The Irish standard., 1904-10-08


thresh over old straw. It's throwing
away time. oh, no, hope not. We
must thresb the straw to get the kerr
nels of wheat, and if by threshing old
straw we can get the kernels Of truth,
it will be something gained. If I am
right, you are wrong; and if you are
right, 1 am wrong
II then launched out on the wide
sea of dogmatic differences between
us, and kept him willing listener for
two hours. He babe me good night
and went to bed
THE next day was lying in bed
| with intense rheumatic pain. One Of
| the sisters came and said: %, father,
Mr.. b wants you to come right
away and baptize his daughter l
forgot my pains and went in great
hurry to the room where the gentle
man, Mr.. b, his daughter and
daughters grandmother We're. l had
never seen the sick girl till then. l
found out from Mr.. B-- that he told
his daughter the substance Of what l
had said to him the preceding night.
That morning, before l was sent for,
Mr.. B saw the Methodist minister
coming, and said to his daughter:
The Methodist minister is coming to
see YOU She said: Papa, 1 don't
want to see him; 1 want to see that
priest you were talking to me about
last night When the minister left l
was sent for.
81 went to her bedside and she
reached out her little, cold, clammy
and emaciated hand. l took it in my
own. She could not speak above an
audible whisper. Her pale thin lips
parted, she smiled, and said: o,
father, want to go to heaven" My
dear little girl, how l wish 1 were as
certain of it as you are.' %, want
to do everything that is necessary to
be Il member of your church before l
die
'She knew the Apostles Greed and
said she believed it all. l instructed
her and talked to her for some time.
| and sent for Il glass of water. 1t APP
peared as though she could not live
another hour. While the sister was
gone for the water she beckoned her
father and grandmother to her bedside
and she said: I am soon going to
1 To 1io in, rot 1,o
lie church. Is it pleasing to you? o,
do not object Then tears came
streaming down the cheeks of the poor
father and the old grandmother; their
lips quivered and they swayed to and
| fro like trees in Il storm, and the father
said: %, my darling daughter, do
what you wish. Do what pleases you;
we have no objection whatever, sweet
girl l found that I had use for
my handkerchief before 1 took the
glass of water from the sister.
'.rhen with the sweetest and SER
enest composure she said: 4 am
ready then baptized her, and when
her head was laid back on the pillow
she placed her marble white hands upon
her forehead and said in an audible
voice: %. how happy feel said
to her: Dear little girl, don't forget
me when you get to that beautiful
country where you soon will be- She
replied: %. father, will never forget
you, forever
Il have done some missionary work,
from the lakes of the North to the
Gulf of Mexico in the South; from the
| Atlantic ocean in the East to the
Pacific in the West, but there is moth
ing which pleases me more in the
whole history of my efforts to do some
little good in the name Of God than
receiving this predestined child into
the Catholic church.
"After hearing her confession and
giving her the last 'sacraments, made
some inquiries from the sisters about
her life. She had been with them for
six months. Never was off her bed
during tile whole time. All the time
patient and cheerful, with not muir
muir Of complaint. For thirty days and
nights, during which she took nothing,
and could take nothing, except water
and small pieces of ice, they expected
her death any hour. And they Won
tlered how she could live so long.
am satisfied she never committed y
serious fault in her whole life; and,
after all her suffenngs, 1 feel that she
did not stop a moment in that great
vestibule of detention and satisfaction
which so few of the best can escape.
"For her l think it can be safely
said:
"'rhere's no more sorrow, no more
tears,
She's gone where all is pure delight
Beyond the bright and stellar spheres
Which beautify the dome Of night.
However, 1 hope no Catholic who
reads this, however humble or exalted
his station i'll life may be, will refuse
to say prayer for her beautiful soul
after reaching Los Angelus wrote
hack to know about Miss B. The
| answer was. SHE died the (1av Won