White Oaks eagle. (White Oaks, N.M.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-04

NdS very lHttIcStiisf anu III Ms htdll
he wished that reason might show him
how to be as happily satisfied with the
priests teachings as were these.
IF miracle could be enacted in
those old days, why should not one be
performed now?" he inquired inwardly.
"Oh, no. 1t is all opposed TO sense and
science. Faith ?'-for he had arrived
in time TO hear enough of the sermon to
know that the priest had discoursed on
faith--'yes, by miracle l could have
faith, but"
His self-communion was interrupted
by the sound of slvery voice coming
from the gallery above his head.
80 salutaris!" the hail rose pure and
sweet-such voice as the agnostic had
never before heard. 80 salutars!" and
the church was filled with the wonder
of music which caused him to think
that an angel sung, quite ignoring the
fact that according to his philosophy
no such thing as an angel could exist.
lie listened as one entranced, and he
left the church with his very soul brim-
ming with the joy Of that heavenly So
prano.
The next Sunday he walked up the
track again, but only little way. The
section foreman's boy had invited him
as before to accompany him, but Ken
nedy hesitated, and, hesitating, was not
/ lost. Now, however, as he again looked up
at the CHEEKY hail of the happy passen-
gers of the handcar, he hesitated again,
and this hesitation sent him churchward.
He took his former seat in the rear, un-
Ger the odd little choir loft, and to-day
a new priest talked, and, strangely
enough, of the miracle of Faith" AS
though answering a question of Ken
uedys the clergyman said: "Who are
the believers? The greatest of all the
great in learning, statecraft and ma
terial advancement. Presidents, prime
ministers, men of mighty mind accept
the divinity of Christ-and if these
men, wise enough to be great, and great
enough to be honest, accept by faith,
why should you or I cry out for IL
miracle to be enacted for our special
'behoof There are many millions of
people In the world
Kennedy could have told him how
many.
and what right has one man to
ask God to miraculously perform for
him so that he might be badgered and
forced reluctantly into accepting what
worthier, more learned men and men
of infinitely greater responsibility and
vaster temptation gladly and gratefully
take as n BOOM"
This" thought Kennedy, sounds
reasonable, but / cannot blindly accept
their belief on unsupported, unwit-
messed sentiment" And as he thought
upon it the voice Of the soprano rose
in glorifcation. 1t was what he had
waited for. 1t filled him with great
happiness. The undeserved miracle
was beginning of performance.
Every Sunday after this he came in
after the others ard took his back seat.
Her voice had sung him almost into the
acceptance toward which the reasoning
Of the priest was powerless to persuade.
He seemed to partalie of the feeling OF
the singer. He cxulted with her in the
Latin praise of the Redeemer. lie
learned the words, and they rose almost
TO his lips as she sung. What a woman
she must be! What heart Of purity
TO well up in such witness of the might
Of Christian love and Christian mercy!
lie had never seen her. for he was an
ngnostic, and he could not yield the
stubboruess of his unbelief to ask about
her or to even wait in the church to
watch her. lie came into church late
and he left early. He was an agnostic,
and she
But was he?
One day after the services were con
cluded he advanced past the half-hun-
dred humble worshipers, and, greeting
the priest, said: Father, I want to
come into the church" His heart
lpapcd with that acknowledgement, and
the little edifice seemed filled with the
glory Of the Shepherd Of the lost sheep
Suddenly. from the organ loft. which
now for the first time was visible Ia
his eyes, came the swelling sound NJ
that heavenly voice in some song oil
praise.
Tie looked for the singer. II was tho
section forcman's boy.
And this was his miracle.-ChicagC
Record.
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