Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-03-26
FATHER TOMS
ONE ROMANCE

romance SAID BaLn6r Tom, and
everybody about the long tables sat
up straight with interest. .sYou may
think it queer that a priest should
have . romance. but I'm an old man
now, and think / can confess with
safety.
"All these years I've been carrying
the ghost Of my romance about with
me, and only within the last three
months have I succeeded In laying it.
II suppose all OF you know that I
was born and brought up out here in
the country. I lived on farm and
| went to a little country school. There
was a pretty little girl among the
scholars at that school, and as bare
footed farmers boy I fell desperately
in love with her. OF course, never
told her anything Of my feelings, but
worshiped silently and at a distance.
Then came the time when / made
up my mind to enter the priesthood.
That meant cutting myself off from
great many things that I cared for
most of all for the little girl with the
yellow curls and the big gray eyes.
But made up my mind aud decided
that nothing should move me from
my decision. When the teacher heard
that | was going away to enter the
theological seminary he invited all the
pupils and their parents to meet at
the school house one evening and bid
me good-by and godspeed
up my mind to enter the prithood 40
They came. and among them was
my pretty little sweetheart. / talked
with her a good deal during that even
ing-more than | had ever done be-
fore, and had to fight my battle all
over again. She was dressed in a
pretty white dress and she looked SO
sweet and SO lovable that it was hard
for me to bid good-by to her forever.
Just before they all went home
that night the girl met me in a cor
ner of the schoolhouse, and, looking
up into my face with her beautiful
eyes, made whispered request of me.
Tom, she said, won't you please
give me lock of your hairY
THAT was almost more than could
stand. But | have always felt that
l refused her with more sternness and
severity than was really necessary. In
fact, was positively rude in my re-
fusal, and l thought she was almost
crying as she turned away.
1.-THE next morning / left for the
theological seminary. / turned my
back on the pretty girl of my boyhood
and all that went with it, and gave
myself up to my books and my
church
in my senior year at the seminary,
Molly, that was her name, married and
moved to New York. felt glad in
sad sort of way when | heard of it.
Now, at last, that temptation was TAX
en- permanently out of my life. l was
ready to pray for her happiness, but
felt no longer any other feeling to-
ward her.
II graduated and went abroad to
Rome for year. After that l came
back to America and was sent to this
parish, where you have always been
so kind to my faults and SO generous
in your appreciation of my efforts.
For more than quarter of century,
as you know, | have lived here, and
during all that time / have never
heard, even indirectly, Of Molly or her
lot in the world.
= II have even allowed myself to won
der whether my decision to enter the
church was altogether a wise one. /
have, half DOING, imagined that pos
sibly, if had given her that lock of
my red hair. the course of both our
lives might have been altered for the
the better. Not that / have doubted
my own ability to fill it as it should
be filed. And, so doing, have Won
dered what might have been the re-
suit if Molly had got the lock of hair
she asked for.
II have wondered whether she was
happy now? Or did she also some
times wonder whether in the great
scheme of things she had found just
the place arranged for her from the
beginning.
Years ago / decided that if ever
chance threw Molly in my way I
SD0uIQ pluck UP courage 10 aux Hef
why she asked me for that lock of
hair. / had little expectation of ever
meeting her, and, if l did, was an
old, broken down man of more than
sixty and | could hardly give anyone
more than half decent lock of hair,
try as | might. SO / felt perfectly
safe in making my resolution.
We'll my friends, this summer /
met Molly again. 1t was in the Alps.
/ was climbing up the Matterhorn.
She was coming down, tall young
man acting as her escort. We met
at the foot of steep slope and we
knew each other at once
why, Tom,' she began, and then
corrected herself. '"Father Tom"
mean
Molly said, 4 mean Mrs. -,
and then / hesitated. for | had for
gotten her married name.
"She laughed and introduced me
to the young fellow with her. 1t was
III ,f