Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-07-09
needed more the boys would "stand


in a low voice which tremblcd a little
she said: please salute the gentle
men, and say to them, that God will
keep the account" The man turned
around and with an awkward laugh
said: Boys! | am authorized, by one
OF His angels, to say that, for your
contribution. God has taken down your
names, and given you credit.
Then wild fellow cried out from
the crowd:
Three cheers for the angelin
The cheers rang out like the Drawing
of thousand trumpets in accord.
Then. in hoarse, thunder-tones, voice
shouted Tiger, and the deep-toned
old-day California Tiger rolled up
the hillsides like an ocean roar. 1t
would have startled an ordinary wo-
man, but sister Celeste was looking at
the purse, and it is doubtful if she
heard it all. Then the first speaker
called from the crowd eight men by
name, and said:
you were all married men in the
States, and for all that know to the
contrary, were decent, respectable
gentlemen. As
MASTER OF CEREMONIES,
| delegate you, as there are no car
riages in the camp. to 30 to the sick
woman.s house and carry her to the
hospital, while the good sister proceeds
IN advance, and makes a place for
her. +" This was agreed to, and the
sister was told that in half an hour she
might expect her patient.
Then she turned away. the crowd
watching her, and remarking that her
usual stately step seemed greatly
quickened. Long after, the Mother
Superior related that when Sister Ce-
leste reached the hospital on that day
she fell sobbing into the Mothers
arms, and when she could command
her voice, said: Those shaggy men,
that | thought were all tigers. are all
angels disguised. Oh Mother! have
seen them as Moses and Elias were
when the Master was TRANSPORTED.
The eight men held brief consulta-
ton in the street; then going to store.
they bought heavy pair of white
blankets, an umbrella, and four pick
handles. Borrowing a packers needle
and some Irvine, they proceeded to sew
the pick-handles into the sides of the
blankets, first rolling the handles
around once or twice in the edge of
the blanket. They then proceeded to
the sick woman's house, one went in
first, and told the woman, gently, what
they had come to do, and babe her
have no fears; that she was to be moy-
ed so gently that, if she would close
har avaS che MOULD not l-po,,, oovtI;.<.
about it. The others were called in;
the blanket was laid upon the floor; the
bed was lifted with its burden from the
bedstead and laid on the blankets; the
covers were neatly tucked under the
mattress; four men seized the pick
handles at the sides,
LIFTED THE BED,
woman and all from the floor, fifth
man stepped outside, raised the UNI
brella, and held it above the woman's
face, and so, as gently as ever mother
rocked her babe to sleep, the sick wo-
man was carried the whole length of
the street to the hospital, where Sister
Celeste and the Mother Superior re-
ceived her.
Then all hands went up town and
talked the matter over. and | am afraid
that some of them drank a little, but
the burden of all the talk, and all the
toasts, was Sister Celeste.
After that the nun was often seen,
going on her crrands of mercy, and it
is true that some men who had been
rough, and who had drank hard for
months previous to the coming of the
sister, grew quiet in their lives, and
ceased going to the saloons.
One day a most laughable event
TRANSFERRED Two men got quarreling
in the street, which in moment cul-
minated in fight. The friends of the
respected men joined in, and soon there
was general fight in which perhaps
about thirty men were engaged. When
it was at its height (and such a fight
meant something), Sister Celeste sud-
denly turned the sharp bend of the
street, aud came into full view not
sixty yards from where the melee was
raging in full fury. One of the fight
ers saw her, and made a sound between
hiss and low whistle, Il peculiar
sound of alarm and warning. so signi-
ficant that all looked up.
In an instant the men clapped their
hands into their side pockets, and COM
menced moving away, some of them
whistling low, and dancing as they
went, as though the whole thing was
but
JOvIAL LARK.
When Sister Celeste reached the spot
a moment afterward, the street was en-
tirely clear. The men washed their
faces; some wag began to describe the
comical scene which they made when
they concluded that the street under
certain circumstances was no good
place for fight; good humor was re-
stored, the chief contestants shook
hands with perfect cordiality, drink
ofreconciliation was ordered all around,
and when the glasses were emptied
man cried out: "Fill up once more.
boys; | want you to drink with me to
the only capable peace officer that we
have in town-'Sister Celeste. The
health was drunk with enthusiasm.
The winter came on at length, and
there was much sickness. Sister Ce-
leste redoubled her exertions; she was
seen at all hours of the day, and was
met sometimes, as late as midnight, re-
turning from her watch beside sick
bed
The town was full of rough men;
some of them would cut or shoot at
word; but Sister Celeste never felt
afraid. Indeed since that Sabbath
when the subscription was taken up in
the street, she had felt that nothing
sinister could ever happen to her in
that place. Once, however, she met
jolly miner who had been in town too
long, and who had started for home a
good deal the worse tor liquor. She
met him in a lonely place. where the
houses had been few days previous
burned down on both sides of the street.
Emboldened by rum, the man stepped
directly in front of the nun, and said:
My pretty sister, | will give to your
hospital thousand dollars for one
kiss.
The sister never wavered; she raised
her calm, uudaunted eyes to the face
of the man; an incandesceut whiteness
warmed upon her cheek, giving to her
striking face an unwonted splendor;
for amoment she held the man under
the spell of her eyes, then, stretching
her right arm out toward the sky, slow
" and with infinite sadness in her
tones, said;
If your mother is watching from
there, what will she think of her son?''
The man fell on his knees, CRYING,
''Pardon!" and Sister Celeste with her
accustomed stately step, passed slowly
on her way.
Next day an envelope directed to