The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-11-23

condition for their work-or their play, 1
should have said-and before the bell rang
for studies they had completed famous
ball. 1t was high enough to be seen from
longing glance was cast at it during the
afternoon. At the close of the school they
gave it few more rolls, to make it perfect,
as they said, and then left it to be hardened
by the night frosts. But the night did
more than harden it. A cold rain coming
on, covered it with coating of ice, and
the morning found it compact, hard, and
sparkling in the sunshine, complete ice
ball. And now, what was to be done with
itf
Tom Wheeler proposed to give it just one
push against the school-house, and see
what effect it would have; but the boys
thought it would not be fun to push such a
ball as that. At last they decided to let it
remain just as it was for few days, and
then attack it with anything they could
find, and have more fun breaking it up
than they had in making it.
At length the day arrived for the grand
attack. They had provided themselves in
the morning with clubs, shovels, and a
variety of other weapons, and when the bell
sounded for recess a crowd of eager boys
rushed out, headed by Will Morris, who
was, as usual, the leader of their sport.
"Now, boys" said he, 8" if Pm to be
captain, look out for orders. Halo, Jim !!
is that poker you've gotq'
"Can't call it anything else, Will. You
know the line, Who does the best his cir
cumstances allows"
Stop that, Iim," called out Tom
Wheeler don't throw poetry at the cap.
tain's head just as he's going into fight.
say, Will, can't this knight of the broom
stick bring up the rear7"
"a broomstick Good! He shall be
all ready forward, march! 'Spear close
to spear, and shield DER shield e'erlaid.'
GA fine! fne Willis quoting Homer
ON the playground"
What precious set you are Didn't
put it in good English Wide awake,
now once more, forward, march :"
Line after line OF boys delivered their
hardest blows single efforts of heroism
challenged the admiration of the whole
school. The great ball began to crack, to
groan, to break. Willie cheered on his
forces with loud shouts. The poker did
found not to be bad weapon of ofense.
But still their enemy did not entirely sue
cumb. With new energy they began an
attack on every side; clubs, shovels,
poker, broomstick, all mingled in the af-
fray with loud cries they made tremen.
dous rush on the enemy, and ball, weapons,
and boys all went down together-the
victors and the vanquished mingled in the
most picturesque and splendid confusion.
The boys picked themselves up out of
the ice and snow, and made the air ring
again with their laughter and cheers.
Their shouts bad scarcely subsidized when
they heard pleasant voice calling out,
" Bravo boys! that was % grand time"
They looked, and to their great surprise
saw Father Thomas coming towards them.
He had entered the play ground some time
before, but they lad been so occupied that
they had not observed him. He was a
great favorite with the boys, and they
went forward with evident pleasure to meet
him.
"That was famous ball you had, boys"
said he; how did you make it 2"
"Ob, little by little, father" said one of
the larger boys; awe rolled it round and
round, and it gathered more and more with
every roll, and the frosts hardened it, and
30 at last we had our ball."
Little by little yes, that is the way
almost everything is done. 1t was
breaking it, too; it almost made me wish
was boy again. But somehow it made
me feel, too, very much like preaching o
sermon-a real boys sermon, only five
minutes long,"
sermon, father !" called out all the boys ;
but just then tie bell rung for studies.
Please come in and give US the sermon,
father, won't you Z"
ayes, please do" echoed the smaller
Boys.
uOu1dS Was very Ioauy W w t1b
they wished, so he went in with them, aud
after obtaining permission from the teacher
to interrupt their studies for q few mo-
ments, he began by saying that although
he intended to make bis sermon a very
short one, still he should take a text, and
it should be one their ball had suggested
-"Litte by little" "There is some
thing" he said, " that grows within US,
little by little, until, like your SNOWFALL, it
is at last 30 strong that we do not know
how to destroy it. 1t fills our hearts,
makes them cold and hard and displeasing
to God. Can you tell me, boys, what it is
that will grow so rapidly if once we let it
get place in our hearts z"
The boys did not have to think long. for
they had teen we'll instructed, and from
every part of the room the reply came,
Yes, father, it is SIM" Il.
"And if we allow it, little by Rttle, to
accumulate in our hearts, is itan easy mat
ter to break it up, to destroy it ~
"No, father"
"And now, boys, if we should be so I'M
fortunate as to gather in our hearts the
mi Of ein what W. do tn break {