The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-01-22

penance and she offered it to the Sacred Heart that
her husband, if living, would be converted.
lhe children were marching IN procession from
the school room into the church. What beautiful
sight 1t was to those little innocent boys and
girls passing along like a band of angels! Lily
Allen IN particular looked like something that
just loaned to the earth for day How fair and
sweet she looked with her long yellow curs and her
fair blue eyesl No wonder that her poor mothers
heart ached she watched that child for the
thoughts kept rushing through her mind, suppose
she should die and leave Lily; her father might
come back and claim her and that little angel
would never again approach the holy table while
he had power over her" These thoughts made the
poor woman tremble with fear. Time for com
munlon came and the host was put on Lily's
tongue the mother bowed her head and prayed that
God might take her child before she would ever
drift from Him or come into the possession of her
father. Services were over and the children passed
IN procession back to the school room.
Mrs Allen was descending the steps of the
church when hand was laid on her shoulder. She
quickly turned
my God, William AlIen!" She caught the rail
ing OF the steps, the sight made her dizzy; for
there stood her husband typical tramp all in
rags. lie who was once fashion plate for the
other young men, beggar; he who was once
so robust and healthy consumptive. No
wonder the sight made her sick and her head swim,
Lucille, know am disgrace, but won't you
tear away from his eye with his old SLOUGH hat.
Would she not pardon the sinner when her angel
child offered her first Holy Communion for him?
Oh, yes, she would pardon him, and softly she said:
Il forgive you, William" and she took his hand,
saying: "Wait here until [ go for Lily; she made
her first communion today"
"She did," he said and hung his head "Well, I
will be disgrace to her. I will go and follow you
both to your home"
mo, you had better wait for u.s." said Mrs. Al
len, she sought Lily and told her her father was
waiting for her, and said that he must be forgiven
as he could not live long. The little girl could not
get to him quickly enough, and when she caught
sight OF the poor tramp standing the corner she
knew it was he and few up to him, throwing her
arms about him, crying: ooh, papa I am so glad
you have come back to us!"
my God. don't kiss me, baby [ am not worthy
to touch you'll [ am vagabond and villain" and
he began to cry like child.
1t did not take them long to arrive at the hum
bic little home. Lily and her mother made the I'M
fortunate man as comfortable as possible.
Papa, who told you where we lived?" asked
Lily, as she sat the arm of her fathers chair
while her mother went outside to prepare breakfast
Nobody told me, baby, where you lived, but she
helped me to find you' and he took from his pocket
little medal of the Immaculate Conception and
gave it to Lily.
me-" and Mrs Allen into the room to see what
Lily was so overjoyed about. Mrs Allen took the
medal and said
"Where did you get this from, William2" and
she gave him sad smile.
"Well, Lucille after l had spent my money hav-
ing good time | hadn't friend. I took sick and
was brought into the hospital. After [ got better
from the fever [ was sent out and was too weak
to work. [ tramped and tramped day after day.
never tasting morsel of food. | was too proud to
beg in the beginning but [ got so that [ afterward
went from door to door. I got so respondent that
| made up my mind to end it all in the river. This
the only coat / owned. I threw it off, ready to
plunge into the water, when [ felt something I
thought was a coin. | tore the lining and found
this little medal. At once my thoughts went back
to you, for | knew it was you who had sewed it in
the coat. An awful feeling of inconsistencies stole
me and longed to you once more. [ fell
my knees, the first time in my life, to pray, and
asked this good lady to hep me. I could not say
any prayers to her, for knew none; so just told
her that if she as powerful as those Catholics
say she was, why, then, she would help me find my
wife and child and would embrace her faith After
talking so | felt much lighter; put on my coat
and walked toward town and began to tramp in
this direction, sleeping in freight cars, begging
from door to door and ever asking this kind lady
to bring me to you, and she did"
Within a month he was laid to rest in the church
yard after dying the death of the repentant repeat
ing the word "Mary, Mary~
God never refuses to hear the prayers of the in
nocent for the sinner-Rose Boyle, in Brooklyn
Tablet.
FNr0TTP AGEMENT