The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-07-09

was better And if he is dying, its the minister
from Loeb Carron he IL want
"Whatever was his condition yesterday, he is
dying now And it is not the minister from Loeb
Carron he wants. So if you are coming with me-
you had better lose no time The road am told
is not fit for riding We shall have to walk"
Well, got ready, and we started about dark.
had been so confused by the suddenness with
which Father Angus had sprung his news on me
that were well on our way before | began to
think it strange that he had not made the mes
senger who from Glen Isa wait for him, in
stead OF taking me from my work. And [ won
dered who the messenger could have BEEN for there
was not Catholic from one end of Glen Isla to
the other, and 1t not likely that any of our
own folk had been there. Then l fell to think
ing OF what our reception would be like and when
L called to mind all that had heard of the invet-
crate bgotry of the Glen Isla folk, | trembled at
the thought of what the consequences might be. |
knew that, in their blind hatred of everything
Catholic, they would show scant courtesy to the
priest who thus dared to enter the fold and at
tempt to carry off, under their very eyes, one of the
choicest of the flock This fear grew upon me
to such an extent that finally broke the silence we
had thus far maintained, and confded to Father
Angus. He replied: "Have no fear. l know the
blgotry of these men, and that perhaps my life
may be in danger if they discover my mission. But
we will see John MacLean tonight and return home
IN safety. Trust in God. He will make the way
smooth for [ shall bear the Blessed Sacra-
ment with me-"
Seeing Father Angus so confident, l had no
doubt but that he had some plan to outwit the
friends of John MacLean and reach his bedside
unperceived. You may well believe that it did not
relieve the tension of my nerves to see him walk
up to the door, after had pointed out the house,
and begin fumbling for the latch. I stumbled in
after him. The fear of horrible, underlined some
thing which might befall us had taken such hold
on my mind that | involuntariy closed my eyes
L he hen I mod
l found myself standing in the kitchen. Father
Angus was not to be seen; but | could hear low
murmur of voices in an adjoining room, which told
me he was busy with his convert On benches and
chairs about the fireplace were five or six men
two of them brothers of the dying man; the others
friends who had come to share the last watches in
the house of death. How could the priest have got
past them into the sick room! And how was it
that not sound came from any of them as [ ad-
vanced slowly toward the fireplace? l became even
more frightened than [ before at this sin
gular reception, different from what [ had ex-
pected. Then, as the freight, leaping up, played
for moment the faces of the group. l saw
the reason. Every man in the room was as sound
asleep if they had been drugged. They slept on
while went in to the waters of baptism poured
on the head of John MacIean; still slept when,
after an interval during which he made his CON
fession went in again while he received, for the
first and last time, the Blessed Eucharist and was
anointed and were still sleeping an hour later,
when, after he had given up his soul to God we
left the house and started home.
We were almost halfway home before Father
Angus broke the silence. Then he said
well we have done good nights work, Don
aid my friend. 1t should be happy Easter for u.s.
cit is wonderful" answered, show much good
there must have been in John MacLean to merit
such grace"
did you ever notice how reverently he always
spoke of the Mother of God? Those who love and
reverence the Blessed Virgin will never want for
aid in the hour of need John MacLean, though a
Protestant, did SO when he was alive. For his re-
ward he will celebrate Easter with her in heaven"
l have never been able to find out how Father
Angus knew of the serious turn John MacLean's
illness had taken. None of our folks had been to
Glen Isla that day, nor for many months before;
and no one had seen any strangers about who might
have brought word. Of course, never dared to
ask Father Angus himself, but [ have my own
opinion. Truly the Blessed Virgin has watchfu
eye for her children, and they never, as Father
Angus said, want for aid in the hour of need
Sylvestre Perry, in Ave Maria.