The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-09-05

Vo"aius lne highest mountain hut
ram nelwart raised himself He did not
Nhow why IT was, but he wished to see how the
matter would go. He followed close behind the
grl up the hill. Tonerl lay in the back room. with
the WINDOW open and the traveller could catch every
WIZ WIZ w men the sick man heard that the Pfarrer
oouiJ not come, he began to lament loudly; he
could not die without priest
Ii our own Herr Pfarrer cannot come fetch
me Tne curate from st. Blasien" he begged at last
Inc brother shook his head. at takes six hours
10 go mere and six hours back. In twelve hours
you will never be here TonerlD
then the old Pfarrer must comern exclaimed
uhe SICK man III the greatest excitement
,,, De still and calm, Tonerl" besought Teresa.
we VIII pray for good repentance Our Lord
coo regards the good will; He is merciful and will
forgive you all"
:. but the the sick man became even more excited
brother got up -"' 'i'0
Will try again at st. Martin" he said.
thankfully.
Teresa shook her head Before her eyes rose
Ihe picture OF the old sick Herr Pfarrer scarcely
9eVter than the dying man here on the Rieder- Aim
Then she knelt down beside the bed and began
SOFTLY to say the rosary.
The sick man now lay wearied and exhausted
long hour went by. Suddenly the room became
dark.
What is that? Are nv eyes closing in death ~
cried the terrified Tonerl.
NO, but storm is coming" sighed Teresa
And even while she spoke the wind rose sud-
denly' Inc windows ratified: thick drops fell at
first slowi and separately. then the storm broke
loose Inc ram came rushing down; in the dis
lance, thunder rumbled between the lightning
flashes The stranger sat in the hut. seeking shell
ter The door of the sick room was partly Open
so that ne could clearly see the dying man without
being observed by him.
i am abandoned by God and mani" lamented
the sufferer After pause he composed himself
IN the bed, looking out with fixed eyes II am truly
sorry he groaned, chat l have done this . . and
that. and that 49," Thus he began to count
up his sins
Teresa looked shyly at the stranger and tried to
comfort the cowherd with the thought of Gods
mercy.
Franz Helwart drank in the solemn scene with
all his mind, with every fibre of his heart 1t was
this that had been burned into his very being for
the last twenty years In all climes, in the great
cities, and now this homely height, was the
same miserable story: "No faith, no love-" In the
stable near at hand he could hear COW lowing
for her calf that had been taken from her but the
consecrated, appointed shepherd leaving his
sheep to die all helpless The very heaven, with
this clustering storm, making it harder Could
the old pastor really not come! That was a poor
excuse to make to the dying lad in the next room.
rich man would have had better treatment How
could the Almighty look down on the despair of
this unhappy man and not help him! abandoned
by God and mani" the poor fellow had said truly.
Two hours after the brothers departure the
thunder ceased, but the rain and stormy wind still
continued. About six o'clock the sick man said:
Vincent could surely have en- back long ago
| am nearly at the end
The twilight began t. within the hut,
and the girl lighted tlir before the crucifx;
its long, ghostly shade "a those of conse-
Grated branch of palm. stole across the wall and
the bed where the sufferer lay.
Good helm mo ~ rroaoed the diving man F'Tet
me not die without the holy sacraments" His
hair stood on end, and his wide-open eyes seemed
starting out of their sockets.
The stranger could scarcely bear the sight any
longer If it had not been for the darkness he
would have left the mountain Little by little the
rain ceased, but it very dark. The wind swept
across the horizon driving the clouds before it; at
last it tore away the light veil that lay over the
moon. Full and clear she stood above the lonely
mountain heights. The wind had suddenly fallen
the whole landscape lay in deep peace. The
stranger stepped outside the hut and breathed the
sweetness of refreshed nature. 1t seemed to him
like passing from uproar to calm; from bondage
to freedom; but there in the poverty-stricken hut
was wrestling to whom there could be no de-
iverance
The deep stiffness was suddenly broken by dis
tant footsteps, probably those of the brother COM
ing home. after his vain endeavor. He right;
the man was not hurrying. Unpleasant news al
WAYS travels quickly enough. So thought the en-
FILTERED traveller.
But-that was not the footstep of one single
pedestrian; it was the regular tramp of whole
group of men. It came from the direction of the
village down in the valley. Franz could now hear
the lowered voices, like far-off chorus of prayer.
Across the rocky Steep along the narrow path that
wound up the mountain-side long shadows were
stretching. The stranger went hundred PAGES to
meet the newcomers. Then he saw that they car
ried stretcher, and heard clearly the once faml-
lar words Of the rosary Anqfn n b accident do al
these Alpine regions"
The same moment he was observed by of
the bearers, who called to him.
"Tel them at the Rieder-Alm that the Pfarrer
is coming"
The Pfarrerl As if his own soul were in ques-
+;on fhe stranger flew back to the hut.
...... = LII