was my sister," exclaimed
 
 296 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 Mrs. Bryan. "You have her pleasant ways. Welcome, 
 my darling Norah's son. You Ve found your friends 
 in being friendly." 
 
 The tears came in Paul's eyes, and he could not 
 speak for joy, while Mrs. Bryan added, 
 
 "You shall have a home with me while you live, 
 my dear Paul." 
 
 " It is too good to be true, that I can live with my 
 mother's kin, and can care for the dear lady's children, 
 too. 
 
 " My brother, Dennis Bryan, when he leaves the 
 mill, will be opening a store, and if you can help him, 
 he will give you a place with a good salary." 
 
 Mrs. Bryan's brother, a keen, shrewd man, a fore- 
 man in the mill, was also sometimes called to officiate 
 as a detective. 
 
 That would be nice," replied Paul. "I can earn 
 my living in that way." 
 
 " Faith, Katie," said Mr. Bryan to his sister, at 
 dinner, the next day, as he loaded Paul's plate with 
 the best cut of the tempting roast beef, " that off- 
 scouring of the world accidentally did us a good deed. 
 In casting off his children, he put us in the way of 
 finding our lost nephew. God can bring good out 
 of bad men's deeds. 
 
 " Yes, Dennis, you are right," was the reply. " But, 
 Paul dear, why don't you eat ? You are growing- 
 white from fasting. Dear me! the lad's fainting," 
 and she caught him as he was falling from the chair,
 
 A DISCOVERY. 29; 
 
 and with her brother's help, laid him upon the 
 lounge. 
 
 " Bring water, Mary ; quick, child, quick ! Throw 
 open the door, Dennis ! " 
 
 Then, as she bathed Paul's forehead, he groaned 
 and opened his eyes, each member of the family 
 watching him with affectionate solicitude. 
 
 "It's over-working has done him the mischief." 
 said Mr. Bryan, fondly bending over Paul, as Mrs. 
 Bryan chaffed his brow with camphor. 
 
 "O Mary, Mary," cried Anna, "will my Paul 
 die ? " 
 
 " No, no, that can not be," was the reply. " He 
 was breaking down, and came here in time to save 
 his life. My mother is the best of nurses ; it 's 
 almost a pleasure to be sick under her care. She 's 
 worth forty doctors." 
 
 Clang, clang went the mighty-voiced mill bell, call- 
 ing ten thousand people to their chosen sweat-of-tlie. 
 brow labor. 
 
 " \Yith submission, Katie," said Dennis Bryan ; 
 "for once the bell surprises me too 4 early. I '11 be 
 passing Doctor Dosem's office, and will send him to 
 see what ails the lad." 
 
 "Yes, dear," was the reply. But none the less 
 settled was the buxom little woman, that in the mat- 
 ter of tending and nursing Paul, she would use her 
 own best judgment, despite the doctor's directions. 
 
 " Sorry to see you sick, young man," said the
 
 298 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 smiling Dr. Dosen, as he bustled in, for skillful 
 Dr. Christie was out of town. " What you been 
 doing ? Overwork, eh ? Let me feel your pulse. 
 Your tongue, Humph ! " Taking out blue pills, 
 powders and drops, he wrote special directions how to 
 use them. The doctor was a crafty Jesuit 
 
 "What is the matter with him, doctor dear?" 
 asked Mrs. Bryan, following him to the door. 
 
 " Oh, he 's got to be pretty sick before he is better. 
 His system needs a thorough overhauling. He '11 
 only get it by being sick three months. I '11 call 
 again to-morrow." 
 
 " Never mind. I'll send for you if he is n 't better, 
 doctor," she replied, frightened at the prospect of a 
 prolonged sickness. 
 
 " And it 's better he '11 be," said the little woman 
 to herself, as she returned to Paul. " He shall have 
 rest and good nursing, and the medicines shall doctor 
 the fire." Then to him, "Faith, my lad, I shall have 
 you well in a week, and the big shadow of a doctor 
 will darken the door no more." 
 
 Paul murmured thanks, smiled contentedly, and 
 closed his eyes for a nap, after the excitement of see- 
 ing the doctor. Meanwhile Mrs. Bryan made brown-, 
 bread sugar-coated pills ; for powders, she had white 
 sugar, for drops molasses and water, and the medicine 
 stand, with its white covering, beside Paul's bed, was 
 as presentable as at first. She kept her secret, and 
 gave the doses at the hours indicated. At regular
 
 A DISCOVERY. 
 
 299 
 
 intervals she also brought Paul the nicest gruel ?nd 
 beef-tea, and soothed him with her pleasant chat. 
 Paul was cheerful as regarded himself, and it was a 
 comfort to be able to see Anna every day, but his 
 heart smote him with forbodings when he thought of 
 poor little Elsae. Mrs. Bryan, to whom he confessed 
 his fears, was sanguine that the child had found a 
 good harbor. 
 
 " But we '11 be looking her up, when you are better, 
 Paul. She shall be well cared for." 
 
 As the doctor was passing the next morning, he 
 stopped before the door, and bowing to Mrs. Bryan, 
 who was sweeping the steps, said, 
 
 " How "s the young man this morning, ma'am ? " 
 
 "He's better, thank you," said she, with a bright 
 smile, " Bless your heart, doctor, the lad slept like a 
 top, the whole night, and he 's quite himself this 
 morning, thank God." 
 
 " Mother of Mercy ! " gasped the doctor, hearing 
 this alarming account of the convalescence of his 
 patient. "Good morning, Airs. Bryant," and with an 
 impatient cut of his whip, away he flew on his rounds, 
 muttering to himsielf, " That woman is a witch of a 
 nurse. I '11 bet she has n't given the medicines 
 according to my direction. If she had, he ought to 
 be very sick before he is better. Nurses like Mrs_ 
 Bryan, scattered among my patients, would cripple 
 my income." 
 
 When Paul was able to walk out, an excursion was
 
 300 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 planned to Mt. Airy, a beautiful eminence in the 
 vicinity of the city, with a coronet of pines and firs. 
 The usual variety of forest trees adorned its sides, 
 and its base was washed by the deep winding stream 
 that loitered on its way, and which paid tribute to 
 the navigable river, that not far distant poured its 
 wealth of waters into the sea. The mount was a 
 great resort in the summer, and Paul often went 
 there to fill his lungs with the fragrant healing air 
 and feast his eyes with the beautiful sights of the 
 forest wild. He had become familiar with Mt. Airy's 
 steep, as well as sloping sides, its nooks and dells and 
 winding paths, as he explored the eminence in search 
 of treasures of wild flowers, rare mosses and ever- 
 greens. 
 
 One day, as he was taking a stroll through the 
 woods, suddenly a hand was heavily laid upon his 
 shoulder, and turning, he was face to face with Stilling. 
 
 " I' ve a little matter to settle with you, young 
 man," said Stilling, trembling with anger. " You 've 
 played the traitor on me. I' ve watched you ; I 've 
 kept on your track ; and here, see what I 've found," 
 producing the identical letter which Paul had written 
 to warn Miss Leavenworth. It had been dropped 
 by her mother, to whom she had confided it. 
 
 The dwarf was startled, but silent. 
 
 "What have you to say to that? You warn my 
 betrothed wife against me. A higher crime you 
 could not commit. I belong to a secret society
 
 A DISCOVERY. 301 
 
 that will not abide to have its members slandered. 
 It is powerful, and its long arms reach even here. It 
 deputes me to take vengeance into my hands, and 
 punish you as you deserve." 
 
 And without waiting for Paul's reply, he quickly 
 seized him, and ran to the precipitous ledge to throw 
 him into the river that rolled deep and dark below. 
 At the same moment a voice called out, 
 
 "Hallo there, what you up to, stranger?" 
 This so wrought upon the Count, that, without turn- 
 ing his head, Jesuit-like, he desisted from his pur- 
 pose, and commenced to talk and laugh with Paul 
 as if in play. 
 
 " Shall I give you a ducking, my lad ? Say, now, 
 would you like to take a cool bath ? Shall I throw 
 you in the river? " making a feint of doing so. 
 
 By this time Mr. Bryan, for it was he, came up 
 and sternly eyeing Stilling, said, 
 
 " What are you doing with my lad ? ' ' 
 
 "Your lad?" returned Stilling, with surprise, let- 
 ting go the dwarf. " I am playing with him. Is 
 there any law against that ? " 
 
 "If you harrum the lad," hotly replied the man, 
 " I '11 teach you that there is a law in this land that '11 
 interfere and take care of the helpless." 
 
 " My good sir, be easy," was the bland reply. "A little 
 harmless play will invigorate him. I was only doing 
 him a good turn. Have you any objection to that ?" 
 
 " I have a decided objection to your meddling with
 
 302 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 the lad at all," was the reply. "You have no business 
 to dandle him over a precipice, and you may expect 
 me to report you to the authorities, and let them 
 keep an eye on your doings. I, myself, doubt if you 
 ought to -be allowed at large." 
 
 " Man alive ! do you dream to whom you are talk- 
 ing ?" exclaimed Stilling, in his pompous way. " Paul, 
 my friend," in the most conciliating tones, "can you 
 not tell him who I am ? " 
 
 The dwarf had seated himself beside a tree, his 
 lame back having been hurt by the rough onslaught. 
 He was deathly pale, and faint with the horror of 
 being cast into the eddying gulf below, and then the 
 baseness of pretence that it was fool's play added a 
 silent white-heat anger to his intense emotions. 
 
 " If I tell him who you are, I shall tell him the 
 whole truth," boldly uttered Paul, as soon as he could 
 command his breath. 
 
 " Is it a Count you are ? " sneeringly said Mr. Bryan. 
 " More correctly, you are the grand villain of the 
 world." 
 
 " Silence ! " shouted Stilling, to Bryan. " Paul, 
 I call on you, as my faithful friend, to testify that 
 this man has slandered me. I shall have him up 
 before the courts, and summon you as witness." 
 And the Count strode loftily away, but on second 
 thought, returned and stooping to where Paul sat, 
 whispered in his ear an insidious threat, then retrac- 
 ing his steps, left the mount.
 
 A DISCOVERY. 
 
 303 
 
 " Calls his name ' Count,' does he ? " asked Mr. 
 Bryan. " It don't belong to the thief at all. And 
 what might he be saying to you, my lad ? " 
 
 " It's not worth minding," said Paul, intent on 
 keeping his own counsel. " I would bring him to 
 justice if I knew how to do it." 
 
 "That's easily done, my lad. Call on a justice of 
 the peace, and make your confession of the man's 
 evil deeds. Do that, my lad, and you 've stopped 
 him from going about seeking whom he may 
 devour."
 
 304 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 . 
 
 /COMMEND me to the good old times when only- 
 \^ a few could learn the alphabet," outspoke Arch- 
 bishop Bland, the rotund, haughty Irishman, from 
 the depths of an easy-chair, at one of the Madonna 
 Hall receptions, in Bishop Berlin's absence, some 
 time after the nuptials. 
 
 " Two hundred years ago," he continued, "our wise 
 prelates used to say, ' We must root out printing, or 
 printing will root us out.' And if I had my way 
 I'd hang all the printers and school-teachers." 
 
 " Too much education is the blight of this coun- 
 try," chimed in Father Buhler, ignoring his late con- 
 cessions to the bishop. DeMaistre maintains that 
 ' ignorance is better than science, for science comes 
 from men, and ignorance comes from God." 
 
 " Yes, yes," replied his grace ; " that's well put. 
 The art of printing has done us untold mischief. We 
 have n't been able to root it out. It is true that we 
 squelched the Reformation, in the ' Thirty Years
 
 A DKEA.M OF CO.\<K'EST. 
 
 305 
 
 War,' but somehow its errors survived, rise up, and 
 march on. We must maintain eternal vigilance, to 
 hold our own, and what we cannot destroy, must 
 manage and manipulate. Our Jesuit Fathers bless 
 them, may their shadows never grow less have done 
 excellent service in regard to school books for our 
 higher theological seminaries, as well as for parochial 
 schools. They have a great genius for making them 
 over in the line of the teachings of the church, and 
 the children can leave the parochial school almost as 
 innocent of knowledge, save the scapular, rosary, and 
 the catechism, as when they went in. Our fundamental 
 principle is to hold the masses in ignorance, the better 
 to keep them subservient and devotional. Ignorance 
 is the mother of devotion ; there is no doubt of it." 
 
 "That used to be taught, your grace," replied 
 Father Williams, who had just come in from the 
 Beach Hotel, where himself and wife were domiciled 
 for the summer. " But times have changed, and we 
 are at our wits' ends to know how to arrange this 
 school question. Willingly, or not willingly, we are 
 forced to raise the standard of knowledge." 
 
 " For awhile, it may be," rejoined the Archbishop, 
 " but we 've no cause for alarm, as long as we have 
 more than a half million of children daily drilled and 
 catechised, by thousands of priests and nuns. Cour- 
 age, my brothers, the devotional shades of the 
 Middle Ages will soon infold us. We shall have our 
 old power back again, Inquisition and all."
 
 306 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " May the queen of heaven grant it," piously re- 
 joined Father Krafts, -forgetting his promise to the 
 bishop. " But may I ask if your Grace has noted the 
 great gatherings at Faneuil Hall, and other places 
 recently, as reported in the papers ? " 
 
 " No, my son," was the sage reply, " I pay little 
 heed to the dailies, which, by the way, our learned 
 Jesuits should take in tow by bribery. The Catho- 
 lic Weekly gives a sufficient digest for my purpose." 
 
 " Yes, your Grace, save when we Jesuits are 
 attacked. Our papers cannot refute these criticisms 
 without enlightening the people too much." 
 
 The circle of priests was apart from the nuns, who 
 were near the piano, at the other end of the double- 
 parlor, chanting in a pitiful, monotonous way, 
 
 " Ave sanctissima." 
 
 " Om pro no bis." 
 
 The Lady Superior, however, for the most part, sat 
 beside the Archbishop, intently listening, and as she 
 heard his philippics, was almost stifled with intense 
 counter emotions. In her sanctum of thought, popery 
 and prelate were out of date, and she wondered that 
 she had ever endured their false assumptions. 
 
 " Exactly," said the Archbishop, in reply to Buhler. 
 "We know better than to enlighten the public as to 
 the weapons heretics use against us. Pity any of our 
 people can read." 
 
 " I have noticed," interposed Madame Clarissima, 
 " when the sun has risen, it is hard to keep it from 
 shining."
 
 .-/ DREAM OF COXOUEST. 
 
 307 
 
 The Archbishop looked round apprehensively, but 
 made no reply. At length, turning to Buhler, he 
 asked, 
 
 "What was done at Faneuil Hall that concerns 
 us?" 
 
 "Many eloquent speakers denounced us Jesuits for 
 meddling with the schools, and school histories, and 
 exterminating resolutions were adopted with great 
 enthusiasm." 
 
 " All bombast," exclaimed an ecclesiastic. 
 
 " More bomb-like than bombastic," replied Father 
 Krafts, bitterly. 
 
 "Ha! ha! ha!" laughed the purblind Archbishop, 
 " let the bigots fire away. The church is impregna- 
 ble, and these squibs are like so many pop-guns fired 
 at the Rock of Gibraltar. In the good old times our 
 code was, ' turn or burn,' and bless my eyes, they'll 
 see the same in force ere long." 
 
 "True, your Grace," rejoined Father Krafts. " But 
 it seems that educated men and women are the 
 backers here. You see, my Lord, there are so many 
 new associations, that gather information about our 
 practices, doctrines and movements, to incite and 
 stir up business men, many of whom would otherwise 
 be indifferent, attending simply to money-miking, as 
 in the past." 
 
 " Educated women, eh ? " exclaimed the prelate, 
 more seriously, as if it were a new idea especially 
 abhorrent.
 
 3 o8 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " Yes," replied Madame Clarissima. " And I notice 
 when intelligent women awake, in this country, they 
 mightily influence public opinion. There was the 
 Women's Crusade of fourteen years ago, what a 
 a power that is to-day in the great Temperance Union 
 that came in its place ! " 
 
 She had learned this from Grace Leaven worth, 
 recently. 
 
 " Ah ! " said the Archbishop, as he puffed a cigar. 
 " Go on." 
 
 "I am no croaker, my Lord," continued Father 
 Krafts, who considered himself chief speaker, and a 
 genuine son of Loyola, despite his pledge to Bishop 
 Berlin, " but I venture to predict that when these 
 educated men and women are on our track, we can- 
 not elude them. We do well to remember that 
 Protestants are greatly in the majority, and if once 
 waked up, can easily defeat our plans." 
 
 "There may be something in that," coolly ob- 
 served the Archbishop, still smoking his cigar; "there 
 may be a contest, but we 've no cause for alarm." 
 
 "We've every cause for alarm. God is in the 
 movement," exclaimed Madame Clarissima, unable to 
 keep silence. 
 
 The Archbishop was so far soothed by nicotine 
 that he was only mildly surprised, and continued to 
 smoke, greatly to the disgust of the lady. 
 
 Father Pecci, the Pope's nephew, trembled with 
 fear, yet found voice to say,
 
 A DREAM or 
 
 " I pray all the saints to keep us from being turned 
 out of this land. We "ve been expelled so many times 
 from different countries of Europe ! What started 
 the people ? " 
 
 "It's that everlasting school question," returned 
 Father Buhler. 
 
 "Of course," said the prelate, " ever since 1864. 
 We've got a twenty-five years' start." 
 
 " That's what excites them," added Father Krafts. 
 " Education is everything with these Americans, and 
 hosts of our people are drinking in the same seditious 
 spirit." 
 
 " All that's wanted to bring them to terms is the 
 old-time discipline of torture and the rack," growled 
 the Archbishop. 
 
 ' I think so, too," echoed Father Pecci. " The Pope 
 will find means to make them obey." 
 
 " Of course, if he can," replied Madame Clarissima, 
 spicily. "But he is in his dotage, and only an Italian 
 citizen in the Vatican prison." 
 
 " With all reverence for his Holiness," remarked 
 Father Krafts, " he is far too hot-headed and pre- 
 sun.ptious. He has needlessly aroused an unsuspect- 
 ing people when they have it in their power to defeat 
 his plans." 
 
 " Tut, tut, my son," said the Archbishop, " not so 
 fast." 
 
 " I beg your Grace's pardon, I am the Pope's 
 most obedient son," rejoined Father Krafts, "but h;>
 
 MADONNA HALL 
 
 advisors, the cardinals, forget that the highly educated 
 intelligent people of America are very different from 
 the Italians and the people of Spain, and he makes 
 false moves." 
 
 "That remains to be seen," slowly uttered the 
 Archbishop. 
 
 "I would not criticise his holiness," replied Father 
 Krafts, " but there is danger that we shall fail, as in 
 the last war. It was the plan of Pius IX., as we all 
 know, to destroy this Union, by endorsing secession ; 
 but all the Irish Catholics, moved by the enthusiasm 
 of the hour, went into the rank and file of the Union 
 army, loyal to. this country and disloyal to Rome." 
 
 "Yes," said Madame Clarissima ; "the two are an- 
 tagonistic, as is maintained in the patriotic speeches 
 often made, I am told. We must remember that 
 when the Pope sanctioned the rebellion, the Union 
 Army needed more than ever the loyal Irish." 
 
 " I'd risk all these windy speeches," remarked the 
 prelate with emphatic ire, " if there were no rene- 
 gades to give information of our movements." 
 
 " So would I, your excellency," exclaimed Father 
 Pecci, " renegade Romanists, and American women 
 for leaders ! " 
 
 " Ave sanctissima." 
 
 " Ora pro nobis." 
 
 " We lift our hearts to Thee" 
 
 Thus sang the nuns around the piano, at the oppo- 
 site end of the room, oblivious of the conversation.
 
 A DREAM Of CONQUEST. 
 
 "It is a pity," remarked Father Buhler, "that 
 these leaders cannot be silenced ; they do much 
 mischief, and one and another, from time to time, 
 drop out of our ranks. Indeed, some entire families 
 have lately seceded from the holy mother church. 
 I notice, too, that there is a growing desire to remove 
 to the farming districts from the city, and avoid 
 church taxes and church schools." 
 
 " That 's natural," said the Archbishop, still com- 
 posedly smoking. 
 
 " I am confident, however," said Madame Claris- 
 sima, "that this waking up of the Protestants will 
 not subside. There are in one city, a hundred picked 
 men on a committee, to take immediate action to 
 protect the public schools from the assaults of the 
 Romish hierarchy. If I were a Jesuit, I should in 
 all haste betake myself to some country more easily 
 ruled, where ignorance truly is bliss." 
 
 " One hundred picked men ! " slowly and sarcasti- 
 cally said the prelate, still smoking. " It looks as if 
 we should really have to emigrate, as it has been 
 reported his Holiness is planning to do, to a small 
 island on the coast, or to Spain, as more eligible, 
 eh ? Ha ! ha ! " and his rolicking laugh rose above 
 every other sound in the apartment, although the 
 nuns were still chanting their interminable hymn to 
 the Virgin. 
 
 The Archbishop lived in luxury, and was adverse 
 to looking on the dark side of the picture.
 
 312 
 
 MADONNA HALL, 
 
 " One hundred picked men ! what are they in 
 contending with our thousands of Jesuits, all picked 
 men, trained all their lives to manipulate political, 
 educational, and religious affairs ? " 
 
 " I know, your Grace," replied Madame Clarissima 
 " It looks like an unequal contest. But if the Lord is 
 with the one hundred, they are infinitely in the 
 majority." 
 
 "It is my advice," said the prelate, loftily, yet 
 uneasily, ignoring her words, as he removed the cigar 
 from his mouth, and knocked the ashes into the card 
 receiver on the pier-table at his elbow, to the dismay 
 of the Superioress, "to keep quiet, and pay little 
 attention to this noise and stir. As I make my next 
 returns to his Holiness, I shall state the case, and 
 advise him to give the priests discretionary power in 
 regard to starting parochial schools, and when started, 
 have them less exacting in requiring all to attend. 
 The fact is, he must conciliate and yield a little." 
 
 <- I think so, decidedly ; great changes have him in 
 their power," added the lady, resting her fan, and 
 nervously swaying in the rocker. 
 
 " Not that there is cause for alarm," added the 
 Archbishop, in his pompous way. " And now, my 
 children, if you will lend me your ears, I will tell you 
 a story which illustrates what we prelates think, and 
 how we work for the church, 
 
 " Some thirty years ago, a certain Father, who has 
 since apostatized, was appointed to a church in the
 
 A DREAM OF CONQUEST. 
 
 state of Illinois. Soon he influenced five thousand 
 French Canadians to join him at his post near Chi- 
 cago. His enterprise was thought a great success. 
 
 " Seeing this, D'Arcy McGee, then the editor of 
 the Freeman 's Journal of New York, set out to form 
 a colony of Irish Romanists. He wrote articles in 
 his paper, showing that they were demoralized and 
 kept down in the cities, and argued that they would 
 be greatly improved if they could be led to leave 
 their city grog-shops and saloons, for farming the fer- 
 tile western lands. 
 
 " He kept writing about it, and called a conven- 
 tion, which many priests attended, to consider the 
 matter. It was a miserable failure, for the bishops 
 of Albany, New York, and Boston, sent many priests, 
 instructing them to appear and upset the plan. The 
 majority of the priests were faithful to their bishops, 
 and made reply in words to this effect, which I had 
 the pleasure of assisting in preparing. This was the 
 address we made through the priests, to overrule 
 D'Arcy's movement, 
 
 ii We are determined, like you, to take possession 
 of the United States and rule them ; but we cannot 
 do that except by acting secretly, and by using the 
 utmost wisdom. If our plans were known they would 
 certainly be defeated. What does a skilful general do 
 when he wants to conquer a country ? Does he 
 scatter his soldiers over the farm lands and spent! 
 their time and energies in plowing the fields and sow- 
 ing the grain ? No. He keeps them well united
 
 314 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 around his banners, and marches at their head to the 
 conquest of the strongholds. He subdues the large 
 cities one after the other ; he pulls down the high 
 towers and the citadels which he meets on his way. 
 Then the farming countries are conquered, and 
 become the price of his victory without moving a 
 finger. So it is with us. Silently and patiently we 
 must mass our Roman Catholics in the great cities 
 of the United States. Let us remember that in this 
 country the vote of one of our poorest journeymen 
 covered with rags, has as much weight in the scale 
 of power as the vote of the millionnaire Astor, and 
 that if we have two votes against the millionnaire's 
 one, he becomes as powerless as an oyster. Then 
 let us multiply our voters ; let us call our poor, but 
 faithful Catholics, and gather them from the far cor- 
 ners of the world into the very heart of those proud 
 citadels which the Yankees are so proudly building 
 up under the name of New York, Boston, Chicago, 
 Albany, Troy, etc. Under the shadows of those 
 great cities the Americans consider themselves as a 
 giant and an unconquerable race. They look upon 
 the Irish Catholic with the utmost contempt, as only 
 fit to dig their canals, sweep their streets, or humbly 
 cook their meals in their kitchen. Let no one awake 
 these sleeping lions to T day ; let us pray God that 
 they may sleep and dream their sweet dreams a few 
 years more. How sad will be their awakening when, 
 with our out-numbering votes, we will turn them out, 
 and forever, from every position of power, honor, and 
 profit. What will these hypocritical sons and daugh- 
 ters of the fanatical Pilgrim Fathers say, when not 
 a single judge, not a single school-teacher, not even 
 a single policeman will be elected, if he be not a 
 devoted Catholic ? What will those so-called giants 
 think and say of their unsurpassed ability, skill and 
 shrewdness, when not a single governor, senator or
 
 A DREAM OF CONQUEST. 315 
 
 member of Congress will be elected, if he be not sin- 
 cerely devoted to our holy Father, the Pope ? What 
 a sad figure those Protestant Yankees will cut when 
 we elect not only the President, but fill and command 
 the armies, man the navy, and have .the keys of 
 the public treasury in our hands! It will then be the 
 time for our devoted Catholics to give up their grog- 
 shops, to become the governors and judges of the 
 land. Then our poor and humble mechanics will 
 come out from the damp ditches and the canals to 
 rule the cities in all their departments, from the 
 stately mansion of mayor to the more humble, though 
 not less noble, position of school-teacher. Then, 
 yes, we will rule the United States, and lay them at 
 the feet of the Vicar of Jesus Christ, that he may 
 put an end to their godless system of education, and 
 sweep away those impious laws of liberty of con- 
 science which are an insult to God and man. 
 
 " This was uttered more than thirty years ago," 
 explained the prelate, "and our plans of conquest 
 are to-day full as shapely and far-reaching." 
 
 " That plan was the effort of great genius," remarked 
 
 Father Buhler. " It was originated before my day, 
 
 your Excellency, but I am proud of prelates so wise 
 
 and far-sighted, and am happy to enter into, and 
 
 help forward their schemes." 
 
 " Bless you, my son ; your talk has the right ring," 
 said the Archbishop. 
 
 "What became of D'Arcy McGee ? " asked Father 
 Williams, in a depressed way. 
 
 . " When the vote was taken, he was left alone ! '' 
 replied the prelate, with a derisive laugh. " We
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 do n't want any advice. The Pope is infallible, and 
 so is the church." 
 
 The Archbishop went on, 
 
 " Our policy, you see, of massing our hordes in the 
 cities, is to manage their votes, and at length control 
 the entire land." 
 
 " That is like a general to well marshall his forces," 
 said Father Krafts. 
 
 " You are right, my son. Do you know that we 
 are already masters oi most of the large cities of the 
 United States, and most of the riches of California. 
 Years ago we had fifty millionnaires in San Francisco 
 alone. So, as I said before, we've no cause to fear, even 
 if American bigots of both sexes do make it hot about 
 our heads, by agitating this annoying school ques- 
 tion." 
 
 The prelate added, " Irish Romanists rule San 
 Francisco. We Jesuits rule them, soul and body, 
 forming the richest corporation on earth." 
 
 "That is fortunate," rejoined Father Buhler, 
 chuckling with gratification ; "money is power." 
 
 " But surely all these troops will not turn traitors 
 to this glorious country!" cried Madame Clarissima. 
 
 "Aue sanctissimtj." 
 
 "We lift our hearts to Thee." 
 
 sang the nuns, in melodious refrain. 
 
 "We have money in abundance," remarked Arch' 
 bishop Bland, unmindful of the lady's question, " and 
 plenty of men. While we, as a church, do not allow
 
 A DREAM OF CONQUEST. 
 
 317 
 
 any secret societies, whose secrets are kept from us, 
 we have a great many hidden orders under our wing ; 
 we even organize them, that we may more securely 
 drill soldiers for the impending conflict." 
 
 " You surprise me," said Father Williams, who was 
 an honest-hearted, loyal American. " What secret 
 societies have we ? " 
 
 "Why, how is it, my son, that you can be so poorly 
 informed ? I will name some of them. Besides the 
 Irish American Military Union, there are the Clan-na- 
 Gael, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Pontifical Zouaves, 
 Knights of St. Patrick, Hibernian Rifles, Apostles of 
 Liberty, Benevolent Sons of the Emerald Isle, Knights 
 of St. Peter, Knights of the Red Branch, Knights of 
 Kollumkill, and hundreds of less note." 
 
 " Upon my word," said Father Krafts, "the Irish 
 are well organized, a power by themselves in the 
 heart of this country. As your Grace says, we have 
 no cause to fear. But what amazes me is, the cheek 
 of the thing ! Suppose each nationality should de- 
 mand such liberties?" a touch of German jealousy 
 asserting itself. 
 
 At this point a caterer appeared with refreshments, 
 and the nuns and their music teacher were seated 
 ready to partake of the inviting repast. Not a few 
 of the number were grieving over the fate of Sister 
 Estelle. Madame Clarissima rejoiced that she knew 
 that she was free, and longed to give her happy secret 
 to the sad sisters.
 
 3 i8 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " Organized ! " exclaimed Father Williams. " ])a I 
 understand that these are military companies?" 
 
 All these secret associations are military, my son," 
 was the Archbishop's profound reply. " Some have 
 their headquarters in New York, and some in San 
 Francisco, while their rank and file are scattered all 
 over the United States." 
 
 " Is it possible ? " asked Father Williams, who in 
 imagination saw an outbreak and blood shed as in 
 the last war. 
 
 " And are all these men traitors to the laws of the 
 United States ?" asked Madame Clarissima. 
 
 "It is true," replied the Archbishop, placidly 
 munching cake and quaffing wine. " No one can 
 serve two masters. It is well to remember," he went 
 on, " that they number from seven hundred thousand 
 to a million of men, and are known under the name of 
 the United States Militia." 
 
 " But who commands this immense secret army ? " 
 was Father William's query, with his heart appalled 
 for the safety of his country. 
 
 "Well questioned, my son," replied the prelate, 
 after quaffing another glass of wine. "We have 
 . attended to that important point, and it is a secret 
 \vc are keeping from Americans. These well drilled 
 soldiers are mostly officered and commanded by 
 skilful Romanists. We are shrewd enough to see 
 that they command the armies, and man the navy of 
 the United States."
 
 A DREAM OF CONQUEST. 
 
 "We are stronger than I thought," said Father 
 Buhler cheerily. 
 
 "Yes," added Father Krafts. "The Pope of 
 Rome in point of fact rules here with his million of 
 drilled soldiers." 
 
 "Of course he does. I think it is just delightful,". 
 echoed Father Pecci, as he sipped his wine. 
 
 "Yes, Little Mother," said the Archbishop, turning 
 to the lady patronizingly. " Soon it will be true that 
 we came, saw and conquered. May our most gra- 
 cious Mary, queen of heaven, prosper our plans that 
 we may succeed." 
 
 Madame Clarissima made no reply, but silently 
 raised her petition to Him who alone has all power 
 in heaven and earth, to save the land from its treacher- 
 ous invaders. Father William's heart was also racked 
 with the question which disturbs so many: "How 
 can I be loyal to both church and country ? Shall I 
 turn traitor, and help into power in this free land a 
 foreign citizen ? Knowing my country's peril if I 
 keep silent, am I not guilty as an arch-conspirator 
 against her safety ? " The feast was a misnomer to 
 him. He could only fast and pray. 
 
 As for Madame Clarissima the voice of her heart 
 was : " Woe is me, if I shrink from my duty as an 
 American, and become a party to a plot of wickedness, 
 treachery and blood." She longed for the bishop to 
 return that she might tell him all. Full of courage 
 and determination she saw that they must at once 
 stand openly on the Lord's side.
 
 320 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 Suddenly it flashed into her mind what to do. 
 Madonna Hall must be reconstructed. No one but 
 loyal Americans shall be on the School Board. It 
 shall be changed from Convent to Seminary, and be 
 wholly reformed, in the line of Gospel faith. 
 
 " It shall be country first," thought the lady. " For 
 it is our home, and the noble constitution has brooded 
 us under its wings, and allowed us to prosper. God 
 will blight us if we turn against His ordinance of 
 ;j;ood-will and protection, and seek to uproot what He 
 has planted." 
 
 The spirit of the new Reformation was in her 
 heart ; she had truly left Rome for the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, and trusted in His infinite power to " rule and 
 overrule till He whose right it is shall reign."
 
 THE DREAM INTERRUrTED. 321 
 
 XXV. 
 
 Irjferrupfed , 
 
 [HE reception had closed. Madame Clarissima 
 and the nuns had retired to their rooms. Father 
 Williams had left for the Beach Hotel, while Arch- 
 bishop Bland and Fathers Pecci, Buhler and 
 Krafts tarried in the parlor for a private 
 session before they left the house. This was mainly 
 to plan for the next election, and settle the question, 
 " Shall the Catholic women be permitted to 
 vote ? " 
 
 " Brethren, what have you to say ? " asked the aged 
 prelate, after introducing the subject. " I will listen 
 to you, Father Krafts." 
 
 " With me, this question is like that of education,'' 
 replied Father Krafts. " If theYankees were not so 
 crazed on learning, we should not need any schools to 
 speak of ; but they will educate, and we must make 
 believe that we advocate the idea. And if their 
 women go to the polls, we shall also feel compelled to 
 have ours vote."
 
 322 MADONNA HALL, 
 
 " What are your views ? " asked the prelate, nod- 
 ding to Pecci. 
 
 "I do n't know how it would work," replied he. 
 " I wish I knew Uncle Leo's opinion." 
 
 " What have you to say ? " asked the prelate of 
 Buhler. 
 
 " It might be a good thing, and then it might not. 
 I wait to hear your Grace's decision." 
 
 " Venerable brothers," said that dignitary, in his. 
 profound official way, imitating the Pope, who thus 
 addresses his cardinals, " I should pause before I gave 
 our women the right of suffrage, opposed as it is to the 
 genius of our institutions. It is not according to the 
 high ideal which gained us our political strength in 
 the glorious Middle Ages, when we were the universal 
 monarchy, and which ideal, if we are vigilant, will give 
 us back in the near future our ancient heritage." 
 
 " Yes, your excellency," replied Krafts, " but 
 many of the clergy arc anxious to have our women 
 vote." 
 
 " Wrong ! decidedly wrong ! " rejoined the prelate, 
 arrogantly. " If we allow them to have the ballot, 
 they must be taught the rudiments of education, as 
 many are now unable to read, and this will loosen our 
 hold on them. Catholic girls would cease to earn for 
 a while, and as we depend largely on their earnings, a 
 part of our income would at once disappear. No ; I 
 do not sanction their voting, not even of those already 
 qualified.*'
 
 THE DREAM INTERRUPTED. 
 
 3^3 
 
 "I wish the Pope would decide it," said Pecci, with 
 a worried look. 
 
 " The Pope and I are in full accord," was the prel- 
 ate's lofty reply. " Voting liberalizes, disenthralls, edu- 
 cates too much, for our women. Last year, I am aware* 
 the clergy foolishly urged the women to vote, but I 
 put it down, and so did the wise editors of our church 
 papers. We have our hands full now, in drilling the 
 swarms of foreigners to get ready for the polls. If 
 we allowed the women to vote, there would be an end 
 to saintly submission and religious subserviency. We 
 should have a rebellious horde to rule." 
 
 " True, your Grace ; and it would also disturb the 
 nuns in the convents ! " said Krafts. 
 
 "Oh, no," replied the prelate gruffly ; "they have no 
 chance to know what is going on in the world, as they 
 are kept at their devotions and menial duties, and 
 are never allowed to see the papers or hear the 
 news." 
 
 " But there is insubordination in the very air," 
 maintained Krafts. " Even Mother Superiors are 
 sometimes tainted with a desire to be free from re- 
 straint. Little Mother Clarissima has alarming 
 symptoms. Romanism is an exotic, and in trans- 
 planting it, we have to make concessions to suit the 
 popular mind." 
 
 " Tut, tut, my son," replied the prelate ; " we are 
 far more independent than formerly. What led you 
 to speak of f.iithless Mother Superiors ? "
 
 324 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " Just this, your Grace, an item in the Current 
 Notes." Rereads, 
 
 " At Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Mother Superior 
 of the convent said, ' Tell that Protestant nun, Miss 
 Willard, we are not allowed to go to hear her, but when 
 the convent bell strikes for the Angelus ( prayers to 
 the Virgin ), we will pray that all the saints of heaven 
 will bless the woman who has come so far to speak to 
 us." 
 
 " Is n't that rebellion ? bold, impious rebellion ? " 
 " That is, indeed, a most surprising thing, I must 
 admit," slowly said his Grace, lighting another cigar. 
 " It seems that the foolish Mother Superior at Sante 
 Fe was anxious to go to a Protestant meeting, and 
 would, if possible, take every nun with her. 'We 
 can't go,' she says ; 'but will do the next best thing, 
 send an encouraging message, and turn our prayers to 
 the Virgin,' for her prosperity and success, which 
 means our overthrow. What daring presumption ! 
 Brothers, we must have sterner discipline ! That 
 Mother Superior should be dealt with after the old 
 regime, turn or burn ! That reminds me, venerable 
 brothers, that I must get the measurement of the new 
 wing here in its thick walls, as I am to build a similar 
 addition to All Saint's Convent. The architect has 
 never had charge of such construction, and relies on 
 me for details. I believe you helped me in the plans 
 for this building ? " 
 
 " Yes, your Grace," replied Buhler. " We three
 
 THE DRKAM INTERRUPTED. 
 
 325 
 
 were on the building committe, and there is not a 
 better edifice, for the purpose, in the country." 
 
 "That's so," echoed Pecci. "The walls are al- 
 most as good as those at Rome. I do n 't mean equal 
 to St. Peter's Cathedral walls, which are nineteen 
 feet thick." 
 
 "That is what is wanted, solid masonry and seclu- 
 sion," said his Grace. " I will at once take the 
 measurement of the Tombs. It is well to do this by 
 night." 
 
 " Yes, far better ; no one will see us go in, or have 
 remarks to make," rejoined Buhler. 
 
 " Hasten, then, get a light, and we may as well all 
 go," said the Archbishop, with a decided shiver ; 
 he was superstitious when a child, and had not fully 
 recovered. " As I have a touch of the gout and 
 rheumatism, I shall not tarry long," he added. 
 
 " It may be chilly," said Buhler, " and we must 
 have another quaff of wine before we go," and taking 
 a bottle from the sideboard, he poured out a glass 
 for each. 
 
 " That 's prime ! " exclaimed Pecci. " I remember 
 now, when Uncle Leo sent me several cases of wine, 
 given him at his jubliee, we had them put in one of 
 the under-ground recesses, because the walls were so 
 thick it would keep as cool as if in an ice-chest " 
 
 "We must bring back a bottle or two and try it," 
 replied the prelate, " as it came from the Pope, I 
 should prize it."
 
 3 26 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 Buhler, taking the lantern and the large key that 
 opened the door to the basement apartments, the 
 four clergymen sallied forth. 
 
 " I wish, first, to take the measurements of the 
 outside walls," said the prelate, "and then the length 
 of the inside, and subtracting the one from the 
 other, find the true thickness. Nothing like meas- 
 uring for correctness," added he, although Buhler 
 thought that he had the memorandum at his quarters 
 in the city. " My cane is just a yard long, and has 
 inch lines marked on it. I will now take the dimen- 
 sions of this outer wall." This he did with care, 
 Buhler holding the light, and the other two looking 
 on. 
 
 "The night is the best time to do this, for I 'd just 
 as lief not be seen," observed the prelate, in a low 
 voice to Buhler. 
 
 " Yes, your Grace," replied Buhler ; " not a soul can 
 see us here." 
 
 ".I find the length just fifty-five feet, six inches," 
 said the prelate, a few minutes later, as he made a 
 note of it. 
 
 Notwithstanding Buhler' s opinion, a pair of eyes 
 were intently watching every movement of the Arch- 
 bishop and his associates. The eyes belonged to Mr. 
 Clamp, who having recently engaged in some law- 
 breaking affair, under Mrs. Ranney's auspices, had 
 been apprehended, but escaped the officers, prefer- 
 ring " to roam a tramp, rather than rot in jail," as he
 
 THE DKE.IM INTERRUPTED. 
 
 327 
 
 expressed it. He was at this time snugly hidden 
 behind the hawthorn hedge, opposite the wing, and 
 could see and hear everything that transpired. He 
 was puzzled to decide what they were doing, and 
 concluded that it concerned the more safe imprison- 
 ment of refractory nuns. 
 
 Meanwhile, crickets chirped, katy-dids debated, 
 and mosquitoes, in piping chorus, pursued their bloody 
 warfare, making the clergy decry the foliage which 
 gave them shelter, and hasten to get into cooler 
 regions, where they could not molest. 
 
 Buhler unlocked the ponderous door, thickly 
 studded with nails, the prelate noting it, and as he 
 went down the stairs leading to the basement, said, 
 
 " Have that door left open, my son. We must 
 ventilate. The dank, unhealthy air comes sweeping 
 up, as if there was a draught somewhere." 
 
 The door was accordingly left ajar, with a block of 
 wood placed in the opening, to keep the strong spring 
 from shutting it. As they entered the Tombs, 
 Buhler said with a shudder, 
 
 " The music teacher, Sister Estelle, is here some- 
 where, if she is living." 
 
 " Yes," returned the prelate. " I recall, we con- 
 signed her tocell Number Nine. She doubtless de- 
 parted this life several days ago, and Hosea has de- 
 posited her in her niche." 
 
 " He did so, and I certified that she was dead," 
 volunteered Pecci, with a chilly tremor, then added,
 
 328 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 "but somehow, to-night, I have a horror of dead 
 bodies." 
 
 ' I never knew any one hurt by them," remarked 
 Krafts, coolly. 
 
 ' Now for the measuring," interrupted the prelate, 
 and the light being held, he soon had the figures fifty 
 feet, six inches. "That makes the wall five feet 
 thick, and where the niches are, it must be seven feet. 
 Can that be ? " he asked. 
 
 " That is doubtless correct," affirmed the astute 
 committee, but the prelate doubted, and they had 
 quite a parley over it. 
 
 Meanwhile, unknown to them, there was a sud- 
 den tempest of wind that sent the clouds scurry- 
 ing up from a bank of vapor near the sea, warn- 
 ing the fugitive behind the hedge that he must 
 seek shelter. He was in a new dilemma, as he 
 expected every moment that the clergy would issue 
 forth, and confront him, if he moved away from 
 the hedge. He had been trained in a parochial 
 school, had fallen in with bad priests and judged all 
 by those he knew. He especially held a grudge 
 against the prelate. He was, from his youth, accus- 
 tomed to crime, and ever blindly rushed deeper in. 
 The large drops of rain began to fall, and the tempest 
 still increasing, drove him from his covert, and in 
 passing the door ajar, he quickly removed the block 
 of wood, took the key, and sped around to the side 
 of the veranda away from the force of the storm.
 
 THE DREAM INTERRUPTED. 
 
 329 
 
 Clamp felt bitter ; his marred life was a failure. 
 He hated the pretension of religion ; had no faith in 
 the clergy, and from the door being open, judged 
 that they were alone, and, led on by the Archbishop, 
 were plotting something evil. Hence, to get shelter 
 for himself, and give them a taste of their own medi- 
 cine, he shut them in. A piece of wrong doing by 
 no rrieans equal in enormity to their own, in confin- 
 ing helpless nuns in solitary cells, to pine away and 
 die. As the block of wood was taken away, a great 
 gust, helped by the springs, shut the door with a 
 slam, that made the Tombs ring, as if an earthquake 
 had commenced operations. 
 
 " Great Hercules ! " cried the prelate, aghast with 
 terror, as he heard the great door clang. "What has 
 happened ? Buhler, have you the key ? " 
 
 " I left it in the door, your Grace," was the fright- 
 ened reply. 
 
 "You did ! The saints preserve us ! " cried the old 
 prelate, ashy pale. ' 'We Ve got to stay here till 
 doomsday, for naught I can see. Now we Jesuits are 
 all here, there '11 be no one to condemn nuns, and 
 no hope of the door ever being opened." 
 
 " Oh ! oh ! " groaned Pecci, sinking down in a 
 swoon. 
 
 "I move that we try hallooing," proposed Krafts, 
 determined to put a bold face on the matter. " All 
 together, now, as loud as thunder!" But while he 
 gave the initiative, the rest remained silent.
 
 330 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 "It is of no use," replied Buhler. "See these 
 massive walls. If a hundred men with stentorian 
 lungs should halloo here, not the least sound would 
 escape outside." 
 
 " We are fairly caught in our own trap," added the 
 Archbishop in despair. "It is a bad omen. We are 
 worse off than the Pope in the Vatican, and were 
 overtaken when planning conquests too. Is there 
 no other than that door by which we entered ? " 
 
 " None whatever, your Grace," replied Buhler ; 
 "but the cells open one from the other." They then 
 explored them, Buhler leading with the lantern. 
 
 "If we could get at that wine, we could restore 
 Father Pecci," said Krafts. 
 
 The far corner room, however, where it was stored, 
 was locked, and they had to relinquish the idea, and 
 endure this added affliction. 
 
 They were a sorry looking company, as they came 
 back to the larger apartment of wall-niches, where the 
 mortal remains of apostate nuns were supposed to 
 repose in a standing attitude, and where indeed they 
 would have been, had not Hosea interfered, and kind, 
 helpful hands provided a better fate. 
 
 Pecci began to groan and move feebly, asking, 
 " Where am I ? What has happened ?" 
 
 "We are next door to purgatory," replied the old 
 prelate, crustily. Then in a tragic whisper to Buhler 
 and Krafts, with an expressive grimace, " The de- 
 caying bodies make the air fearfully foul."
 
 THE DREAM INTERRUPTED. 
 
 331 
 
 "Yes," rejoined Buhler, "it is very offensive," 
 putting his handkerchief to his nose. 
 
 " I can 't stand this charnal house long," added 
 Krafts, in disgust. 
 
 " Saint Christopher ! " cried the prelate. " Lead 
 the way into the room adjacent. I tell you, brethren, 
 if you'll help me out of this misery, I will insure you 
 all the money you want." 
 
 " Just now I 'd rather be sure of my life, than to 
 have ever so much money," returned Krafts, bitterly. 
 " It was to favor your Grace that we came here, you 
 remember." 
 
 " Yes," the Archbishop replied ;" "and I shall foot 
 the bills if we ever get free. But is n't there some 
 weak place in the walls, a window or something of 
 the kind?" 
 
 " No, your Grace, there is not. This place was not 
 made to live in, but to die in. It is simply a large 
 morgue, and we came here to take measurements, and 
 make another as near like it as possible," added 
 Buhler, peevishly. 
 
 " Well, what 's the harm ? " asked his Grace. 
 
 " If this had not been made, we had not been in it," 
 replied Krafts, sharply. " I would vote to have it recon- 
 structed if I was safely out. What a fuss we should 
 make if Protestants had like places of punishment for 
 a class of their young women." 
 
 " Hush, my son. The church sees fit to have stern 
 discipline. It is the only way we have of keeping
 
 332 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 together. Recant, or, be consigned to the Inquisition 
 was the decree when we had temporal power. We 
 have not changed our principles in the least. We are 
 infallible, inexorable, and everything and everybody 
 must succumb to our rule." 
 
 " Old proverbs keep running through my mind : 
 ' With what measure ye meet, it shall be measured to 
 you again,' 'And he that leadeth into captivity shall 
 go into captivity,' and seems to me that judgment has 
 overtaken us," complained Buhler, brokenly, as lie 
 remembered his brief fit of repentance. 
 
 "I am sorry that this dreadful place of dead nuns' 
 bones was ever invented for us to fall into," wailed 
 Pecci, as he became painfully conscious. 
 
 " It is n't strange, my sons, that you are tempted of 
 the devil, in the circumstances," remarked the prelate, 
 wisely. "Now, if you three will only do this one 
 favor for me, I will at once absolve you from all sin, 
 present and future. All three lie down, close 
 together, and let me use you for a matress. It will 
 cure my rheumatism, and give my aching bones a little 
 rest." 
 
 " Your Grace must be joking," replied Krafts. "I 
 do not feel equal to it." He most heartily disliked the 
 Archbishop, because he was Irish, and Buhler 
 indulged the same prejudice. 
 
 "I beg to say that I could not lie still enough," 
 cried Buhler, proudly. " Here is an iron bedstead ; it 
 served the nuns."
 
 THE DREAM INTERRUPTED. 
 
 333 
 
 " I am too sick for anything ; I can't make a bed 
 for myself," groaned Pecci. 
 
 "Ingrates! you astonish me beyond expression," 
 frowned his Grace. " You deny me this favor. You 
 do not do as you would be done by." 
 
 "No, we never do," replied Buhler, "or we should 
 not have built this old sepulchre. While our light 
 lasts, we may as well go through the cells and look at 
 the bedsteads. To allay hunger we must sleep all we 
 can." 
 
 " Light lasts ! " echoed the prelate. " Is there 
 danger of its going out ? " as he pictured the horrors 
 of dungeon darkness. 
 
 " The oil in the lantern will last only a few hours, 
 and as soon as we arrange for sleeping, we must put it 
 out, for use another night," was Buhler's grave reply. 
 
 In examining the three cells, three bedsteads were 
 found, with veryjscant bedding. It was proposed to 
 give the Archbishop one in the largest room, and 
 have the trio divide the other two. But the prelate 
 declared that he would have the middle room, as the 
 foul niches were in the larger, and Pecci should sleep 
 with him. As he was a large man, and the bed was 
 single, Pecci's only alternative was to sleep on the 
 floor, near the prelate, who wanted often to put his 
 hand out and be sure he was there, being as timid as 
 a child in the dark. Buhler and Krafts decided to 
 occupy the room Number Nine, and share the bed by 
 turns.
 
 334 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 A company of Christ's disciples would have had the 
 uplifting joy and comfort of a prayer-meeting, but 
 these benighted men, although in direst need, did not 
 know how to prevail with God. They could say 
 prayers, as did the false prophets of old, when they 
 cried from morning till night, " O Baal, hear us ! O 
 Baal, hear us ! " and there was none that regarded, for 
 the reason that it was not prayer directed to God. 
 The class here represented prayed to the Virgin, but 
 had no answer, and restlessly tossed on their hard 
 beds, bemoaning their fate. The light had to be put out 
 to save the oil, and the pitchy gloom of those cellar 
 rooms, was like Egyptian darkness, that could be felt. 
 
 The situation was favorable for the development 
 of special individual infirmities. The poor prelate 
 was hungry, thirsty, frightened, and cross ; Buhler 
 constantly harped on the Archbishop's stupidity in 
 getting them into this plight ; Krafts was fretful 
 when awake, and talking excitedly when asleep ; and 
 miserable little Pecci was of smali use to the prelate, 
 as he was liable to faint at any moment. The Arch- 
 bishop made it his duty to disturb the trio as much 
 as he could, and that was more than enough, they 
 were all agreed. His constitutional timidity made 
 him the slave of his fears. 
 
 " Krafts, my son, be so kind as to light the lantern ; 
 I must know what the time is." 
 
 Buhler pinched Krafts, which, meant that he was to 
 pretend to be asleep,
 
 THE DREAM INTERRUPTED. 
 
 335 
 
 " I say, halloo, you Buhler. I want that lamp 
 lighted. I've the crick in my back." 
 
 But Buhler was deaf to his call. 
 
 He then addressed Pecci, 
 
 "Come, my son, get right up and rub my back." 
 
 Pecci could not pretend to be asleep, for the 
 prelate's hand was on his shoulder, but he demurred* 
 saying, 
 
 " Please, your Grace, I am so faint, that I cannot 
 stand ; all I can do is to lie here." 
 
 Vainly pleading for a light, and chattering garru- 
 lously, to keep himself company, the Archbishop 
 was at length obliged to succumb to sleep. 
 
 Mr. Clamp had the veranda all to himself. As the 
 storm soon ceased, nothing disturbed him till the 
 dawn, when his first thought was to turn the key in 
 the door, and set the clergy free, but bitter memo- 
 ries of his dwarfed and garbled training under Jesuits 
 decided him that one night's imprisonment was not 
 penance enough for the grave offence of which they 
 were guilty. He therefore hid the key where he could 
 easily find it, as he planned to appear the next night 
 and watch the progress of events. Stealthily with- 
 drawing behind the hedge, he sought the highway, 
 and a place to get his morning meal, and while enjoy- 
 ing breakfast at a farmer's substantial board, he was 
 suddenly arrested, and taken in charge by the officers 
 who were on his track. 
 
 Not one of the clerical party knew when morning
 
 336 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 came. It was indeed nearly dawn when they fell 
 into their fitful slumbers. About noon the Arch- 
 bishop made such an outcry, that all were aroused, 
 and Buhler asked, 
 
 " What can we do for your Grace ? " 
 
 " Up, up ! every soul of you, this instant ! Strike 
 a light, and come to me ! '' was the irritable rejoinder. 
 
 Buhler was soon at the suffering prelate's side with 
 the lantern. 
 
 " All here ? " he asked. " Well, I want each of you 
 to rub me. I am stiff with rheumatism, and cannot 
 turn over to save my life. Here, you Buhler, hold 
 the light with your left hand, and rub me with your 
 right hand." 
 
 Buhler obeyed the prelate, who groaned with every 
 breath. 
 
 " Krafts, rub my back and side. Oh, oh ! And 
 you, Pecci, may attend to my limbs." 
 
 As they each tried to do his duty as pointed out by 
 the invalid, he lamented, fumed, and fretted, as if he 
 were the only unfortunate man in the world. Finally, 
 with the help of his friends, he was able to rise and 
 sit up on the side of the bed, where he bewailed his 
 lot, because he had neither wine, cigars, or breakfast. 
 
 " What destitution ! What poverty ! Who would 
 have prophesied that I, Archbishop Bland of this 
 great diocese, could become so utterly distraught ! 
 I have money, but it cannot help me. Alas ! alas ! 
 that our desolation should come as in a moment."
 
 THE DREAM IXTERRl'PTED. 
 
 337 
 
 Things moved on in this way for six lingering hor- 
 rible days and nights, the clerical party sitting in the 
 dark to save oil. They were fearfully hungry, and 
 suffered also greatly from thirst. 
 
 " Oh, for a drink of water ! " was the oft-repeated 
 cry. 
 
 Finally, overpowered with hunger and thirst, the 
 Archbishop cried in his desperation, 
 
 " Oh, Buhler, my son, light the lantern. I 've a 
 communication to make. Brethren, come nearer." 
 
 Then as the light was brought, and the trembling 
 clergy gathered around him, as if he were about to 
 give up the ghost, he said, wringing his hands, with 
 groans and cries, 
 
 " We are doomed to stay here till we die of starva- 
 tion. Who can endure dying by inches ? It is my ad- 
 vice that we all commit suicide, and be done with it." 
 
 " Not yet," replied Buhler, gloomily, unready to 
 face the king of terrors. ' We shall die soon enough ; 
 we are getting weaker every day." 
 
 " I would not dare kill myself," said poor Pecci, 
 "and I don't want anybody to do the job for me." 
 
 " While there is life there is hope," added Krafts, 
 more cheerfully. '' There may be help for us yet ; 
 life is a gift of God, and we have no right to take it 
 away forcibly. I have done some hard thinking 
 since I have been here. It has helped me to recall 
 my talks with the bishop. I heard him say, ' In the 
 day of trouble call on God, not commit sin.' '
 
 338 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " We 've been praying ever since this calamity 
 happened," groaned the Archbishop. 
 
 " Yes," rejoined Krafts ; " but it is my mind that 
 we have applied to the wrong one for help. The 
 bishop says, ' Call upon God in the day of trouble, 
 not upon Mary." 
 
 At this there was a great hush, and Krafts went 
 on, 
 
 " Now, as to what to do in our distress : I suppose 
 we might cut strips from our shoes and chew on the 
 leather. This would start the saliva, and we should 
 not suffer so much from thirst. Father Buhler, let 's 
 to work. I have a sharp knife ; if you'll hold the 
 light, I'll cut strips of leather for lunch." 
 
 Each one had pieces cut from his own shoe, and 
 soon all were busy chewing the hard morsel which 
 occupied them, and gave some relief from thirst. 
 
 There was a heap of straw in the corner of the- 
 large room ; Krafts and Buhler looked it over and 
 found a measure of kernels of wheat and oats. This 
 they doled out, a handful to each, which was received 
 with tearful acclamations and gratitude. It was nour- 
 ishment, and they all began to take courage. 
 
 In a further search, Buhler and Krafts found a 
 movable partition in one of the rooms, and still ex- 
 ploring, at length discovered a faucet, rusted almost 
 beyond recognition. With difficulty turning it, they 
 soon had water flowing freely, to their great joy, and 
 speedily drank their fill, the most welcome quaffing
 
 THE DREAM INTERRUPTED. 
 
 339 
 
 in their lives, despite the rusty dipper. Quickly fill- 
 ing his hat with the precious liquid, Buhler gave the 
 lantern to Krafts, and made his way to the prelate 
 and Pecci. His Grace was not fastidious, but eagerly 
 drank and drank, and then Pecci took his turn. 
 
 " Don't you see how soon we were helped when we 
 prayed to the Almighty ? " triumphantly cried Krafts. 
 " Now we shall not starve for a long time, accord- 
 ing to Dr. Tanner, whose champion boast is, that 
 men can live on water longer than they can on 
 wine." 
 
 " I doubt that," replied the prelate. " There is a 
 great deal of strength in wine. It maketh the heart 
 of man to rejoice." 
 
 " The doctor can prove what he says," was the 
 reply. " At any rate, water is half the battle in sus- 
 taining life." 
 
 The grand effects of nature's nectar were shortly 
 felt by all. There was a general brightening up, and 
 if the prelate had any temptations to relapse into 
 utter despair and commit suicide, he kept them to 
 himself.
 
 540 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 FTER Mrs. Byington had made known her plans 
 to Mrs. Leavenworth, the next thing in order 
 was to gain over her daughter Louise to join with 
 her in executing them. 
 
 This required all the tact of the mother. Louise 
 had been absent visiting a friend for a few days, and 
 when she returned one evening, she threw herself into 
 an easy chair quite depressed, exclaiming, 
 
 " How I do miss the rector ! . It is so lonely here ; 
 it seems as if everybody was gone when he is 
 away! " 
 
 "The doctor would say that you are morbid, from 
 not being in perfect health," was the reply. " I am 
 ailing, too, and he says the sooner I go abroad the 
 better ! " 
 
 " I hope you won't think of it ! " rejoined Louise, 
 decidedly. " Better stay here, and take care of the 
 estate." 
 
 " Take care of it ! " replied the mother. " I find
 
 BE WILDE RED. 34 1 
 
 that I can do that better by going away. I am told 
 that I am liable to lose it if I remain." 
 
 " Oh, mother, you must be wild," said Louise, 
 earnestly. " Do n 't you remember what the rector 
 said, that you and I could only secure our property 
 by joining a convent, and giving it in charge of the 
 church, as so many others have done." 
 
 " Now, dear," replied Mrs. Byington, "you see I do 
 not rely on what cousin John says, because I have 
 discovered that he is secretly bound by the Jesuit's 
 oath, to work every way for the Roman power. I 
 learned, too, that his Order is utterly false and faith- 
 less in every respect. You've only to read " The 
 Doctrine of the Jesuits" to find that a plain fact. 
 This being the case, his view is like that of the most 
 grasping of all worldly organizations, the Roman 
 Catholic Church ; and it has not one particle of weight 
 with me. I certainly shall not be scared into giving 
 my estate into the hands of any beggar, least of 
 all to one made rich for so many ages by every 
 species of swindling fraud. I shall sell my real estate 
 in this place, and take you abroad with me. Some of 
 our relatives are in France, and some in Italy. We 
 will select a desirable place in which to live, and you 
 can go on with your education, which Madame Du 
 Pont so sadly neglected. 
 
 " Oh, mother ! " cried the young lady, influenced 
 by her superstitious enthusiasm, " I have no heart to
 
 3 4 2 MADONNA HALL, 
 
 study, and I do not want to goto Europe! I only 
 care to join a convent." 
 
 " It would do us both a world of good to go," said 
 the fond mother; "and I see no other way out of this 
 difficulty that cousin John has disclosed. If, as he 
 says, all the wealth of heretics is to be confiscated, 
 just the moment it can be done, and that we are on 
 the eve of that time, we do well to go to some for- 
 eign country that has freed herself from the Papal 
 yoke." 
 
 " Well, mamma, I might as well confess to you that 
 I have given myself and all that I possess to the 
 church. He made the matter so clear, I could do no 
 less, and I told the rector so ; and he said no mat- 
 ter what happened I was sure of heaven, for it was a 
 lovely sacrifice, and most acceptable to Mary and all 
 the saints." 
 
 " But, dear child," replied Mrs. Byington, " this 
 place is to be sold, and even if the Romish Church 
 gets the power she seeks, we can be safe from her 
 reach. As to your promise, as you are a minor, he 
 had no right to persuade you, and you will find un- 
 told sorrow, if you persist in this foolish plan. Think 
 the matter over calmly, darling ; go with me to 
 Europe, and if you are still of the same mind, I shall 
 not stand in your way further than this, that not one 
 cent of your father's estate shall you have to give to 
 a convent ! And if you enter a convent as a poor 
 girl, you will be only a scrub and menial."
 
 BEWILDERED. 
 
 343 
 
 " I have made a vow, and a dreadful curse will fol- 
 low me if I go back ! " cried Louise, tremblingly. " I 
 promised the rector that I would join next communion, 
 and I can only go forward." 
 
 " And leave your poor mother," brokenly said Mrs. 
 Byington. 
 
 " He said if you were sensible, you would join, too, 
 as it is the only way we can make sure of heaven, 
 and of our earthly possessions." 
 
 " Darling, let me tell you that he is entirely mis- 
 taken." 
 
 " I am sure that he is not ! " replied Louise, greatly 
 excited. " He knows more about it than we do ! I 
 am fully settled as to that." 
 
 Mrs. Byington, seeing that it was useless to reason 
 with her child while in this mood, was silent, and in 
 her extremity lifted her heart to God in prayer for 
 help. 
 
 After tea some friends came in to spend the even- 
 ing, and Louise played and sang as usual. She was a 
 sweet singer and skilful accompanist ; and at bed- 
 time, mother and daughter, after a good-night kiss, 
 retired to their rooms for rest, each strong in her own 
 opinion that her view was right. 
 
 Louise spent a sleepless night, tossed with doubts 
 and fears. What to do, she knew not; but finally 
 concluded to keep her vow, since, if neglected, it 
 would be at the peril of her soul. 
 
 At breakfast her mother cheerilv said, " Now,
 
 344 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 daughter, I am going to commence packing my things 
 to-day, and I would be glad if you would attend to 
 yours, and if you get in a hard place, and need my 
 help, just let me know, for I am an accomplished 
 hand at the business." 
 
 "Yes, mamma," was the absent reply, and as the 
 mother plunged into the work of packing her wardrobe, 
 the child went to her room and wrote her a farewell 
 note, with many tears, and donning her wraps made her 
 way to the nearest convent, as soon as possible to join 
 an Order, and to lead the life of a holy recluse. 
 
 Mrs. Byington had her mind much exercised that 
 morning about the lack of reliability of Irish servants, 
 and as she was packing, and Bridget was helping her, 
 she thought she would sound her a little. 
 
 " Bridget," said she, as she went on folding dresses, 
 and laying them away, " Can your priest sin ? " 
 
 " Never a bit, mum," was the reply. " No matter 
 what he does, it's howly, 'cause he can forgive himself 
 as he goes along." 
 
 " Bridget, if Father Buhler told you to poison 
 Louise and me, would you do it ?" 
 
 " I would, mum," quickly replied Bridget. " I 'd be 
 a haythan not to do it, bein' as Father Buhler is 
 howly, and all he says is like the voice of God." 
 
 " You 'd do it, would you ? " 
 
 "I would, mum, as soon as convaynient," said 
 Bridget, as unconcerned as if saying her catechism 
 " But he 's niver said it."
 
 BEWILDERED. 
 
 345 
 
 " Well, Bridget, that's enough," said Mrs. Bying- 
 ton. " Stop packing for me, and put up your things ; 
 come and take your pay and be off. I shall never hire 
 anyone that is ready to murder, if a priest tells her 
 to." 
 
 When, a half -hour later, Bridget appeared to get 
 her wages, Mrs. Byington said, as she paid her, 
 
 " I am very sorry to part with you in this way, 
 Bridget, for I had hoped better things of you. N\v 
 I want you to promise me one thing, and that is, 
 that you will not try to hire out in a Protestant 
 family." 
 
 " But I '11 have to do as the priest says, mum," 
 replied Bridget, " and he always says, ' Bridget, be 
 sure you get wark with the Protestants.' Them bez 
 our orders, and, mum, if you '11 be after giving me a 
 recommend, I '11 be much obliged to you." 
 
 It struck Mrs. Byington as very amusing for 
 Bridget to expect to get an indorsement from her, 
 when she was turned away, and she replied, 
 
 " If I say anything about you, I must tell the 
 truth." 
 
 "Yes, mum," said the woman. " No matter what 
 you say, if it's a recommend." 
 
 Mrs. Byington wrote as follows, 
 
 " This certifies that Bridget Murray is strong and 
 willing to work. She is a rigid Catholic, and I 
 hereby dismiss her because I do not believe in her 
 priest, who is a Jesuit. Bridget thinks that he can-
 
 346 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 not sin. I know that he did not reprove her when 
 she confessed to him that she stole from me. She is 
 not as much to be blamed as her priest, but I do not 
 consider that she can be safely harbored in a Protes- 
 tant family as a cook, as she declares herself ready to 
 give poison if the priest should say that it must be 
 done. She could, I think, be trusted to work for her 
 own people. 
 
 "(Signed) MRS. BYJNGTON." 
 
 Bridget did not ask to have it read, and armed with 
 her "recommend," started out into the world as 
 light-hearted as ever. Mrs. Byington was relieved to 
 have her depart ; having lately missed several valuable 
 articles of wearing apparel, she had lost all confi- 
 dence in her. She had accomplished a good 
 morning's work, and, near dinner-time, seeking Louise 
 in her room, found her absent, and a tear-stained 
 epistle lying on her table, 
 
 " DEAR MAMMA, Do not grieve, for I must be 
 true to my vow, or I shall be lost. 
 
 " YOUR LOUISE." 
 
 "Gone! gone into a convent!" the mother cried. 
 " Oh, my only one, how could you ? Oh, blind 
 infatuation ! now indeed I have retribution for sending 
 her to a Catholic school for accomplishments. I have 
 my reward for allowing cousin Van Allstyn to plan 
 for me, and influence her. Oh, my Father, help, 
 help ! " and she sank on her knees in an agony of 
 prayer for her child. As she wept and prayed and
 
 BEWILDERED. 
 
 347 
 
 made her confession and resolution, it seemed that nn 
 angel came to strengthen her, and she grew more 
 hopeful. She decided to go and see Grace Leaven - 
 worth, and consult what to do. She knew that she 
 was now at the Aid Rooms for the day, as important 
 business was to be done. When Grace learned Mrs. 
 Byington's trouble, her heart overflowed with sym. 
 pathy. 
 
 " Oh, what a pity ! " she cried. " Louise knows so 
 little what she is doing in joining a convent. Where 
 has she gone ? " 
 
 "I can only conjecture," replied Mrs. Byington ; 
 "It must be to Madonna Hall." 
 
 " I really hope it is," was the reply, "for that is being 
 entirely changed. The Directors are not receiving 
 any more nuns, but dismissing and finding places for 
 those remaining there, as the Order is dissolved." 
 
 "I am delighted to hear it," said Mrs. Byington, 
 " and if we find darling Louise, all may yet be well. 
 This must be the work of God, this starting reform 
 in the church itself." 
 
 "I cannot doubt it," was the reply; "but it is a 
 coming out and leaving the abominations behind 
 The Spirit of the Lord is moving and the civilization 
 of the age demands it." 
 
 " I will send a messenger home for the carriage, if 
 you will go with me in search of my precious child," 
 said Mrs. Byington. 
 
 " I will gladly go," replied Grace, " as what more I
 
 34 8 MADONNA HALL, 
 
 have to do I can accomplish on my return. Ella 
 Southbury keeps her part so well done. She is a 
 iewel of a secretary." 
 
 To return to the would-be nun. The night be- 
 fore had been almost sleepless. It is true that this 
 was partly owing to the scapular and serge vest 
 which, by way of penance, she had commenced wear- 
 ing next her skin. The latter irritated her nerves 
 until she was nearly beside herself. It disturbed her 
 morbid enthusiasm as she tried to mumble popish 
 prayers to the Virgin, St. Joseph and other saints, 
 according to the Catholic instruction book wMch the 
 rector had secretly given her. 
 
 In the morning she was obliged, much against her 
 darkened conscience, to remove the goading garment, 
 although retaining the scapular, and resolved at once 
 to consign herself for further safety to the walls of 
 the nearest convent, that she might make no mistake 
 in her prescribed round of religious observances. 
 
 Having tearfully written her note, she sent for a 
 hack, and in due time reached Madonna Hall. 
 
 Ringing the bell, she asked to see the Superioress, 
 for whom she had the most unbounded reverence. 
 When the new bride came in, and found that her 
 caller was Miss Byington, the cousin of Miss Leaven- 
 worth and of Rector Van Allstyn, and that she had 
 come to offer herself to the convent, she was deeply 
 moved, and invited her into the small parlor for a con- 
 fidential chat.
 
 BEWILDERED. 
 
 349 
 
 Then taking a seat on the sofa beside her, in a 
 genial, loving way she entered into conversation to 
 win her confidence, and soon asked, 
 
 " Now, my dear, will you tell me why you wish to 
 join a convent ? " 
 
 "I thought it was the only thing I could do, feeling 
 as I did," replied Louise, frankly. "You see, I could 
 not be a good Catholic and remain at home. My dear 
 mother has lost the little faith she once had in it." 
 
 " How came you to think of it ? " asked the lady. 
 
 " Rector Van Allstyn has urged it for some time ; 
 otherwise I do n't suppose I should have thought 
 of it." 
 
 "What reasons did he give ? How did he persuade 
 you?" 
 
 " Oh, he said it was j ust lovely for a young lady to 
 join a convent. She would then be quite sure of sal- 
 vation. A convent, he said, was so improving and 
 restful. It was almost heaven itself ; there was so 
 much harmony. Oh, I cannot begin to tell you how 
 he painted it, but from his description I have ever 
 since longed to become a nun. Besides assuring me 
 the salvation of my soul, he said it was the best place 
 for me to secure my property." 
 
 " He is utterly mistaken ! " returned the lady, 
 warmly. " I know, and I warn you that a convent is 
 not the place for your soul's good, or for the security 
 of your property. Now I am going to show you a 
 poem on this subject that is in point, '["he bishop,
 
 350 
 
 AfADONA'A HALL. 
 
 knowing my love for poetry, when he returned from 
 Europe brought me Bonar's 'Hymns of the Morning," 
 and a volume of his miscellaneous poems, among 
 which last I find what I will now read," and she pro- 
 duced from her book-rack, 
 
 THE NUN'S AWAKENING. 
 
 " This is no heaven ! 
 
 And yet they told me that all heaven was here, 
 This life the foretaste of a lift more dear ; 
 
 That all beyond this convent cell 
 
 Was but a fairer hell ; 
 That all was ecstacy and song within, 
 That all without was tempest, gloom and sin. 
 
 Ah me, it is not so, 
 
 This is no heaven, I know. 
 
 " This is not rest I 
 
 And yet they told me that all rest was here, 
 Within these walls the med'cine and the cheer 
 
 For broken hearts ; that all without 
 
 Was trembling, weariness and doubt ; 
 This the sure ark that floats above the wave, 
 Strong in life's flood to shelter and to save ; 
 
 This the still mountain lake, 
 
 Which minds can never shake. 
 
 Ah me, it is not so, 
 
 This is not rest, I know I 
 
 " This is not home I 
 
 And yet for this I left my girlhood's bower, 
 Shook the first dew from April's budding flower, 
 
 Cut off my golden hair, 
 
 Forsook the dear and fair, 
 
 And fled, as from a serpent's eyes, 
 
 Home and its holiest charities ;
 
 BE WILDE RED. 3 5 T 
 
 Broke the sweet ties that God had given, 
 And sought to win His heaven 
 
 By leaving home-work all undone. 
 
 The home-race all unrun, 
 
 The fair home-garden all unfilled, 
 
 The home affections all unfilled ; 
 As if these common rounds of work and love 
 Were drags to one whose spirit soared above 
 
 Life's tame and easy circle, and who fain 
 
 Would earn her crown by self-taught toil and pain. 
 
 Led captive by a mystic power, 
 
 Dazzled by visions in the moody hour. 
 
 When, sick of earth, and self, and vanity, 
 
 I longed to be alone or die. 
 
 Mocked by my own self-brooding heart. 
 
 And plied with every wile and art 
 
 That could seduce a young and yearning soul 
 
 To start for some mysterious goal. 
 
 And seek, in cell, or savage waste, 
 
 The cure of blighted hope and love misplaced. 
 
 Ah me, it is not so, 
 
 This is not home, I know ! 
 
 " This is not light ! 
 
 And yet they told me that all light was here, 
 Light of the holier sphere ; 
 
 That through this lattice seen, 
 
 Clearer and more serene, 
 
 The clear stars ever shone. 
 
 Shining for me alone ; 
 
 And the bright moon more bright, 
 
 Seen in the lone blue night 
 
 By ever-watchful eyes, 
 
 The sun of convent skies. 
 
 Ah me, it is not so, 
 
 This is not light, I know I
 
 352 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 "This is not love! 
 
 And yet they told me that all love was here, 
 Sweetening the silent atmosphere ; 
 
 All green, without a faded leaf, 
 
 All smooth, without a fret, or cross, or grief, 
 
 Fresh as young May, 
 
 Yet calm as autumn's softest day ; 
 
 No balm like convent air, 
 
 No hues of paradise so fair ! 
 
 A jealous, peevish, hating world beyond, 
 
 Within, life's loveliest bond ; 
 
 Envy and discord in the haunts of men, 
 
 Here, Eden's harmony again. 
 
 Ah me, it is not so, 
 
 Here is no love, I know ! 
 
 " Here is no balm 
 For stricken hearts, no calm 
 For fevered souls, no cure 
 For minds diseased. The impure 
 Become impurer in this stagnant air; 
 My cell becomes my tempter and my snare, 
 And vainer dreams than ere I dreamed before, 
 Crowd in at its low door ; 
 And have I fled, my God, from thee, 
 From Thy glad love and liberty, 
 And left the road where blessings fell like light, 
 For self-made by-paths shaded o'er with night ? 
 Oh, lead me back, my God, 
 To the forsaken road, 
 Life's common beat, that there, 
 Even in the midst of toil and care, 
 I may find Thee, 
 And in Thy love be free ! "
 
 A SUMJ AV THE HEART. 353 
 
 XXVII. 
 
 IT) 
 
 fHE lady read well, for her heart was in the 
 theme, and, meanwhile, tears coursed down the 
 cheeks of poor Louise, as she saw the castle of her 
 superstitious day-dreams vanish away. 
 
 " Can it be that this is so ? " she cried, as Madame 
 Clarissima, having finished the poem, affectionately 
 put her arm around her, as she sat beside her on the 
 sofa. 
 
 "It is a true picture, saving that some of the 
 deformity is veiled," was the grave reply. " These 
 religious houses differ somewhat, but all fail to give 
 what they promise. My lot has been a happy one, 
 compared with most nuns, I suppose, but I would give 
 worlds if I could undo the false record of my wasted 
 life and lost opportunities ; especially do I mourn over 
 my cruelty in discipline, when I verily thought I was 
 doing God service. This institution, I learn, has been 
 better managed than many, yet we find, as the most 
 intelligent Catholics in Europe allow, that the Protes-
 
 354 
 
 MADOXNA HALL. 
 
 tant methods of education arc vastly superior to the 
 conventual." 
 
 " Is it possible ? " asked Louise, the scales falling 
 from her eyes. 
 
 " It is surely so," replied the lady. " Do you know, 
 my dear girl, that I have had a great awakening, and 
 by the Word of God and the bishop's help, I find that 
 many of our former religious performances are simply 
 cloaks for sin. Observances which bring in money ; 
 doctrines which are only swindling schemes to enrich 
 the church and the clergy, are the strength of the 
 false system which the bishop and I gladly forsake. 
 I am utterly disgusted with the entire sham, and 
 myself and husband are strongly witnessing against its 
 abominations, being, by the grace of God, free from 
 its galling and degrading chain." 
 
 " You surprise me more than I can tell ! " ex- 
 claimed Louise. " I had come to think the cere- 
 monies of the Catholic Church very beautiful. I 
 liked so many holidays, the show and parade of the 
 worship ; the fine music and chanting, and the doc- 
 trine that the priest can forgive sin, pleased me most 
 of all. You have not given up that yet, I hope. We 
 are told to confess to the priest." 
 
 " The Roman Church has such a rule, but the Word 
 of God tells us to confess to God, who says, ' If we 
 confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive 
 us our sins.' " 
 
 " I thought it was easier to confess to the priest," 
 murmured Louise,
 
 A SO.VG LY THE HEART. 
 
 355 
 
 "That is not the doctrine of God, but the doctrine 
 of devils. The priest has no business with your 
 secrets. If he is a bad man, he will be sure to try 
 and take advantage of his knowledge." 
 
 "I am dreadfully disappointed that you see reason 
 to renounce your religion. It makes me feel almost 
 as if there were no true religion," moaned Louise. 
 
 " Ah, my clear girl, you must remember that where 
 there is a counterfeit, there is a true religion. Jesus, the 
 one Lord, is the all-sufficient Saviour and Redeemer 
 No other name can save." 
 
 Louise was overwhelmed with the words of the lady. 
 
 " But what shall I do ? I have made a vow, and 
 must I not keep it ? " 
 
 "Not if you vowed ignorantly," was the reply, "and 
 were persuaded by another. A reckless promise is 
 better broken than kept. What docs your dear 
 mother advise ? " 
 
 " She has no more faith in the Catholic Church 
 than you have, and wishes me to accompany her in a 
 journey." 
 
 " An excellent plan," replied the lady ; " I can think 
 of nothing better. Let me tell you, if you are so 
 happy as to have a good mother, by all means keep 
 under her wing as long as possible. She will not do 
 you evil, but good, all the days of her life. I am 
 hoping that convents are soon to be suppressed, or 
 remodeled ; pruned of priestly management, and 
 made into elevating female seminaries. We plan
 
 356 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 to turn this into an educational institution of a higher 
 grade, like the best in the country, and as we lead 
 off in making a change, I trust the conventual sys- 
 tem will soon pass away in this land, as it is fading 
 in Europe." 
 
 " I want to ask you a few questions," thoughtfully 
 said Louise. " Cousin John Van Allstyn declared 
 that it was not safe for me to listen to those that 
 spoke against the holy Catholic Church. He said it 
 was anathema to one who listens to heretics. What 
 do you say ? " 
 
 " The holy Catholic Church is a very different 
 thing from the church that covers up iniquity, and 
 gets rich by giving leave to sin, and by the false doc- 
 trines of the scapular, penance, relics, and that dread- 
 ful abomination, the mass. Those who love the 
 Lord, and do His will, make up the true church." 
 
 " Is it safe for me to read the Bible alone ? " 
 
 "Yes, by all means. It is your Father speaking 
 to you. Let no one come between you and your 
 best Friend. The bishop and I read the Bible every 
 day, and wonder how we ever lived without it. The 
 words of Jesus are, ' Search the Scriptures.' How can 
 you obey Him, if you do not dare to read them ? " 
 
 "It now seems so different hearing you talk," 
 said Louise. "I believe, as mother said, that cousin 
 John influenced me. He made the church, as he 
 called it, look very attractive, and I felt as if I must 
 join it or be lost."
 
 A SUM n\ THE HEART. 
 
 357 
 
 " More likely you would be lost if you did join it," 
 was the rejoinder. " It has no saving ordinances. 
 Its mass, on which it prides itself, is full of blasphemy. 
 Oh, you can never know how I have suffered at the 
 thought of my life so empty and sinful in listening to 
 vain repetitions as the heathen do ; so full of pride, 
 self-sufficiency, good works and idolatry. But now 
 that my eyes are opened, and I have received the 
 dear Saviour, I cannot find words to praise Him. 
 He is tender, compassionate, and invites you to come. 
 I want you, dear, to give your heart to Him this 
 moment. It is only look and live ; only sweetly 
 consent for Him to rule your life. Will you not give 
 Him your heart?" and she gently and lovingly 
 sheltered her in her arms, and Louise burst into tears, 
 saying, 
 
 "I do not see how I can refuse loving Him. It 
 seems so easy, and His burden does look so light. 
 Oh, dear friend, I believe I came here to hear of the 
 Saviour. I do not care who opposes me, I have found 
 peace ; I am the Lord's, and He is mine." 
 
 Madame Clarissima shed tears of joy, saying, 
 
 "Truly has salvation come to this house. Some of 
 
 J 
 
 the sisters have lately found the Lord. They have 
 long been groping for light, and are so happy. There, 
 do you hear them singing those sweet hymns?" as a 
 strain was borne into the window. " This is getting 
 to be the very house of prayer, and the gate of 
 heaven. And, lo you know, \\v are so much indebted
 
 HALL. 
 
 to the bishop's nephew, Hosea; he has been living 
 near the Lord for years, and I did not dream of it till 
 recently, although he seemed saintly. His experi- 
 ence has been so helpful to the bishop and me. 
 It has been in our prayer meetings like having one 
 among us anointed of the Holy One, most 
 blessed. And this is not all, Miss Grace Leaven- 
 worth has been like an angel of mercy to me, and 
 Rev. Mr. Cameron has been often closeted with the 
 bishop, and has opened the way so wonderfully to 
 him, for you must know that the traditions and super- 
 stitions of Rome have so obstructed it that there was 
 no passing. We were in darkness as it regarded the 
 way of salvation, and now to think of it, you were 
 almost ready to go back to the sins of the dark 
 ages, when we were rejoicing to come out into the 
 glorious light. And now, dear, I want to give you a 
 printed card with some of the most glaring errors of 
 Romanism pointed out. Mr. Cameron prepared it to 
 help the bishop and me in our studies on the subject 
 We call it the ' Cameron Card.' " 
 It reads as follows, 
 
 POPERY " PUTS BETWEEN." 
 
 1. Itself as mediator between heaven and earth. 
 
 2. Priest between sinner and God. 
 
 3. Auricular confession between penitent and 
 
 mercy. 
 
 4. Penance between offender and godly sorrow.
 
 A SONG IN THE HEART. 
 
 359 
 
 5. Mass between believer and righteousness in 
 
 Christ. 
 
 6. Indulgence between himself and self-denial. 
 
 7. Tradition between him and Scripture. 
 
 8. Purgatory between him and Heaven. 
 
 9. Celibacy between priest and home. 
 
 10. Good works between believer and justification. 
 
 1 1. Extreme unction between him and death. 
 
 12. Saints and Virgin Mary between him and a 
 
 prayer-hearing God. 
 
 As the earnest lady handed Louise a copy of this 
 digest of Anti-Christ errors, she said, 
 
 " Now, dear, there it is in a nut-shell, altogether 
 opposed to the Word, which teaches us " to turn from 
 idols to serve the living God, and wait for His Son 
 from heaven." 
 
 Just at this point Mrs. Byington and Grace Leaven- 
 worth were announced, and ushered in. Madame 
 Clarissima warmly received them, and Louise fell on 
 her mother's neck with tears of joy, saying, 
 
 " I see things as you do now, mother dear, and 
 my heart has found rest." She then in a few words 
 told how Madame Clarissima had helped her out of 
 her darkness. 
 
 " It is wonderful ! wonderful ! cried Mrs. Bying- 
 ton. " I am receiving you anew as one that was lost, 
 my darling child, and you are, if possible, dearer to 
 me than ever. It is of Him who alone answers 
 prayer."
 
 3 Go 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " Oh, mother dear, you will forgive me for leaving 
 and grieving you so dreadfully. I was in a great 
 strait," cried Louise. 
 
 " Yes, indeed, darling, you are wholly forgiven, and 
 I see that good is to be brought out of it. The 
 sorrow led me to the Lord in especial nearness, and I 
 promised Him, if He would restore you to me, that I 
 would give myself to His service renewedly all the 
 days of my life." 
 
 " You did ! and does that mean that you will not go 
 abroad? " exclaimed Louise. 
 
 "Oh, no, darling. It means that I shall go, and 
 with my going, plan to do all the good in my power. 
 You will go with me, will you not ? " 
 
 " With all my heart," was the glad answer. 
 " Whither thou goest, I will go ; thy God shall be my 
 God, and naught but death shall part us." 
 
 "What a comfort you are, darling Louise ; you 
 ought to be called Ruth," cried the happy mother. 
 
 "It is about time I was some comfort, I have been 
 so perverse. But I am relieved and at rest now, and 
 I cannot be thankful enough. And now, as you want 
 to go to Europe, it seems to me the most delightful 
 thing for me to go with you. Don't you think so, 
 cousin Grace ? " 
 
 " Yes, indeed 1 do. Aside from the enjoyment 
 and benefit of travelling and living abroad, there are 
 now more openings than ever where Christians 
 can influence for the right."
 
 A SO^YG IN THE HEART. 
 
 361 
 
 " So the bishop says," added Madame Clarissima. 
 " He told me about the McAll Mission in Paris, with 
 its one hundred mission places for worship. In 
 France and in Italy, on the old persecuting ground, 
 the Bible is scattered freely, and churches are built. 
 He says that earnest Protestants are needed where- 
 ever they visit or reside, to help on the good work. 
 
 "That's just what I am going to do," brightly 
 said Mrs. Byington. " I am not going abroad to 
 please myself, or to be idle, tramp-like, but I am 
 going heartily as unto the Lord, as I agreed when I 
 was in trouble." 
 
 " Well, my heart is so full," exclaimed Louise, 
 " that I feel as if I should want to do lots of singing 
 and, if need be, will take charge of the music in the 
 first mission chapel where we chance to reside. How 
 sweetly those nuns sing ! " as a melodious refrain was 
 borne in at the open window. 
 
 No one dreamed of the desolate clerical party 
 groaning in misery in the Tombs, where no human 
 voice could reach their ears. There, sound was 
 barred out, as well as barred in. 
 
 " Yes," said Madame Clarissima, in reply to 
 Louisa's remark, " many of them sing for very glad- 
 ness. It is a most wonderful change, and came from 
 the faithfulness of Christian workers." 
 
 " Yes," rejoined Grace, "we read, ' He gave to 
 every one his work.' They are happy who find their 
 work, and faithfully do it."
 
 HALL, 
 
 The callers had successfully accomplished what they 
 sought ; had found the bewildered one in her right 
 mind, and after joining the nuns in a joyful song, 
 they left Madonna Hall with kind wishes from their 
 hostess and her companions, Louise saying, as she 
 took her seat in the carriage beside Grace and her 
 mother, 
 
 " I am so happy ! Who would have thought that I 
 could be so contented to leave a place which I 
 imagined the only safe refuge ! "
 
 JA'TO THE LIGHT. 363 
 
 XXVIII. 
 
 Irjf 
 
 next morning after the reception, as Madame 
 Clarissima was passing from the parlor into the 
 hall, she noticed the Archbishop's light overcoat 
 hanging on the hat-tree, and wondered that he did not 
 take it away with him to his room at the monastery. 
 When Father Williams came in to conduct devotions, 
 in reply to questions of the lady, he said that the 
 Archbishop, and Fathers Pecci and Krafts had not re- 
 turned to their accustomed lodgings ; he supposed 
 that they had taken an early train for some resort or 
 clerical gathering. He would call at Father Buhler's 
 place in the city and make inquiries. Although it 
 was mysterious that they remained away so long with- 
 out a word of explanation, no one dreamed that they 
 were suffering the dread horrors of starvation in the 
 Madonna Hall dungeons. 
 
 " It must be/' said Father Williams, as he con- 
 ferred with Madame Clarissima and his wife, " that
 
 364 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 some new enterprise is on foot, that will surprise us 
 all ! " 
 
 Events, however, swept on without the aid of the 
 afflicted clerical party. Louise Byington came to 
 Madonna Hall, learned a life lesson, and left, rejoicing. 
 The sisters, unmolested, attended Hosea's Bible Class, 
 in the large parlor, with the cordial leave and help of 
 the Superioress. 
 
 At length, after several days, Father Williams 
 reported that Father Buhler was not at home, and as 
 Hosea was passing through the back hall that after- 
 noon, he missed the lantern which always hung 
 on the nail in the corner, with Madame Clarissima's 
 key. Both lantern and key were gone ! It flashed 
 into his mind that something was wrong, and step- 
 ping back, he entered the parlor and asked the lady 
 what it meant. She was surprised, and charged him 
 to go directly to the Tombs, and see if he could find 
 any clew to the lost clergy. 
 
 Hastening to do her bidding, as he turned the mas- 
 sive lock, pushed the door open, and went down the 
 stairs, he heard groans and cries pitiful enough to 
 break a heart of stone. To describe the broken, 
 feeble, yet tumultuous joy of the incarcerated men, as 
 he appeared, is impossible. They were all weak with 
 want of sleep, long fasting and anxiety. Father Pecci 
 swooned away as usual, and the rest could scarcely 
 stand, as one after another they were helped out into 
 the blessed sunlight. They were a wretched com-
 
 IMO THE LIGHT. 365 
 
 pany, in cut-up shoes or stocking-feet ; and as they 
 refused to be seen by Madame Clarissima and the 
 nuns, in their filthy attire, they had comfortable seats 
 given them in the carriage house, while Hosea went 
 in, explained the case to the Superioress, and obtained 
 suitable food, which they ravenously devoured, and 
 declared it was the most delicious they ever tasted. 
 
 There was no disposition to vaunt or boast of what 
 great things the church was doing, or was planning to 
 do. Exhausted and depressed, they would have sold 
 its chances for dominion at a very low figure. The 
 three priests, bewailing their lost dignity, bitterly re- 
 proached the prelate as the means of their imprison- 
 ment. As for that dignitary, he was oppressed with 
 a dismal sense of degradation, and could scarcely look 
 the trio in the face, while he muttered to himself, 
 
 " Bad omen ! bad omen ! Our chance has gone 
 by! " 
 
 They regarded him, although with less reason, with 
 something of the abhorring which the Italian people 
 have for the pontiff who has so long heartlessly held 
 high carnival over their best interests ; for his own 
 enlargement, devouring their vitals of education and 
 religion all these long, mournful years. The Arch- 
 bishop, Fathers Krafts and Pecci were left at the 
 clerical quarters by Hosea ; but Buhler insisted on 
 being taken home, where good old faithful Nabby 
 could "nurse him up and get him in working 
 order."
 
 366 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 The Archbishop was cured of his enthusiastic pro- 
 ject of building a place like the Tombs, as he was 
 sure some evil-minded passer-by had moved the block 
 of wood from the door, so that it was shut by the 
 force of the strong spring. He shuddered at the 
 thought, and preferred to keep the Sisters of All 
 Saints' Nunnery in subjection by some other mode of 
 punishment. He little dreamed that he suffered 
 there by withholding from young Clamp more than 
 was meet, in the matter of education and moral train- 
 ing. 
 
 When Hosea had returned from taking Father Buh- 
 ler home, Madame Clarissima sent for him to call and 
 report, feeling no little sympathy for the afflicted men. 
 She remembered her brief sojourn in that fearful 
 prison, with the prospect of starvation, and longed to 
 learn how they endured it. Hosea replied that they 
 were anxious to keep the matter quiet, lest the press 
 reporters get hold of it. It would not do for the 
 community to be informed respecting the place of 
 thick walls and niches ; some day, officials, armed 
 With power, might insist on seeing what Rome dared 
 to build in this land of the free. They had requested 
 him to say to her, that the nuns were not to hear a 
 word ; it was to be hushed up, and kept a profound 
 secret. 
 
 This, however, could not be done, as the sisters had 
 heard Hosea speak of the key and lantern, and knew 
 hat the clergy were missing. They even saw them
 
 IXTO THE LIGHT. 
 
 367 
 
 when they came out of the Tombs, and took refuge, 
 vagrant-like, in the carriage house, and many eyes, 
 behind \vindo\v-blinds, saw when they were driven 
 away. While not malicious, the sisters were generally 
 resigned to have the clergy know, by experience, what 
 their poor condemned associates suffered, when 
 accorded the penalty of underground bondage. 
 
 Some little time after Bridget left Mrs. Byington, 
 armed with her certificate, which she could not read 
 in her ignorance, she turned into the church and took 
 her place at the confessional. Father Buhler, having 
 recovered from the effects of his imprisonment, was 
 in no manner improved in principles. In a hurried 
 way she made known to him that she had left her 
 place. 
 
 " Left your place ! " cried he, in an irritated way. 
 What's up?" 
 
 " It 's looking for a better place, I bez." 
 
 " Bridget, none of that nonsense ! Do n't you dare 
 try to deceive me. What 's that you have in your 
 hand ? " imperiously. 
 
 " It 's what the mistress give me my recommend," 
 said Bridget, handing the paper to him. 
 
 As Buhler read it, and saw that he was understood 
 by Mrs. Byington, he flushed to the eyes apprehen- 
 sively, and said, 
 
 " See here, Bridget, what have you been telling her 
 about me ? " 
 
 " Not a warrd, your riverence," replied she, in
 
 368 tfADONXA HALL. 
 
 alarm. " I bez always saying a good warrd for yez. 
 Does me paper say I did ?" 
 
 " Yes ; it says Mrs. Byington knew about your tak- 
 ing things, and that I did not blame you ! " 
 
 " An' what business of the mistress is that ? I 
 did n't harrum her ; I only bez an honest woman that 
 wants me wages, an' if I do n't have money enough I 
 has to make it up in taking Tier clothes." 
 
 "Bridget, see here, I want to know just what talk 
 you had with Mrs. Byington about this matter ? " 
 
 " I never said one warrd, till the .girl, Hannah, that 
 sleeps with me, told the mistress that I talked in my 
 sleep, and she repeated every blessed warrd that I 
 told you. Then Mrs. Byington was angry, and she 
 has been hard on me ever since." 
 
 "What did you tell her ? " 
 
 " I denied every warrd. I said I was apt to talk by 
 contraries when I was ' asleep, and that, of course. 
 I would not take a pin's worth from one that had been 
 as kind to me as she had. But she kept watch, and 
 never trusted me after that." 
 
 " Well, it is most unfortunate all round," said 
 Buhler, "when I was getting influence in the family. 
 Somebody may make a row, and arrest both of us, yet. 
 This certificate is most mischievous. You did right 
 to bring it to me. I '11 write you another, and I want 
 you to start at once for California." 
 
 " The saints preserve me ! What for ? " 
 
 " I '11 tell you later. You have a nice little sum in 
 the bank, I think ? "
 
 INTO THE LIGHT. 369 
 
 " Yes, Father; who told you ? " 
 
 ' I know all about you and your affairs, so you may 
 as well confess. How much have you ? " 
 
 " I have been sendin' money to my mother, and 
 have only $2,000 to me name," was the reply. 
 
 "Very well, bring me $500 for your soul's repose 
 and a holy offering, and I will see you started off for 
 my friend's house in Los Angelos. It is a most 
 lovely country." 
 
 " But, your reverence, I don't want to go there. I 
 left me heart in Ireland ! " 
 
 " You did ! Well, then, return to Ireland as soon 
 as possible ; that is the only safe place for you." 
 
 " Yes, your reverence ; I must go and see my 
 mother before she dies. Now I am visiting my 
 friend, Margy Collins, to rest an' fix up my clothes. 
 Please, your Honor, let me have my recommend that 
 Mrs. Byington gave me." 
 
 " No, indeed ; that 's of no use ! " and he threw it 
 away, much to Bridget's distress. 
 
 Father Buhler, seeing this, quickly wrote her 
 another in Mrs. Byington's name, and with the prom- 
 ise that she would sail for Ireland in a few days she 
 left, not a little perplexed and agitated. 
 
 As she was on her way to her friend's house, 
 plodding along and talking to herself, a nice looking 
 gentleman accosted her. 
 
 " I beg pardon," said he, raising his hat. " Is n't 
 your name Bridget Murray ? "
 
 3/0 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " It is that same, your Honor ; but how should you 
 get it right ? " 
 
 " Why Bridget, Bridget ! do n't you know me ? I 
 am your twin brother, Ralph." 
 
 " Howly mother ! " cried Bridget. ''The saints be 
 praised ! How you have changed, you that was the 
 idol of my eyes, and once my darling little brother ! " 
 
 " Bless your dear heart, sister ! " returned he, brok- 
 enly ; you always were loving and kind, and I have 
 missed you so much ! I want to say to you that there 
 were things very wrong that I taught you when I was 
 studying." Bridget opened her eyes in sheer bewil- 
 derment. He then told her, in order to prepare her 
 mind, something about the great change in Ireland in 
 the last five years. " Once," said he, " it was as much 
 as a man's life was worth to be seen scattering Bibles. 
 Now the Douay Bible is as common as any other 
 book." 
 
 They had now reached Maggy's home, and having 
 been welcomed, were cosily talking in her nice 
 parlor. 
 
 "What was it that you thought you told me 
 wrong ? " asked Bridget. 
 
 "It was when I gave you the teaching of the 
 Jesuits, 'that servants may secretly steal from their 
 masters as much as they judge their labor is worth 
 more than the wages which they receive.' I remem- 
 ber I told you that." 
 
 "Yes, brother Ralph, and I 've been faithful, and
 
 rXTO THE LIGHT. 
 
 371 
 
 done just as you said. I 've obeyed the church and 
 ilone my duty." 
 
 " Oh, Bridget ! I feared that you had ! But it is 
 very sinful. God's Word says, 'Thou shalt not 
 steal.' " 
 
 " Sure, it is not stealin' at all ; it is only makin' up 
 my wages ! " returned she, warmly. 
 
 " The laws of God and the laws of the land call it 
 stealing, and you could be arrested for it," said the 
 brother in dismay. 
 
 " Do the laws of the land pretend to be better than 
 the church ? " asked she, with an air of triumph. 
 
 "In most things they are a great deal better, and 
 rebuke the wickedness of the church when it is 
 brought to light." 
 
 " Wickedness ! " burst from Bridget in great con- 
 sternation and wrath. " Why, it is the howly mother 
 church. Shame on you, a priest, to talk that 
 way." 
 
 " Bridget, hear me, because I am a priest, I know 
 better than you the iniquity of this church, and I can 
 stand it no longer. I leave it 'for Christ, whom I 
 take for myall-sufficient Saviour/' 
 
 At this Bridget began to wail and weep as if he lay 
 dead beside her. 
 
 " Oh, my Ralph, Ralph, you are a dreadful heretic ! 
 You are going straight to purgatory. What will I 
 do wanting my brother ? " and her loud cries were 
 distressing to hear.
 
 372 MADONNA HALL 
 
 Her brother said nothing, waiting for the first 
 emotions to subside, and meanwhile looked over her 
 certificates, she had picked up the one thrown away 
 by Buhler, thinking that it would help her. 
 
 Soon she stopped wailing long enough to ask, 
 " Ralph, do tell me, do you ever pray to the Blessed 
 Virgin ? " 
 
 "No, darling; I only pray to my Creator and 
 Redeemer, who loved me so well that He died to save 
 me." 
 
 " Not pray to the Virgin ! Oh, Ralph, she's the 
 greatest Saviour of them all. God and Christ will 
 turn a deaf ear without her help." 
 
 " It is not so," was the reply. " The penitent thief 
 did not need Mary, although she stood at the foot of 
 the cross. He called on Jesus, and was heard. Jesus 
 is the one door, and whoever tries to come into 
 heaven any other way will fail of eternal life." 
 
 But the poor, benighted woman, in her fear having 
 determined not to hear anything adverse to the faith 
 in which she had been reared, resumed her loud 
 lamentation. Seeing he could do her no good, in her 
 present mood, he prepared to take leave, saying that 
 as he was to preach at Tallman Hall that evening, 
 he must now go, and he would see her in the morn- 
 ing. 
 
 After he went, she calmed down as he expected, 
 and as Margy was a Catholic who read her Bible and 
 searched diligently if these things were so, she was
 
 INTO THE LIGHT. 373 
 
 just the one to talk with Bridget, although the 
 perverse woman seemed more angry than ever, when 
 she found that her friend attended Protestant meet- 
 ings, despite the priest. Bridget was afraid to go to 
 hear her brother, lest Buhler find it out and change 
 her into a rat, rabbit or some other beast, as he 
 had threatened on one occasion. She declared that 
 she would not go, not she, if all the world went. So 
 after supper her friend put on her things and started 
 out. She had not gone far, when Bridget came run- 
 ning after her, saying, "Stop! stop! I might as well 
 go and take care of you. It is no worse to go to hear 
 my brother preach than it is to abide with you over 
 night, if you are a heretic." 
 
 They took seats where they could hear every 
 word. 
 
 The preacher's subject was "Progress in Ireland 
 and Italy." His was a fine type of Celtic eloquence, 
 and as his soul was in his inspiring subject, he swayed 
 his audience in a masterly manner. He first referred 
 to the Word of God as the great civilizing ami 
 Christianizing power of the nations, and said that the 
 Saviour gave his followers commandment to disciple all 
 people by teaching His Word, that He charged them 
 to search the Scriptures, not simply to read them, 
 there would be need of this close attention in order 
 to prove what was truth. He then gave a vivid 
 picture of the nations with the Bible, and the nations 
 without its saving power ; compared Roman Catholic
 
 374 AfA&OtfNA HALL. 
 
 and heathen countries with Germany, England and 
 America, showing the elevating influence of the Word 
 of God, even when partially scattered among the 
 masses. He referred to the great Reformation under 
 Martin Luther, and the astonishing effects of the 
 circulation of the Holy Scriptures. He sketched 
 what tfye Word of God was now doing in Italy, where 
 the secular press is publishing the Bible in daily 
 issues, not as a religious movement, but because the 
 call of the readers is in that direction and it increases 
 the sale of the papers. 
 
 " Rome," said he, " the seat of the Apostasy, is 
 getting to be honey-combed with the Gospel. The 
 papal power is dying at the head. Within a few 
 years after Italy became independent, there were 
 some fifty Protestant chapels in active operation, and 
 thousands of sincere worshippers praising God for the 
 miraculous deliverance from persecution in the city 
 of abominations. Ah," said the preacher, "if it had not 
 been for Rome, how well it would have been with Ire- 
 land. Her scourge, blight and curse would not have 
 been. But the work of emancipation has commenced 
 even there. The Roman power is crippled ; it is well 
 described in the prophecy, 'consuming unto the end. 
 She attempts to reach forth her palsied hand, and to 
 command this, that, and the other political thing to 
 be done, but Ireland goes on her way not caring to 
 obey. ' How dare she ? ' do you ask. The Irish are 
 keen-witted and observing," he continued; "they have
 
 INTO THE LIGHT. 
 
 375 
 
 well been called 'the little children of the nations.' 
 These little children have had a most instructive 
 object lesson in the case of Dr. McGlynn, who 
 ventured to disobey the Pope. His course brought 
 down a terrible curse, the worst that Rome has in her 
 arsenal of curses. The people were quick to see that 
 this did not harm him, and have lost their old time 
 fear of the Pope's malediction. It troubles them 
 little that the waning power is speaking great words 
 of boasting, since the Hand of God has taken it in 
 judgment and stripped it of political power." 
 
 " Yes," continued the speaker, " the ex-priest and 
 his fearless course have been a god-send to Ireland 
 as well as to all over whom Rome tries to reign. In 
 Ireland, he is called the man of the people. His 
 publications are sold and scattered by the ten thou- 
 sand. Besides it is simply marvellous the free course 
 the Bible has made within the last five years. Not 
 only is the Holy Book freely read, but reliable history 
 as well, and the Irish find that St. Patrick never 
 taught any of the doctrines of the church, by which 
 she makes her money, but the unadulterated truths 
 of the Gospel as found in the Word of God. This 
 opens the eyes of many. Priests are coming out of 
 Rome. I praise God for that." 
 
 This is the merest abstract of the address of the 
 eloquent orator, who was often interrupted by bursts 
 of applause from the deeply stirred, enthusiastic 
 audience.
 
 376 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 The hymns sung, 
 
 " The morning light is breaking," 
 " I'll go to Jesus, though my sins," 
 
 and 
 
 " What a Friend we have in Jesus," 
 
 as well as fervent prayers, aided in making the ser- 
 vices wonderfully effective. 
 
 Many came forward after the meeting to speak 
 with the preacher, and assure him of their sympathy 
 in the great movements of which he had discoursed. 
 Some were true converts, for Rome has hosts of 
 sincere souls among the masses, who only need to 
 learn of the Saviour and His love to accept Him 
 fully. 
 
 And this is now the most pressing work of God's 
 children in the home mission field, at our very doors 
 and in our dwellings, even to witness to, and unfold 
 the love of Him who tasted death for every man, 
 that whosoever believeth might not perish, but have 
 everlasting life through Him. 
 
 " The time has come," said the preacher, in his 
 conversation with those who gathered around him 
 after service, " for you to throw off the Italian yoke, 
 and organize as a free reformed church in the Name 
 of the Lord Jesus. This will break the power of 
 the Jesuits, and save the country. Converted Irish 
 priests are coming to this country in large numbers ; 
 when they get strengthed by meeting with other Chris- 
 tians, some of them should return to help evangelize
 
 INTO THE LIGHT. 
 
 37? 
 
 their own country. One lately went back, and as he 
 could not be permitted to preach in his church to his 
 people, they were glad to hear from him in the yard of 
 the church, and a powerful awakening was the conse- 
 quence. Theatres and court-houses, and sometimes 
 churches, are thronged with multitudes to hear the 
 Gospel." 
 
 The next day, when her brother called, Bridget 
 broke down, saying, 
 
 " I want to learn what you know about Jesus lov- 
 ing us. I am not now afraid of the priest, and I 
 want to learn how to live right." 
 
 With tears of joy her brother made the way plain, 
 and as he was asking her about her certificates, she 
 told him of the proposal of Buhler to have her pay 
 him $500, and return at once to Ireland. 
 
 " Well, what do you think you had better do ? " 
 asked her brother. 
 
 " I shall never pay him another cent," replied she, 
 decidedly, " but I '11 tell you, I want to make things 
 right with my mistress before she goes away." 
 
 " I 'm glad to hear that," said her brother. " What 
 do you owe her ? " 
 
 " I can't tell exactly, but it would do no harrum 
 for me to make confession, and offer her the $500." 
 
 And so the matter was settled. 
 
 The good lady, Mrs. Byington, was greatly touched 
 at Bridget's repentance, and at first thought she would 
 not take any part of the money, but after a careful
 
 HALL. 
 
 estimate, with Bridget's confession as a base of cal- 
 culation, she concluded to take one-half the sum, 
 and with it, furnish her brother Ralph, whose power- 
 ful address she heard, with books and tracts to circu 
 late in Ireland, on his return. It came out that 
 Bridget's curiosity, which was instigated by Father 
 Buhler, was overruled for benefit to herself. When 
 some of the lady friends of Mrs. Byington gathered 
 at her house one afternoon, for a season of prayer, 
 Bridget eagerly officiated as eaves-dropper, and hav- 
 ing the good seed dropped in her heart unawares, it 
 finally germinated, although at the time one would 
 think it worse than thrown away. 
 
 Soon after this reconciliation, Mrs. Byington and 
 Louise, with Florence Fairfax, took passage in a steamer 
 for Liverpool. The Leavenworths accompanied them 
 to New York, and with kindly benedictions, saw them 
 aboard of the floating palace that was to convey them 
 across the mighty deep. A few weeks later, Rev. 
 Ralph Murray, the evangelist, and his sister Bridget, 
 left America for Ireland.
 
 ACTLNG A PART. 
 
 379 
 
 XXIX. 
 
 Llcf irc a 
 
 (^TILLING was aware that a storm was gathering 
 A!!/ over his head. In his unfailing presumption, he 
 felt equal to the emergency, and decided to be absent 
 while he sleeplessly plotted to dupe Grace more fully, 
 and secure Paul, saying to himself, 
 
 " I '11 see that rascal put where he won't disturb 
 me ; and as for my half-hearted betrothed, I must 
 overpower her by a letter from Washington, electri- 
 fied by my strong will, and sweetened with endearing 
 terms." 
 
 And thus it ran, 
 
 WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 188. 
 MY PRECIOUS DARLING, 
 
 It seems an age since I left you, and much has 
 occurred of which I wish to tell you. I am asking 
 myself, dearest, if you miss me as I miss you. Oh, 
 that from your inmost heart you would say that you 
 long for my return. 
 
 On my way here, while in New York, my friend, 
 the millionaire D 'Arbley, was married, and I could 
 not avoid the wedding. It was a regal affair, the
 
 380 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 most brilliant of the season. The bride was a daugh- 
 ter of a wealthy merchant residing on Fifth Avenue. 
 Within, the superb dwelling was like a vast arbor, the 
 entire walls being lined with fragrant showy flowers, 
 hundreds of conservatories paying tribute to the 
 gaudy triumph. The climax tableau was a skiff of 
 orange blossoms in which a graceful nymph in white 
 gave her heart to another fairy figure. Thus should 
 thy wedded life be ushered in, my chosen, with floral 
 display, albeit the most lovely flowers pale before thy 
 peerless beauty. 
 
 After the wedding, I came directly to Washington. 
 Events of grave import have transpired since I saw 
 you. I now venture to confide to you a sacred secret. 
 I am called here by momentous business, nothing 
 less than embassy effecting the peaceful relations 
 of a certain country and the United States. I have 
 been conferring with the President and his cabinet 
 every day for a week ; and you will perceive that I 
 am in honor bound to keep state affairs secret, hence 
 my silence and absence. Please destroy this letter. I 
 know that you will keep my trust, and be glad to 
 welcome me on my return. I am doing glorious ser- 
 vice for my adopted country, and my darling Grace 
 shall yet be proud of her German Count. 
 
 Now, little one, write me at once, please, directing 
 to me at New York, care of my agent, J. Jones, Esq., 
 Court Square. I may be called there for a few 
 hours, on pressing business, and it will be a great 
 delight to receive it. If I am detained here, my agent 
 will forward it immediately. 
 
 As ever, yours most devotedly, 
 
 JOHN STILLING. 
 
 It so happened that when Grace received this 
 letter, she was with her mother in the little parlor of
 
 ACTING A PART. 381 
 
 the Aid Society, and they read the letter together, 
 Grace saying, decidedly, 
 
 " I shall certainly not keep any secrets from you, 
 my darling mother. Nothing breaks up an evil spell 
 like taking a wise friend into one's confidence." 
 
 " An embassy ! " exclaimed Mrs. Leavenworth, 
 shrewdly. " How the romance thickens." 
 
 " Does n't it ? " said Grace. " And it is such a 
 secret, and all about the fisheries, I conclude ; and he 
 the great conservative power that is to settle the 
 question ! I have less and less faith in him, and yet, 
 if there is any truth in his words, he seems to be 
 honored with a high commission," added Grace. " It 
 is fortunate that he is detained, as it will give me 
 time to make investigation. How foolish in me to 
 be persuaded to accept him so hastily. I shall get 
 released from my engagement, no matter how good 
 he may be, and take time to deliberate." 
 
 "It is a great pity that we must give place to 
 doubt," replied Mrs. Leavenworth, thoughtfully. 
 " But the case is clear, there will be nothing lost by 
 calling a halt, and learning his history." 
 
 After further conversation she left, being called 
 away by pressing home duties. 
 
 Time passed. Grace, still in suspense, did not 
 wish to see the Count, and had written him to that 
 effect, also postponing further communication until 
 her health should be improved. 
 
 But he continued to write, and his weekly letters
 
 382 
 
 HALL. 
 
 were redolent with the semblance of affection, while 
 he was still closely confined to his business of the 
 "secret embassy," which, in reality, was only gam- 
 bling, starting another beer garden, and running his 
 saloons in New York and Boston. He trusted to his 
 wily letters to influence Grace, rather than his 
 presence. 
 
 She, on her part, deferred returning home and 
 meeting her father, until she could see Paul and sift 
 his testimony. Although busy in her benevolent 
 projects, her kindly heart being still called out in 
 sympathy with young women whose lives had been 
 marred by entering convent walls, yet she could not 
 wholly forget her own trouble. Her father was still 
 placidly settled in Stilling's favor, and in friendly 
 correspondence with him. She did not deem it wise 
 to disturb his peace by alluding to the dwarfs state- 
 ments, and left the matter with her mother, who with- 
 held the uncertain items respecting the character of 
 the Count, until they could be either contradicted or 
 verified. 
 
 Meanwhile, Mrs. Leavenworth and Grace employed 
 a trusty detective to search the city for Paul, not 
 as a criminal, but to summon him to meet Grace, 
 as she had an important errand for him. She coveted 
 positive proof of Stilling's innocence or guilt, and was 
 not aware that he had laid violent hands on Paul, 
 and that a painful sickness was the result, but con- 
 stantly wondered that the latter did not appear and
 
 ACTING A PART. 
 
 383 
 
 complete his half-given communication, and tell her 
 where she could find the children he named. 
 
 One morning, after an almost sleepless night, 
 Grace arose very early for a walk in the garden. The 
 cooling air soothes her heated brow, and while she 
 breathes the fragrance of the flowers, we will return 
 lo Susan and Elsae in the fancy goods store on 
 Blank street.
 
 384 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 XXX. 
 
 0. I; lf s IsJi 
 
 clock struck twelve. The child Elsae, whom 
 Paul left at Mrs. Ranney's shop, awoke from 
 troubled sleep, the stifling heat of the closet where 
 she slept giving her the idea that the house was on 
 fire. She longed to call Susan, but did not dare 
 speak a word. Mice nibbled, squeaked and scampered, 
 while she imagined their noise was the old black cat 
 coming to devour her. Quaking with terror, she got 
 up and peeped out of the door. All was quiet, and 
 gaining courage from the fresh air, she stole into the 
 front shop, and passing behind the counter, crept into 
 an open drawer half filled with ready-made clothing. 
 She began to breathe more freely, but was wakeful, 
 thinking of the past, and fearing horrors to come. 
 Only six years of age, and she felt so old. The three 
 years before her mother's death were long, and the 
 three years since had been dreadful. The cruelty of 
 the strange woman brought to mind the scenes of her
 
 SURPRISES, .LVD /'LOTS DISCOVERED, ^5 
 
 baby-life, when her unnatural father abused her 
 mother, her sister, and herself. All her griefs seemed 
 to press upon her at once. She was wondering when 
 Paul would come and take her away, when a night 
 key turned the lock of the front door. Mrs. Ranney 
 entered and lit the gas. 
 
 "Take a seat," said she to the man who followed 
 her. "We can talk here without being over- 
 heard." 
 
 "Jest so," said the man. 
 
 He was tall and stout and had a black beard. The 
 child saw that he was not Paul, but the wise little 
 thing refrained from crying, and listened to find if he 
 was a good man, that she might' ask him to take her 
 away. 
 
 There was then a long conversation of which Elsae 
 understood little, save this, that some evil was 
 planned for Susan, who, by the way, was just then 
 petrified with fear behind the work-room door leading 
 into the front shop. She had missed Elsae from the 
 wood-closet, and was about to search the shop for her, 
 when Mrs. Ranney came in with the stranger, Mr. 
 Clamp. She listened as for her life to what was said, 
 and found that the man was an agent of her mistress, 
 in disposing of her girls when she was ready to get 
 rid of them. She heard her own name mentioned as 
 the next one to be consigned to a life infinitely worse 
 than that she now endured. 
 
 Susan thought that Mr. Clamp seemed to have his
 
 386 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 heart hardened by Mrs. Ranney, as she heard her say 
 in the end of the conversation, 
 
 " I do n't see how we can be expected to be better 
 than our laws ; we are allowed to act out their spirit,, 
 as the liquor- sellers do. But if you give way to> 
 sickish qualms, our business contract must end. 
 
 "Oh, I shall stand by my agreement," faltered he. 
 " If you, a woman, can weather such things, I guess, 
 I can." 
 
 "Of course you can," replied Mrs. Ranney, laugh- 
 ing. " Now let me tell you, I am going to join the 
 Catholic church. The priest can clean a|l your sins 
 away at one sweep, and it is mighty convenient when 
 one has a tender conscience, in business matters. I 
 am considered quite religious, though you may not 
 believe it. The collecting nuns call on me every 
 week, and I always give them money. You ought to 
 hear them bless me. They will insist that I am a 
 great saint, and invite me to join their church. I am 
 really a leading benevolent woman ; nobody gives more 
 to church fairs than I do. My sewing girls make my 
 fancy articles ; they do n't cost much, and sell like hot 
 cakes, and' advertise me. And, Joe, I 've been 
 thinking that you 'd better join the church, it will 
 indorse you and makes you respectable." 
 
 " No, indeed ! " replied Clamp. " I sha' n't do 
 that. I do n't know any religion but the catechism 
 and that is no good. I '11 let the church slide. The 
 priest kept me ignorant in the parochial school, and I
 
 SURPRISES. A.\'D PLOTS DISCOVERED. 387 
 
 hate the whole concern. They fed me on lies, and it 
 is no use trying to stand upright, and walk straight. 
 But I must go. The next thing on the docket is to 
 cabbage Susan, deliver her to Grabbs, and give you 
 half the fee," and with a dismal whistle, this wreck of 
 a man went his way. 
 
 Mrs. Ranney having locked the door, turned off 
 the gas, and like the uncanny being she was, whisked 
 to her room in the darkness, and did not discover 
 Susan or little Elsae. When all was still the young 
 thing softly groped her way back to her quarters, and 
 worn out with fear and excitement soon fell asleep. 
 
 Not so with Susan, although she went to her 
 apology of a bed, when she had softly kissed Elsae, 
 she was wakeful, planning for the daring thing she 
 was moved to do. 
 
 Weeks had passed since she first undressed little 
 Elsae, when her heart was so touched with the 
 thought of the dreadful prospect before the child. 
 But this added care seemed to lift her out of her 
 morbid existence, awakening dormant energies ; and 
 every day, as she ran the sewing machine or cleaned 
 rooms, she was revolving the plan of escaping and 
 taking Elsae with her. But where in the wide, cold 
 world, of which she knew so little, could she find a 
 refuge ? Hope flickered in her heart. Freedom, for 
 herself and the child, was worth a struggle, and grad- 
 ually there came to her aid the courage of the heroine, 
 nr one helped of God.
 
 :,88 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 At twelve o'clock the next night, when all were 
 asleep in the house, Susan stole softly into the lone 
 wood closet, and wrapping the child in a shawl, quietly 
 bore her out. The little one slept undisturbed as 
 Susan sped swiftly over the sidewalk, bravely bearing 
 her precious burden, with no delay, till, spent and 
 breathless, she laid her down on a seat of the summer- 
 house in a beautiful garden. 
 
 " Safe for to-night, at least," thought Susan, as she 
 sank down exhausted. 
 
 Making her couch of the rustic seat opposite her 
 charge, and overpowered with fatigue , and debility, 
 fell into a sound sleep. There the sun found them, 
 as his rays peered into the lattice-work of vines and 
 climbing plants. 
 
 Grace was in the midst of her morning walk and 
 reverie. The Count having written that he was com- 
 ing to see her that afternoon to have her appoint the 
 day for the wedding, she was pacing anxiously to and 
 fro, when she suddenly discovered the sleepers. 
 
 Her earnest, questioning eyes, fixed now on Susan, 
 then on Elsae, seemed partially to awaken the former, 
 who arose, startled and confused. 
 
 "Do n't, do n't, mistress ! " she cried, as if pursued 
 by the terror of her life. 
 
 " Hush, hush, darling! " said Grace, gently.. " No 
 one shall harm you. I will take care of you. Tell 
 me who you arc, and how you came here. What is 
 your name, dear ? "
 
 .l.\n PLOTS DISCOVERED. 389 
 
 " Susan," replied the girl, with wild, staring eyes. 
 
 " And who is this dear little girl ? I think I have 
 seen her before ! " 
 
 " She is little Elsae," replied Susan, recovering her- 
 self ; and Grace recalled that she had seen her in the 
 park with the dwarf. 
 
 " She is a lovely little darling ! " exclaimed Grace, 
 deeply moved, as it flashed into her mind who she 
 was. 
 
 Elsae awoke, and began to sob, when Susan stole 
 softly to her side, and kissing her, told her nor to cry, 
 they were safe, and the good lady would be kind to 
 them. 
 
 " I am very glad that you are here ! " welcomed 
 Grace, cheerily. " Come right into the house and 
 have breakfast, and then you can tell me how you 
 came here." 
 
 The children were very glad to be asked in, as they 
 would be safer from -pursuit, and, besides, they were 
 pinched with hunger, as good and sufficient food they 
 rarely had at the place they had left. 
 
 Turning from the arbor, Grace saw, with glad sur- 
 prise, on the sidewalk opposite the garden, the dwarf 
 slowly passing, as if he would like to speak to her. 
 In an instant she was at the gate, and ushered him in 
 beside her new friends. 
 
 "Oh, you're my good Paul !" cried Elsae, running 
 and grasping him by the neck. 
 
 " You are a darling ! " replied Paul, huskily. " How
 
 390 MADONNA HALL, 
 
 did you find the way here ? Did the good lady ferret 
 you out ? " 
 
 " No," replied Grace ; " this young Miss brought 
 her here, guided by some ministering angel, I must 
 think. Are they sisters ? " 
 
 " No, lady," said Paul ; " the Miss is a stranger. 
 Little Elsae is one of the children I was telling 
 you of." 
 
 " The dear child ! " exclaimed Grace, tenderly. 
 *' Come right in," as she showed the children into the 
 sitting-room. But Paul remained in the hall, where she 
 returned and had a few moments conversation with 
 him, before urging him in. 
 
 Briefly he told her that he had left Elsae at Mrs. 
 Ranney's store, and that he had not been able to see 
 her since then, giving the reasons. 
 
 Her resolution was taken. Armed with the testi- 
 mony and abundant proofs furnished by Paul, she 
 would take the child home with her, and convince her 
 parents of the false record of Stilling, and escape his 
 snare. 
 
 " Where is the other child ? " asked she. 
 
 " She has been working in the mill, Miss, where 
 her father put her under a false name, as he was told 
 that this little one was dead, and supposed that he 
 could thus get their mother's property. She boards 
 with my aunt, and is now sick." 
 
 "What a marvel of deceit ! " she murmured. Then 
 aloud, " I must see her also, but can not now delay.
 
 SURPRISES, AND PLOTS DISCOVERED. 39! 
 
 I must go at once to my father's house. Will you 
 have the care of the sick child till my return ? I will 
 pay all expenses." 
 
 Grace planned to leave town by the next train, lest 
 the Count appear and hinder her plans, for she had 
 an indefinable fear of his influence. 
 
 " Now, Paul, come in and have breakfast, and per- 
 suade the little one to go with me, for if she will not, 
 I must take you, also." 
 
 Elsae ran to Paul and clung to him as he came in. 
 Grace had the breakfast spread in the back parlor, 
 that she might have a good talk with her guests. As 
 she learned from Susan passages of her life, her heart 
 opened to befriend her, and help her to a situation. 
 
 "It is so providential, your coming," she said ; " for 
 aunt is fitting off for a journey, and was wishing 
 yesterday that she could find a faithful young girl to 
 save her steps, and I think you will fill the place." 
 
 "Will she want me? " cried Susan. 
 
 " I think she will. She is the most motherly 
 woman ; you can not help loving her. I'll run and 
 see about it," added she, after helping her visitors to 
 the bountiful repast. " I'll be back soon ! " as she 
 left in search of her aunt. 
 
 Mrs. Byington was glad to hear of a good waiting- 
 girl, and at once engaged Susan. 
 
 Meanwhile, Paul drew little by little from Elsae the 
 story of her misery at the shop, and of the kind ways 
 of Susan toward her, and how Mrs. Ranney planned
 
 392 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 to have a bad man take her away. Indignant at the 
 treatment of the child, he reproached himself for 
 " venturing to leave her with a smooth-spoken 
 stranger." 
 
 " I will see that you have a kind friend this 
 time, little Elsae," he kindly said. "The beautiful 
 Miss Grace loves you. Will you take a drive with her 
 to-day ? " 
 
 " Not till Paul goes with me," was the firm re- 
 sponse. " I do n 't like the strange faces." 
 
 " But, Elsie, you are a fine slip of a woman, and 
 Paul must earn money to buy you food and clothes. 
 Wo n 't you stay with the lovely Miss Grace, while 
 I work for you, and then no naughty woman will 
 come to carry you off. 
 
 " Yes, I will stay with Miss Grace, if she will love 
 me," replied the child, quickly, and the moment 
 Grace returned and caressed her, Elsae threw 
 her arms around her neck, and asked if she might 
 be her little girl. 
 
 " Yes, darling'child," replied the young lady, clasp- 
 ing her in her arms and kissing her. " And this very 
 day I '11 take you to my beautiful home. You shall 
 have my pretty playthings ; the little dolls and play- 
 houses I used to have when I was a child shall be 
 yours and your sister's. Come, little one, will you 
 go with me ? " 
 
 " Yes," whispered Elsae, clinging closely to her 
 new friend. " I love vou !
 
 SURPASSES, AND PLOTS DrsCOl'ERED. 393 
 
 " I love you, too, dear," was the reply. 
 
 After breakfast, Grace said, 
 
 " Now, Paul, if you will attend to some errands 
 and Susan will help us get ready, we will soon be 
 off. 
 
 And in due time Grace left with her precious 
 charge. 
 
 Mr. Leavenworth, the father of Grace, was a sub- 
 stantial Englishman, a lordly, well-fed gentleman of 
 the old school and king of his realm, which comprised 
 Gynnboro mills and a beautiful villa. He had fancied 
 the Count partly because he was from the old country, 
 and as he sat in the porch of his elegant residence, 
 was musing on his daughter's brilliant prospects. 
 
 As the carriage stopped he went down the steps to 
 hand out his daughter, softened in glad surprise. 
 
 " Bless you ! Grace, darling, it is you, indeed ! 
 Welcome home, my child ! " 
 
 " Oh, father dear, I am so glad to come. There 's 
 no place like home. Where 's mother ? " as they 
 entered the pleasant home-room, little Elsae follow- 
 ing. 
 
 " Your mother is in the kitchen, teaching her new 
 servant the mystery of supper getting. But what 
 baggage is this ? Where did this child come 
 from ? " 
 
 " This is my little friend, Elsae. Come and speak 
 to my good father, little one." 
 
 The child hung back. Fathers were to be dreaded,
 
 394 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 in her view ; the very name called up fearful memo- 
 ries. 
 
 ' Hump ! " growled Mr. Leavenworth. " You 
 always were tugging home some mangy little 
 kitten ! " 
 
 " But, father, this is a darling little girl, and she 
 has come home to keep me company for awhile. 
 Does she remind you of any one ? " 
 
 " Let me see. Hive 'ardly taken hobservation." 
 Mr. Leavenworth was from Yorkshire, and when off 
 his guard sometimes fell into his old dialect. He put 
 on his glasses, drew near the child, and carefully 
 scanned her features. " She is kin to Count Stilling ; 
 child, I should say, hif hit were possible that the 
 Count 'ad a child." 
 
 " Well, father, I will see you soon. Now, little 
 one, come with me. I am going to give you a nice 
 supper and show you my pretty room. You may 
 sleep with me, darling, and to-morrow, when we are 
 rested, we '11 take a drive in the chaise. I '11 let you 
 hold the reins, and away we '11 go down the cart -path 
 in the woods, gather wild flowers and have lots of 
 fun ! " 
 
 Saying this, she embraced Elsae and led her out. 
 The child was glad to get away from the presence 
 of gruff Mr. Leavenworth, who, although rough in 
 outward seeming, had a genuine, benevolent heart. 
 
 When Elsae had been warmly welcomed by Mrs 
 Leavenworth, and, after her supper, was put to bed,
 
 SC/XPKfSES, AND PLOTS DISCOVERED. 395 
 
 Grace returned to tell her father and mother the 
 recent disclosures respecting the Count. Mrs. Leav- 
 enworth was not surprised, but her husband was at 
 first obstinately slow to admit evidence against Stil- 
 ling. Grace's testimony, however, was so clear and 
 direct that he could not withstand it, and after a time, 
 as he considered the matter, he grew indignant, and 
 his anger gradually rose to a white heat. 
 
 " Disown 'is children ! Most sinful and hinfam- 
 ous i " at length burst from his stern lips. 
 
 " I would not have believed he could be such a 
 brute ! " said Mrs. Leavenworth. 
 
 " The impostor ! To palm himself off as genuine 
 upon honest people ! " exclaimed Mr. Leavenworth. 
 "He borrowed two thousand dollars when he was last 
 here, until he could get funds from his banker in 
 Dresden." 
 
 " Yes, father, you told me," replied the wife ; " and 
 I Ve wondered that he should have the face to ask 
 you, of all others." 
 
 " The law will be after him ! " was the answer. 
 
 " Oh, father," exclaimed Grace, " I am glad that 
 you understand him, for he may even sue me for 
 breach of promise." 
 
 "I hope he will, upon my word," replied Mr. Leav- 
 enworth. " Little good will it do him. He has for- 
 feited all claim to you. I shall force him to own his 
 children, and remove his grasp from their property, as 
 well as to pay every farthing he owes me."
 
 396 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 " I hope you will, indeed, father ; and as soon as 
 little Elsae gets wonted to the house and grounds, 
 and loves you and mother, I must return and look up 
 her sister. And I hope I may never meet the Count 
 again ! " and overcome with distress that she had 
 been so duped, she burst into tears. 
 
 " Well, well," replied Mr. Leavenworth, so touched 
 that he brushed away a tear; "don't worry! \YV 
 must think ourselves happy in discovering the rascal 
 in season to escape his wiles. I would rather bury 
 you, Grace, than have you the wife of that man ! " 
 
 The tea bell rang, and Mrs. Leavenworth led the 
 way to the supper table. 
 
 There it was arranged, as soon as possible after 
 Mrs. Byington sailed, for the whole family to re- 
 move to Byington Mansion, which Mr. Leavenworth 
 had recently purchased of his sister-in-law. 
 
 Grace had planned this, and was overjoyed that her 
 parents were of the same mind. 
 
 Grace had been absent only a few hours when 
 Stilling made his appearance. As he had written her 
 in good season that he would visit her at her aunt's 
 residence on that day, and for a special reason, notwith- 
 standing the rebuffs she had given him, he strangely 
 expected her to meet him with a cordial welcome. 
 
 Susan came to the door, and he learned from her 
 that Miss Grace was out of town, and would not 
 return for several days. He could get no farther 
 information, as Mrs. Byington and Louise were out.
 
 SURPRISES, AND PLOTS DISCOVERED. 397 
 
 Disappointed and mortified he abruptly turned from 
 the house, and walked aimlessly through street after 
 street, and at length commenced pacing up and down 
 the bridge that spanned the river which was at hand. 
 There was very beautiful scenery outspread before 
 him, but so beclouded were his own private prospects, 
 that he might as well have been on a desert. He kept 
 up a searching questioning with himself. Could it be 
 that his feint of ambassadorship had failed to impress 
 Miss Grace ? Did she doubt him more than ever ? 
 Yes, else she would have left a note excusing her 
 absence. Very possibly he would lose her after all. 
 What then ? His was not heart, but pocket fear. 
 Intensely mercenary, he determined in that case to 
 make capital out of political preferment. He had 
 already committed himself fully as a peer on the 
 License question, and expected to ride into power on 
 that tidal wave, as Buhler some time before predicted 
 that he would. 
 
 While planning the next movement on his ensnar- 
 ing chess-board he saw two men on the opposite end 
 of the bridge, earnestly talking as they walked and 
 enjoyed the outlook. It was a stranger visiting the 
 city, to whom Mr. Bryan \vas showing the lions. 
 Now Bryan was the very man that Stilling did not 
 wish to meet, for there was an account on the old 
 score of his assault on Paul as yet unsettled, and he 
 quickly tried to avoid him, but was too late, as the 
 Celt was keen c\vd and had been put on the police
 
 398 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 force, when extra detectives were needed, although 
 at this time not commissioned. He sighted Stilling, 
 and made for him, as the stranger was talking to a 
 citizen whom he had met. 
 
 "Stranger, I 've seen you before," said Bryan. 
 
 " What, sir ? " haughtily rejoined Stilling. 
 
 "Shall I call your name 'Burt/sir?" was the 
 answer. 
 
 " No ; that is n't my name," was the reply. 
 
 " I could take my oath that you are the father of 
 little Mary Burt, my sister's boarder, you favor her 
 that strongly." 
 
 "Never saw or heard of her!" burst from the 
 Count. 
 
 " I am never mistaken," said the other. "You arc 
 her father, if your name is Stilling. The child has 
 been sore sick at our house, and whose money is to 
 pay the bills ? " 
 
 "Nonsense!" cried Stilling, turning pale. "If 
 you 've picked up a strange child, put her in the 
 hospital, where she belongs." 
 
 "But I shall call on you to foot the bills, all 
 the same." 
 
 Although Stilling remembered the certificates that 
 he had as to the death of his children, yet he turned 
 moodily away at thought of the ill-gotten property, and 
 Bryan was for the time again taken up with the 
 stranger. 
 
 Stilling, at fault, concluded to seek his friend Buhler,
 
 SURPRISES, AND PLOTS DISCOVERED. 399 
 
 for advice. On the way to his residence he saw that 
 a stranger was intently regarding him, and later that 
 he followed him. This led him to take a short cut 
 through unfrequented streets to avoid him. But 
 nevertheless the man closely shadowed him, and 
 would not be foiled. 
 
 At length, as Stilling gained Buhler's premises, he 
 lost sight of him, to his great relief. He found 
 Buhler in a shady arbor of his garden, quite at leisure, 
 and at once commenced telling him of the adventure 
 on the bridge, and of Mr. Bryan's accusation and 
 claim that Mary Burt was his child. 
 
 " That's bacll " replied Buhler. " Stilling, you must 
 try to hush that matter up somehow, or it will injure 
 your prospects for marriage. Why can 't you bribe 
 Bryan ? " 
 
 " Oh, no, it would be of no use. But I can show the 
 certificates of my children's death," replied Stil- 
 ling. 
 
 "That 's well," was the reply." "But that Bryan 
 holds on, when he has a grip, and he is the most 
 expert detective in town. If I were you, I would 
 leave for California for a while, until this thing blows 
 over. Bryan will lose sight of you, and out of sight 
 out of mind." 
 
 " I think I '11 take your advice, and make myself 
 absent for a time," was the crestfallen reply. 
 
 But the man who had followed him was watching 
 him still, from a small vista in the hedge, and not
 
 4OO 
 
 MADONXA HALL. 
 
 only watching, but listening to what he said. He 
 heard Buhler call him by name, so that he was sure 
 of his bird. 
 
 The officer immediately walked into the garden, 
 and with his hand on Stilling's shoulder, said, " You 
 are my prisoner! " and despite sundry struggles, with 
 the aid of a policeman at hand for the purpose, he 
 speedily remanded him to jail, under an indictment 
 for a fraudulent transaction with a New York firm.
 
 THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL. 
 
 401 
 
 XXXI. 
 
 I rja rlcirjd writing or) trjc \A7 crll. 
 
 *HEN Bishop Berlin returned to Madonna Hall 
 from his lecturing tour in the large cities, 
 Madame Clarissima was watching at the side-door 
 for the carriage, and ran down the steps, overjoyed to 
 meet him. 
 
 " My blessed little wife ! " exclaimed the bishop, 
 taking her in his arms and carrying her into the 
 parlor of the suite of rooms, which was their home. 
 
 "I am delighted that you are safely back again," 
 said the happy wife. " I feared that your enemies and 
 the mobs would be the death of you." 
 
 " No danger, dear ; I am immortal till my work is 
 clone. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the 
 Spirit of the Lord shall raise up a standard against 
 it. It is the great joy of my heart to see this work 
 going on." 
 
 " And mine too, dearest," chimed in the lady. " It 
 is so wonderful ! What hath God wrought ! " 
 
 Soon they had tea served by themselves ; and the
 
 MADONXA HALL. 
 
 bishop reviewed the thrilling things that had happened 
 since they were separated. 
 
 After tea they adjourned to their favorite seat on the 
 veranda, where the Lady Clarissima, in her lively way, 
 rehearsed the events of the reception, when the Arch- 
 bishop made boasts of the doings of the great con- 
 spiracy, of his plan to rebuild a portion of All Saints' 
 Convent, for disciplinary purposes ; of the excursion 
 of the clerical party to the wing basement for measure- 
 ments, and the accident that befell them, resulting in 
 durance vile for one interminable week ; and that now 
 the aged Archbishop was more than ever a wretched 
 invalid, in consequence of his fright and fasting, and 
 was so utterly disgusted with thick walls that he 
 would build no more. His belief in bad omens, with 
 his poor health, depressed his spirits, and he went 
 moaning around his quarters at the watering place 
 almost too miserable to live. 
 
 Stilling's arrest, and Buhler's temporary disappear- 
 ance, because of complicity in his affairs, were in the 
 list of items recalled. 
 
 " One less Jesuit to work mischief here," observed 
 the bishop, sententiously. 
 
 " Poor brother ! " cried Madame Clarissima. " I 
 thought he had abjured his vow, and decided to 
 stand with us." 
 
 "I did not rely on what he said," replied the 
 Bishop ; " but it is the system he has adopted that 
 has spoiled him. To do evil that good may come, is
 
 THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL. 403 
 
 the grand policy of his order. It poisons the mind, 
 perverts the motives of action, takes away the fear 
 of God from the heart, and finally, if pursued, gives 
 one over to work all unrighteousness with greediness, 
 when, if the same person had given his heart to God, 
 and lived in His fear, he would have led a holy life 
 and been kept unspotted from the world." 
 
 "It is true," said the lady, "the religion that we 
 thought all right, has proved, in the light of God's 
 Word, all wrong." 
 
 " Praise the Lord for that ! " exclaimed the bishop. 
 " It was the only way that He could save us. The 
 exposure of our Babel has seemed to me like the 
 Hand-writing on the Wall, which warned Belshazzar 
 of his doom. Well will it be for those who hear the 
 interpretation, and flee out of the doomed city, as for 
 their lives." 
 
 " Doomed like the fated city, Johnstown, I fear," said 
 the lady. " In our case, however, many are escap- 
 ing." 
 
 " Yes, yes, because the alarm has so long been 
 given. Our church is weighed in the balances, and 
 found wanting in all that is holy and upright. The 
 uncovering of the system means its downfall. The 
 first step in a reform is to pour in the light of day. 
 Expose, agitate, unveil ! Then the works of dark- 
 ness must haste to flee away, as bats before the 
 sun." 
 
 " Yes, yes. But do you know, my lord," cried the
 
 404 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 lady, " that I am ashamed of my education. It has 
 been only conventual, you remember, and very in- 
 ferior to that of Protestant schools." 
 
 " That is true, my darling," sadly assented the 
 bishop. 
 
 " I'll tell you what I mean to do. I have been 
 talking with my friend, Miss Leavenworth, and she 
 chinks I am right. We must call to our aid the best 
 Christian teachers in the land, and I shall join the 
 classes. If Rome has cheated me out of a good edu- 
 cation, she can cheat no more. I am ashamed of our 
 record." 
 
 " It is ours no longer ! " exclaimed the bishop. " I 
 am responsible for the Institution. We will have a 
 thorough reconstruction." 
 
 The predecessor of Bishop Berlin, as is the custom, 
 willed to him the church property of the diocese, in- 
 cluding the convent, although he, the dying bishop, 
 did not own one cent of it. When Bishop Berlin 
 came in possession, he found that a part of it, the 
 convent, was property only in name, being covered 
 with a mortgage, and, as it was to be foreclosed, noth- 
 ing remained but to sell it at auction. 
 
 This was accordingly done, a friend of the bishop's 
 bidding it in, with a sum sufficient to lift the mort- 
 gage, and a new mortgage was given him as secur- 
 ity. The transaction was recorded, and it was known 
 that the convent was owned outside of the church 
 and simply rented, and that the bishop would be at
 
 THE HA. \~in\-RITIXG OX THE WALL. 
 
 liberty to disband the sisterhood and close the 
 academy whenever the convent did not pay expenses. 
 It is sometimes necessary for this to be done, when 
 an unendowed convent belongs to the church ; as 
 when the sisters cannot collect enough for current 
 expenses, or if the tuition from the scholars does not 
 suffice to support the institution. 
 
 In the great change that had taken place in the 
 bishop's views, he was rejoiced that he was free to 
 resign his See, and with the concurrence of his friend, 
 a wealthy Protestant layman, reorganize and purify 
 Madonna Hall. 
 
 " We will have thorough changes made," repeated 
 Bishop Berlin, with emphasis. " We will begin at the 
 chapel. The statues, the candles, Madonnas, crosses, 
 crucifixes, shrines, baldachins, scapulars, pictures, all 
 priestly garments, whether they be cope, mitre or stole, 
 shall be banished. A force of men shall come at once, 
 and make an end of false accessories of worship. 
 When the building is thoroughly cleansed of its abom- 
 inations, and suitably repaired, it shall be dedicated to 
 the only living and true God. It shall be a house of 
 worship, not only for the new seminary, but for who- 
 ever wishes to come in and hear the Word of the 
 Lord." 
 
 " You almost take my breath away ! " cried the 
 lady. " That will be splendid. What a wonderful 
 change it will be ! " 
 
 " Yes, dear, but you know I have not officiated
 
 406 MADUXXA HALL. 
 
 there for a long time, and it is now fitting that I 
 destroy the altars to false gods. I fully believe that 
 the bread-god is the greatest abomination in the sight 
 of God. And in view of this worst idolatry ever con- 
 ceived by man, well is Rome called ' The Mother of 
 Abominations of the Earth.' Mass was clearly de- 
 vised for the money it would bring into the church. 
 
 " But who are these coming over the terraces ? 
 The very men I want to see. Ho, Brother Williams, 
 step this way, please. And Hosea, too, glad to see 
 you ! " and he arose to greet them, and gave them 
 seats beside him, saying, " Wife and I have been 
 talking over the matter of which I spoke to you. We 
 had disposed of the chapel. Now I want you to sug- 
 gest as to the grounds, and see how far our views 
 agree." 
 
 " This is to be a Reformed Catholic institution ? " 
 asked Father Williams. 
 
 " Exactly," replied the other. " It must be an in- 
 stitution in which Protestants can send their children, 
 knowing that they will be trained up to be true to 
 Christ, and loyal to their country." 
 
 " Yes," said Father Williams, " I see. And I am 
 with you in receiving the blessed Saviour as my 
 Redeemer Hosea is at home in the true and living 
 way, and has led me on. I would at once take every 
 image of the Virgin and all statues of saints away, and 
 leave not a remnant of them in our grounds." 
 
 " It seems almost too bad to destroy that elegant
 
 THE HAXDM'RiriNG OX THE WALL. 
 
 407 
 
 piece of sculpture, the Virgin and her Child," said the 
 lady. " Pity it was ever used in worship ! " 
 
 " Would you have it preserved ? " asked the bishop, 
 searchingly. 
 
 " No, no ; by no means. I remember it is like the 
 mother and child of Babylonian worship. It must be 
 destroyed ; it has led souls astray." 
 
 " What about St. Joseph, the figure in the grotto ? " 
 asked the bishop. 
 
 " Have it broken to pieces, that no more damage 
 may be done," was the earnest reply. 
 
 The bishop took Hosea aside to inquire about the 
 disposal of condemned nuns, and the niches. He had 
 kept closer watch over his nephew's works of mercy, 
 than the young man dreamed of, and was not sur- 
 prised when he acknowledged that he had been suc- 
 cessful in carrying out his stratagem in every case, 
 and there were really only effigies of nuns walled up 
 in the niches. 
 
 " So I thought," exclaimed the bishop, gladly 
 " Praise God ! " He then returned and told the 
 glad news to Madame Clarissima and Father Williams, 
 and all rejoiced together over precious lives saved. 
 
 " Oh, I am so glad that the Lord raised up Hosea 
 to help in time of need," said the lady. "And now 
 I want everything that has* been worshiped to be 
 utterly destroyed," continued she, "and I shall com- 
 mence myself with hammer and chisel, and act out 
 my faith. The arbors and grottoes we will change
 
 4 o8 MADONNA HALL, 
 
 somewhat, and have them fitted up for recitations, 
 kindergarten exercises, and playhouses for the 
 younger children, it is so difficult to amuse them," 
 added Madame Clarissima. 
 
 " Very well, do as you like, and win them to love 
 the Good Shepherd," was the genial rejoinder of the 
 bishop. 
 
 " Another thing ; I want to see the dreadful cells 
 of the great Wing wiped out of existence," said the 
 lady. 
 
 " Yes, by all means," replied the bishop. " All 
 praise to God ! no bones are in the niches to cry 
 out against us. Our blessed Hosea, his record is 
 on high. I wish, too, that we could sweep the cells 
 away from every religious house that has them, and 
 what the cells imply, cruel decrees for those who dare 
 think for themselves." 
 
 " The people are awakening," said Father Williams, 
 intensely stirred, " and the Government will yet con- 
 fiscate these religious houses and devote the avails to 
 education, as has been done in Europe. I do from 
 my whole soul denounce every shade and symbol of 
 the Inquisition, wherever found." 
 
 "Amen and amen!" added the bishop. "It is a 
 poor sham of a religion that must resort to torture, 
 the rack, and imprisonment, to keep its victims in its 
 pale. But now for our work. We will plan it all 
 to-night, and to-morrow, Hosea, have a force of men 
 come and make this place over for the Lord."
 
 THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL. 409 
 
 It cannot be supposed that a movement of such 
 magnitude as changing the religion of Madonna Hall, 
 could be effected without opposition. The next 
 morning, when the carpenters and masons commenced 
 work under the bishop's direction, as the inmates of 
 the castle-like building saw them arrive, there was a 
 ripple of doubtful inquiry. Service had not been 
 held in the chapel since the bishop's return. The 
 reading of the Bible, and prayers, were in the large 
 parlor every morning and evening, instead of the 
 former exercises of mass worship. The priests, 
 Krafts and Pecci, happened in to breakfast this par- 
 ticular morning, although they had till then shame- 
 facedly kept aloof ; now they came to take observa- 
 tions. 
 
 " Making repairs, my Lord Bishop ? " asked Krafts, 
 guardedly, as he sipped his coffee. His conscience 
 qualms in the Tombs had proved evanescent. 
 
 "I am having a general overhauling," was the 
 bishop's reply. " I find when the Tombs turn out to 
 be a trap, and almost the death of a Mother Superior, 
 and later of a clerical party of four, it is time a 
 few windows be made to honeycomb the walls. You 
 understand me, from my conversation at my wedding, 
 and at other times. I have taken the stand of re- 
 nouncing the false system which has blinded us 
 nearly to our ruin, and from your words of assent at 
 that time, I gather that you are with me in your 
 sympathies."
 
 4i o J/.-//;av/r.-/ HALL. 
 
 " I gave you some encouragement," replied Krafts, 
 "but since I have reconsidered the matter, I am more 
 doubtful." 
 
 " And how is it with you ? " asked the bishop, turn- 
 ing his keen eye on Father Pecci. 
 
 "Don't think of counting on me," was the quaver- 
 ing reply. " I could n't attempt going against the 
 interests of Uncle Leo. He educated me, and of 
 course I think lots more of him, and his promotion, 
 than I do of Uncle Sam and his Government. I 
 must hold up the Italian kingdom at any hazard." 
 
 "Very well," said the bishop, "if you uphold a 
 foreign power, there will be no opening for you here. 
 Between the loyal Americans and you there is the 
 wide distance which separates those who obey the 
 laws and those who do not." 
 
 " Is that so ? But who '11 say the masses ? " asked 
 Pecci, in bewildered dismay. 
 
 "There will be no masses to be said," replied the 
 bishop. " We 've done with that idolatry, the most 
 absurd and heaven-daring on earth." 
 
 "No masses! no masses!" cried Ptvri. What 
 will Uncle Leo say ? " 
 
 And immediately after breakfast he left and sent 
 the news. The consequence was, the Pope receiving 
 information of the remarkable state of things, nerv- 
 ously ordered the bishop to repair to Rome and give 
 account of his doings. 
 
 This the bishop politely declined to do. He had
 
 THE HANDWRITING OX THE WALL. 
 
 411 
 
 been there recently, had a pleasant conference with 
 his Highness, and could not leave the work in hand to 
 make a journey. At the same time he confessed his 
 faith in Christ, and earnestly warned the pontiff to 
 escape from the judgment near, by taking refuge in 
 the infinite and merciful Saviour. 
 
 As the remodelling of the church, the basements, 
 and grounds progressed, the entire place took on a 
 new aspect. 
 
 Many of the nuns were oppressed with fear, and 
 left Madonna Hall. Changing their dress, some 
 went to intelligence offices, and, when least suspected, 
 found places in families as servants. Others, more 
 intelligent, became teachers, or joined a well-estab- 
 lished educational institute, to prepare to teach. 
 
 Krafts, working continually against Bishop Berlin, 
 succeeded in stirring up the priests and bishops far 
 and near to oppose him. But he knew his ground, 
 that his friend had a legal right under the laws of 
 this country, to hold the property, and had empowered 
 him to make such changes as he chose. A foreign 
 potentate could not dictate in the matter, so the 
 good work was not delayed. 
 
 The clang and din of the chisel, hammer, pick-axe, 
 and saw, made vocal the buildings and their base- 
 ments, as the wise bishop, with his right-hand man, 
 Hosea, went from one set of workmen to another, 
 saying pleasant, encouraging words, and giving spe- 
 cific directions about the repairs he had planned.
 
 MADONNA HALL 
 
 One day, Archbishop Bland, returning from his 
 beach quarters, still anjinvalid, called to see the bishop. 
 and hobbling on crutches, found him giving orders to 
 a squad of men who were engaged in demolishing 
 images in the Madonna Hall grounds. 
 
 " Saint Christopher ! " cried the feeble-voiced pre- 
 late. " What sacrilege is this ? Bishop Berlin, you 
 are pulling down what you have these long years been 
 building." 
 
 " That 's true. I am trying to undo some of the 
 wrong I have done," was the calm rejoinder, as he 
 charged the men to make thorough work in demolish- 
 ing the idols. 
 
 " Stop, stop, Berlin ! stop your men ! " groaned the 
 Archbishop. " This is an educational institution ; we 
 educate for the Pope. 
 
 "Very well," said the bishop. "The Pope lives in 
 an era of improvement, when all good people are 
 ashamed of the ignorance, mistakes, and atrocities of 
 the past." 
 
 " He'll never change ! " burst from the aged pre- 
 late. " Listen to the last curse of the Syllabus of 
 1864; 'Anathema to whomsoever shall say, the Ro- 
 man Pontiff should and must reconcile himself to 
 and harmonize with progress, liberalism, and modern 
 civilization.' You see the Pope can not change, and 
 it is the height of heresy for you to pull down and 
 change our educational institutions. I learn that you 
 have instigated the Government to meddle with our 
 schools for boys."
 
 THE H A XD WRITING OX THE WALL. 413 
 
 " Yes, I have, with others, had influence with the 
 law-makers," was the reply. "Your Grace may 
 remember that this battle has been fought in France- 
 Men of worth and eloquence advocated the right. 
 An orator said in one of his speeches before the 
 Chamber of Deputies, ' The State has the right to 
 concern itself as to the consequences of the doctrines 
 impressed on the minds of youth. On the ground of 
 social preservation, the State is sovereign master. 
 On this ground it must scrupulously examine if the 
 men to whom it instrusts, or grants the right to 
 intrust, the education of the young citizens, are worthy 
 of that confidence ; it has the right to examine if their 
 doctrines are not dangerous to the public peace, to 
 the social order ; it has the right to examine if by 
 intrusting the young men to them, it does not 
 prepare for a civil war in a longer or shorter period." 
 We do well to recall his words and make a stand for 
 loyalty to our country." 
 
 " The Pope commands you to go to Rome," cried 
 the Archbishop, obdurately. "You will obey, of 
 course." 
 
 " I shall never obey any mandate of his," replied 
 Bishop Berlin. 
 
 "Why not ?" asked the prelate. 
 
 " Because we do not live in the Middle Ages ; and 
 the Pope of Rome has no more right to summon me 
 to him than has the Sultan of Turkey, the Czar of 
 Russia or the Emperor of China, and his claims to
 
 414 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 power in this country are just as reasonable as theirs 
 would be. As to the educational plans of you Jesuits, 
 the State has the right to say, as France said to the 
 Order in her borders in 1 880, ' You will not recognize 
 my authority, therefore I will not permit you, who are 
 despising my rights, to teach the national youth.' ' 
 
 The words fell upon the ears of the aged prelate 
 like the death-knell of his hopes. 
 
 Meanwhile the workmen had broken to pieces, in 
 one huge pile, every image in the grounds. First of 
 all, the image of Mary on the roof, sheltered by the 
 cupola. There were several other statues of the 
 Madonna; as she has been made the patron saint of 
 the United States, her graven images abound. There 
 were also images of the child Jesus, as well as life- 
 size figures of Joseph and other patron saints. As 
 the nuns beheld, they saw that these senseless idols 
 had no more power than the Philistines' god, Dagon, 
 not being able even to hinder themselves from being 
 destroyed. As Bishop Berlin helped on the demo- 
 lition, he was filled with a strange peace, while the 
 benighted prelate, often by his side, writhed with 
 angry emotions." 
 
 " You '11 be deprived," he mourned. " You '11 be 
 unfrocked. You '11 be imprisoned, I warn you. Alas ! 
 alas ! the loss of this great treasure." 
 
 Bishop Berlin made no reply, but gave orders to 
 the laborers to remove the debris, and commence 
 work on the walls in the large wing.
 
 THE HAXDWRITIXG ON THE WALL. 
 
 415 
 
 " Now, your Grace," said he to the Archbishop, 
 " you surely will approve of having windows thrown 
 into these thick walls after what you suffered when 
 confined here ? " 
 
 " I care nothing for the walls, now that I am free, 
 but I can not get over the thought of this great 
 sacrilege," cried the Archbishop. 
 
 "It seems strange to you, no doubt," replied 
 Bishop Berlin. " But you must remember that the 
 Lord is a jealous God, and will not share His worship 
 with another. His second command is, ' Thou shalt 
 not make unto thee any graven image, nor any like- 
 ness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or the 
 earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 
 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them or serve 
 them.' Now since graven images are expressly 
 forbidden in His holy Word, it is my duty to destroy 
 them, as you see." 
 
 " I never saw them forbidden," haughtily replied 
 his Grace. "And I do n't believe they are." 
 
 " Here is a copy of the whole Bible," said the 
 bishop in reply, handing it to him. " In it you will 
 find this ( second commandment, which is sinfully 
 omitted in the Douay version, to shelter idolatry. 
 Will you accept it ? " 
 
 The prelate took the gift and contemptuously threw 
 it on the pile of rubbish, saying with bitter scorn, 
 " That 's the whole trouble ! It 's the everlasting 
 Bible that is in the way. If it was not for that, the
 
 4 i 6 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 Pope would have his say about every thing in this 
 country. It 's the open Bible, the godless public 
 schools and the liberty of thinking, that prevent his 
 universal sway. But we are organizing more than 
 ever, and we'll teach you bigots a lesson when the 
 year comes round ! " and he stumbled away on his 
 crutches in impotent rage, an object lesson like the 
 Pope of Rome. 
 
 The wealthy merchant who advanced money to 
 clear Madonna Hall, and who had his own deed 
 recorded, as soon as Bishop Berlin had resigned his 
 See, made a gift of the institution to the bishop and 
 u board of trustees, for educational uses. 
 
 While the reconstruction was going on at Madonna 
 Hall, Madame Clarissima, at "the suggestion of her 
 husband, drove over to the city and commenced 
 operations at one of the Branch schools. This was 
 easier for her, as the teachers were from Madonna 
 Hall, and were appointed by those having care of that 
 institution, the Superioress having most to do with 
 the selection. 
 
 She had previously conferred with Grace Leaven- 
 worth and Mr. Cameron, whom she interviewed at 
 Bellevue, and the Aid Society, as to the school-books 
 needed to meet the requisition of the Commissioners, 
 who were to visit it. She had also selected a number 
 of converted nuns, who had for some little time been 
 members of Hosea's Bible class and gave evidence of 
 a change of heart, and were longing to lead others, as 
 they had been led, into the light.
 
 THE HAXDll'IUTIXG CM" THE WALL. 417 
 
 These were awaiting her call at the Aid Society's 
 Rooms, and were to be employed for a short time, 
 until regularly trained teachers could be obtained, 
 when they in turn were to engage in a course of 
 study. 
 
 " Now," said Madame Clarissima to Grace, as the 
 two reached the ante-room of the Branch Seminary, 
 "the first step is to see if any one of the text books 
 will answer. I have not the least idea even one 
 will do." 
 
 " Of course not," said Grace. " It will not do to 
 have any book retained that the priests have manipu- 
 lated into teaching falsehood." 
 
 As Miss Leavenworth had been appointed assistant 
 on the school board of which Mr. Cameron was chair- 
 man, she had had text books given her to examine, 
 and, among others, those in common use in the paro- 
 chial schools. She found these last saturated with 
 the teachings of the papacy, and of this Madame 
 Clarissima was fully aware. 
 
 " The Catholic National Series will never pass 
 muster with our school board," said Grace, as they 
 were seated in an ante-room of the seminary, where 
 were piled copies of the books used by the pupils. 
 
 Taking up a Third Reader one of the Series re- 
 ferred to, Grace found it stated in the preface that, 
 " in common with the other books of the Catholic- 
 National Series, it had one chief characteristic, viz., 
 a thoroughly Catholic tone, which will be found to 
 pervade the whole book,"
 
 4i g MADONNA HALL. 
 
 "There is no doubt about that!" exclaimed 
 Madame Clarissima. "See, here is the first story: 
 ' Bessie's First Mass.' I was treated to that when a 
 little tot. And further on you will find, ' How to be a 
 Nun,' on whicn I was well fed, early and late. Then 
 there is ' Saint Bridget,' and the ' St. Patrick Penny/ 
 It is Catholic all through, and I pity the children 1 . 
 taught in such readers, as never before. It is starva-- 
 tion, as far as the intellect and practical information - 
 are concerned, to say nothing of the poison mixed, 
 with the sloppy food." 
 
 As they glanced over the histories, geographies and 
 reading books, they found them all perverted to teach 
 Catholicism. One of the histories most in use, 
 written by a Jesuit, is infused with his theological 
 hatred of Protestantism and the acknowledged facts 
 of years gone by as related by reliable historians. 
 Tetzel, the German monk, he eulogizes to the skies, 
 and without a word of condemnation of the indul- 
 gences which he sold all over Germany. As for 
 Luther, he can not curse him enough. In this history 
 the children are taught that Luther was a very bad 
 man, and that Protestantism is the worst kind of 
 religion and makes everybody vicious. 
 
 " None of these books can be tolerated," said 
 Grace, " they are so utterly false. Why, statistics 
 show that the New York parochial schools turn out 
 three and a half times as many paupers as the public 
 schools. Here is another history," opening it. " See,
 
 THE HANDWRITING OX THE WALL. 
 
 419 
 
 here it is stated that John Calvin was expelled from 
 the university on account of his immoralities. It calls 
 John Knox a bad priest, and the ruffian of the Refor" 
 mation." 
 
 "I know how false the entire Series is," said 
 Madame Clarissima. " My husband has brought 
 home books from the Public Library, and we have 
 compared our Catholic school books with true authors, 
 and find them worse than useless. We examined the 
 'Bible History, with an Appendix of Church His- 
 tory,' very popular, and indorsed by cardinals, arch- 
 bishops and bishops. Here is the very book. It 
 magnifies the persecutions under Henry and Eliza- 
 beth, and is silent about the career of Bloody Mary. 
 See how this chapter is ended : ' Catholicity [Roman- 
 ism] has ever appealed to reason ; Protestantism, like 
 Mohammedanism, to force and violence.' ' 
 
 " What falsifying ! " exclaimed Grace. " What a 
 work it will be to help the dear children unlearn all 
 this ! It is well that the Government bestirs itself to 
 the task, for every day it becomes more difficult." 
 
 " Oh, I know it, I know it, and it is very sad that I 
 have so long blindly fed on falsehood, and given it to 
 others. But now that the true light has come into 
 my soul, I hope to be doubly diligent and seek to 
 undo, as far as possible, the great wrong. We must 
 hasten to educate in the true sense." 
 
 "Yes," replied Grace, "that is the great work. 
 Educate, hasten to give something better, antidotes
 
 42O 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 for the poison so long instilled in tender minds ; and I 
 know that God will help and bless us in doing this." 
 
 Entering the seminary, Madame Clarissima gave 
 the nuns in charge a vacation, sending them back to 
 Madonna Hall for a course of instruction, while she 
 inducted in their places those she had summoned 
 These were genuine Bible readers, who were greatly 
 needed to help enlighten the little ones. The cate- 
 chisms and text books were all gathered up, and 
 taken into the ante-room ; and just then Hosea ap- 
 peared with a wagon-load of Testaments, which had 
 been ordered from the Bible House. The nuns were 
 instructed to distribute them to the children, and, 
 calling them to order, commencing with the Gospel 
 of Matthew, as many as could, read in rotation. 
 
 Hosea was then told to take every image from the 
 school-room, and pack them into his empty wagon, 
 and lose no time in giving them to the flames. As 
 Grace assisted him, the children were wonder-struck, 
 while Madame Clarissima, who won their hearts by 
 her genial manner, explained why she removed 
 them. 
 
 " Children," said she, " what are these ? " pointing 
 to the idols. 
 
 Many hands were raised. 
 
 "Them's emiges," said a little Irish boy to whom 
 she pointed. 
 
 " Yes," said she ; " they are graven images, that
 
 THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL. 
 
 421 
 
 the dear Lord, our Heavenly Father, who loves us so 
 much, forbids us to make." 
 
 She then read the second commandment, had them 
 repeat it after her, explained it, and told them that 
 some wicked men had left it out of the Catholic 
 Bible, so that people might forget that God had for- 
 bidden the making of images to worship. 
 
 A smutty little hand was raised. 
 
 " Well, Patrick, what is it ? " 
 
 " Father Buhler, he believes in emiges, and he 
 won't want 'em tooken off." 
 
 " Well," the lady replied, " he is far away, and will 
 never stand up here and talk about them any 
 more." 
 
 Another hand was lifted. 
 
 " Well, Johnnie, what is it ? " 
 
 " My father and mother believes in them, and 
 what '11 we do wanting them ? " 
 
 " ' Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him 
 only shalt thou serve,' " was the reply. "That's what 
 the Lord says. And now, dear children, I want you 
 to read a beautiful story about the Lord Jesus when 
 He was born into this world." 
 
 Then as they read the story, partly from Matthew 
 and partly from Luke, she talked to them of His lowly 
 birth, and that now He was in heaven, loving us and 
 ready to save us from our sins, and then Luther's 
 hymn for his children having been written on the 
 blackboard, she had them learn to sing it, Grace
 
 422 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 leading and the musical nuns joining the children in 
 singing, 
 
 " Away in a manger, no crib for his bed, 
 The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head ; 
 The stars in the sky looked down where He lay, 
 The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay. 
 
 " The cattle are lowing, the poor Baby wakes, 
 But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes. 
 I love Thee, Lord Jesus ; look down from the sky, 
 And watch by me always, and ever be nigh." 
 
 They then sang, 
 
 " What a Friend we have in Jesus," 
 
 and 
 
 " Jesus loves me, this I know," 
 
 and other hymns for little ones, spending a full half- 
 hour in the exercise. 
 
 The children were delighted. Many a dull eye 
 was brightened with new thought, and as all were 
 tired to death with the false teaching of the cate- 
 chism and scapular, they were hungry for better food, 
 and partook of it with a relish. As the children 
 started on their way home, little groups chatted 
 together. 
 
 "Oh, did n't the ladies talk lovely! " said they. 
 
 " Oh, yes ; I want to have them come every day 
 and tell us such nice things, and have us sing," said 
 others. 
 
 They all went home so happy that the parents 
 were won to look favorably on Madame Clarissima's
 
 THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL. 423 
 
 faith. They seldom were in favor of the parochial 
 school, and gladly welcomed a change looking towards 
 the public school, especially as the law demanded it. 
 
 This was but the beginning. A genuine Ameri- 
 can school of the primary, intermediate and grammar 
 grades was soon under way, in which the Bible was 
 read and prayer offered in the Name of the One 
 Saviour. 
 
 In a month, an entire revolution had also been 
 made in Madonna Hall. The vast building and ad- 
 joining chapel were rededicated, and with the fall 
 term a ladies' seminary was opened, with a new corps 
 of instructors, and a full attendance of pupils ready 
 to commence training for usefulness as American 
 citizens. The Lady Clarissima, and many nuns, with 
 pupils from far and near, joined the seminary as 
 scholars, resolved, if possible, to atone in some meas- 
 ure for past lack of opportunity by persistent dili- 
 gence in study.
 
 424 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 XXXII. 
 
 OT long after Mrs. Byington sailed for Europe, 
 the " Mansion " was refurnished more beautifully 
 than ever and became the abode of the Leavenworths. 
 While getting settled, mother and daughter did not 
 forget their responsibilities at the Aid Rooms. An 
 early event in the new home was a reception. Among 
 the many invited guests were Mr. Cameron, Col. 
 Southbury and his niece Ella, Bishop Berlin with 
 Madame Clarissima, and Father Williams and wife. 
 While preparing for this gathering, Grace drove over 
 to Madonna Hall and called on Madame Clarissima to 
 enlist her " in a nice little surprise plan." 
 
 "The nuns we have at the Aid Rooms," said she, 
 " are most of them from this place, and were pupils of 
 your music teacher, Estelle, who found a home with 
 friends, and has never been in our Rooms. Some of 
 them insist that she perished in the wing basement, 
 others are sure that she recanted, and thus saved her 
 life. I want your help in undeceiving them."
 
 WYSTERY* UNVEILED. 
 
 425 
 
 " I will gladly give it," was the ready reply. 
 
 " I can tell them what I know," said Grace. " But 
 it will be more appropriate for you to state the facts 
 in the case. They will get strength from hearing 
 your voice witness for the Master." 
 
 Madame Clarissima was delighted with the plan, 
 and said, " You are right, dear friend, I should ever 
 be busy in undoing my sad record of false teaching ; 
 and it seems to me that the successful secret of this 
 is to show them something better. The bishop says, 
 ' Shed plenty of light, and there is no chance for dark- 
 ness to flourish.' I will come and do all I can to help 
 strengthen the dear souls." 
 
 " You can do them untold good," was the reply. 
 " And if you can induce any others that reside here to 
 come, please bring them," added Grace cordially. 
 " While we welcome our circle of old tried friends, we 
 do not forget, when we make a feast, those we are 
 trying to help, who, from lack of our chances, are 
 spiritually halt, lame and blind." 
 
 " All right," replied Madame Clarissima. " I can 
 bring some with me I have no doubt ; and it is so nice 
 in you to think of them." 
 
 " I could not help thinking of them, when they are 
 on my heart so much," said Grace. " Do you know 
 that Estelle has improved wonderfully since being at 
 the conservatory. I shall give her the first use of my 
 new parlor grand. Come early, please, and we will 
 have the music room open for the reunion of Estelle
 
 426 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 and her friends. Be sure and invite Hosea," and she 
 hastened away, full of benevolent plans. 
 
 Accordingly, when the evening came, Madame 
 Clarissima was at the Aid Rooms in good season to 
 interview the nuns, and give them a hint of what was 
 coming ; and with her large company, escorted by the 
 bishop, who had joined them, entered Leavenworth 
 Mansion. Estelle appearing at the right moment, 
 led the way to the music room adjoining the parlors. 
 She met the nuns individually with tearful affection, 
 while they fell on her neck and cried for joy to find 
 that she was alive, and they could see her once 
 more. 
 
 When the wave of emotion had a little subsided, 
 and quiet was restored, at invitation of Grace, 
 Madame Clarissima rehearsed what had happened in 
 Madonna Hall. She referred to the great work of 
 faith which Hosea had done for years, and acknowl- 
 edged the Hand of God in raising him up and 
 making him so wise and faithful in the time of great 
 extremity, and giving him such success that not one 
 condemned nun perished. Sister Estelle is here 
 among us alive, well, happy as are many others, 
 because the blessing of the tender and compassionate 
 Saviour attended him," said the lady. " And not a 
 few of you can testify that, under God, you owe your 
 life and liberty to him." 
 
 " Yes, yes, we owe our lives to him," said many, 
 with heartfelt gratitude.
 
 "MYSTERY" UNVEILED. 
 
 427 
 
 " I doubt not that the great work in Madonna Hall 
 commenced with him, and was brought about by his 
 efforts and prayers." She then related in her 
 fascinating way, her adventure in the Tombs ; how 
 she found the Lord there, in her agony, and escaped 
 in answer to prayer ; that the bishop and herself 
 had been led out of darkness step by step into the 
 light, and many of the nuns had found peace in 
 believing. "And now," said she, "what shall we 
 render to the Lord for what He has done for us? 
 He has a work for each one of us to do in owning 
 Him, and in being helpful to others." 
 
 There was not a dry eye in the room, as hushed 
 and reverent they listened to the glowing story of 
 deliverance from the false system that crushes rather 
 than uplifts humanity. 
 
 Hosea came in as Madame Clarissima had closed 
 her recital, and greeting them all with grace and ease, 
 took his place beside Estelle, ready to help the sing- 
 ing with his incomparable tenor, greatly to her 
 satisfaction. 
 
 Madame Clarissima was radiant, and exclaimed, 
 
 "This is indeed a family gathering, and we are 
 permitted to see great things accomplished in the 
 removal of an evil work. Now, Miss Leavenworth, as 
 is most fitting, let us have a praise service of song." 
 
 " Yes, indeed, let us all sing with heart and voice," 
 replied Grace, beamingly, as she helped distribute 
 books, and encouraged the more timid.
 
 428 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 The folding-doors were open over the house, and as 
 inspiring hymns were sung, and psalms chanted, the 
 burden of the melody was a prophecy of the near 
 triumph of Righteousness. 
 
 " The morning light is breaking," 
 
 and other sacred songs, were rendered with rare joy 
 by those who had recently received the peace of God 
 that passeth all understanding. 
 
 How vast the difference between the worship of 
 God's children, in psalms and hymns and spiritual 
 songs, and idolatry! 
 
 How wide the gulf between this adoration, 
 
 " My faith looks up to Thee, 
 Thou Lamb of Calvary, 
 Saviour Divine ! " 
 
 and the sickening utterances of the singing nuns at a 
 former convent Reception, where Mary the creature 
 was deified, and Christ the Infinite Creator was 
 ignored. 
 
 The chanting of God's Word, how elevating and 
 reverential, as in the sublime words, 
 
 " Who is the King of Glory ? 
 The Lord of Hosts, 
 He is the King of Glory." 
 
 While the company in the music room were enjoy- 
 ing their musical reunion, the circle of friends in the 
 front parlor, undisturbed, were talking with absorbed
 
 i MYSTERY" UNVEILED. 
 
 429 
 
 interest of the aggressions of the foreign element that 
 threatens this Government. The evening papers had 
 an item respecting the Anarchists in Chicago, and 
 Bishop Berlin, addressing Colonel Southbury, vyho 
 sat next him, asked, 
 
 " Do you think, Colonel, that we have reason to 
 fear their movements ? " 
 
 " They are less united than formerly," was the 
 reply, " and I regard them as far more easily con- 
 trolled than the Jesuits in our midst. The Society that 
 the easy-going French nation has found it necessary 
 to expel eight times in a little over one hundred years, 
 calls for close watching and severe legislation in our 
 country." 
 
 " I think so, decidedly," said Mr. Cameron. " I 
 have recently given attention to their methods of 
 parochial work in their schools." 
 
 " I am delighted to hear it," exclaimed Father 
 Williams. " I have long been praying for this day to 
 dawn. The trouble is, the masses have a misplaced 
 confidence, and are ignorant of the true character of 
 the Jesuits. They think them good, when they are 
 very corrupt. What concise work is there that will 
 enlighten them ? Every Compendium that I have 
 seen is in the Latin language, locked up for the use 
 of the clergy alone." 
 
 " The book you seek is just issued," was the reply. 
 " Professor M. Paul Bert, a wise and brilliant states- 
 man of France, seeing the dangerous blight falling on
 
 43 
 
 MADO*\\\A HALL. 
 
 society from Jesuits being permitted to instruct youth, 
 translated the leading text book of the Order, ' Gury's 
 Compendium of Moral Theology;' and it has just 
 been reproduced in English in this country." 
 
 " Ah, indeed ! What effect had this book in 
 France ? " asked Madame Du Pont Williams, quite 
 interested. 
 
 " A very wonderful effect," replied Mr. Cameron. 
 " This book, with the professor's overpowering 
 speeches before the Chambers of Deputies, caused 
 laws to be made which entirely exclude Jesuits from 
 being the educators of children and youth. The 
 book is a fearless exposure of their antichristian prin- 
 ciples, which, under our laws, are the worst of crimes, 
 as lying, stealing, perjury, adultery and murder. It is 
 a most disgusting unveiling of ' The Mystery of 
 Iniquity,' taken under the wing of so-called Moral 
 Theology." 
 
 " Why is it necessary to expose this wickedness in 
 a book ? " asked Madame Du Pont Williams, appeal- 
 ing to Father Berlin. 
 
 " A charge to keep I have, 
 A God to glorify," 
 
 came floating in from the music room. 
 
 " You do well to ask," replied the bishop. "The book 
 was called for to settle the question as to the morality 
 of the Jesuits. Well-informed Protestants have held 
 that they and their principles are execrable. The
 
 'MYSTERY" UNVEILED. 
 
 431 
 
 papacy, on the other hand, has mostly maintained that 
 their principles are holy, and they are a saintly and 
 God-approved class of men.'' 
 
 " It has been well said," remarked Mr. Cameron, 
 turning to Mrs. Leavenworth, "that the Jesuit de- 
 grades everything he touches. Conscience is 
 suppressed, with all holy aspirations. His deep scorn 
 for woman is only matched by that of the heathen, 
 who know not God, with this difference, for the sake 
 of outside influence, for policy and domination, there i? 
 a certain pretence on the part of the Jesuits. 'Bear this 
 truth well in mind,' says one of the Order, 'better fee! 
 the evil will of a man than the good will of a woman." 
 ' Women are habitually given to lying,' says the 
 Jesuit. In all their dissertations, their deep scorn 
 for the daughter of Eve, the first corrupter, is often 
 manifested under the most vulgar form.' Woman, 
 under Jesuit rule is kept down and crushed ; it is 
 only the religion of Christ that disenthralls her, and 
 gives her her place in the family and society. The pro- 
 fessor says, ' Among those that the Jesuits brutify, 
 they themselves may be reckoned in the first line. 
 During three centuries it has often been remarked 
 they have not, in intellectual attainment, produced one 
 man of the first, nor even one of the second rank; but 
 they do not seem to perceive it." 
 
 "That is not surprising," replied Mrs. Leavenworth. 
 " How can men bound in chains of moral darkness 
 have a clear mental vision ? It is ever true that ' a
 
 432 
 
 MADONXA HALL. 
 
 good understanding have they that keep His command- 
 ments.' As to the scorn of a sinful Order of men, it 
 is complimentary and cause of rejoicing. It will be 
 easier to. deliver women under their rule, for as soon 
 as the light shines, they will understand, and throw 
 off the yoke. 
 
 "The book we are speaking of," resumed the 
 bishop, " being their standard text book of morab* 
 shows just what they are to-day, the same as they 
 were two hundred years ago, and by their own con- 
 fession in this work, they must be judged. I have 
 always had a secret horror of their doctrines." Like 
 Lot in Sodom, the bishop had had his righteous soul 
 vexed with their unlawful deeds. 
 
 " For my part, I never could understand their rea- 
 soning ; they twist and mystify so much," remarked 
 Mrs. Du Pont Williams. 
 
 " Hard set, those Jesuits ! " interjected Mr. Leav- 
 enworth. 
 
 " I regard the enterprise of the Professor, in bring- 
 ing before the people proof of what they are," said 
 Mr. Cameron, "as a masterful movement. In con- 
 sequence of this, the Jesuits in France can not med- 
 dle with the instruction of the children and youth, and 
 there is no reason why the same means should not 
 influence public opinion and bring about a similar 
 result here." 
 
 " Pity we cannot muster one like him in this 
 country. For these ten years we have been outdone
 
 "MYSTERY" UNVEILED. 
 
 433 
 
 by the French ! " groaned Mr. Leavenworth, in view 
 of the facts that many of our future citizens are being 
 trained to be criminals, and that France has set us a 
 better example. 
 
 " The men for the crisis are already here," replied 
 the Colonel, hopefully. "We have many eloquent 
 and strong men awake to the demands of the hour." 
 
 " Yes, and the unveiling of the character of the 
 Jesuits gives these men a great advantage. Our 
 country's invaders are at last uncloaked. ' Mystery ' 
 is their Bible name, but they are forever uncovered 
 before the astonished gaze of the world. It is useless 
 for those who crystalize around Jesuitism to equivo- 
 cate or hide behind pious dodges ; they are helplessly 
 unmasked, and can no longer conceal their creed from 
 the masses behind a Latin screen ; it is translated for 
 the unlearned. As you request, Mr. Leavenworth, I 
 will now read a few points of the Professor's summary 
 of this Compendium." 
 
 " By all means, Mr. Cameron ; we shall be pleased 
 to hear," was the reply. 
 
 Mr. Cameron began, 
 
 " He says, 'The first impression of a lay reader, in 
 looking over a Jesuitical Compendium, is wonder and 
 dread. It pretends to be all, canon law, civil law, 
 penal, even commercial law, jurisprudence ; and, also, 
 divine and human science may be found here. The 
 priest, in the course of his studies, has become thor- 
 oughly impregnated with it, carries it with him out of
 
 434 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 the seminary, and, with his breviary, catechism and 
 confessor's manual, if he is in the country, it will 
 form all his library ; he thinks he has all that is 
 needed to guide his conduct towards men as well as 
 his relations with Heaven. . . . Society can have no 
 hold on him, nor teach him anything ; all has been 
 foreseen by his chiefs. 
 
 '"The layman is struck with the absence of any 
 general principle. In the "Section on Conscience," 
 there are the definition, the divisions and subdivi- 
 sions, varying from each other; as much as to say, 
 the true truth, the doubtful truth, and the false truth. 
 The Roman casuist is aiming at destroying all the 
 elevated and holy significance of the word, and he is 
 sure to effect what he seeks. 
 
 " ' The third surprise of the general reader, not 
 used to crookedness, is to find the facility with which, 
 out of an excellent principle, he deduces the most 
 monstrous consequences. The subtle hair-splitting- 
 reasoning drifts one away from the solid foundations, 
 and, full of anguish, one is drawn towards a fatal 
 declivity, the tufts of grass tearing off under our 
 crisped hands. It is the strength of the false reason- 
 ing casuist, and the ne plus ultra of his art ; he knows 
 that, at last, tired and bruised, the patient will roll 
 into the abyss.' The abyss of doubt," explained Mr. 
 Cameron, "which the tempter brought into Eden. 
 < Ye shall not surely,' being the formula which, per- 
 sistently followed out, leads to the destruction of all
 
 -MYSTERY" 1 UX VEILED. 
 
 435 
 
 moral principle. The casuist we are considering fully 
 adopts the tactics of Satan in decrying right and 
 bolstering up wrong doing. Hath God said, doubt- 
 ing God's Word, he accuses Him of lying, 'Thou 
 shalt not eat of the fruit ? ' Never mind, the fruit is 
 good to make you wise ; doubt, disobey and eat ; you 
 can do it with impunity, with a mental reservation, 
 and say you did not do it.' Here we have the portrait- 
 ure of sin. disbelieving, disobeying, ignoring, defying 
 God." 
 
 "Yes," said Mr. Leavenworth ; "Satan was the 
 father of lies, and of the Order of the Jesuits, his 
 most obedient children." 
 
 " When a guilty man is condemned by the civil 
 law," continued Mr. Cameron, "the Jesuit strives to 
 find a loop-hole by which he may escape. His code 
 makes people criminals, and he always sides with the 
 sinner. Between the thief and his victim he never 
 hesitates ; he takes the part of the thief, and so of all 
 other crimes. The gist of his Moral Theology is to 
 sin all one can in the circumstances and not be found 
 out. It is as if the writer were such a consummate 
 sinner himself that he thinks the most desirable 
 thing in the universe is to roll sin as a sweet morsel 
 under the tongue in concealment, and at the same 
 time hypocritically appear as an angel of light. It is 
 well that this, their own seminary text book, a work 
 showing exactly what they are, is now in an English 
 dress and is being widely circulated, as their princi
 
 436 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 pies have been almost unknown to Protestants in this 
 country, although this text-book, or those akin to it, 
 are in common use in the Jesuit colleges and univer- 
 sities here." 
 
 " That is true," replied the Colonel, " and it will 
 be seen that their principles are entirely opposed to 
 the Constitution of the Union, and would, if allowed 
 to work, destroy all domestic propriety and happiness, 
 besides being incredibly cruel and atheistical. Shall 
 such men and books have the making of our future 
 citizens ? " 
 
 " Never ! " replied Bishop Berlin. " We should, in 
 that case, educate only traitors. I remember Bis- 
 marck said, on entering Paris, in the late war between 
 Germany and France, that sadder than the scenes 
 of blood on the battle-field, was the finding of false, 
 misleading text-books for the young in Catholic school 
 rooms. In the one case the body was destroyed ; 
 in the other, the mind was mutilated, deformed, 
 made wholly unfit for the duties of life. Men who 
 were reared on such poisonous food, learned in the 
 lore of perdition, are at this hour training and over- 
 seeing the education of full a half million of this 
 nation's children and youth. We all know that edu- 
 cation decides what the individual will be. The bias 
 is given in the early years. Now, friends, this vital 
 matter must be more closely watched. The school 
 books are perverted as much as possible for the 
 young, by these foully -educated Jesuits, whose right
 
 "MYSTERY" UNVEILED. 437 
 
 hand is falsehood. And we must remember that this 
 spoliation of many of the nation's youth has been going 
 on, not for days or for a year, but for* twenty-five 
 years, ever since the Baltimore Council of 1864, 
 which decreed that every Catholic parish, when able, 
 should have a parochial school. No wonder that 
 statistics show that criminals increase faster in the 
 United States than in any other country, with the 
 exception of Spain, the parochial school graduates 
 being vastly more sure of being criminals than if 
 taught in the public schools." 
 
 " We bemoan the late secession," added Mr. Cam- 
 eron, " while in our midst, in every city and large 
 town, we allow nurseries of rebellion ; permit chil- 
 dren and youth to be taught treason to this Gov- 
 ernment, and loyalty to the Italian citizen. These 
 schools are every one of them breeding enemies to 
 the Republic, and should be suppressed as in other 
 lands." 
 
 " They should be at once," echoed the Colonel. " I 
 think it was Chancellor Pasquier who said that 
 ' there was a deep principle independent of positive 
 laws, which does not allow that a society, whatever it 
 may be, should be consolidated in a state, without 
 the approval of the great powers of the nation.' At 
 the instigation of the Jesuits, whose history has been 
 that of traitors in every land, serving only themselves 
 and the Pope, I learn that there are military organ- 
 izations in many of the city parishes of the United
 
 438 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 States. In Chicago, it is said, military drilling trans 
 pires every Sunday in the vicinity of the corporation 
 churches. The youths being drilled are from ten to 
 sixteen years of age. I am told, on good authority, 
 that, take any Catholic Church you please in the 
 city, and this military drilling will be found going on. 
 It is a fact, that the apostate church under the dicta- 
 tion of foreigners, is drilling its members, middle-aged 
 and young, as if for social war. Was it ever heard 
 that a Protestant denomination was guilty of such 
 a menace to the peace of society as drilling a sect 
 against the Government ? " 
 
 "Yes," replied Mrs. Leavenworth, " my attention 
 has been called to it, and my whole soul is aroused. 
 Why, in the name of law, order, and patriotism, do 
 not our state and city authorities, and the nation 
 itself, awake and forbid these great bodies of drilled 
 men from marching with arms through our streets 
 at funerals, and numberless processions, when they 
 are not a part of the state militia? What need 
 of Roman military legions if no fighting is in pros- 
 pect?" 
 
 "True, Madame," replied the Colonel; "you do 
 well to inquire into this matter. It is high time 
 that the people and United States Government made 
 investigation, and discerned the character of the 
 military companies that are multiplying in our 
 borders, and under foreign direction are plotting 
 mischief."
 
 "MYSTERY" UNVEILED. 439 
 
 The senator paused a moment, as magnificent 
 strains of chanting swept in from the music room, 
 
 " O Lord God of hosts, 
 Who is a mighty One like Thee, O Lord, 
 Or to Thy faithfulness round about Thee ? 
 Thou rulest the raging of the sea; 
 When the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them." 
 
 " Wonderful words ! " exclaimed Mr. Cameron, in 
 the interval of silence. " The Lord alone can still the 
 tempest, whether it be ocean billows, or the unright- 
 eous uprising of men. But as good, law-abiding citi- 
 zens, we are to go forward in the strength of the 
 Infinite One, and save the country that He has 
 given us." 
 
 "Yes, by all means," replied the senator; "these 
 conspiracies are under the law, and can be suppressed 
 or banished. Societies disloyal to the Government 
 should at once be made null and void, and all my in- 
 fluence, public and private, shall be enlisted to effect 
 this speedily. With God's blessing, I have great 
 hopes of success, and when this is done, the rebel- 
 lious schools will be reconstructed and fall into line, 
 even as the once disaffected states returned to the 
 Union. They will, like first class public schools, 
 become nurseries oi loyal children and youth, 
 whom their country may some day be delighted to 
 honor." 
 
 When the time came for the refreshments to be 
 served, the singing ceased, and Grace invited the
 
 440 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 company in the music room to be seated in the 
 parlors, Madame Clarissima and Hosea leading them 
 in. A blessing was invoked on the food by Mr. Cam- 
 eron, and after general conversation and partaking 
 of the feast, the guests separated at a seasonable 
 hour, inspired with new ardor to work and pray for the 
 peace of the country, and the glory of God,
 
 OVERTHROWN. 
 
 441 
 
 XXXIII. 
 
 EAN WHILE gentle little Elsae had become 
 chubby, rosy-cheeked, as playful as a kitten, 
 and the pet of the Leaven worth family. More than 
 birds and flowers she brightened their home, and was 
 so charming in her winsome ways that every one 
 loved her. Mr. Leavenworth called her " Sunbeam," 
 and insisted that she was just like Grace at her 
 age. 
 
 As for that young lady, she sought out Anna 
 Stilling, and rinding her convalescing, brought her 
 back with her to see her sister Elsae, lovingly telling 
 her, greatly to her delight, that if she wished, she 
 could live with her and this should be her home. The 
 meeting of the little girls was very touching. Their 
 sorrows and separation had made them dearer than 
 ever to each other, and once together they could not 
 be separated. .Since they were cast off by their 
 father, the Leavenworths gladly adopted them and at 
 once made plans for their education. An accom-
 
 442 MADOA\\'A HALL. 
 
 plished governess was employed to instruct them in 
 primary studies and in vocal music. This plan was 
 more desirable in Anna's state of health than the 
 excitement of school. 
 
 Although Stilling was committed to jail, Buhler and 
 his friends of the "Commission " did not intend that 
 he should remain there. Buhler, hastily leaving his 
 parish in care of another priest, sounded the alarm, 
 and soon Stilling was given bail. When at liberty t 
 with unfailing assurance, he decided to visit Mr. 
 Leavenworth at his office in Glynnboro and learn how 
 much he knew of his affairs, that he might, if possible, 
 artfully regain his lost footing. On reaching the 
 place he found that Mr. Leavenworth and family had 
 removed to Byington Mansion. This was a disap- 
 pointment, as he had counted on a confidential talk 
 with the old gentleman. Returning to the city, he 
 determined to get an opportunity to see him privately, 
 and work his way back again to influence Miss Grace, 
 from whom, almost simultaneously with his arrest, he 
 had received her engagement ring, without note or 
 comment. It was a daring game, but he deemed the 
 prize worth the venture. He knew better than to 
 show himself in the presence of the family, until he 
 could gloss over his "misfortunes," and excite Mr. 
 Leavenworth's sympathy. 
 
 Eagerly seeking to effect his purpose, he was 
 constantly on the alert, stationing himself at his hotel 
 windows, and other points of observation, or walking
 
 O VER THRO WN. 443 
 
 down town to the post-office, news-stand, and other 
 places of concourse, during the day, and hovering near 
 the Leavenworth premises in the evening ; but his 
 quest wa vain. Mr. Leavenworth seemed never to 
 leave the house save in a carriage, with some of the 
 family ; and Stilling must have a strictly private inter- 
 view, unknown to anyone of the household. 
 
 He noticed, from day to day, two prettily dressed 
 children in the grounds with their governess, or with 
 Grace. They seemed happy and gleeful, as if tenderly 
 cherished. Who could they be ? Some relatives of 
 the family, he concluded. One evening he made an 
 arbor in the Leavenworth grounds his place of watch- 
 ing, with the hope that the old gentleman might take 
 a stroll, and he could gain his ear. He could see 
 that the music room, often used as a home parlor, was 
 brilliantly lighted, and Grace, as lovely as the light, 
 was making herself agreeable to her father and mother 
 and the little girls. Presently the governess came in, 
 and with Grace, played a duet, while the children 
 marched in good time. After this, as the ladies were 
 singing a sweet Scotch air with the piano accompa- 
 niment, Anna and Elsae clambered upon the old 
 gentleman's chair, one on each side, and began to 
 curl his hair, while he pretended that he was being 
 very badly treated, although immensely pleased at 
 their frolicsome actions. 
 
 It was a sweet home picture, and Stilling gazed 
 with a medley of emotions, most of all wondering who
 
 444 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 the children were. He saw when Mr. Cameron 
 called, that they were soon good friends. Interested, 
 anxious, he stealthily stepped upon the veranda for a 
 better view. There was certainly something familiar 
 in the looks and manner of the little ones. He came 
 nearer and beheld his disowned children, where, of all 
 other places, he would not have them sheltered. 
 
 This was a death blow to his hopes which he least 
 expected. Bewildered and frantic, as he approached 
 nearer, to fully assure himself that he had made no 
 mistake, as he was short-sighted, inadvertently his 
 face was pressed against the window pane. The 
 children, seeing that dreaded face, screamed with 
 affright : Anna, who had scarcely recovered from her 
 illness, going into convulsions, and Elsae scampering 
 for dear life to the arms of good Mr. Leavenworth. 
 Mr. Cameron and Grace saw the apparition, which 
 was quickly withdrawn. Mr. and Mrs. Leavenworth, 
 having their faces turned from the windows, saw 
 nothing, and needed to have the alarm of the children 
 explained. 
 
 Anna was laid on the sofa, and when she became 
 conscious, cried, " Do n't let him come ! Do n't let 
 him take me away !" in the most piteous tones. 
 
 " Who is it, darling, that you are afraid of ? " asked 
 Mrs. Leavenworth, soothingly taking her hand. 
 
 " Wo n't you tell ? " she said, with wide-staring 
 eyes. " It 's my father ; but he made me promise to 
 keep it secret." She was quiet for a few moments, and
 
 O VER THRO WX. 
 
 then the paroxysm came on again, and she wailed, 
 " Oh, father, father, do n't, do n't ? " 
 
 " There, there, darling," gently said Grace, stoop- 
 ing to kiss her. " He shall not hurt you. I '11 drive 
 him away," and she drew the curtains, and made as if 
 turning out the phantom. 
 
 And Stilling, listening in the shadows, heard all. 
 
 Little Elsae was at the time snugly held in Mr. 
 Leavenworth's arms, and would at once have regained 
 her roily-poly serenity, had not Anna's hysteria kept 
 her disturbed. Still, although trembling a little, she 
 felt pretty safe, greatly to the old gentleman's 
 delight. 
 
 Mr. Cameron stepped out and summoned the man, 
 James, saying distinctly, 
 
 "James, you may look through the grounds. There 
 seems to be some evil disposed person lurking around. 
 If the coast is not clear at once you may unchain 
 Duke." 
 
 The watch-dog heard, and seemed to understand 
 as well as James, and commenced growling savagely 
 from his kennel on the other side of the veranda, 
 while the rustling of the foliage, and the sound 
 of rapidly departing feet, witnessed that the word- 
 shot had taken effect. 
 
 Soon the doctor appeared, and learning the case, 
 administered the nervine for fright, and with sooth- 
 ing words the dear child fell asleep. 
 
 " Worse and worse ! " thought Stilling, as he
 
 446 
 
 HALL. 
 
 breathlessly reached his quarters at the hotel. " It 
 seems as if the fates were against me. I defy them 
 to do their worst ! Money does wonders in these 
 days. I '11 venture that I can get off from the courts 
 by bribery. Those children must come to light in 
 this crisis, to be the last pound on the camel's back ! 
 Why was I not acuate enough to see that they were 
 hidden in papal care, the only system that can effect 
 ually bury the living." 
 
 James had sighted Stilling, and following him saw 
 where he roomed, and at once told Mr. Leavenworth, 
 who promptly called on his next-door neighbor, a 
 skilful lawyer friend, with whom he had previously 
 consulted, and asked him to accompany him on a visit 
 to Stilling. The lawyer, who was also a magistrate, 
 was ready for the case in hand, and the two repaired 
 to Stilling's rooms. 
 
 Not seeming to notice the pale consternation of 
 Stilling at their sudden appearance, the lawyer 
 quickly made him understand that he was a criminal 
 and a swindler in appropriating to himself the prop- 
 erty of his children on false pretences. 
 
 At the suggestion of Mr. Leavenworth, the lawyer 
 drew up a writing to the effect that Stilling had made 
 out certificates that both his children were dead, 
 and that he had concealed his oldest daughter in a 
 mill under an assumed name, in order that he might 
 obtain her inheritance. Although he tried evasion, 
 Stilling could not avoid signing the document, and 
 when this was done Mr. Leavenworth said,
 
 OVERTHROWN. 
 
 447 
 
 "Now, sir, I have taken pains to inform myself 
 respecting the locality of certain property which you 
 own, and which you must now make over to your 
 children, and reinstate them in their rights, and then 
 you must pay me what you owe me, as I hold your 
 note for two thousand dollars." 
 
 Baffled and overwhelmed, Stilling was speechless, 
 and was obliged to comply with the demands there 
 made, and fully discharge his indebtedness to his 
 children and Mr. Leavenvvorth. 
 
 The two unwelcome callers departed, having accom- 
 plished what they wished ; yet the miserable father 
 had not the grace of penitence, and felt not one throb 
 of affection for his children, but was wrathfully angry 
 at being foiled, grinding his teeth and muttering 
 curses as he thought what a large fortune he had lost 
 in Grace and in repaying his children. He deter- 
 mined on going into gambling and rum selling with 
 more vigor than ever, and thus retrieve his broken 
 fortunes. When the Court sat he was on hand, and 
 played the role he had planned, and, finally, through 
 some powerful influence that was brought to bear, he 
 was let off. Possibly the forgery was settled by the 
 " Commission ; '' somehow he escaped the penalty of 
 his crime. He was an old offender, and was not afraid 
 of statutes as long as he was identified ^vith a strong 
 monied monopoly that determined to rule or ruin. 
 Notwithstanding all that, he was at length obliged 
 to leave the country for embezzling money placed in
 
 44 8 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 his charge by a syndicate. He was an illustration 
 that "the way of the transgressor is hard;" for, hav- 
 ing gambled away all his saloon and other property, 
 and become hopelessly addicted to drink, his sun went 
 down in darkness. 
 
 Buhler was later installed in a church in the West. 
 "Two dangerous Jesuits less in the New England 
 States," said those who had watched the want of 
 principle of the Society. 
 
 Years pass. Madonna Hall has become famous as 
 the Berlin Collegiate Institute, where many former 
 nuns, as well as other young ladies, have graduated 
 with honors. The bishop is Principal, and his wife, 
 Clarissima, Preceptress. The bishop has suffered 
 " for righteousness sake," as his palace has been 
 appropriated by Archbishop Bland, and he has reason 
 to "rejoice," for those who uphold the cause of the 
 pontiff say "all manner of evil against him, falsely," 
 for Christ's sake. His lovely wife is well educated, in 
 the usual sense of the term, and a fitting companion 
 for her husband. A feature of the school is its 
 decidedly evangelical character. The Bible is an 
 acknowledged text book, on the principle that the 
 fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and that 
 that fear should be acknowledged, first of all, in sys- 
 tems of education. The Lord Jesus Christ is honored 
 as the Creator and Redeemer. In short, what con- 
 stitutes a Christian, or believing in Christ, is clearly 
 taught.
 
 Ol'EKTHROll'X. 
 
 One day in the week is given to special study of the 
 \Yord of God. It is well known that those who are 
 converted among the heathen will not stay converted, 
 or grow in the knowledge of Christ, unless fed on the 
 sincere milk of the Word. No more can Christians 
 here avoid backsliding unless they obey Christ in 
 searching the Scriptures. The Berlin Institute, from 
 its high religious standard, sends out many fervent 
 disciples to witness for Christ and win others to Him. 
 Some are called to go to mission fields, bearing the 
 glad tidings. 
 
 Col. Southbury was munificent in his endowment 
 of the school, and it was through his generosity that 
 Estelle was enabled to become thorough in music, as 
 well as perfect herself in an art course. When she 
 had graduated honorably, she was chosen to take 
 charge of music in the Institute. 
 
 As the years went by, Mr. Cameron and Grace 
 found that they were more and more necessary to 
 each other, and the sequel was, that they became one 
 in holy bonds, Mr. Leavemvorth saying at the wed- 
 ding. " Now I have a son after my own heart ! " 
 
 Anna and Elsae, full of exuberant life, were good 
 scholars, and in due time graduated from the Institute, 
 and, later, Anna took a college course. They uncon- 
 sciously patterned after Grace ; were self-governed 
 reliable, industrious and unselfish. They owed much 
 to their home and school training; were lovely, effi- 
 cient young ladies, well fitted to do their part in the
 
 450 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 world. Anna was ambitious to make her mark as a 
 teacher, and obtained a prominent position in the Ber- 
 lin Institute. Elsae, more domestic, preferred to stay 
 at home to comfort father and mother, as they called 
 their adopted parents. With her cheery, happy 
 nature, she found full scope for her abilities, as she 
 was helpful in the neighborhood and in benevolent 
 causes ; and, as the old people went down the vale of 
 life, and Grace had a family of her own, they realized 
 as never before, the great treasures they had in Anna 
 and Elsae Stilling. Hosea, after a course of study, 
 became a successful and honored evangelist, and is on 
 the best of terms with teacher Estelle. 
 
 Father Williams and his good wife went to reside 
 in Paris. Burning with a desire to help in the Mc- 
 All Mission, he found abundant employment in " the 
 white harvest field," and such was his success and the 
 general enthusiasm of the workers, that even Madame 
 Williams forgot her theme of fashion, and for a part 
 of every day busily. scattered Testaments and tracts 
 among the people of their vicinity. 
 
 " The idea of my doing this ! " she said one day to 
 her husband, when she came in glowing with the exer- 
 cise of the walk. " But it is so natural to imitate those 
 one is with ; all our friends are in this work, and there 
 is nothing I enjoy so much." 
 
 Ella Southbury is at her post of worthy endeavor in 
 the Aid Society, useful, placid and happy, doing for 
 others as she would be done by.
 
 OVERTHROW*. 
 
 451 
 
 Colonel Southbury has his Institution a breathing- 
 place for priests leaving Romanism in good working- 
 order. It is a large, cheery, well - appointed estab- 
 lishment, which he calls " Southbury House," and is 
 its presiding genius. When a few more Christian 
 millionnaires do likewise, a multitude of the disaffected, 
 truth-convicted clergy of Rome will leave their livings 
 and surroundings for a covert, where, shaking off the 
 shackles of error and superstition, they can think, 
 reason and decide for righteousness and Christ. 
 Southbury House has a good showing of clerical in- 
 mates, and they are at once encouraged to search the 
 Word and fit to serve Him who is the only Saviour 
 from sin. Some converted are already in a course of 
 training for preaching the gospel ; others choose to 
 study law, or prepare to become Protestant teach- 
 ers. 
 
 Mrs. Byington and Louise are engaged in a prom- 
 ising mission enterprise in Rome, which has a record 
 of wonderful results. Florence Fairfax turned a deaf 
 ear to Mrs. Byington's advice, and married an Italian 
 infidel, titled, but poor, who admired her for her 
 money. She married in haste, and at last advices 
 was engaged in repenting. 
 
 Father Pecci left for Rome, taking Father Krafts with 
 him, and finding that they were treated with indignity 
 when in clerical dress on the streets, that they could 
 not officiate as priests, and the Pope was in too much 
 1 rouble to help himself even, in their distress became
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 attired as citizens, and obtained employment as hack 
 drivers, some two hundred of the superfluous clergy 
 being in the same business to earn their liveli- 
 hood. 
 
 As for the Roman power, the disintegration, fore- 
 told in the Word of God, goes on. It is "partly 
 strong and partly broken," and will so continue to 
 "the end." But notwithstanding its brittle strength, 
 let all God's children, Protestant and Roman Catholic, 
 in opposing its sinful behests, gird on the whole armor 
 of God. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, 
 but against principalities and powers, against the 
 rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual 
 wickedness in heavenly places." It is the Word of 
 God on which we rely for strength to " hold the fort," 
 until the coming of His Kingdom, for which we earn- 
 estly pray. The promise is sure. Christ shall have 
 the victory. " The whole earth shall be filled with 
 His glory as the waters cover the sea."
 
 Al'PEXDlX. 
 
 XXXIV. 
 
 MORALITY OF THE JESUITS. 
 
 principles of the Jesuits are little known in 
 this country ; but " they are hostile to all social 
 order, destructive of all domestic decorum and happi- 
 ness, and incredibly cruel and atheistical." In 1762 
 their order was abolished in France, and the arret of 
 the Parliament of Paris states as the ground of the 
 extirpation of the Jesuits', "The consequences of 
 their doctrines destroy the law of nature ; break all 'the 
 bands of civil society, by authorizing theft, lying, 
 perjury, the utmost uncleanness, murder, all criminal 
 passions, and all sins ; root out all sentiments of 
 humanity, overthrow all governments, excite rebel- 
 lion, and extinguish the foundation and practice of 
 religion, and substitute all sorts of superstition, blas- 
 phemy, irreligion and idolatry." The following pas- 
 sages are quoted from some of their most famous 
 authors, and it may be premised that these are the 
 dogmas ever taught and practiced by the Jesuits, and 
 at every eligible period.
 
 454 
 
 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 In this republic, the minds and hearts of our citi- 
 zens are necessarily very sensitive concerning that 
 integrity, which combines honesty and truth, the 
 authority of the statute laws, female purity, and 
 
 human life. 
 
 HONESTY. 
 
 1. Escobar, Theolog. Moral. Vol. 4. Lib. 34. Sect. 
 
 2. Prob. 1 6, page 348. "A child who serves his 
 father, may secretly purloin as much as his father 
 would have given a stranger for his compensation." 
 
 2. Cardenas, Crisis Theolog. Diss. 23, Cap. 2. 
 Art. i, page 474. " Servants may secretly steal from 
 their masters as much as they judge their labor is 
 worth more than the wages which they receive." To 
 this agrees Taberna. 
 
 3. Tamburinus, Explic. Decal. Lib. 8. Tract 2. 
 Cap. 3. page 205. " A man is not bound to restore 
 what he has stolen in small sums, however large may 
 be the total." 
 
 4. Gordonus, Theolog. Moral. Univ. Lib. 5, Quest. 
 
 3. Cap. 4. page 826. " A woman may take the prop- 
 erty of her husband, to supply her spiritual wants, and 
 to act like other women." In plain English, wives and 
 daughters may steal from their husbands and fathers, 
 to satisfy their Confessor Priest. 
 
 TRUTH. 
 
 i. Snarez, Jur. Precept. Lib. 3. Cap. 9. Asser, 2. 
 page 473. " If anyone has promised or contracted 
 without intention to promise, and is called upon oath
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 455 
 
 to answer, he may simply answer, no ; and he may 
 swear to this denial by secretly understanding that he 
 did not sincerely promise, or that he promised with- 
 out any intention to acknowledge it." 
 
 2. Filiucius, Quest. Moral. Vol. 2. Tract 25. Cap. 
 u. Num. 328. "With what precautions may we 
 equivocate ? By intending to use only material 
 words. A person may begin to say, ' I swear,' he can 
 add this mental restriction, 'to-day,' or in a whisper 
 he may repeat, ' I say,' and then resume his former 
 tone ' I did not do it." " This is telling the truth ! 
 
 3. Charli, Prop. 6. page 8. " He who is not 
 bound to state the truth before swearing is not bound 
 by his oath, provided he makes the internal restriction 
 that excludes the present case." 
 
 4. Taberna, Vol. 2. Pars. 2. Tract 2. Cap. 31. page 
 280. " Is a witness bound to declare the truth before 
 a lawful Judge? No; if his deposition will injure 
 himself or his posterity ; or, if he be a priest, for a 
 priest cannot be forced to testify before a secular 
 Judge." 
 
 5. Tambnnuits, Lib. 3. Cap. 4. Sec. 2. page 27. 
 t% If any man conceals another's property, for the sup- 
 port of himself and his family, when asked, he may 
 say that he has concealed nothing." 
 
 ATTHORITV OF THE LAWS. 
 
 i. Bcllarmin, Controvers. Lib. 5. Cap. 6. page 
 1090. "The spiritual power must rule the temporal
 
 456 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 by all sorts of means and expedients when necessary. 
 Christians should not tolerate a heretic king." 
 
 2. Salmeron, Comment. Evan. Hist. Vol. 4. Pars. 
 3. Tract 4, page 411. "The Pope hath supreme 
 power over the whole earth, over all kinds and govern- 
 ments, to command and enforce them, to employ their 
 power to promulgate Popery, which mandate of the 
 Pope they are bound to obey, and if they resist he 
 must punish them as contumacious." 
 
 HOMICIDE. 
 
 1. Ariault, Cens. page 319. " If a person attempts 
 to ruin my reputation by calumny, and I can avoid 
 the injury only by secretly killing him, may I do it ? 
 Certainly. Although the facts are true ; yet if the 
 calumniator will not cease to publish them, you may 
 fitly kill him, not publicly, but in secret, to avoid 
 scandal." 
 
 2. Escobar, Vol. 6. page 170. "Not only is it 
 lawful to offer or accept a duel, but you may secretly 
 kill a calumniator, if you have no other mode to avoid 
 the danger, because it is not murder, but self-defense. 
 You are obliged to refuse a duel, if you can secretly 
 kill your enemy ; because thereby you endanger not 
 your own life, and you also hinder the commission of 
 a new sin in offering or accepting a duel." 
 
 3. Guimenius, Prop. 7. page 86. " You may 
 charge your opponent with false crimes to take away 
 his credit, as well as kill him."
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 457 
 
 4. Dicastillo, Lib. 2. Tract i. Disput. 10. Dub. r. 
 Num. 1 5. page 290. " If a man becomes a nuisance 
 to society, the son may lawfully kill his father." 
 
 5. Escobar, Theolog. Moral. Vol. 4. Lib. 31. Sec. 2. 
 Precept. 4. Prob. 5. page 329. "Children are obliged 
 to denounce their parents or relations who are guilt) 
 of heresy, although they know that they will be burnt. 
 They may refuse all nourishment and permit them to 
 die with hunger, or may kill them as enemies who 
 violate the rights of humanity." 
 
 CONCERNING PURGATORY. 
 
 Says the catechism of the Council of Trent, " The 
 fire of purgatory: in which the souls of just men are 
 cleansed by a temporary punishment, in order to be 
 admitted into their eternal country, into which nothing 
 denied entereth." 
 
 Again, " The holy synod (Council of Trent) com- 
 mands the bishops diligently to strive that the whole- 
 some doctrine of purgatory, handed down by venera- 
 ble fathers and holy counsels, be believed by Christ's 
 faithful, held, taught, and everywhere preached." 
 
 " O. In what cases do souls go to purgatory ? 
 
 "A. Souls go to purgatory when they die in less 
 sins, which we call venial, or when they have not 
 satisfied the justice of God for former transgres- 
 sions" (General Catechism, p. 518). 
 
 " Roman Catholic theologians, though agreed as to 
 the existence of purgatory, differ as to its situation
 
 458 MADONNA If ALL. 
 
 and the nature of its punishments. The pains of 
 purification in purgatory have been represented as so 
 horribly severe that no sufferings ever borne in this 
 world can be compared with them. How long they 
 continue is unknown ; but the process of cleansing is 
 thought to be very gradual, and, in some cases, not to 
 be completed till the day of judgment " ( Romanism 
 As It Is, p. 525-6). 
 
 MEXICAN MUMMIES. 
 
 "In 1857, at the time of the Mexican Revolution, the 
 Papal Inquisition, which had long existed in Mexico 
 and Puebla, was given into the hands of the people, 
 who for the first time had the privilege of freely 
 entering its portals, and searching there for friends 
 who had from time to time mysteriously disappeared. 
 In the city of Mexico the people ransacked the place, 
 but could not find what they sought. 
 
 "After considerable investigation some one pointed 
 out that the walls of the building seemed very thick. 
 They then commenced beating upon them, and found 
 that in certain places they were hollow. They broke 
 into them, and from those whited sepulchres, filled 
 with dead men's bones, they drew out men in their 
 clothing, dead, dried up, perished. 
 
 " And lest this awful revelation should sometime be 
 forgotten, doubted and denied, as so many others 
 have been, they sent for an artist, placed those dead 
 bodies in position, and had them photographed. One
 
 APPENDIX, 
 
 of those pictures, taken in the city of Mexico, came 
 into my possession, and from that picture, painted by 
 the sun which has no prejudices, and tells no lies, a 
 copy was also made by the sun, untouched by any 
 human hands, and we are thus enabled to cast upon 
 the screen a picture, not of Egyptian mummies of 
 ages gone by, preserved with sacred care by heathen 
 priests, but a picture of the mummies of the nine- 
 teenth century, taken from the dungeons of the Papal 
 Inquisition. 
 
 " Is it strange that a universal, infallible, unchange- 
 able organization, which has such a past record, and 
 hides such skeletons as these in her closets, is very 
 careful what kind of history the children study in the 
 public schools of America ? 
 
 "A life-long friend of the writer, who has spent 
 years in Mexico, writes from there, under date of Nov. 
 
 7, 1888, 'Mr. C - L told me yesterday, that 
 
 while rebuilding or fitting up the part of the Inquisi- 
 tion purchased by Bishop Simpson in Puebla, they 
 discovered a door which opened into a series of culls 
 some six or seven feet high, and about three feet wide 
 and seven feet long, several of them containing stone 
 benches. The front wall of these was of rock, seven 
 feet thick, with a hole six by seven inches. In these 
 rooms were found some twenty-one skulls and 
 skeletons. They had no photograph taken ; but 
 thirteen cart-loads of bones were carried away, and 
 the earth of which they made mortar for the building
 
 460 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 was largely made up of dust of bones. Whose bones 
 they were is a question not easily answered. Mr. 
 
 D , who lived in the house for some time, thought 
 
 there were other walls there which, if broken, might 
 tell tales. I have seen, in a glass case in the museum 
 in Mexico, some skeletons said to have been taken 
 from the Inquisition, but I do not know that they 
 have been photographed. I have asked some friends 
 to try to find out, but get no answers as yet.' The 
 Inquisition in Mexico was taken some years ago for a 
 medical college. Some one has said that now they 
 cut up bodies there to learn to cure diseases, and not 
 to kill heresies, as they used to do. The spirit of the 
 Inquisition still lives" ( The Christian}. 
 
 INDULGENCES. 
 
 The Council of Trent passed the following decree 
 in respect to Indulgences, 
 
 The holy synod teaches and enjoins that the use of Indulgences, 
 especially salutary to Christian people, and approved by the authority 
 of holy councils, is to be retained in the church; and it anathematizes 
 those who either assert that they are useless, or deny that the ]> >-A\ i 
 of granting them is in the Church. ( Kxtract from Decrees ot < 'oundl 
 of Trent.) 
 
 The Catholic Standard, speaking of the Pope's 
 Encyclical of Indulgence, says, 
 
 His paternal heart overflows with gratitude and charity, and in the 
 
 exert :!-<- </! hi.s power as Sovereign Pontiff of the Church, he has 
 recourse to "the infinite fulness of spiritual treasures" which it is for
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 461 
 
 him to dispense, and has granted to the faithful who approach the 
 Sacraments on next Sunday, September 30, and pray for the souls in 
 purgatory, a Plenary Indulgence* to be applied to these souls. This is 
 an inestimable favor which the faithful members of the Church can- 
 not appreciate too highly, and which they should all most gladly and 
 devoutly avail themselves of. "It is a holy and wholesome thought 
 to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins" ( 2 Mac. 
 12 : 46). Many, too, of the faithful have dearly beloved relatives and 
 friends whom they may thus benefit by availing themselves of the 
 great privilege granted them by our Holy Father, the Sovereign 
 Pontiff of the Church. 
 
 Rev. James M. King, D. D., of New York, says, 
 " The peril arising from this hostile attitude of the 
 Roman Church toward the public schools, reveals it- 
 self in the inferior character of the instruction given 
 by the Roman Catholic church schools, producing 
 illiterates, paupers and criminals. A table made from 
 the census of 1870 showed that there were furnished 
 to every ten thousand inhabitants, 
 
 Illiterates, Paupers. Criminals- 
 
 " Roman Catholic schools, 1400 410 160 
 
 " Public schools of 21 states, 350 170 75 
 
 " Public schools of Massachusetts, 71 69 11 
 
 " It was also shown that in the State of New York 
 the Roman Catholic parochial school system turned 
 out three and a half times as many paupers as the 
 public school system. Dr. Orestes A. Brovvnson said 
 oi the Roman Catholic schools ( Brownson's Review), 
 They practically fail to recognize human progress. 
 
 * Plenary Indulgence - that which remits all the temporal punishment due for 
 ill. Count' ' .1 (.'met hifiii.
 
 462 MADOXXA 11 ALL. 
 
 . . . They do not educate their pupils to be at home 
 and at their ease in their own age and country, or 
 train them to be living, thinking, energetic men . . . 
 They who are educated in our schools seem misplaced 
 and mistimed in the world, as if born and educated 
 for a world that had ceased to exist. . . . The cause 
 of the failure of what we call Catholic education is, in 
 our judgment, in the fact that we educate, not for the 
 present or the future, but for the past. . . . An order 
 of things which the world has left behind, for it could 
 be reproduced, if at all, only by a second child- 
 hood.'" 
 
 IN PERIL FROM ROMANISM. 
 The following extracts are from Our Country, 
 " Let us compare some of the fundamental 
 principles of our Government with those of the 
 Catholic Church. The Constitution of the United 
 States guarantees liberty of conscience. Nothing 
 is dearer or more fundamental. Pope Pius IX., 
 in his Encyclical Letter of Aug. I5th, 1854, said, 
 . The absurd and erroneous doctrines or ravings in 
 defense of liberty of conscience are a most pestilential 
 error, a pest of all others most to be dreaded in a 
 state.' The same Pope, in his Encyclical Letter of 
 Dec. 8th, 1864, anathematized 'those who assert the 
 liberty of conscience and of religious worship,' also 
 ' all such as maintain that the Church may not em- 
 ploy force.' 
 
 '* The pacific tone of Rome in the United States does
 
 APPE\DIX. ^ , 
 
 not imply a change of heart. She is tolerant where 
 she is helpless. Says Bishop O'Conner, ' Religious 
 liberty is merely endured until the opposite can be 
 carried into effect without peril to the Catholic 
 world.' The Archbishop of St. Louis once said, 
 ' Heresy and unbelief are crimes ; and in Christian 
 countries, as in Italy or Spain, for instance, where all 
 the people are Catholics, and where the Catholic 
 religion is an essential part of the law of the land, 
 they are punished as other crimes.' In the same 
 strain The Boston Pilot, ' No good Government can- 
 exist without religion, and there can be no religion 
 without an Inquisition, which is wisely designed for 
 the promotion and protection of the true faith.' The 
 following is from The Rambler, a Catholic paper of 
 London, ' Religious liberty, in the sense of a liberty 
 possessed by every man to choose his religion, is one 
 of the most wicked delusions ever foisted upon this 
 age by the father of all deceit. No man has a right 
 to choose his religion.' 
 
 " Another foundation stone of our free institutions 
 is free speech and a free press. But in his Encyclical 
 Letter of Dec. 8th, 1864, Pius IX. anathematized 
 'all who maintain the liberty of the press,' and 'all 
 advocates of the liberty of speech.' He calls it the 
 ' liberty of perdition.' 
 
 " A---ain, free schools are one of the corner-stones of 
 
 O 
 
 our Government. Catholic opposition to our public- 
 school system is general and well known. Says a
 
 464 .IfADOWA HALL. 
 
 Papal Encyclical, ' XLV. The Romish church has 
 a right to interfere in the discipline of the public 
 schools, and in the arrangement of the studies of the 
 public schools, and in the choice of the teachers for 
 these schools. XLVII. Public schools open to all 
 children for the education of the young should be 
 under the control of the Romish Church, and should 
 not be subject to the civil power, nor made to con- 
 form to the opinions of the age.' 
 
 " Rome has never favored the education of the 
 masses. In her relations to them she has adhered to 
 her own proverb, ' Ignorance is the mother of devo- 
 tion.' In Protestant countries, like Germany and the 
 United States, where there is a strong sentiment in 
 favor of popular education, she has been compelled in 
 self-defense to open schools of her own. But her 
 real attitude toward the education of the masses 
 should be inferred from her course in those countries 
 where she has, or has had, undisputed sway ; and 
 there she has kept the people in besotted ignorance. 
 Instance her own Italy, where seventy-three per cent, 
 of the population are illiterate, or Spain, where we 
 find eighty per cent., or Mexico, where ninty-three per 
 cent, belong to this class. 
 
 "Again, our Constitution requires obedience to the 
 laws of the United States and loyality to the Govern- 
 ment. The Pope also demands of every subject 
 obedience and loyalty to himself. In an Encyclical 
 he says, ' XIX. The Romish Church has a right to
 
 APPENDIX. 465 
 
 exercise its authority without any limits set to it by 
 the civil power. XXVII. The Pope and the priests 
 ought to have dominion over the temporal affairs. 
 XXX. The Romish Church and her ecclesiastics 
 have a right to immunity from civil law. XLII. : 
 In case of conflict between the ecclesiastical and 
 civil powers, the ecclesiastical powers ought to pre- 
 vail.' 
 
 " Of the utter degradation of reason, and the stifling 
 of conscience, the teaching of Cardinal Bellarmine 
 affords a good example : If the Pope should err by en- 
 joining vices or forbidding virtues, the Church would 
 be obliged to believe vices to be good and virtues bad, 
 unless it would sin against conscience.' 
 
 " Our brief examination of the underlying principles 
 of Romanism almost renders superfluous any consid- 
 eration of its attitude toward our free institutions. If 
 alive, it must necessarily be aggressive ; and it is 
 alive. Cardinal Manning advises Romanists through- 
 out the world to enter politics as Romanists, and to 
 do this especially in England and the United 
 States. 
 
 " Here are some predictions : ' The man is living 
 to-day who will see a majority of the people of the 
 American continent Roman Catholics' (Boston 
 Pilot}. ' Effectual plans are in operation to give us 
 the complete vcitory over Protestantism' (A forme r 
 bishop of Cincinnati ). ' Within thirty years the Pro- 
 testant heresy will come to an end ' ( Bishop of
 
 466 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 Charleston). These utterances are quite worthless 
 as prophecies, but are valuable as confessions. 
 
 "But notwithstanding the great losses thus sustained 
 by Romanism in the United States, it is growing 
 with great rapidity. In 1800 the Catholic population 
 was 100,000. In 1884, according to official statistics 
 it was 6,628,176. At the beginning of the century 
 there was one Catholic to every 53 of the whole pop- 
 ulation ; in 1850, one to 14.3 ; in 1870, one to 8.3 ; in 
 1880, one to 7/7. Thus it appears that, wonderful as 
 the growth of our population has been since 1880, the 
 growth of the Catholic Church has been much more 
 rapid. 
 
 " Examination shows that the growth of the Catholic 
 Church corresponds closely with that of the foreign 
 population, but is somewhat more rapid. Since 1880 
 there has been a marked increase in the Catholic 
 population. The average annual growth of the latter 
 from 1870 to 1880 was 176,733, white from 1883 to 
 1884, it was 231,322. 
 
 " Lafayette, himself a Romanist, was not wholly blind 
 when he said, 'If the liberties of the American 
 people are ever destroyed, they will fall by the hands 
 of the Romish clergy.' " 
 
 JESUITS IN AMERICA. 
 
 It is no unusual thing to see after the name of a 
 Roman Catholic ecclesiastic the letters " S. J.," 
 which signify that he is a Jesuit, or member of the 
 so-called "Society of Jesus."
 
 APPENDIX. 467 
 
 This society, founded by Ignatius Loyola, August 
 ! 5 tn > J 5345 conditionally sanctioned by the bull of 
 Pope Paul III. September 25th, 1540; uncondition- 
 ally approved by him in 1543 ; and sending out 
 missionaries and establishing its agencies and college 
 in Spain in 1546, Japan in 1549, Abyssinia in 1557, 
 England in 1580, China in 1584, and in America and 
 Asia before \ 556 ; has had a most troubled existence, 
 and has in some way succeeded in winning a vast 
 amount of ill-will of both rulers and people. 
 
 For their crimes, intrigues, and conspiracies, the 
 Jesuits have been banished from various countries 
 again and again, as will be seen by the following 
 table, complied from ' A Short Sketch of the Jesuits," 
 also from the " Encyclopaedia of Chronology," by B. B. 
 Woodward and Wm. L. R. Gates, and from other 
 trustworthy authorities. The Jesuits were expelled 
 from Sargossa in 1555, Vienna in 1566, Antwerp 
 and Portugal, in' 1578, England in 1579, 1581, 1584, 
 1586, Japan in 1587, Hungary and Transylvania in 
 1588, France in 1594, Holland in 1596, Touron and 
 Berne in 1597, England again in 1602, 1604, Denmark 
 in 1606, Venice in 1612, Amura, Japan, in 1613, 
 Bohemia in 1618, Moravia in 1619, Naples and 
 Netherlands in 1622, China and India in 1623, Turkey 
 in 1628, Abyssinia in 1632, Russia in 1723, Savoy in 
 1724, Paraguay in 1733, Portugal in 1759, France in 
 1 764, Spain in 1 767, Russia in 1 776, France again in 
 j8o4, Belgium in 1818, Brest (by the people) in
 
 468 MADONNA II ALL. 
 
 1819, Russia again in 1820, Spain again in 1820, 
 Rouen Cathedral, by people, in 1825, Belgium schools 
 in 1826, Great Britain and Ireland in 1829, France 
 again in 1831, Portugal in 1834, Spain again in 1835, 
 Rheims (by the people) in 1838, Lucerne again in 
 1845, France again in 1845, Switzerland in 1847, 
 Bavaria and Genoa in 1848, Sicily again in 1860, Spain 
 again in 1868, Guatemala in 1871, Switzerland in 1871, 
 German Empire in 1872, France again in 1880. 
 
 These are the gentlemen, polite, polished, and 
 trained, the spies, the vassals, the sworn minions of a 
 foreign despot, who, having been driven out of all 
 Catholic countries again and again by popes, princes 
 and kings, both Catholic and Protestant, now swarm 
 into England and America, and under the protection 
 which the influence of an open Bible gives to honest 
 men, are proceeding to destroy the public schools, 
 debauch the Government, and work the mischief 
 which has ever been their legitimate business. 
 
 EXTRACT FROM OPEN LETTER of COMMITTEE OF ONE 
 HUNDRED. 
 
 The Boston Committee of One Hundred have 
 addressed an open letter to the friends of free schools 
 and American liberties, in which they have set forth 
 the true attitude of Rome on these subjects. We 
 make the following quotations, 
 
 We charge the Papal hierarchy with hostility to our American 
 liberties, and with seeking to supplant these with the spirit of servile 
 obedience to the Pope of Rome. Pope Pius IX., in his address on the
 
 APPEXDfX. 
 
 469 
 
 affairs of the Republic of New Granada, says there should be "no 
 free education, no freedom of worship, no freedom of the press. 
 These, and kindred liberties, in his Encyclical and Syllabus of 1864, 
 he stigmatizes as "the liberty of perdition," as "impious, absurd and 
 erroneous doctrines," as "detestable sentiments, pregnant with the 
 most deplorable evils, and pests of all others most to be dreaded in a 
 state," and with Gregory XVI. calls upon "God to arise and repress, 
 confound, and annihilate this unbridled license." With such hostility 
 to our liberties proclaimed by the head of the Papal hierarchy, is it to 
 be wondered that American organs of Rome should exclaim in terms 
 similar to that used by the S!u-f>!i erd of the I'alUy, the official Jour- 
 nal of the Bishop of St. Louis, in its issue of Nov. 23, 1851, "If 
 Catholics ever gain a sufficient numerical majority in this country, 
 religious freedom is at an end, so our enemies say, so we believe," or 
 that the Freeman's Journal, the organ of Archbishop Hughes, should 
 say in its issue of January 26, 1852, " No man has a right to choose 
 his religion." The right to do so, Pope Pius IX. declares to be a 
 false and monstrous error, and Pope Leo XIII. in his Encyclical of 
 June, 1888, most emphatically condemns it, and calls it *' a degradation 
 of liberty." 
 
 Dr. McGlynn said, in a recent address, 
 
 If I could reach the mind and the heart of the whole of the Ameri- 
 can people if I could reach them as a political and social commu- 
 nity I would say, Cherish your public schools ; listen not to their 
 enemies, no matter whence they come. Make them as complete and 
 perfect as you can. Show no favor to any rival system. If you will 
 not exercise the right, if you will not assume the right to forbid rival 
 systems altogether, at least do not be guilty of the incredible folly of 
 nursing and fostering and actually, by appropriations and tax 
 exemptions, encouraging rival systems. The rival systems, as a rule, 
 are promoted by those who are not friendly to your institutions, by 
 those who, educated in foreign lands, or educated here in the spirit 
 of foreign lands, are but half Republican or but half Democratic. 
 Never be guilty of the folly of dividing your school fund among the 
 various churches and sects. You, in such a case, would lie guilty of
 
 47O MA DO A' A' A MALL. 
 
 destroying one of the greatest and most potent instruments for build- 
 ing up and maintaining one great, free, common nationality. And 1 
 \\ill go further and say that, so far from favoring these institutions 
 you should rather discredit them as rivals to your magnificent public 
 school system. Insist that they shall come up to a certain standard 
 of education, which you have the right to expect, or that they shall 
 not exist at all. 
 
 Oh, American people, protect the poorest, the weakest of the 
 children of the nation the children of the poor, the children of the 
 emigrant from the cruel injustice that is being done to them by 
 their parents under the coercion of the Church. What is this 
 injustice? They are being deprived of the magnificent advantages of 
 a common school education. They are compelled to do with the 
 utterly inferior so-called education that is given in these sham 
 parochial schools. A large part of the zeal for maintaining these 
 sejjarate church schools comes not merely from the narrowness, the 
 bigotry of sectionalism, but it comes also from the clannishness of 
 foreign nationalities Mi at wish to perpetuate themselves here as if in 
 hostility to our American nationality. 
 
 Don't be so foolish, oh, American people, as to tolerate such an 
 attempt against the unity of our nation. You have the right I say 
 you have the duty to insist that the people of this country, the 
 children born in this country, and those who would exercise the 
 right of suffrage in this country, shall speak the language of the 
 country. 
 
 But this is enough to show the spirit of Rome. To 
 be forewarned is to be forearmed. 
 
 The nun of Kenmare exclaimed, as if she would 
 sound a clarion note of warning, " It is time for the 
 Roman Catholic Church to awake from their slumbers, 
 and see themselves as God sees them. It is time 
 that they take the bandage from their eyes, and the 
 deafness from their ears." 
 
 Again, "Those who are determined to sin, will find
 
 APPEXDIX. 
 
 4/1 
 
 excuse for sinning. Men who are determined to up- 
 hold and support evil, must have some excuse to do 
 so." This in connection with the fact that this church 
 always persecutes its most self-denying, godly mem- 
 bers. She says, I know how difficult it will be for 
 Roman Catholics to realize the fact, but it is a fact all 
 the same. Just as difficult as it is for them to believe 
 that there have been wicked popes, yes, and popes 
 whose lives were so awful, so vile, that even the worst 
 which Catholic historians can say of Henry VIII. is 
 as purity itself, compared with their record. The dis- 
 grace of certain members of the Roman Catholic 
 Church is this, that all this evil is condoned, glossed 
 over and justified. It is a poor religion indeed, that 
 which is afraid that its followers should know its his- 
 tory. It is a poor religion indeed, that which fears 
 that men should seek to know and reason for them- 
 selves." 
 
 Again she says, "There is a Latin proverb which 
 means that whom the gods wish to destroy they first 
 make demented. In other words, if people do not 
 wish to do right, God allows them to be blinded so that 
 they may think they are serving God, when they arc 
 really helping the devil." 
 
 Again, "What a revelation there will be at the 
 last great day, when all hidden things are known." 
 
 There are in the United States more than 8,000 
 priests, and one-fourth of them are members of orders 
 anti-American-Jesuits, Dominicans and Franciscans.
 
 472 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 These orders, through all their history, have been 
 subject to the Pope of Rome more than to the Gov 
 ernment of the countries that have sheltered them, or 
 even to the God of Heaven. The first of these orders 
 is simply a political lobying machine run in the interest 
 of the man in the Vatican. 
 
 The gravest charge against the priesthood is that 
 of unfaithfulness to their vows of chastity. As con- 
 fessor, the priest possesses the secret of a woman's 
 soul ; he knows every half-formed hope, every dim 
 desire, every thwarted feeling. The priest animates 
 that woman with his own ideas, moves her with his 
 own will, fashions her according to his own fancy. 
 And this priest is doomed to celibacy. He is a man. 
 If he is without fault, he makes desperate use of his 
 power. He has to struggle with his passions, and 
 there is a perilous chance of his being defeated in that 
 struggle. The woman is wax in his hands ; she has 
 ceased to be a person and is become a thing. The 
 priest is the cause of all this, and is a plague. 
 
 OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
 
 In his sermon on Fast Day Dr. Phillips Brooks 
 said, " Build upon the necessity of the education of 
 those who are to be our citizens, members of the 
 State, we must insist always upon freedom, upon 
 releasing from every outside control, upon the most 
 abundant intelligence, upon responsibility to that 
 which is their legitimate master, the State in which
 
 APPEXDIX. 
 
 
 they stand. These are our duties, as concerns them 
 in every attack that may be made upon them, in every 
 effort that may be made to draw away the children 
 under their charge. Let us remember that in them 
 our State has incorporated her best and constant idea 
 of what education of the citizen ought to be, and 
 while we have no right to say that in them, and in 
 them .alone, shall the training of our children take 
 place, we surely have a right and it is a right to be 
 insisted upon that for them alone shall the State be 
 responsible in any maintenance of their system, in 
 any sustaining of their life ; and that in ever)- sustain- 
 ing of their life, in every education that goes on out- 
 side them, there shall be furnished to those who are 
 to be citizens of the State that training in freedom, 
 intelligence and responsibility which the State re- 
 quires as its life. 
 
 CONCERNING THE POWER OF THE BISHOPS. 
 
 Rev. Charles Chiniquy of St. Anne, Kankakee Co., 
 111., who, with many French Canadians of his former 
 flock, had left the Roman church, said, in 1859, 
 
 " We began our struggles with the Church of Rome 
 by resisting the abominable abuses of her bishops. A 
 church built by the French Canadians for their own 
 use, and a parsonage erected by them for their priest, 
 had been transferred from their hands to another con- 
 gregation without their permission, and sold, and the 
 money pocketed by the holy ambassadors of Rome.
 
 474 MADONNA HAL/.. 
 
 And when we went to ask the bishop in a respectful 
 way by what authority he had done all these things, 
 he dismissed my countrymen with these words, 
 ' French Canadians, you do not know your religion. 
 If you knew it, you would acknowledge that I have 
 the right to sell your churches and church property, 
 and pocket 'the money, and go and eat and drink it 
 where I like ! ' " (Fifty Years in Rome). 
 
 Invested with mitre, crosier and staff of office, a 
 "consecrated" bishop has great authority. He has 
 the management of all the church property in his 
 diocese, and the oversight of all ecclesiastical institu- 
 tions. A bishop cannot be consecrated more than 
 once, and cannot be deposed, as it is supposed that 
 the order cannot be taken from him. He may, how- 
 ever, be deprived. He may also resign his See, or 
 maybe translated from one See to another (Barnum's 
 " Romanism As It Is " ). 
 
 PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS. 
 
 Parochial schools have been abolished by Catholics 
 in Mexico, Chili and the Argentine Republic. This 
 last is the United States of South America, and might 
 well bear this name. It is free from the Pope and 
 priests, and is the most progressive of South Ameri- 
 can countries. Says the noted Christian orator of 
 Boston, 
 
 " Let Quebec province cease to imitate Ecuador 
 and take lessons from Chili, Uruguay and the Argen-
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 475 
 
 tine Republic. Let Boston and New York, Baltimore 
 and Washington, study the example of Mexico, Mon- 
 tevideo and Buenos Ayres. In these strategic in- 
 stances of reform in Catholic countries, American 
 liberties have been asserted by Catholics themselves 
 against the power of the Pope. The extraordinary 
 success of this independent policy in South America 
 ought to make it a political fashion for the whole 
 Catholic world. Let Protestants of North America 
 study their duties in the light of the actions of Catho- 
 lics of South America, who have abolished Romish 
 parochial schools and expelled Jesuits from all places 
 of political and educational influence." 
 
 AN INSIDE VIEW THE PAPACY : A REVELATION 
 AND A PROPHECY. 
 
 The following extracts are from " The Papacy " in 
 The Contemporary Review for August, 1 889, 
 
 "'On the centenary of the fall of the Bastile,' 
 writes a Romish prelate, ' the Parisian mob required 
 the proprietor of the cafe Imolfi on the Rue Royal to 
 decorate his premises, a resort famous for its ices. Me 
 so far forgot himself as to hoist the Italian flag. In 
 a twinkling the cafe and its contents were flung into 
 the gutter, and the proprietor fled for his life to the 
 police.' This incident was noted largely throughout 
 ICurope, most of all in the Eternal City. The Quirinal 
 which flaunts the Italian flag before the gates of the 
 Vatican, represents the material force of a united
 
 4 ;6 MADONNA HALL. 
 
 nation, while the Pope in his palace prison is as pow- 
 erless as was the cafe proprietor of the Rue Royal 
 when beset by the mob. Should a collision come, 
 his only thought must be of flight. If the Pope had 
 authority, he would have arrested or avenged the 
 ceremony in honor of Giordano Bruno six weeks 
 before. No incident of late years has so deeply 
 wounded the rulers of the church as the unveiling of 
 the Bruno monument on June 9. The Inquisition 
 burned Bruno in 1600 ; but instead of wisely ignoring 
 the late tribute to his memory, the Pentecostal festi- 
 val at the Vatican was clouded by a gloom that could 
 be felt ; the whole church must share in the indigna- 
 tion of the Pope, and understand that the iron had 
 entered his soul. 
 
 "The Roman Pontiff clings to Rome. If obliged to 
 leave, he hopes some day the sky will clear, and he 
 will reoccupy the See of St. Peter. 
 
 " The Pope plaintively told Cardinal McCabe, in 1882, 
 that ' the condition of Ireland gave him more anxiety 
 than comfort.' However infallible he may be in faith 
 and morals*, in dealing with the Irish question he is 
 like all the rest of us, as a child groping in the dark. 
 He can only act upon information received, and is 
 never infallibly informed. The revelation of which 
 the prelate speaks, is the great blunder the Pope 
 made in regard to the Persico mission to Ireland, in 
 issuing ' prematurely and against all rule of states- 
 manship, his famous Rescript before he had received
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 the report of his messenger, Monsignor Persico, and 
 thus fatally disgusting the Irish, who very naturally 
 blamed Persico instead of the Pope.' ' After the 
 Rescript,' says the prelate, ' the Pope hurried out of 
 the Irish bog by a conciliating message. The suc- 
 cessor of the fisherman will have learnt an invaluable 
 lesson, if in future he refuses, being in Italy, to inter- 
 fere with the man at the helm in Ireland. It is not 
 enough to have your head in the clouds, you must 
 have your feet planted on solid facts. 
 
 " ' The Pope's ideal, that of guiding the conscience 
 of all people, is admirable, but it requires omniscience 
 for its realization. He will have to shake himself free 
 from the influences of the Vatican. The allowance 
 of a larger liberty to the local churches in all matters, 
 social and political, is indispensable to the require- 
 ments of the human race. We stand at the dawn of 
 a new epoch, as momentous as when the Northern 
 tribes fell upon and destroyed the old empire of 
 Rome. The world is passing into the hands of the 
 English-speaking races. English ideas, English laws, 
 English civilization are becoming as universal as the 
 English speech. Alone among the nations, the Eng- 
 lish have escaped the curse of universal milita; \ ser- 
 vice. Alone among the nations they have learned to 
 combine liberty and law, and to preserve an empire 
 by timely concession of self-government. The future 
 of the world is English. 
 
 " ' Liberty and local self government will never get a
 
 478 
 
 j/.//mr.v./ HALL. 
 
 chance to be worked into the bones and marrow of 
 the Catholic Church, until we have a Pope who thinks 
 English.' 
 
 " In conclusion, the prelate says, ' It may be that the 
 church of Rome has played her part in the affairs of 
 men, and that in the new English-speaking era, on the 
 threshold of which mankind is standing, there may be 
 no more than a niche in the Roman museum for the 
 successor of Hildebrand. But if the Pope has any 
 substance of truth, then, as certainly as it was neces- 
 sary for persecution to arise to scatter the first 
 Christians from Jerusalem, not less certainly shall we 
 see, in a few years, or even it may be in a few months, 
 the breaking of a storm which will compel the Pope 
 to fly from the Eternal City never to return.' "

 
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