The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-03-04
THE CATHOLIC BULLETIN, MARCH 1, 1911
Continued from page 50
A CHANGE OF HEART.

of spirituality; and that in time all
men should rise above such mental
tasks, though they might pass through
many incarnations in the spiritualizing
process. 1t occurred to her that the
earth would be a decidedly uncomfort-
able and unsanitary place when the
last janitor and scavenger should be-
come spiritualized. And so darkness
descended upon her old lights, though
no new ones shone in their place. And
all the while the tattered catechism
was her constant companion because
| it was the only book in her posses
sion, she told herself; but some of it's
charm must have lain in the auto
graph of its former owner, although
Ruth herself was scarcely aware of
this.
Her scorn for the natives was dimin-
ishing, and almost imperceptibly a
warm regard for her neighbors was
taking it's place. Mrs. Brooks solicit
tude for the comfort of her guest must
in time have impressed a heart of
stone; and the beguiling ways of the
erstwhile troublesome little Brooks
(the "rivulets," Ruth called them) had
disarmed her hostility. The very sim
plicity of the daily lives of these un-
cultured people charmed where it had
once repealed her. Their readiness to
give of their poverty to those less for
tunate, the kindly little attentions or
the generous sacrifice of time and
services to the sick, even the personal
interest in their neighbours affairs
which she had at first attributed to
curiosity, appealed to her sympathy.
| Here all was peace. No din of speed
ing cars, no whir of motors, no rumble
of wheels, no clash of bells or scream
of whistles disturbed the brooding
calm of golden mornings and purple
nights. Softly through the clear air
came the musical rush of the waters,
the MARBLE of birds, the hum of bees,
and now and then the lowing of cat
tie or the sound of woodman's axe.
Ruth's heart sank at the thought of
leaving this enchanted land for the
turbulent life of the busy world beyond
those guarding hills. How she should
miss it all-Mrs. Brooks kindness, the
prattle of the children, the cooling
voice and clinging fingers of the first
real baby she had ever known, the
cheerful greetings of her neighbors,
and these solitary rambles through
the towering forests! Here, she felt,
was life stripped Of its tawdry robes of
convention and pretence, and clad in
the quiet garments of simplicity and
truth.
One morning in early August, as
Ruth set forth upon her daily walk,
Mrs. Brook accompanied her to the
gate, the laughing baby in her arms
catching to the sunbeams that crept
through the trees above. Before part
ing, Ruth summoned courage to ask,
with assumed Indifference, question
that had trembled on her lips scores
of times before: o.
''Who is that handsome young fell
low up at Carolan's mill?''
What! That boy? Is he homer"
queried Mrs. Brook, shifting the baby
to her right arm. why, that's old
Carolan's son, and he's studying to be
a priest He must be home on vaca-
ton"
But the conclusion of her remarks
was lost on Ruth, who passed along
the familiar trail with queer little
pang at her heart, which she mistook
for pity for the misguided boy who
intended sacrificing himself to an
IDEAL
She understood now his averted
glances, his Indifference to her
charms; though of late he had grown
more friendly, sometimes joining in
the conversation between his father
and herself, and again giving her a
pleasant greeting and farewell. What
"a pity that so bright and cultured a
nature as she found his to be should
content itself in such life! Why,
this was even worse than burying
himself at home and serving his father
in his present lowly capacity! His
life would be dull, monotonous
round of poverty, obedience and out
of date ceremonies. He would rise
in the morning, sclothe himself in
strange archaic vestments, and repeat
prayers and perform at altar rites that
were hoary with age centuries ago.
He would study from books that were
written long before science enlight-
ened the world; he would teach and
preach those doctrines to others; and
all this, when he might give his serv-
ices to Humanity in far more prac-
tical manner! How many were win
ming golden opinions in settlement
work, as dispensary doctors, or lee
turers on the prevention and cure of
various diseases, as expounders of the
influence of attractive environments
upon the evolution of the human race.
Yet she felt tinge of admiration
for this handsome man, who had
chosen to turn his back upon the COM
forts and emoluments of earthly posi-
tion and embrace life of such aus
! terity. And. after AL there was no