The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-11-13

AtOH0 III Juc WOIlu, WlGnOut ACinhNCo
to aid her, her plight was indeed
grave. Catherine never hesitated an
instant. She took Anna home with
her, shared her own bed with her.
and all that they had was freely
divided with the poor invalid.
1t required not only strict economy
but harder work, for both Catherine
and Franz to meet this new strain
upon their resources. But no word
of complaint ever escaped, because
they never had complaining thoughts.
Catherine was so happy she said, that
God had found her worthy to help
Him. Anna was bedridden and never
worked again, but her gratitude and
appreciation of GATHERINGS goodness
were touching to see.
As Franz grew older and earned
little more each year, life became
little easier for them. From his earn
ings a little was saved each week,
and by the time he was twenty five
he had saved almost forty dollars, a
large sum of money for a Bavarian
peasant
Then came the Franco Prussian
war Franz went, and never re-
turned. GATHERINGS heart broke
then. but her faith remained firm.
To her friends she said, "But it was
for the fatherland, and he died so
bravely, as would have chosen him
to do" The most beautiful, the most
unselfsh thing in life is the mother
love. A dear little girl know, try
ing to find some way to express to
her mother the love she felt for her,
said one day, Il love you, mamma,
as much asif you were my own child"
What put it into the heart of a child
of Eve to say such thing?
Hardly day passed after her sor.
row that Catherine did not receive
some practical evidence of the love
of her neighbors. When she re-
turned from the work in the evening
she found on her kitchen table some
little gift, few potatoes, or bit of
matchmaking given not from the
abundance of the well-to-do, but
given from the poverty of the very
poor. In her dark days her friends
shared with her and Anna their mite.
The little sum of money Franz had
saved was about half exhausted wien
Anna died. The neighbors told Cath
crime she must send for the overseer
of the poor, and Anna must be buried
at the expense of the town. But
Catherine would not hear to that.
What, her dear Anna buried in pot
ter's field Never, o never! All the
rest of Franz's savings went to give
Anna decent Christian burial.
Now for the first time GATHERINGS
faith gave way. For long time she
told no one of her doubts, nor of their
cause. One day in her misery she
went to dear Fraulein and confessed
herself sinner. BY tender ques-
tioning and sympathy Fraulein drew
the truth from her. Until Anna died
she had never thought ofwhat would
become of her body after death. Now
she knew she must be buried in the
potter's field, and it filled her with
such horror to think of it, she could
not be happy. Had she not tried to
live uprightly, and was it right that
her last resting place should be with
criminals and sinners? Fraulein
soothed her tenderly y, and then they
took paper and pencil, and figured
the cost of what Catherine called an
honest burial; then Fraulein showed
Catherine how she might save little
each week, now she was alone, and
promised her she should not be bur-
led in the potter's field. Catherine
left her greatly comforted, and from
that day went to work with new vigor
and industry. Fraulein herself has
small means, and knowing how diff
cult it would be for her to keep her
promise to Catherine, we begged her
to accept from us sum of money to
be held by her in trust for Catherine,
so that in case of illness the brave
old creature should not want. You
know what Fraulein's warm heart
prompted her to say, do you not'
We left Baireuth the next morning,
and in the web woven by memory
Parsifal and Catherine are side by
side. Does she not deserve to bel
Later in Paris came a word from
Fraulein: poor Catherine found it
hard to believe, when l told her her
burden had been lifted from her
shoulders. After long silence she
lifted her face, radiant with faith and
trust, and asked, DO you think God
will forgive me for having doubted
| Him 2 "NetU York Advocate.