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remain single always on this account; so
to try and make all parties happy, I
made this voluntary promise to Luc. It
I should ever think favorably o! one of
my suitors, I am to let Luc decide, as to
whether he may he one who might object
to the continuation of our friendship.
And I have promised him that I will
never accept ot any one, until he would
feel sure that this might not be the case.”
“ Voila tout! grand per e, voila tout!"
“Have you often called upon him to
decide ?” asked Xavier, quickly.
“Never! grand-papa. I solemnly as
sure you,” replied Margaret cheerfully' - ,
‘‘because I have never yet felt inclined to
say' yes to any one.” Then in a much
more timid and hesitating' manner she
continued ; “but you stopped me just as I
was about making him judge for the first
time.”
“How?” said Xavier, with a peculiar
expression, and an uneasy glance at
Jean Mane—you have then chosen?”
‘‘You must believe me now, Grand-pa
pa.”
/Yes, very well, go on - ”
Margaret paused for a moment, and
Jean Marie availed himself of the favor
able chance to make his exit with as lit
tle noise as jiossible. He was just closing
the door as Margaret spoke, but quickly
returned, and from the corner where lie
stood looked searchingly upon the young
girl, apparently thinking there might be
a possibility of his being recalled, and
that he might at the last moment retrace
his steps in triumph. Every one now
looked at Margaret, who by a glance
seemed to guide Luc to the side of the
young Mill-boy, who stood near Xavier
Then, in a trembling voice she asked:
“With him, Luc, would you be afraid ?”
‘‘No! cried Luc, who made two or
three steps nearer, that he might take
Etienne’s hand in his, and press it again
and again.
“Etienne looked like one suddenly
overpowered by some deep emotion.
“You say No!” said Margaret, “then
I suppose you fully" consent to my saying
yes.
“What! Etienne ?” exclaimed Xavier,
who could not conceal his amazement,
“What do you mean, Grand-papa?
what do you want to say V Is it that he
lias not yet asked for mo ? But that is
just as it should be. If be has not spoken
yet, it is only because there are some
I‘olks here, whose presence has kept him
sdent.” And here involuntarily the young
girl glanced haughtily toward the dark
corner where Jean Marie stood watching
her.
The sudden slamming of a door made
Luc and Xavier start.
Then, this incubus removed, Margaret
flung her arms round her Grand-father’s
neck, laying her head caressingly on his
shoulder, pressing her cheek to his.
“Bo quiet,” she said in a pleading
voice, “now he will speak Grand-papa,
because we are alone. He knows very
well that if you say no, when I have said
yes, that I will never again say yes to any
one!”
# * * 5-C * #
All this happened eight years ago.
XIX.
TO-DAY.
Xavier, who bears his eighty-four years
bravely, has not the slightest intention of
going “to complete the ranks of the
Legion Coudret J
“Nothinghurries,” he says; “because,
no matter what expectations I may have
up there, che’z le boil Dieu, I cannot be
better off than lam here ! Once upon a
time, long ago, I thought I would be
quite willing to go, as soon as I should see
my little girl well married, and could feel
sure that the old Mill would not pass into
the hands of strangers. As to the old
name dying out, I provided against that,
too. Eh bien! I can say, to-day, not
only that my grand daughter is married
to the bravest and best lad in the whole
Canton—let me say here, enpassant, how
wrong it was, when I hesitated for a
moment to consent, because he was so
poor—not only am I certain that there is
no more risk of the old Mill going out of
the family, than there is of the family
going out of the Mill, but I have the
happiest certainty of our old name being
kept up. Before the marriage, when
Etienne worked for us, he was known as
Etienne cle chez Coudret; since the
marriage, he is called Etienne Coudret,
and he does not object. liis children
hear their father’s name on the public
registry, but everybody calls them ‘Le
petit Luc Coudret— le petit Xavier
Coudret! To be sure, I will go to my
rest quietly, now; but if I go to join my
old friends, up above, I must leave my
young people here below, and I am so
happy with them !”
“Bah! who knows ?” continued Xavier,
straightening himself up; “an old man,
who is as straight as the letter I, whose
eyes still flash with life, and whose smile
reveals two rows of fine polished teeth;
who knows, I say, perhaps I may see
those little ones married, too, before I
go?”
And if it be in Luc’s presence, he says
all this, lie is sure to add;
“Because, I hope Luc, you will never
try to teach them that marriage is worth
nothing. You will always have one wit
ness against you, if you still insist that
there are no happy homes.”
And Luc invariably replies :
“There is but one !”
Thus Luc’s opinions, as we see, are
somewhat modified —only to this extent,
however; he admits, but nothing more,
that this one happy marriage is the single
exception which is necessary to prove the
rule.
July sth, 1.868.
STAR-lfAfiNGi
In an article, a few days since, the
Times, wishing to explain a subject lucid
ly, asserted that “ when the sky is high
iu the heavens” and the sun somewhere
else, certain events occur. One of these
events, we take to be, that the editor has
gone away, and left the young contribu
tors to play—or else that his wits are gone
a-wool gathering. The same thing ap
pears to have happened with regard to the
Star.
In a recent article, written, indeed,
during the great heat, a suckling writer
benevolently cast his glance over Ireland.
The consequence was that he was horri
fied. By an extremely ingenious confu
sion of mind, he discovered that the Irish
man and Ration were devoted to the
support of the Tories. This, he exclaims,
in a saddened voice, might “almostmake
Englishmen despair of being able to do
anything for Irishmen” We tell him
that (only for the heat) his absurdity
might almost make Irishmen despair of
doing anything to enlighten Englishmen.
Our half-despairing friend should cheer
up. In the first place, let - him learn that
we want Englishmen to do nothing for
us —let them undo all they ever did for
us. We shall be the bettor pleased. Let
them take from us all they ever gave us.
We shall salute them as true friends.
Let them take away their Establishment
—let them take away their land-laws—
let them take away their system of mis*
government —let them undo that work of
their hands, the Union, and leave us, di
vested of all their Greek gifts, all their
bonds and trappings, in our lonesome In
dependence.
Should we deplore ? Would to Heaven
Englishmen would only" despair of “doing
for Ireland !” They have “done for”
her long enough. Let them “undo” her
now—and we shall be friends at once.
This load shall be off their minds, and a
great burthen shall be removed from their
consciences.
But may" not we almost despair of an
Englishman who confuses us thus with a
contemporary, and is so bewildered as to
imagine that we would counsel a reader
to stir hand or foot for their country’s
oppressors, save to chastise them !
But for us, a Tory would have been
elected to the Lord Mayoralty of Dublin,
and those who hanged the Three of Man
chester, those who hanged Michael Bar
rett, those who tell us, like Disraeli, that
the state of Ireland is “ consoling,” when
her prisons, her graves, have been filled
with political prisoners, when her people
are flying in multitudes, those would have
had a triumph. They already claimed
it! We dashed the cup from lips that
never opened save to condemn our
country.
We advise the people not to put faith
in an English Parliament. We advise
them, strenuously and sincerely, not to
risk the ruin of their homestead to putin
any member.
But numbers will vote, as we are all
aware. To them we have but one coun
sel to give : “ Vote so as to chastise
them who showed no mercy to your
country or your countrymen.”
There is some talk about Independent
Members. And who and what are they ?
Are they men who vote for the Govern
ment, until the very eve of an election
compels them to “ hedge ?” Are they
men who virtuously refuse favors for their
constituents, but accept them for them
selves? Such was not the old definition,
an Independent Member was wont to be
defined as the man who would “vote to
turn out any Government which would
not do justice to Ireland.”
When the Whigs are a danger we shall
denounce them—the question now for
Irishmen who will vote is to “ chastise
the men who spared not the lives ol their
countrymen, and have treated Ireland as
a slave to be scourged with scorpions.’’
[Dublin Irishman, August 1.
On returning home, after fighting a
duel, a gentleman paid the driver a large
price, at which the latter seemed much
surprised, “I only took you a mile.” he
said. “I am not paying you for taking
me out, but for bringing me back,” was
the reply.
[From the Dublin Irishman.]
PARLIAMENTARY SUMMARY.
IRISH BILLS.
In the House of Lords, on Friday
night, the Electric Telegraph Bill and
the Registration (Ireland) Bill were read
a second time, in a very “thin” house.
NOT RESPECTABLE ENOUGH.
In the House of Commons, on Friday
night, that aristocratic exquisite, Sir
Charles Russel, asked the Home Secre
tary a number of questions relative to
Mr. Finlan, who lately headed a deputa
tion of working men to Mr. Gladstone on
the subject of the Irish Church, and who
spoke at the Hy r de Park against that
“monster iniquity” on Sunday. “Hang
ing” Hardy politely declined to reply" to
these questions, as he did not think it
was his duty to take cognizances of such
plebian fellows as James Finlan. Mr.
Gladstone denied that he had any knowl
edge of Mr. Finlan’s antecedents, and
said that the reports which appeared in
the papers of what took place when the
deputation waited on him were not cor
rect. “Sir Chawles” said he had no de
sire to fix upon Mr. Gladstone the stigma
of having connection with Finlan, and so
the matter dropped. Ilow pure our leg
lators must bo, when association with
a working man is so solemnly repudiat
ed by them.
CORRUPT PRACTICE AT ELECTIONS.
On the motion for the third Reading of
the Election Petition and Corrupt Prac
tices at Elections Bill, which is to be ex
tended to Ireland, Mr Fawcett moved
that the bill be recommitted with the
view of restoring the 53rd clause, which
throws the expenses of the hustings,
polling places, Ac., on the local rates, and
Mr. Dixon seconded the motion, which
was opposed by Mr, Disraeli, and lost on
a division, by a majority of 102 to 91.
A ROW.
At the evening sitting, Mr. Jacob
Bright moved that the House, at its rising
adjourn until Monday, contending that
after the heavy sittings of the week, it
would be too bad to take up important
business on Saturday. Mr. Milner Gib
son seconded the motion. Mr. Disraeli
warmly opposed it, and soid that from
the high character borne by Mr. Bright,
he was sure he would withdraw his mo
tion. lie was astonished that a man
like Mr. Gibson, who had been Minister,
should have seconded a motion calculated
to interrupt the business of the session at
such a time. Mr. Gibson retorted that
it was monstrous to take up such a mea
sure as the Foreign Cattle Bill on a Sat
urday, and taunted the country members
with being absent on Thursday, in order
to “keep a house” for Saturday. This
riled “Hanging” Hardy, who jumped
from his seat and, in the most violent and
abusive language, characterised the whole
proceeding as unprincipled and factious op
position to the Foreign Cattle Market Bill.
A scene that baftiles description ensued.
A dozen members sprang to their feet, all
speaking together, as Hardy continued to
denounce them. When silence was par
tially restored, Milner Gibson moved to
have Hardy’s words taken down. The
Speaker gave it against Hardy, which so
took down that worthy that lie made au
ungracious apology. The apology was
accepted, but no apology was asked from
Major Parker, who subsequently char
acterized the motion as “unjuntiliable and
very dubious, if not consemptible,” for
there arc some wire-drawn distinctions in
the matter of Parliamentary Billingsgate.
On a divioion the motion was lost by a
majority of 105 to 38, and the House
went into Committee on the Metropoli
tan Foreign Cattle Bill. Scarcely any
progress was made, although a sharp de
bate was kept up until near four o’clock
on Saturday Morning, when the Chan
cellor of the Exchequer announced to the
amazed and sleepy members that the
Government intended to withdraw the
bill, about which they had made so much
fuss, and the House adjourned in most
glorious disorder.
ANOTHER ROW.
On Saturday afternoon, Lord Robert
Montague moved the withdrawal of the
order of \he day for the Committee on
the Metropolitan Foreign Cattle Bill.
General Dunne protested in the name of
Ireland, every representative of which
was in favor of this bill, and had voted
for it, against the withdrawal of a mea
sure which was regarded with great in
terest in that portion of the United
Kingdom. What had passed at an early
hour of the morning justified the suspi
cion that there was never any sincere in
tention to go oil with the bill. The vast
majority of the representatives of the
three kingdoms were in favor ol stamp
ing out the cattle plague, which had al
ready cost England and Scotland a sum
of not less than £12,000,000 sterling. It
was monstrous that a minority ot only
thirty, whose solitary argument against
the bill related to its financial clauses,
should have been allowed to coerce the
majority. To show the manner in which
the opposition had been conducted, he
stated that the member for the Tower
Hamlets, Mr. Ayrton, in order to gain
time, had made the same speech eleven
times over; and his whole reference to
the measure showed that he was quite
indifferent as to whether the cattle plague
should disappear or not. Mr. Ayrton
denied that he had auy fancy for the cat
tle plague; and received another “rat
tling” from General Dunne, who assert
ed that the bill had been rejected, not on
its merits, but on account of the inca
pacity of those who had drawn it. Mr.
Blake also attacked the Government for
withdrawing the bill He supported the
bill mainly because he thought it would
prove a useful measure for Ireland.
Irish cattle that came to London were
placed iu the same position as foreign
cattle coming from diseased districts, and
had to be slaughtered in London, often
at a great loss to the owners, who, at
times, could sell them at greater profit in
some ot the markets around London.
Several other members spoke to the same
effect, but Government w r ere inflexible,
and the bill was withdrawn.
RAILWAY TRAVELING IN ENGLAND.
On the order of the day for the con
sideration of the Bailway Bill as amend
ed, Sir Coluian O’Loghlen said he had
placed a clause on the paper making it
compulsory on railway companies in ire
to run one passenger train each way on
Sundays, and having read and moved his
clause, lie showed that great inconveni
ence was caused by the Limerick and
Waterford Railway Company having shut
the whole of their line on Sundays. Cap
tain Stackpo'de, the member for Ennis,
seconded the motion, which was opposed
by Mr. Blake, the member for Water
lord, on the ground that no such law ex
isted in England. Sir Colman, who is
famous for the many motions and bills
which he introduces and withdraws, did
not press his clause, and the Committee
proceeded to the other details of the
measure, which passed this stage.
RELATIVE VALUE OF HUMAN BEINGS.
On the report of the Regulation of
Railways Bill, «a Mr. Lecnuin, who is
decidedly aristocratic in his notion of
the value of human lives, moved a clause
which limited the compensation in cases
of death and injury for first-class passen
gers to £4OO, second class £oUO, and
third-class £2OO, in addition to any claim
under insurance, which was provided for
in subsequent clauses; but as it was not
supported, he withdrew it.
GOOD FOR SMOKERS.
Mr. 11. B. Sheridan moved a clause
requiring a smoking compartment for
each class, to be added to passenger trains
of more than one carriage of each class.
This clause lie succeeded in having in
serted, notwithstanding considerable op
position, after which the report was
agreed to, and the bill read a third time
and passed.
THE LORDS
were occupied on Monday night with the
Elections, Petitions, and Corrupt Practi
ces at Elections Bill; which was read a
second time, the Election Telegraphs
Bill, the report on which was agreed to,
and the Registration (Ireland) Bill, which
passed through Committee.
THE COMMONS,
on the same evening, were occupied with
a discussion on the Indian Budget, a pro
posal to erect a monument to Lord Broug
ham, and some other matters of no inter
est to Ireland.”
“ DETERINED TO MAINTAIN THE LAW AT ANY
COST.”
In the House of Lords, on Monday
night, after the Registration (Ireland)
Bill, the Drainage and Improvement of
Land (Ireland) Supplemental No. 4 Bill,
and some other bills, had been read a
third time, and passed, their Lordships
went into Committee on the Election Pe
titions and Corrupt Practices at Elections
Bill. The various clauses of which were
agreed to without amendment.
Lord Strathnairn called attention to the
difficulties which arose in Ireland at a
general election, owing to the distance at
which polling places were fixed from each
other. Seeiug that at the coming elec
tions party feeling in Ireland was likely
to run very high, lie asked if it was not
possible to devise some means for modify
ing and for getting rid of the necessity of
employing troops ? Possibly the question
was dictated by a fear that the “ loyalty”
of the Irish soldiers cannot be calculated
on to assist the landlords in driving their
serfs to the hustings, or that the lessons
acquired by the English troops in India,
under his Lordship, would bear fruit in a
repetition of the Dungarvan massacre.
Lord Malmesbury regretted it was now
too late to increase the number of polling
places, but said the fault did not rest
with the Government, but with those who
had designedly and wickedly thrown out
a provision for that object lately" sub
mitted to the House of Commons by the
Government. The Government were pre
pared to preserve peace and maintain ‘the
law at any" cost ; and the command of
the troops could not lie in better lmn<l s
than those of Lord Strathnairn—a polite
complaint to the hero who “ stamped oat - ’
disaffection in India by blowing scores
of the unfortunate Hindoos from the
mouths of his cannons, and who was sent
here to “ stamp out” Irish disaffection in
a similar style.
MR. G. F. TRAIN —REFUSING INQUIRY.
In the House of Commons on Tuesday
night, Mr. Rearden moved for a Select
Committee to inquire and report to the
House with regard to Mr. George Fran,
cis Train, an American citizen, now a
prisoner in the Four Courts Marshalsea
Dublin, under a Judge’s fiat for a debt!
and which debt, it was sworn by Mr!
Train, had been paid. Mr. Train was
sued by the plaintiffs as repi esenting the
Ebb Vale Company, but the Company,
it was alleged, at the time of issue of such
fiat, was in liquidation, and in course of
being wound up under the Winding-up
Act. He contended that the proceeding*
against Mr. Train had been actuated by
feelings of political hostility and personal
rancor, and was rnt only illegal, but
wholly unjustifiable. He was proceeding
at length to read his speech upon the
subject, when lie was called to order bv
Mr. Sergeant Gasaiee, and the Speaker
decided that it was against the rules of
the House to read a speech. Mr. Rear
den stated thatjie was not reading his
speech, but merely refreshing his memory
by reference to his notes, and that, in con
sequence of having had to remain in the
House until four o’clock that morning, he
had had no time to study his speech.
This very natural and reasonable expla
nation caused some laughter from the
buffoons who recently laughed at the tor
ture of a poor old man who would not ac
cept a religion at the bidding of his jailer;
and the Speaker ruled against Mr. Rear
den, who formally proposed his motion,
which was lost, as no member had the
manliness to second it; and thus all in
quiry as to Mr. Train’s case has been
stopped for the present.
BARREN.
Neither in the Lords or Commons was
there any business of the slightest interest
to Irish readers transacted on Wednesday
night.
—» ♦ t
Tiie Triduu.u.— ln the religious vocab
ulary of the Catholic Church, a “Tri
duum” is simply a continuous Congrega
tional service lasting three days. A
“Mission’ is also a continuous service ts
a like character, but seldom ends under
eight days, and is often continued fur
fourteen. The “Retreat,” which is often
confounded with the “Mission,” is pro
perly a retirement from all worldly occu
pation into solitude, where those engaged
in making it, spend their time in medita
tion, prayer and religious exercises. In
Catholic countries, and the custom is be
coming common in this country, pious
persons seldom let a year pass without
making a “Retreat.” It is usual among
such, sometimes singly, but more general-
ly, in companies comprised of from three
to a dozen individuals, to retire to a
monastery, such as that of the Trappists,
at Gethsemane, Ky., the Dominicans, at
St. Rose, near Springfield, Ky., or the
Jesuits, at Florissant, Missouri, and other
places, where every facility is afforded
them to attend the offices of the Church,
to receive the Sacraments, and to be in
structed in the matter of personal duty,
according to their state of life. Personal
isolation and absolute silence are held to
be pre-requisites to the proper performance
of the exercises of a “Retreat.” The
value which Catholic authorities place
upon this custom is very great. I hey
hold that, with the great majority of per
sons, the religious sense is blunted by
constant contact with the world and the
business affairs of life ; that prayer and
self-communing are necessary to all men,
in order that they should he able to ap
preciate properly the end for which they
were made, and the inadequacy of thqse
things that are most valued by the world
to serve them in securing that end.
The “Tridumm,” as well as the “Mis
sion,” is especially designed for those
whose occupations prevent them from
making a “Retreat” in the ordinary form.
—Louisville Courier.
“ Leyellixg-Up” in Prussia.— The
Protestant Grand Almoner of the
sian Army is also Superintendent, which
dignity is equivalent to the Papal episco
pacy. In order to maintain between the
two religions an equality as perfect as
possible, the Prussian Government ha i
desired that the new Catholic Chaplain*
M. Namzanowski, hitherto a simp V
Priest, should be raised to the rank > 1
Vicar Apostolical, and Bishop in
bus. The Roman Court has acceded t >
the request.