The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-11
The Sin Of Sister Veronica.

sister Veronica pushed the beans
down into the moist earth, each one IN a
hole bv itself 1t was firing work bus
ehe loved to do it. for she loved The
.5arnn spring air with its faint sweet
smells. 1T seemed to her that the mil
lions of flowers down IN the dar kness
each moved the old earth q little ~ us
efforts toward the light, and that the
earth gave out this sweet smell as oi1
rose leaves do when they are disturbed
fn a drawer For Sister Veronica was
iunaeinauve in spite Of her great nose
From time to time the sister paused
and strengthening up her aching PACK,
looked around her. 1t was very ioFets
In the old clustered garden Between
the slender pillars under the iosSlds
shone fragments OF the famous Irescoe7
by Ghirlandajo. higher up the graceful
bell tower accented the blueness OF thS
sky. and i'm the middle OF the saioeli
was the Wen with its heavily carved
stone curb.
Bevond the wei lay the flower garden,
but the flowers had to do the best they
could by themselves. for the sisters new
err heIued fheu There would be a tam
ele OF h0neysuckle in one corner ana
lilies Of the valley tia another And II an
went well, the rose on the Wau Wouiu nc
covered With little yellow blossoms 10
charm the bees and Sister veronica.
Then there were the vioiets which never
failed Inc little nun who loved them 80
sister Veronica was tired today, LOT
she had been very i'll in the winter ana
was not yet strong She had lasteu l tuo
much and prayed too much ON the SUOMI
floor of the chapel ait all sorts o. I'M
POSSIBLE and pious hours, and had IN
nammation of the lungs as result
For three weeks she had lain ia hel ntl
row bed (almCst as narrow as ina,
,f,.1.,f,,ia.ss one awaiting each of us), ana
ached and burned and cou8hed anu
cried because she could not go to the
midmeht mass the night before Clilst-
mas len,
Sister Maria Monica, the sister WIN
the crossed ewes had taken care OF nei'
and now She was better, though weak
and the doctor. who was antlquateg
enough to bleed her. had al last tolq
her 10 DE in the sun and ar as huen
as possible She loved the open ar b1l
was half afraid that enjoying it so much
This morning she felt much better
The little spikes Of pale $50
uoking up through the mould. the NlNle
blue 0f the sky. the smell of Ine eteIha
new life begnnirg all around -tV siy
thing was beautiful. and made hef very
happy God had meant heI 20 ~ a 81 ~
pie minded. nature loving peasant ph'
She had carefully taught herself 20 ps
am introspecrive self tortu1lng, nervous
amateur saint e.
A bird began To- twitter near by SIS
ter Veronica Strengthened up sat GOVT
ON her heels and looked around Iheis
~ sst ~ the brink of the well-a COM
mon little brown thing with an lnqulsl-
tive tail He could nor siiis, l9l ne nc t,is
no voice but he chartered away 10 Sls-
ter Veronica and asked her If she re-
membered her old home by the sea
when she was "a eirlt
500 YOU remember your father VIII
his red cap and his brown, bare feet
How he used to- sing as he drew his Doa
I'D with a s-W-i-s-h through tne WEE
sand2 And your mother DO you re-
member how she used TO let you hgll
her wash the clothes in the brook, on ms
stoncse And how YOU rubbed a hole II
your fathers best shirt.
Sister Veronica smiled. and thel
crossed herself hastily. do hoy
worldly am this morning. sh
Thought catching UP her stick and Dor
ing another bean hole, coughing as sh
worked.
When an the beans were planted. SIS
ter NerOniva rose and crept down TIA
path. past the well and into the foWe
garden. She sat down on the mos
grown stone bench near where tn
iilies-of- the-vaMeg would soon come
and took u9 her rosary
Ava Maria. she oegal
when suddenly her eyes fell on a litu
purple flower which was standing a
alone in the path. without even a Yes
to protect it. The rosary dropped. Ju'
such a flower Giuseppe had given he
the day he sailed. She had never see
one in all those years. IL was just ar
OLltr eNcn Gay lHDs she WAS ~ dlhAlt6 q
the beach with her brothers baby
her arms. when he came. She remen
hered how the wave wrinkled SAM
with Its wIeathes of tiny sticks an
stones. had sDarkled I'M the sun. SIT
remembered the great fiat bottOme
boats turned upside down, the smell
tar the fishing nets spread over polf
10 DIV.
Mariana" Giuseppe said wit
something strange i'm his voice. "whe
I come back viii you marry me2"
And she buried her face In the mois
fuzzy neck of little Carmelo and did No
answer.
mi vuoi bene?" he insisted gent.
you wish me Well2"
esq"
Then say yes. madonna mia."H
stopped and kissed the baby's fat cheel
ooh Mariana. if we should have sue