The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-02-17
Fluttering over snow-drifts,
When winds sweep bold?
Brave little snow birds,
God cares for you.
Through the dark, wintrv days.
Or when skies are blue.
A Tale of the Polish Persecution

A Tale of the Polish Persecution
great pine forest, a band of forty
armed soldiers, their leader, the center
OF the group, heavily bearded, dark
proved man, gazing fiercely at a little
glrl standing quietly before him. She
ala not tremble at all, nor look about
Tor help, nor seem to be in the least
AFRAID There was a bright spot, the
result OF excitement, in either cheek
ana her eyes Shone with an expression
that was like joy, and her lips were
parted with bright smile
Speak," the leader Numbered.
VIII you tell me where the priest has
fiown?''
Never sir.
or where the Sacrament is hidden?''
mo, sir"
or the altar vessels?"
No. sir
Il will give you one more chance to
obey me- he cried. IF YOU do not tell
me, this shall be your fate: We will
bind your eyes and leave you here in
( the forest and then the wolves shall
come by night and the wild birds by
day, and none shall be here to defend
you"
She made no reply.
The soldiers gazed at her wonder
/ ingly. Would she falter? How small
and frail she looked under those giant
! trees and how fast the night was COM
ing! Some of these men had little
! daughters at home who were just
Maries age, and they remembered
them and felt sorry for her in their
Utmost souls; but then they were SOL
diers, wild with the war excitement
and the license of the camp. They
were too wild to let pity plead for her
at all.
They had come upon the quiet little
Polish village in the morning, for they
had heard that the church was very
lovely one, with rich adornings and
Yestments and only one priest, and he
an aged man. to guard it.
No one knows his hiding place, I'M
less it be Marie" So said a rough and
evil man. buying for himself an ex-
emption from pillage by turning in
former against a little girl. She is
always in the church" he said, always
praying, busting or sweeping. My word
Of il, she knows all about the treasure.
Marie did not deny this statement,
but to entreaties, threats and promises
she would not make any reply except
constant refusal to betray the trust
imposed in her. So they bore her off
with them into the gloomy forest and
put her to the final test, thinking she
must surely yield
1T is the last time" the leader said.
Not often, child, do | ask a thing
twice, and / have waited long for YOU.
Will you tell me what l ask of you?"
More than those rough men waited
for Maries answer. Angels waited for
her lips to open-waited to see the
fight between good and evil fought out
TO its bitter end that, by Gods grace.
might prove most sweet.
In the gathering twilight the soldiers |
could not see any sign of pallor on the |
race before them, and they heard no |
faltering word in the voice that sound |
ed clearly over the evening breeze
signing through the pine trees:
/ cannot tell you. sir"
No more parleying and no more |
threats; actions now. They bound the |
bare arms tightly and tied the small |
feet together with a stout l1notted |
cord. She looked straight forward a /
the setting sun, which was visible Just |
at the horizon through the vista of |
forest trees. Would she ever see that |
sun again? She looked up at the blue
sky, the verdant glade and the swav- |
ing branches; one little squirrel she |
noted lovingly darting up a gnarled |
and messy trunk, and yet she felt no
heartache. At the rude soldiers she
did not glance at all.
They let her look as she pleased for
one brief minute. then blinded her
brave eyes closely, and suddenly she
felt herself lifted and borne onward
by stalwart arms
We will not leave her where she
last saw the light the leader said.
onward, my men. onward"
Where they went Marie could only
guess. but the sound Of twigs cracking
beneath their feet and OF the boughs
pushed aside or broken made her think
that they We're leaving the beaten track
and going deeper into the wood. BY
and by she was let roughly down.
"A good spot" she heard one say.
1t looks like the VOLTS den and no
)ther. Well, she might have earned a
better fate had she chosen
Did they dream that their words
could make her fear or waver? If
hey did, their dream was in vain. and
one and another turned to
ook at her as they marched away into
he gathering night they only saw
he face as calm and sweet and still as
he evening star that hung in the
skies above the trees that
we're growing grim and ghostly in the
Wright.
There were men who woke with a
start and scream in the lawless camn ;
a |
hild in sore distress through sins of
heirs. Years afterwards there were
men who dreamed that dream sIeepipqr ]
md waking. and called on God to for
ret and forgive them the sin which ]
hey could not forget.
But that night of fear and remorse
or them was bright with joy and peace
or Marie, the beginning of many {
lights of joy and peace. Sometimes
he had heard the good priest tell that .
When the martyrs suffered for orr ,
Blessed Lord it was not always suffer ]
ng: that there had been cases where
he fierce fire had lost it's sting. the !
word had pierced and hurt not and 5
he rack had been as the bed of softest s
own. So it was with Gods martvr $
hid on that night. +
Ii the falling dews were cold and {
amp, she did not feel them. If the {
coughs against which she lay We're I
married. and rough, she did not heed
t. If the wild bird screamed in the
rec above her. and the snake Kissed G
through the long grass at her feet. I
nd the wolf hUwled in his haunt hard 7
" she heard them not at ALL For I
his is what Marie saw, and it charmed t
II else away: [
A cavern underground, a gray-haired S
riest, an altar formed out of rude q
tones and clay; on that altar a holy /