Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1904-04-22
FATHER TOMS
ONE ROMANCE

Ine Oiu man got up, tall anu
straight and smiling.
'Ill tell you the story Of my only
romance" said FATHER Tom, and
everybody about the long tables sat
up straight with interest. "You may
think It queer that a priest should
have a 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 succeeded in laying IT,
II suppose all Of you know that
was born and brought up out here in
the country. / lived on a farm and
/ went to a little country school. There
was pretty little girl among the
scholars at that school, and as bare.
footed farmers boy fell desperately
in love with her. or 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 of from a
great many things that l cared for
most Of all for the little girl with the
yellow curls and the big gray eyes
But l made up my mind and 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. I talked
with her a good deal during that even
ing-more than I had ever done be-
fore, and 1 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 a whispered request of me.
Tom she said, won't you please
give me a lock Of your halrT
THAT was almost more than could
stand. But / have always felt that
/ refused her with more sternness and
severity than was really necessary. In
fact, was positively rude in my re-
fusal. and / thought she was almost
crying as she turned away.
"The next morning / left for the
theological seminary. turned my
back on the pretty girl Of my boyhood
and all that went with II, and gave
myself up to my books and my
bchurch.
''In my senior year at the seminary,
Molly, that was her name, married and
moved to New York l felt glad in o
sad sort of way when l heard Of It.
Now, at last, that temptation was TAX
en- permanently out of my life. l was
ready to pray for her happiness, bui
felt no longer any other feeling to
ward her.
Il graduated and went abroad tc
Rome for a year. After that l came
back to America and was sent to thie
parish, where you have always been
80 kind to my faults and 80 generous
in your appreciation Of my efforts
For more than a quarter OF a century
as you know, have lived here, and
during all that time have never
heard, even indirectly, of Molly or hel
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 l had given her that lock Of
my red hair. the course Of both oul
lives might have been altered for thG
the better Not that have doubted
my own ability to fill 1t as it shoult
be filled. And. so dozing, / have won
dered what might have been the re
suit if Molly had got the lock of hail
she asked for
Il have wondered whether she wal
happy now? Or did she also some
times wonder whether In the grea
/ scheme Of things she had found jus
the place arranged for her from thu
beginning.
Years ago l decided that II eve
chance threw Molly in my way
should pluck up courage to ask he
why she asked me for that lock o
hair. / had little expectation OF evei
meeting her, and, If ! did, / was al
old broken down man Of more thai
sixty and could hardly. give anyon
more than half decent lock Of hair
try as l might. So l felt perfect.
safe in making my resolution.
well. my friends, this summer
met Molly again. 1t was in the Alps
{ l was climbing up the Matterhorn
She was coming down, a tail younl
man acting as her escort. We me
) at the foot Of a steep slope and W
knew each other at once.
why. Tom. she began, and the
corrected herself. '"Father Tom,"
mean
Molly I said. I mean Mrs. -
and then I hesitated, for / had fol
gotten her married name.
"She laughed and introduced m
TO the young fellow with her. II wa
2 her son, a splendid young fellow O
twenty-five. But for all that. Moll
looked not one year older TO me tha
! the night { bade her goodlby at Ii
little schoolhouse Her cheeks Wer
just as fresh ana pink and her eye
as bright and laughing For q M,
ment / hesitated. Then i made III
plunge
Molly / said, I have been wal
D | inc III Lhasa uaar. 10 aaE unu ulhu un