The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-04-13
JUVENILE COLUMN.

eyes; and from her laughing month an,
dimpled cheeks, it was easy to see she wa
fond OF fun. Her little hands were seldom
at rest, and her feet were never long in tn
same place. Hannah would have liked 20
ing to school, could she only have had he
own way. In short she was a very restless
lively child. She had kind. good heart
| which always prompted her to do as he,
parents wished and if it sometimes hap
pened that she disobeyed them, it wa,
through thoughtlessness, and when reprov.
ed she would cry and promise to be bette,
for the future. Hannah had, however, on.
great fault-she very soon tired of every.
thing that did not amuse her. Praying she
found particularly long and tireseme.
When the schoolmaster spoke of God-how
beautiful He made the earth, how every.
thing. was created out Of His almighty will,
world to save us-then she liked we'll
enough to listen, and when told how He
grew up, how much He suffered, and finally
how He died on the cross for us, little Han
nah would cry as if her heart would break.
But as for praying-speaking to our Heav-
emily Father-that she was not fond of, and
did it but very little; for, thought she,
since God knows everything, He must also
know love Him, and what want There
:fore at night she would merely say, ssDear
Lord, thou knowest already what want;
give it to me. Amen"
This was not right of Hannah, and lust
because God did know what she wanted He
that she never forgot it as long as she
lived. Listen, now, how it all happened;
1t was beautiful summers day; the
flies danced and buzzed about in the air, the
crickets ehirped merrily, tho quails whistled
loudly in the grass, and the birds sang their
nota single cloud could be seen. In the woods
the straw berries were rlpening 80 fast that
Hannah thought her mother would not
need to cook any more. School was over,
Father and mother were both in the field.
In the country it is not as in the city, where
nurse prepares the lunch; in the country,
where the woods are so near and berries so
plentiful, the children get it themselves.
Accordingly, Hannah went into the woods
all alone. This was not forbidden her, for
all the village children did SO she was
merely told to return home as soon as she
should hear the "Angelssn ring HaaHal,
had o little pail with her, in which to nut
the strawberries she Gid not eat, in order
to sell them the next day to the city chill
dreu.
While berrying, she went farther and
farther into the woods, where the grass, |
the herbs, the flowers and the moss grew |
prettier and prettier, because the hot sun |
shone but feebly through the leaves, and
did not dry them up, and as no enc ever
went there, they were not trodden upon.
There also she found handsome butterflies
and pretty bugs with shiny green backs.
Hannah had already good many berries
N her pail, and still more in her stomach.
She therefore thought she would stop a
while to rest, and accordingly lay down in
waving overhead, catching through them
low and then glimpses of the bright blue
ky. Then her eyes wandered to the
Kings around her-to the pretty butterflies
md bugs then she listened to the singing
If the birds, and tried to initiate them, and
inally had to laugh at her vain attempts.
low and then she thought about returning
lome, but after she had gone a few steps
he would stop, just to see a hare that was
hiding among the bushes, or q squirrel that l.
vas springing from branch to branch, in a
hesnut tree close by; and afterwards she
ound some berries 30 large ands ripe that
hey were worth a kreutzers a piece, and of
dvanced gradually; it was already dusk,
OF the sun had gone down, but Hannah
ad not heard the "Angelus" ring, and was
either tired nor sleepy.
This time, however, she buried along
he path then suddenly she became fear
al Of getting scolding from her mother,
nd 1T also occurred to her that her father
ad once punished her for staying out too
ing. She ran as fast as she could, but did
OF seem to get any nearer home. Her
lothes caught on the bushes and were
'rn, and her face was scratched with the I
richly twigs; at last she step ped on a
horn, and sank exhausted and in pain to
ne ground. She could no longer find the
ay, for by this time it had become entire
? dark.
What could she dot Her bare feet were a
icerated, and the sharp thorns and thistles 9
aused her great pain when she tried to !.
ak. She began to weep bitterly, and her [
cart beat fast, for in truth the poor child a
as terribly frightened. The formerly I
eautiful woods were dark, and the trees
rev frightful shadows on every side. and =
'e realized how entirely alone she was (
'w and then there was a rustling among
10 bushes, and her heart almost ceased
eating through fear.
No longer was Hannah afraid of father or
other. How gladly would she have tax
g both scolding and punishment, if ONLY
e or the other had come; but to her cries
"Father! "Mother! no one auawered.
the midst of this anxiety, she suddenly
ought of praying. Instantly abe kneit.
asped her hands, but did not saw, "Dear ar
ord, thou knowest what want; give IL pc
me. Amen" No, she cried, with an Or