The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-02-18
THE CATHOLIC BULLETIN FEBRUARY Is, 1911

of her mind. Sit down, my dear:
don't you know me? am Madame
Castelli."
do you think me mad?' asked the
girl. What are you doing here? All,
there is Madame at the other side Of
the piano"
The girl passed quickly to the far
side of the studio while the eyes of the
Madame followed her. The Madame
tried to shrek but no sound would
come from her lips. Was she herself
mad? For there in her own studio,
beyond the piano, was casket opened
full length and displaying amid its
cushions none but Madame Castelli
herself.
Miss Caldwell knelt upon the floor
at the side Of the casket and bowed
her head, her lips moving in a prayer
that seemed interminable to the watch
er by the door. When the act of de-
votion was ended Miss Caldwell gent
~ arose to her feet and as if in an
swer to her prayers, the body in the
casket opened the eyes slowly and
smiled at the girl in mourning.
IT knew you would come" said the
woman's voice. i have waited for
you these fifty years"
FIFTY years." said the girl. 'Im-
possible; do you not remember that
was here only yesterday, and that the
burglars killed you only last night?"
"You are mistaken" said the woman
sadly. 1T was fifty years since; and
all that time / have waited for you
| have suffered so-the pain, the wait
ing, the expectancy to be made ready
for Him. But you said you would
come; and / waited and watched for
you Thank God it is over; thank
God that | knew even one on earth
who would plead to God for my poor
soul It is different, so different when
one comes to meet the holy God"
The woman ceased speaking, and
then quenching the candles that stood
about the casket she trailed her white
robes across the floor of the studio
and disappeared down the stairs
When Madame awoke in reality it
was with scream which brought the
piano teacher from the floor below
cit was nothing, Madame Ricardo, .
she said in apology. II was merely
dreaming Some of the studio cook
ing does not agree with me at times.
must have had terrible nightmare. .
Madame Ricardo smilingly retired
to her studio leaving Madame Castelli
to try to connect the threads of her
dream
Il am sure it was t. she said as she
looked at the space beyond the piano.
1T was there the very candles stood.
was so old, so pained-looking and
lonesome until she-sh prayed for
me. And it was after fifty years.
And would have been there longer
if she had not come to pray. Pshaw
here am acting as if / believed it was
all true instead of a nightmare. And
yet" she continued after a moments
meditation, sit was very strange"
Madame Castelli thought of little
during the following days but the
strange experiences of the uncanny
| dream. 1t was a haunting thought
from which she could not escape, try
as she might. Finally, in desperation
she sat at her table-desk and wrote to
Miss Caldwell
"My dear Girl" the letter ran,
whether or not you are praying for
me, I know not, but something queer
has happened in my life. | feel that
am different woman, that somehow
the woman who. talked so bitter.
ly to you the other day is dead and
gone. l feel that there is much ]
have never known, and that you are
the one to teach me the something in
life which L never suspected was
there ] am anxiously awaiting my
lesson. Will you come to me at
once?'
| 1t was early the next morning when
Miss Caldwell received Madame Cas-.
telli's letter. It was as an answer to her
prayers; and then she remembered
that it was All Souls Day.-Rev
Hugh ]. Blunt, in Magnifcat