The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-07-25


Keep from all hate and malice free.
Keep firm thy courage bold and strong,
Keep up the right and down the wrong,
Keep the words Of wisdoms school.
AUNT NoRA's ALTAR.
said little Modwina, sit is always 80
pretty"
,,And think mine is pretty too" replied
ayes, it is pretty, Matte; but there is
something about Aunt Nora's which seems
more as if che prayed THERE" said Mod
wilma.
a few days after this talk before Mattie's
altar, the two girls called to see Aunt Nora,
and were invited to her own room, where
che had her sewing (not her sewing-ma-
chine, but her own needle and thimble),
and knitting and her favorite books. Here
she spent the quiet hours of each day, and
here stood her email altar, which was Mo-
dwina's delight. It was not many min
utes before the two girls, after saying q
short prayer before it, were quite absorbed
in examining all it's wonders.
The first which struck Matte was the
living green of the growing vines. At first
she could not see where they came from,
but soon found that each one was growing
in q small gardeners crock with q saucer
under it, while bits of moss covered the
earth. These vines draped the whole altar,
ran up the sides of the pictures, and made
garlands from one side to another. Among
the vines were email vases, very simple and
neat, and filled, not with hot house
flowers, nor with large garden flowers;
but with wild flowers, and modest ones from
the garden. On the bed OF the altar stood
swo small statuettes, one of the Blessed Vir-
gin and her Divine Infant, the other of st.
Joseph. Higher still, on q small platform
of bits of marble, stood the image of our
Lady of the Sacred Heart and above it q
painted picture of the Sacred Heart ofJesus.
There were some plain beautifully Snapped
candlesticks on the altar, with wax candles /;
the pure wax made by the bees, and which
the middle stood a pretty lamp, like stem
and its flower and the flower was the lamp
itself, where q wick foated on pale, clear
oil, and shed a soft light all around it. Just
in front of the lamp was 8 block of olive
wood from Jersusalem, on which were
carved the symbols OF our Lords passion
and q nail, just like those which pierced the
hands and feet of our Lord, and which had
actually touched the Holy Nail, now in
Rome. Above the altar, on the wall, hung
o crncifix and pictures of Aunt Morals pa
iron saints, and above all of them q tinted
picture of the coronation of our Lady. Just
4 one side of all this was small bracket, on
which stood another statue of the Blessed
Virgin and picture of the nativity of our
Lord in the stable of Bethlehem and the
Holy Sepulchre at jerusalem. There we're
vines running over the bracket, and a small
glass of delicate wild flowers, the white
Innocence" and "harebell," stood by the
statue. The altar was covered with piece
OF fine linen with q broad hem, and just be-
low this fell narrow piece of embroidered
bobinet lace, worked with the needle in q
grapevine pattern, with leaves and tea
drills and fruit. Everything was plain and
quiet, and devotional.
Il y A. y q y Al
picture, and Aunt Nora had left the girls
to themselves, and Matte admiring every
thing, Matte finally said "But it is so
small, Modwinai The statues are so little
and they look old. should like to wash
them, or have them painted over, or some
thing, done to them. And then the statue of
the Blessed Virgin on the bracket looks as
If it never had more than one hand, and
the crown has some of the points broken off.
Why does not your aunt get some new
large statuesf"
"Oh!" said Modwina, in a whisper like
Matte, "those small statues are just tie
right size for the altar. Aunt Nora has had
see how delicate they aref If you should
wash them or paint them over, Aunt Nora
Gays, You would spoil all the fac lines in
tnem and all the charming expression. And
the statue on the bracket, lie q copy of O
very old statuette of the Blessed Virgin
IN ivory. This is just like the ivory one
as 1t is now, with one hand broken off and
pieces worn from the crown. Aunt
nora says, when she looks at it, sbe thinks
OF all the pious women who bad loved to
say their prayers before the ivory statue
S Sr which this is copy, before she was
But why does not your aunt have wide
piece OF lace in front Z" ask ed Matte.
Don,t you see," said MOdwina, "this
I aus "orked by hand, not woven and by
@eSr grandma's hand too, when che was
seventy years old. Aunt Nora says it is
% DOre precious than all the Valenciennes or |
0t W lace you could give her."
lis @SStie sighed little, and then the girls |
;n sSeo the small but beautiful cruciRT ~ |
w US on the altar, and which Modwina said |
ss Va iund1Igenced by the Holy Father him |
hi, Ior the hour Of death. By this time the |
In nSd rung for school, SO they kissed |
S HSns Nora and ran TO the convent gate and |
"S me, soon at their lessons.
sbs men Matte went home that afternoon
Ale vent straight to her altar, which she had |
l." ay9 rather nriied harna.L nnnn. for ita l