$8 The Procrastinator. [JAN. 



" My bitter curse light on him with the light of heaven, every hour 

 he sees it !" responded the housekeeper ; " it was a pity the masther 

 wasn't more sharper-like ; I only hope shell last till he comes back." 



" Oh ! the doctor, God bless him, said she might hould for a week 

 yet ; and he was to be back to-morrow." 



The woman smiled. " Morty, ye'r as bad as a natural Who ever 

 thought of heedin' what the poor masther said as to that. What did he 

 ever know in regard of time, except that it past, bad luck to it, like a 

 thief as it is, and, by the same token, took every thing along with it. 

 There's one comfort left. If the things are all cleared out, the people 

 are cleared too ; there's none stayed out of the housefull, that gathered 

 when there was full and plenty for them ; but, Morty, ye'r a know- 

 ledgeable man, and have read a dale o' doctor's books in ye'r time; did 

 ye ever find if there was much in the differ betwixt the heart of a poor, 

 and the heart of a rich body I mean in the size ?" 



" I can't say I ever did," answered Morty, after a pause. 



" Well, then, upon my soul, that's quarer still," observed the house- 

 keeper. " 1 wonder if the priest could tell what makes the differ in 

 people, if it isn't the size of the heart?" 



" Where's the good o' botherin' ye'rself with the like o' that, in ye'r 

 ould age, woman a-live ? Don't go to ask the priest any sich ques- 

 tions ; it would be like wantin' to pick the confessions out o' him ; so be 

 easy." 



'* Well, God help us ! we live in a dark world, where all is wonder- 

 ful ;" and thus, having unknowingly echoed the sentiment of our best 

 philosophers, Molly accompanied Morty in search of the cordial-wine, 

 for " the misthress," whom they, at all events, had not deserted in her 

 adversity. 



The same evening, on a soiled sheet of coarse letter paper, by the 

 light of a miserable candle, Mrs. Mount Doyne wrote to her husband. 



" Charles first and last object of my earnest love come to me, for 

 " / am dying. You said you would return by to-morrow ; yet I fear 

 " forgive me, dearest but I do fear you may procrastinate, and that 

 " you may not be here to receive my last breath, and with it my parting 

 " blessing. I have also, my husband, to request your forgiveness for 

 " having often perhaps given you pain, though I meant it for your own 

 " good. Once and bitter is the remembrance once I was cruel ; it 

 " was when our child lay dead ; then, indeed, I was unkind and 

 " unkind to you, too to you who loved me so dearly. I will not 

 " attempt to refer to the past it is past for ns ; but for you, in this 

 " world there is a future, though not for me. Let me, therefore, con- 

 " jure you, by every beloved and holy tie, to " 



The unhappy lady did not finish the sentence ; and the letter was 

 dispatched, a few hours after it was written, with a postscript from the 

 faithful Morty, stating that his poor mistress had expired a few moments 

 after the pen had dropped from her hand. 



Some weeks after this, an advertisement appeared in the county 

 papers, announcing the sale of the estate of Castle Mount Doyne; 

 and on the very day when the purchase was concluded, and the estate of 

 his ancestors passed into the hands of strangers, Mount Doyne left his 

 native country for ever. 



