The Storyteller

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIX, Issue 40, 12 October 1922, Page 3

The Storyteller

(By Mrs. J. Sadlier.)

Alice Riordan ■

- CHAPTER IX. ’ | - •, All the next day the servants made merry over the occurrence of the preceding night, and many a hearty laugh was Alice compelled to hear at her own expense. Even; Bridget ridiculed the idea of her taking out her beads v and attempting to say her own prayers, and in the afternoon, when they were alone together, she began to represent to her the folly of such conduct, • 1 ;; “Folly!” said Alice; “do you call that folly? Well, the way I’ll do to-night, an’ every other night, I’ll not go in aj^-all—do you hear that, now, Bridget?” -f “I do; but I don’t b’lieve a word of it. I suppose you mean what you say, but you’ll not get leave to do it. If you want to live in the house you must do what the master bids you, in joining; in the prayers. He wouldn’t have anyone in the house that wouldn’t go in to worship.” “No!” cried Alice. “Well, then, no Catholic ought tolive in his house for we’re forbidden to join with any other people in their worship; an’, you know if we don’t obey the Church we’re not God’s children. I’ll not go in, at any rate, for I got enough of their prayers last night. How in the world, Bridget, could you listen to such talk as Mr. Finlay had in the room above about our Church?” “Oh!” said Bridget, with a laugh, “I’m so used to itnow that I don’t care a pin about it, though a at first I used . to be very angry, just as you are now. When you get used to it you’ll not care either.” - . : . “I’ll never be used to it,” returned Alice; “for, with God’s help, I’ll let them pray by themselves; not a foot I’ll set upstairs to-night.” “Well, you’ll see,” said Bridget; “if you don’t go to worship, out you go.” “Very •well!” replied Alice, “you’ll see, top. God is stronger than the devil; they may put me out, but they’ll not get me to go in, anyway.” Mrs. Finlay never spoke on the subject all the day, and Alice '-thought that she looked coldly upon her. It might be fancy, but still it made her feel very uncomfortable, for already she began to love Mrs. Finlay, and to set a high value upon her approbation. Several times she was on the point of attempting a justification of her conduct, but as -often did her courage fail, and so the day ' passed awaj 1 , night came on again, and at last the clock struck, and the bell rang for worship. “Come, Alice!” said Bridget, as she prepared to follow the others upstairs. ' “You may as well come at once, for the master will only be sending for you.” “No,” said Alice, “I won’t go; I’m just goin’ to say my prayers where I am, I’ve no beads now, but I -can count the decades on my fingers when I’m at the , rosary.” ; V v' Bridget went up. In a few minutes the dining-room bell rang; Alice went up to the door, opened it half-way, and held-it in her hand. “Were you wantin’, me, sir?” ■ “My good girl,” said Mr. Finlay, “why did you nou come up with your fellow-servants?you must always be ready to come with the, others. Como in now, and sit down. For this time I will overlook your fault.” But Alice did not move a' s%). She looked at the big book wherefrom Mr. Finlay had read about the bad woman in scarlet/; about the ugly ibeast, and then she looked at the long, grave face of her r master, and it required a muster -of .all her courage to say what she wished to say. “If_.“y6u 1 . please, sir, ’ you’ll let me 'say; - my prayers below in the kitchen;. I can’t say the same " prayers that you do, an’ I don’t like' to hear .the things that- you told us last night.” / ; ,’ ‘ “Sit down, ; I tell you said Mr. Finlay sternly, “sit down,; unhappy girl, and listen to the word of God.’ / :■■■■■; “I can’t; sir,” said Alice; stoutly, though her heart throbbed violently, 7 and her. tongue almost refused ; to articulate the words, so great was her fear of Mr. Finlay. “You cannot -he repeated, still, more sternly; “and f- why not? Whereforedo you give way so far to the , prompting of the devil?” ... ■. •. ■ •* , *• ./. - ■ / ■■

,h, “It isn’t the • devil, ; sir-—the Lord - stand between .me ; an’ ;—it’s because I’m a Catholic, . an’ we’re not ; allowed to join in worship with -any but ourselves.” " ■fk “And ‘how-: is it that Bridget and other Romanists that ; we have had here ’ have -not ’ refused to join us -in prayer?” ( ’ ’ 7 * - ; ■:4 ;~:“I don’t know, sir; that’s their own affair, but I can’t do it without committin’ sin, an’ that I’ll: not do . for anyone, with the help of God.” “You are a most impudent girl,” said Mr. Finlay, endeavoring to restrain his rising passion. “I fear the * Evil On© has your soul firmly bound.” “Oh! Cross of -Christ between us and harm cried ■ Alice, and she blessed herself most solemnly. A general laugh followed, in which even Mrs. Finlay had to join. But her husband waxed more angry still. “May I go down, sir?” asked Alice., “No, you poor ‘ misguided creature! you shall remain, here.” ,■ •= I“Well, sir, if I do, mind, I’ll not join in the prayers, nor I didn’t last night either; an’ for the readin’ an preachin’ I’ll not hear a word of them, for I’ll stop my ears as I did last night. So you may as well let me go!” “My dear, I think you had better let Alice go down stairs,” said Mrs. Finlay; “you known if she does as she says,; her conduct will only be a scandal to our young people.; Do let her go!” Mr. Finlay was silent, but ; there was a thundercloud lowering on his brow. His wife nodded to Alice, and the latter, was very glad to make ; her escape to the lower regions. ’ . ... .--I, When worship was over, and the servants returned ■to the kitchen, Alice was ordered up, stairs again; “Now you’ll catch it,” said Bridget, and the others all laughed. “I guess she will!” said Bill, the coachman; “she’ll be lowered a peg, or my name’s not Bill Rogers.” , Meanwhile Alice was again confronted with her master. “Girl,” said he, “I wish you to understand that if you are to remain in my service you must- join us in our family worship. I cannot have,anyone in the house who refuses to perform that Christian act.” • “Then you’ll not have me, sir,” returned the ...little girl, quickly, “for I’ve told you already that I can’t join in your worship. I’m a Catholic, sir; so there’s no use in tryin’ to get me to do what our Church forbids.” “Your Church!” said her’ master, contemptuously; “and, pray, my good girl, what right has your Church, or any Church, to forbid you to worship God?” “She doesn’t forbid me to worship God, sir; she commands me to worship Him and to pray to Him ever an’ always; but she forbids her children to join in worship or in prayer with them that don’t belong to our religion, or haven’t tho same faith that; we have. That’s the reason, sir; an’ if you don’t like to let me say my prayers as I was taught to say them, or if you don’t want to have any about you that won’t come in to worship, I’m ready and willin’ to go back to Mrs. Dempsey.” - This cooled Mr. Finlay down somewhat, for he feared to lose his chance of making a convert. “Oh! I did not exactly mean that you should leave us on that, account, my little girl. I believe Mrs. Finlay is pleased with you in every respect, so for the present I will dispense with your attendance at family prayers, hoping that the Holy Spirit may speedily enlighten your mind, and dispel the shades of bigotry and superstition wherewith your priests have obscured it. You can go down now.” “Bedad, then, if that’s the way,” said Bridget, who had come in unobserved by another door, on pretence of. asking the mistress a question about something, “if that’s the way of it, Mr. Finlay, I’ll not worship anymore either ; for if you give one lave to stay out, you can’t refuse it to 1 another, bekase I’m a Catholic, too, an’ will be, phase % God.” ■ V “Bravo, Biddy, bravo!” cried ; Archy, clapping u?s hands and jumping from his seat; “that’s tho girl can talk.” ' - . , _ ‘ . ' “Dear me,” said Cecilia, raising her hands in horror, “what strange people these Romanists, are; they do so hate, to pray or to listen to the blessed word of God.” ■ As for Mr. Finlay, he was far too indignant to vouch- ; safe ,an answer, so he requested his wife, with i forced com- ” , posure, to send “those impertinent hussies” ■ downstairs. I A -sign 1 from their mistress was " quite enough, arid both . instantly withdrew. V : - ■ -

, 1 ‘ “Now, Mrs. Finlay,” said.her'husband, suddenly stop--ping in front t of her, for he had been striding to and fro, up and down the room, .“now I think you will agree with me that your pet is ' a most mischievous creature - : ! ' -V 1 “Really, I do not think so, Charles,replied Mrs. Finlay, in her sweetest tones, “I have seen nothing by her as yet that could induce me to coincide with.-your opinion. She 'is a most industrious, faithful girl.” 1 ! “But do you not see what mischief she has already wrought?” ' ■ . “I see no mischief that she has effected,” was ' the calm reply. . ' “How so, madam?” demanded her,, husband, sternly. “Has she not twice disturbed the harmony of our worship, though scarcely two days in the house? Has she not given a bad example to our servants by her want of reverence for the holy Bible; and, finally, has she not openly and audaciously braved my - authority ?” Before Mrs. Finlay would attempt a reply she sent Archy and Cecelia to their respective chambers, being unwilling that they should hear anything approaching to contention between their parents. Then she said; “Now, Charles, listen to me : in the first place, I deny that Alice has given bad example to. the other servants, for I think she treated you, all things considered, with proper respect; not one impudent ’or improper word I heard her say throughout the .whole affair. In the next place, it was not her fault if the general peace was disturbed, since it was wrong in you to attempt forcing her to do what her conscience forbid her to do. Lastly, I deny that she was wrong in disobeying you, since she must either disobey you or her Church; and as she believes the latter to have authority from God, she must obey her commands. She had to choose between your commands and those of her religion, and for my part I think all the more of her for haying done as she did. You need not look so astonished, Charles; you ought to know that I never hesitate about giving my real opinion.” , “Oh, undoubtedly, Mrs. Finlay,” replied her husband,with a sneer; “I ought to know that you are generally on the side of Popery. I give you joy of your Romish propensities.” ■ “Nay, that is unfair, Charles,” returned the lady; “I profess no partiality for the Church' of Rome, or her tenets, but I like to see everyone fairly dealt by— only difference is, that I can see virtues in a Catholic, and can respect their scruples is all.” The conversation went --on in a similar strain till the timepiece over the fireplace chimed out the eleventh hour, yet even then Mrs. Finlay had not succeeded in convincing her husband that Catholic servants ought to be left in submission to, the decrees of their Church, nor could Mr. Finlay get his wife to acknowledge that in proselytism, as in war, every stratagem is allowable. (To be continued.) - .