The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-07-30
THE STATUE.
BY MARY E. MANNIX.

BY MARY E. MANNIX.
In a pretty little church, at seaside village
freQuented by people who love the lonely place fol
its picturesque beauties as well as its distance from
the busy crowd, there is a statue of Saint Mary
Magdalen, the only one the writer has ever seen
il has an interesting history.
About twenty-five years ago there lived in the
above mentioned village an Irish woman in the
humber walks of life who varied her time be-
tween working as a laundress, assisting her neigh
bors in their needs, both by sympathetic word anc
kindly deed, and passing whatever leisure time she
had in alteration before the Blessed Sacrament By
her abors in soliciting aid from the wealthy visit
ors who came to the place in summer, many OF
them having cottages in the neighborhood, she hac
been largely instrumental in the building of the
church, so convenient and so beautiful.
One morning, while engaged in washing for one
Of the visitors, she said to her employer,
Catholic lady, who was sitting in the garden, Mrs
Jennings, why is there never a statue raised to
Mary McDillon?"
Mary McDillon3" echoed Mrs. Jennings IL
surprise. "Who was she, Janep
Don't tell me you never heard of that great
saint ma'am, responded Jane, surprised in turn
"She that came near being stoned to death but for
our blessed Lord, that washed His feet and wiped
them with her long hair in the house of the Phari-
see that followed Him to His DEATH and was first
at the grave Easter mornin'l What became of her
after | never heard, but she deserves statue as
well as the best of them. Sure you're jokin', Mrs
Jennings, when you say you don't know about
Mary McDillon."
oh. yes, of course Mary Magdalen Certainly
know about her, and have always had great de-
votion to her"
Apparently not observing the difference be-
tween Mrs. Jennings pronunciation of the name
and her own, Jane continued:
You see ma'am, not to be too bold, nor putin
myself on a level with great saint, though she
j L. -
some of her blood in my veins. And for that
reason I've always admired her beyond many an
other.
How could that be possible, Jane" inquired
Mrs. Jennings.
why, very easy, ma'am; far more than you'd
think Ny mother was McDillon. Her family
was great travellers always; sailors mostly, ma'am
that the Irish goes everywhere, and has always
gone"
yes, Jane I know it very we'll"
"Why they'd leave their own country IN them
far-off times unless they had to, I've often won
dered" said Jane. "But maybe it was IN Gods
plan that they should begin it early, SO that their
descendants might have the wish for travelin' IN
their veins, when it would be their mission to
carry the Gospel into the wlds of the heather ma
tons But they never forgot Ireland ma'am new
er Many a time the words of st. Columbkille
brought the tears to my eyes when l read them in
the book Father Kenny gave me years ago.
What were they, Jane!
The dear man loved Ireland better than any
thing else in the world except savip' souls of man
kind and there in Iona one day, in the midst OF has
monks a tired little bird came flutterln over the
sea to them, and they walkin' about on the shore,
and says the great St. Columbkille to one of the
monks:
Take up the bird, my brother,
Feed her and tend her well.
/ doubt not she came from Ireland,
Across the oceans swell
And when she is strong and rested,
Speed her upon her way;
Let her go back to Ireland
Across the foamy spray.
4 envy the gentle wanderer,
Lost on Iona's shore,
For she can go back to Ireland
But neer shall see it more
ooh. God help them, the poor Irish wherever
they may be- saint or sinner" concluded Jane, wlp-
ing her eyes.
Those verses are very touching" said Mrs,
Jennings.
They are, ma'am," Jane replied Il can never
think of them without cryin'. But to go back TO
the beginnin' Some one of them McD1iions ram
bied to Asia or Egypt or wherever it was before
them days and raised family there. And there 5
another thing. maam The McDillons, above all
people ever heard tell of had fine long heads OF
hair My own isn't SO bad, though I'm NOT MIC
Dim born, but Maloney Ny mother 8. was :