The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-01-28

hither and th1ther. FINALLY they came
upon a church on an embankment.
It had cross upon it, but SO had other
churches that morning. Bermuda is
Anglican, rather High Church.
Two girls, sWarthy in face and
decked out in wonderful and fearful
hues of frock and hat, were climbing
down from an old farm wagon that had
drawn up below the building.
Us this Catholic Church, Mary
asked one of them.
The girl looked at her duly, curl
ously, and wnen the question was re-
peated, looked up, appealingly, at the
man. He sat stolid.
What is the name of this church q
asked Aline.
But the girl shook her head. Il
Dunno" she said, with peculiar &C
cent.
"Portugese!" said Mary, Impatient
iiy. "Can't they understand" Then
she noticed something black wrapped
with the girls handkerchief in her
rough hand.
aren't those beads?" demanded
Mary. The girl opened them to her
view, and smiled a little.
do you 60 here to church," asked
Aline.
"Yes, men," answered the girl.
'The stupid thing!" cried Mary, on
her way up the stone steps. "Of
course she was a Catholic! Wouldn't
you think she'd know?"
| They were late, and the little in
terror was packed. 1t was mainly a
! tourist congregation, winter hats and
last years summer styles mingling
all the way up the front aisle to the
altar Here and there a woman wore
next summers hat, forerunner of a
season. The tourists shed an atmos-
phere of ease, luxury, well-being. At
their outskirts sat the black element
and the farmers. At late Mass, some
two hours on in the morning, there
would be a congregation of fewer trav-
elers and more natives.
The sermon that must be preached
to that audience was not an easy one.
| Which were better for the priest-to
talk down to his own flock or up to
the strangers within his gates? Pre-
sumably he made no choice, and ad.
| dressed them simply, feelingly, on the
subject nearest his heart. There were
too many poor Catholics today, he
said. Catholics who practiced neither
love of God nor charity of man; Cath
olics who gave scandal to their Pro.
testant brothers by bad examples. He
longed for something to show them
their madness; he prayed for light to
enter their hearts.
Hes quite right" remarked Aline
when they were outside. II suppose
it is a very hard religion to live up
to. And I know there are lot OF
Catholics who don't want to know
what their religion isl"
ooh, l dare say" replied the other
carelessly-' that girl We questioned
outside the church.
| well, I wasn't thinking of her.
unused Aline. Then, she asked, why
don't your church have missionaries
don't mean the foreign kind who go
to convert Cinnamon who can't be
converted, but the home mission sort,
you know, like ours, I'm sure you need
them!"
/ Mary bristled. I'm sure I don t
know what we'd do with more Catho-
lics!" she cried, with spirit. did you
ever try to get a seat in a Catholic
church on Sunday? It's more than
your life is worth! 1t seems to me
place will always be packed"
II was only thinking" said Aline
gently, that you might make what you
call good Catholics. Going to church
isn't everything. Now, you don't say
your prayers at night"
81 dol" cried Mary, holly.
"When?"
''Why, after get into bed, OF
counsel"
One does not care to spend months
in Bermuda; the sightseeing may
easily be exhausted in three or four
weeks; after that, even the beautiful
drives pail, for the islands do not
cover many miles; one may go from
one end to the other of the largest
ones in a day, driving leisurely and
seeing all places of interest, and back
again. There are no society functions
save the dances at the big hotels, nc
more in number than three or four a
week, and with the small circle OF
passing friends that one can make
these soon grow irksome even to a
young person. Afternoon tea is like
breakfast, SO common that you dc
not think of giving a tea any more
than bathing party. Veteran tour
lists sigh for new scenes when less
than month has passed.
1t was so with Mary Keane and hel
parents; but the doctors orders were
that Mr.. Keane should remain in this
climate until early summer was well
under way in their New York home
And stay they must! Time dragged
for them. They were "sick of it, in
their own phraseology. 1t may have
been this very tedium that drove the
three to the mission at st. Edwards
The black folks of every district are
mighty imitators, and they want to be
in fashion. In Bermuda most of the
'niggahs" are Anglicans, because that
was the national church, the religion
professed by their old masters anG
white neighbors. Mary had heard il
said that the one Catholic priest or
the islands was a diligent worker
among them, but that they did not be
come converts, so welded were they
to being seen on Sunday in the Eng
lish house of God. The Portuguese