The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-01-14
Macdonald's Sacrifice

enth heaven of delight. A dispassion-
ate onlooker could not have said why
it was cause of joy that notably I'M
sociable person received an invitation
for fortnight's visit, especially when
the Christmas festivities, for which he
was being asked, we're sure to draw a
full complement of guests to Lindoris
Court
! Yet the fact remained. Robert Mac
donald, sitting over his books late in
the evening, had been overjoyed by
the arrival of that simple little mis-
sive.
He spread the note upon the table
before him. It was not the words
which claimed his attention. After the
glance which conveyed their meaning
he had forgotten them. They suggest
ed no gay picture of revelry and good
fellowship. One figure, and one only,
rose before him-that was of a young
girl, tall and fair, with calm eyes of
clear, sea blue, eyes childlike as the
morning, yet in whose limpid serenity
shadow of pain seemed to linger. 1t
was a face strong, sweet and true, a
face like that of some clustered saint
1t was the one face in all the world
/ for him.
Esclairmonde, the Light of all the
World, he had named her to himself
That gracious, womanly figure stood
to him as an embodiment of the Chris
tian ideal, "a lady with lamp'-the
lamp of holiness, of truth, of good
deeds always bright, and burning bea-
con-wise in her gentle, stainless
hands. She was his Una, his Queen
of Beauty and of Love, surely the vir-
tuous and valiant woman of the in
spired Scriptures. Such was the fame
of reverential imaginings wherein he
had shrined the lady of his dreams, as
some cleaning saint upon blazoned
window. And all day long the light of
another world streamed through the
splendors of his wondrous window, fill
ing the quiet places of the scholars
! soul with inspiring loneliness.
He had now known Mary Hamilton
: for three months. He recalled their
first meeting. She had been decorat-
ing the church for Father Lang, and
) was just leaving it as he himself en-
tered for his customary visit. He had
} been impressed by the strength and
/ Madonna-like beauty of her FACET
was one in a thousand. Occasionally
: after their introduction, they had met
4
: then he had called at her stepmother's
, and once, he had spent a week with
t Miss Hamilton and several other
guests at Lindoris Court on the invi
> tation of her guardian, severe old Mr.
v Anthony Codrington.
| Yet, despite his opportunities, he
1 had scarcely come to know her well
) Timid and somewhat reserved, he had
been sufficiently happy in worshipping
e his star at a distance. But for this
D laxity he resolved firmly to make am
b pie amends during the Forthcoming
Christmas visit which he knew she
;, also was to make He would put his
t fortune to the test. And in this inten
q ton he was confirmed by the memory
q of the loneliness he had suffered dur
n ing her three weeks unexpected alb
!. sence a short time previously.
i The castles built we're radiant will
o hope, as was Macdonald's gentle ant
unpresumptuous nature, fragrant witt
O prayer. True Catholic that he was
a he confided this enterprise to hi
q Mother onfidant in Heaven. And a
q last it was Christmas, the snow thicl
and white as of yore, the glossy holl
bushes scarlet with berries, the red
breasted robins tame and friendly, tn
o atmosphere full Of that indefinable
magical spirit of Yule, of unfettere
gladness.
1t was glorious Christmas Eve. S.
i, cold was it that the air seemed a-crac
n with the intensity of the icy silence
that hrooded over the wide whit
=; fields and the lonely lanes, unfamilia
in their wedding robes of snow
Like the Spirit of Christmas, a singl
Ii robin, perched on thickly powdere
branch, just level with Macdonald
face as he sat in his trap, poured fort
d. a veritable carol of glee to him.
Dear little bird!" thought Robe1
n delightfully."- Robins mean good TO
tune, have heard, and the little fe
at low sings with all his heart, as if b
were congratulating me and wishin
&c me Happy Christmas!' 1t is my hal
piest Christmas even now, and SOM
IN thing tells me twill be happier yet.
merry Christmas, and the best {
e, feasts to you, little robin, bird of Mar
Id as you surely are"
And the same elusive, boyishly I'll
reasoning spirit of delight was wit
him through all that radiant evening
tn through all the next days holier bea
ty and throughout the festal week tn;
he followed. 1t was paradise only to /
there in her presence, only to see he
ne beautiful as Christmas rose. 1t We
like kneeling nigh some well-belove
1g patron saint to be beside her, as ono
it CHANGED to him during the evenin
prayers that we're said in common b
re the household, guests included.
Then, from the clear heavens abov
tie there fell thunderbolt. The summt
cloudlessness of his happiness was
nd stroyed by the black storm wrack tn,
drove across it. She was not for hir
His golden Esclairmonde might I
longer light his path with the illumi
ing radiance of her lamp.
"Have you noticed how like an O
>. Madonna that beautiful Miss Hamiltc
I1U is?" he had one evening CHANGED
hs overhear David Kerr, newcomer
&C the district like himself, ask of one
~ the older residents.
UVoc che ic wopdnrfuIlxy 1;Izo Fl