The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-05-07
THE ALIEN.
The visitor and the secret of happiness.


She did not belong there. She knew it, she
felt and the simple folk about her knew and felt
it. too The church had not altered in twenty-five
years; she could remember that long ago. The cell
ing. then, was painted blue ground with golden
stars upon it, and even as now there were stains
where the rain leaked in; the wooden pews were
spongy with many coats of black paint: and altar
and choir had generally worn look. Oh, it had
not changed!
Nor had the people She recognized them as
types and as individuals who looked more or less
familiar to her. There was the brave array of style
among the women, the pretentious, flimsy, snowy
hats and colored silk dresses, and the hardened
coarsened hands hidden in the lap folds The men
we're resplendent in black Sunday suits and stiff
colars-well washed, well shaven, but their necks
showed the burn and Crime of their railroading
lives. The children were all starch, ali bows, all
floppy hats. There was one bright-eyed youngster
with yellow curs and blue flowers on her hat.
She stared openly and curiously at the stranger,
and the stranger smiled to herself. Twenty-Five
years ago she had looked like that And now
She lifted her prayer-book from her lap and
reeed into it again. She had been dreaming in
stead of following the service. There was little
sound of jingling, like silver against glass; as the
bracelets on her arm fell together. She was indeed,
an alien as every line and curve of her dress and
body attested. All the difference lay there in the
cut of her clothes and the poise of her head. She
spoke of the city and refined prosperity and leisure;
these people IN the pews spelled country and
working class. Yet, alien though she was she be-
nged to them for she had been born and reared
among them.
She followed the sermon dreaming. The priest,
Young man but lately out of college, talked down
10 his audience The simplicity of his discourse
amused her and she smiled little. Then its ear
nestness stirred her. He spoke of love and honor,
duty and faith. The counted them her
fingers. She knew-and he knew-that there was
of each in this narrow, unlettered assembly
than one usually finds out in the bespangled world
Of hurry and hustle!
After Mass the wheezy little organ played
march, and the brave assembly filed out Then alien
followed the congregation leisurely. Outside they
had gathered in couples and groups, and they
scanned her slyy, covertly, out of the corners of
their eyes. She walked slowly, that the young ones
might her well and comment on her clothes
when she had passed She knew that she was very
well dressed. They would not stare until they
could stare at her back, she was certain Of that
It was code of politeness she knew to exist among
these rough railroading folk.
Oh, the village had not changed! There were
the same broken. wood sidewalks: the double rows
Of plain. unpainted little houses either side of
the cheerless streets: the backyards of morning
gOres and wood-piles: the tiny vegetable plots;
looked TO left and right to right and left She re-
membered every inch of If.
On a corner was the one rich house of the vii
iage 1t had been a farmhouse before the railroad
came; its owners, mother and daughter, had gone
on living there. This morning they sitting
on the veranda reading the city papers. just as the
ahen could remember them doing twenty-five years
before The mother might have been wearing the
same lace cap, the same silver sateen house-wrap-
per- She had changed so little; but there was de-
Unable difference in the daughter.
The alien stopped a young boy in the street.
VIII you tell me who is sitting on that stoop,
please? ' she said
Mis- Frye an her daughter" ne answered,
IN surprise. Surely, everybody ought to know
What is the daughters name?''
Why, Miss Frye he replied.
lhe alien thanked him and went "She
never married. she said. aloud
She had gone the length Of the town before any
one recognized her: she had not expected that any
oody would. Then an old woman at gate peered
INTO her face and, when she had passed, called after
her. The alien went back.
=, "Aain't you Molly Brennan's daughter
1larv2'' she asked
YES" the alien said.
Welt WELT I'd a-knowed you anywhere!"
he old woman put out her worll-hardened hand
HoW's your mother?''
She has been dead these ten years." answered
Inc other duly.
God rest her SOUL An how your father?"
80 he died the year before that"
God have mercy on their soulsl' cried the old
Woman "Ye had the finest mother an father on
earth, Ye had brothers, didn't yeq'
81 had two, )" said the alien. Gone is in Europe
Studying medicine He is the younger one. The
Oldest brother is a broker in New York. He is very
llch had little sister. She was an artist; but
She is dead''
The old woman was shrewd-and curious. She
porsed up her lips 81 dunno that any one in this
towns ever got to be such big bugs as thatl' she
'ned bit tartly. can what are you7"
There suspicion in her sharp glance. The
afen smiled, and flushed in spite of herself ''I
an novelist and playwright she said 81 live
With my brother in New York.
do tel!' cried the old woman "Melli your