The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-03-22
Denver's BrotherIy Love.

DIRE is a pitiless agent of destrue-
ton. especially when the mad
flames devour all that is called
home to a child without a parent. Yet
the visitation OF this scourge in the
imposing building that sheltered 80
1 orphans in North Denver was accom-
panied by retrieval which almost
marks the calamity mixed blessing.
! That renieval atones for the suffer-
! ings of the little ones who marched
I across the prairie that bleak March
afternoon in search of temporary shell
ter. 1t softened the agony of the no
BILE sisters who gazed in mute dismay
( upon the ruins of the finest institu-
ton of charity in these mountains. 1t
enabled them to say with JUNCTION of
spirit-"They viii, o Lord, be done"
That retrieval assumed form of
charity. of brotherly love, a spontan-
eous demonstration by the citizens of
Denver of every class and creed that
not all the stone in Colorado. laid into
a building as high as the tower of
Babel, could find tongue TO utter Wei
come fire, welcome every scourge that
comes from God, if its fruit be such
as that presented by the noble gener- 1
osity of Colorado and expressed in |
language like that spoken at the mass
meeting to restore the st. Vincent's |
orphanage
There is in the human heart. no mat
ter how the world has hardened it to
the plea of poverty from the unfor-
tunate strong man, a tender love for
the orphan child. The helplessness of
one without a parent appeals to our
inmost pity and affection. But no.
where outside this mountain country
do people respond to such charity
with a spontaneity that borders on
enthusiasm. No miner has done his
share until he has tossed his dollar into
the hat for the orphan. No mine own
er feels that luck has broadened his
fortune until princely gift is be-
slowed for charity. No bonanza's his
DRY is complete without recording
some generous act for the child of an ]
Unfortunate miner.
Bishop Matz. no doubt, is eIahed over :
tire. The sentiments of laymen. Prot
slant and Catholic alike, respond to |
ne sentiment of brotherhood of man
nd fatherhood of God Not long will
he little tots deprived of a home he
way from the good sisters In a short
me much shorter than it took to
rect the building burned down. an ;,
Their will go up like Phoenix arising h
rom its ashes" as the bishop eX- ;,
ressed 1t. And it Will be so much
lrger and so much grander than the
Their that Sister Francis Xavier. the
God mother superior who first gave
a start will rejoice that the Lord /
as turned her repining into blissful
'ntent- May God spare her to wit It
ess the new st. Vincent's orphanage q
efore he closes her eyes in death.
Many incidents in the interesting ac- ~
'unt of the fire and action of Den
RS citizens at the time are worthy w
preservation in memory. One or y
20 which do not appear elsewhere -
g given by our Denver correspondent. -
ISIS Elizabeth Kelly. Describing the W y,
hsternation of the children she -,
rites: u
One little tot exclaimed: oh. / was .
frightened when the fire broke out. -,
+, you know, my little brother has 60
yer been baptized Sweet, childish -
Fruits of the labor of -
good sisters. May the grace of CO
d help them to bravely bear their ~
'ss. May they continue to be re- -,
ned to the win of Providence and ~,
lrmur, as they now do. It was a no
.rciful God that permitted us to save ~.
r little ones