The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-10-30
FIRST COMMUNION BACK YoNDER.

by j. F. G. in Catholic Standard and Times)
Say. mister, do you remember the day we made
First Communion In the little church back
yonders That question makes you smile doesn't it {!
Unless my memory is greatly at fault it took weeks
of hard work to drill sufficiently regards the
mysteries of faith. Mary McShane and her sister
Annie Nellie Norris, Annie Syrel Kate Parker and
Mary Breach had charge of the younger boys and
girls, while to Nell McShane was assigned the
rather hopeless task of drilling the awkward
squad" the lanky, overgrown lads with the 'high-
water" pants and long wild hairs upon their chins.
DO you remember them, mister. What! You were
one of them! So was |. Let's shakei
The answer received from the hopefuls were
not always strictly in accordance with the cate
chism. Father Ford, / remember, In making his
rounds of the classes, asked one little shaver how
Christ spent the three years of His public life and
received the rather startling answer: "Teachin'
'Postles zamples."
On the final Saturday morning we assembled in
the church in order to enter upon little retreat"
before going to confession. The exercises consisted
of prayer, meditation and instruction by the pos
tor. About 10 o'clock we were given few moments
of free time outside Whether it was the cold boy"
that had gotten hold of not | cannot say, but
at any rate several of us grew restless under the
unusual restraint, and by way Of diversion laid VIC
lent hands upon PATSY" Muligan and dumped him
into the rain barrel. As i'll luck would have it,
Father Ford was watching us from a back win
dow, and when he finished reading the "riot act"
his tongue must have been hot enough to fry eggs.
He wasn't exactly angry. just righteousy indig
nant. | don't know how you feel about it, mister,
but my knees are aching yet from kneeling long
at the altar railing as penance for "scandaous
conduct"
In the afternoon came one of the most trying
experiences in boys life-his first confession. But
like most of the trials of life, the anticipation of
first confession is worse than the realization With
the mornings "Philippic" still ringing in his ears
the lad enters the "box." What contrast He who
severity itself a few hours before is all gen
tleness SO kindly does the confessor talk to him
that the youthful penitent resolves to be bad
again. No, never! We begin very early.
Wasn't it great though when Sunday morn
ing we formed in line at the rectory and marched,
two by two, to the church with your mother and
my mother and all the other boys and girls moth
watching us from the far side of the street. Ny
weren't they proud of us before all the Protestantsi
Just close your eyes for moment mister and
watch the procession pass In review from out the
northeast corner of your memory. First comes the
boys all logged out in black suits (knee pants, of
course), with shoes and stockings to match. white
shirts. SUITS and collars set off with little white
ties. and lastly a small bouquet pinned to the lapel
If each coat Then come the girls in all the splen-
dor of white dresses pale blue sashes long white
wells reaching down to the ground and each fair
head crowned with wreath of wax flowers. Say.
mister my art education has been sadly neglected.
don't suppose / could tell the difference between
Turner landscape and Accent chrome copy of
The same work But I can appreciate the tender
beauty and sweetness expressed inthe living picture
Of little misses marching in solemn procession to
make their First Communion. 1t is a sight that al
most brings tears to ones eyes. | don't go much
on the boys. The little shavers simply cannot
irain from pinching and punching another,
while the older ones run too much to baseball and
cigarettes But with the girls it is different they
being made of finer grade Of clay.
As one sees them slowly marching by, with Gods
purity in their hearts and the sunlight of the
eternal hillsc still shining in their eyes they re-
mind one Of the spotless virgins who follow the
Lamb whithersoever he goeth. God bless and pre-
serve their pure, sweet souls From the ranks of
those making their First Communion to be re-
cruited in after years the devout mothers, holy
and those other heroic. self-sacrificing souls of
whose purity of heart, saintness Of life and nobi
ity Of character the world little dreams-the work
ing girls
Bit TO return. Once within the church and the
Mass begun, the moments fly rapidly. The conse-