The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-06-20
JUVENILE COLUMN.
The Passion FOretOld BY the Infant Jesus.
BY ELLEN MARY LEE.


of the humblest of its humble dwellings,,
methinks it fingers more lovingly and
shines more brightly than elsewhere
Within this lowly abode is a small
carpenter-shop. There is venerable
looking man busy at the bench near linn
stands bright-eyed boy. about six years
old, who is watching with childish eager
ness the falling grains of sawdust turning
golden in the sunbeams, as with all the
strength of his tiny arm he draws the saw
up and down through little block, out of
which he 10 fashioning, perhaps, some play
toy for his own amusement, or, it may be,
u little gift for his mother.
young woman of sweet and modest
mien sits a little apart, attentively engaged
at her spinning wheel. Anon, the buzzing
of the wheel is somewhat lulled, and she
pauses to gaze upon the boy with q watch
full, yearning, though saddened look of a
mothers love. His eyes meet her's-and
smile that might make the angels glad is
her reward. The aged workman also
occasionally rests upon his plane, draws
his hand across his thoughtful brow and
looks towards the little one, wondering, no
doubt, why he is not as usual called upon
for assistance and directions. His child
apprentice evidently needs no teaching to-
day.
Heaven smiles benignly upon this home;
for industry, prayer and recollection are
the employments of its inmates,
: Its inmates! and who are they2
; Who that has heard from.the lips of fond
mother, or kind teacher, anecdotes of the
Holy Family, has not recognized the blessed
trio3 The venerable workman, we all
know, is our own st. Joseph the woman
of modest mien, SO busy at her wheel, his
virgin spouse and our own "Re)igimm
pecattOrum, aud the bright-eyed bOy-the
Infant Godl The house-the Same in
which, seven years before, the Angel
Gabriel appeared to her whom he saluted
"full of gracem
And we find the adorable Child working
at the tender age of six years Yes, for
he wished to teach us that the thOrns
sprinSing up on our pathway through this
valley of tears can be removed only by the
sweat of our brows.
Mary, seeing that the Child had been
working since early morning on the same
little piece of wood, said to him:
" Are you making something for our
sanctuary, my Son; you are taking such
great pains with that block 2"
''No, dear Mother; but / am making n
little cross which will ascend the heights
of Calvary. This gibbet, now the>sign of
shame and iSnominy, will yet be>fenefated
in every age and cline. Thegods of pagan
Rome will fall prostrate>/before it. The
cross will reunite heaven and earth, viii
reconcile the creatnfe to his Creator, and
become'the sigp/of redemption to unborn
nations. To- ransom the world, it is
necessary that priceless Victim should
appeaseI by His death, the anger of an
offended God, and Mount GOlgotha is the
altar on which the sublime sacrifice will be
offered"
So speaks the Man God by the lips or the
lisping infant. His Mothers soul is thrilled
at the awful import of His words; but with
holy resignation she clasps her hands,
raises her eyes to heaven, uttering in loving
accents those breathings of self-abnegation
echoed N lfaf q m
of Olives:
"Father Thy will de done!" -
TIE LEGEND OF THE W1LLow.-One day
golden haired child, who lived where no
..fees or flowers grew, was gazing ,sistfally
through the open gate of beautiful park,
when the gardener Glanced to throw out an
armful of dry cuttings. Among them the
little girl discovered one with tiny bud
just starting. -.
: "Perhaps it will grow" she whispered to
herself, and dreaming of wide, cool boughs,
and huttering leaves, she carried it carefully
home, and planted it in the darksome area.
Day after day she watched and tended it,
and when, by and by, another bud started,
she knew that the slip had taken root.
Years passed, and the lowly home gave
place to pleasant mansion, aud the narrow
area widened into spacious garden, where
many green tree threw it's shadow. B ut
for the golden haired child, now grown
into a lovely maiden, the fairest and dearest
of them all was the one she had so tenderly
nOurished. No other tree, she thought,
cast such cool, soft shade in no other
boughs did the birds sing sweetly.
But while the tree lived and flourished,
the young girl dropped and faded. Sweeter
and sadder grew the light in her blue eyes,
till by and by Gods angel touched them
with dreamless sleep. Loving hands
crowned the white brow with myrtle, and
tenderly to rest.
But from that hour, as if in sorrow for
the one who had tended it, the stately tree
began to droop. Lower and loweT bent
the sad branches, lower and lower; until
they caressed the daisied mound that
covered her FORM
"Sce |" said her young companions, " the
tree weeps for her who loved it," And they
called it the weeping willow. :
ROMAN CATHOLICISM IN THE DtocEsE OF
Observation-Disclosures Manning, in Il late