CHAPTER XVIII.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 184, 6 October 1876, Page 6

CHAPTER XVIII.

KEMI3S T ISCE>*CES. It was sung to a plaintive ar, and when she had finished she found the Doctor resting his head against the mantel aad looking forlornly into the fire. " Did Dora ever speak of me to you ?" he said, turning abruptly to Rosine as she caune and stood near him. She was confused for a moment by the suddenness of the query, but said with some hesitancy, " Yes, Ned, she has spoken of you today, and told me such a sweet, sad story about her dear lost brother ; it is his birth-day, and I found her weeping, and wept with her." " Well, you may weep with her, and with me too," he replied bitterly, " for ne tev a friend lost a dearer. Why, Rosa, upon my return to life after that terrible voyage, and when I knew that he was bleeping down among the coral reefs, I begged them day and night to cast me where lie vas ; he was dearer to me than all heaven and earth : and poor Dora weeps and prays, I'll be bound, for his precious boul !" he added with a half sneer. " Yes," said Hosine, timidly, " but is not that better than not to care for one's soul or the soul of one's friend?" " Did you mean that for me ?" he replied, looking up into her face. "If you did, you may ease your mind on that point ; I believe, but it is in a God of infinite love, yearning for our return, ready always to help us, not washing for our halting, as some good pious ones misrepresent Him. I do not believe in a G-od who could condemn such a soul as Earnest Greenwood to eternal damnation, simply because he was not baptised, or had not ' experienced religion,' as you good people tell of. He did nothing but experience rehgiou all his life, if love, joy, peace, long-snffering, gentleness, meekness, temperance, go for any thing, and they are called the graces of the Spirit. He had them all ; and he bid trials in his bitter iup which few men knew, and yet he never let go his trust — his trust m God or man, and you and Dora condemn this noble soul — ." " Never, Ned, never," she replied earnestly, " else why should Dora pray for him ? No ; the Catholic Church holds that one strong earnest desire for bapt sm where it cannot be had, one perfect act of contrition for sin, one jeifect act of love for God, saves the soul for whom Christ has died, in the hour of death — is, in fact, the gift of faith ; nnd we don't know how often this may come to poor souls in their dying hour ; at any rate, we do know and believe that God is infinite in His mercy, and will not cast out any who come to Him ; but we do feel that it is dangerous to defer our dutie s to that hour." " Ah, Rosine," he said, " there was a time when I nearly lost all confidence in every thing human or divine, but it is coming back to me," he added gently, " and you have helped me wonderfully." " O how I wish I could help you, comfort you," she added in a whisper. " Till me how." " Be always true, Rosita," he replied ; •' always transparent, free from cant and trickery, and nonsense, as you now are, and keep your faith bright, you can do wonders."