The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-02-25

Il
held the boy closely, meeting the grave
questioning eyes beneath his own, with
| eyes as earnest and questioning. A
strange thought had come to him. Why
not keep this child? He was alone,
the boy would soon be alone.
sonny" he said almost in whis-
per- would you like to stay with me
and grow up here In this house?"
The child nodded, and, Tightening his
clasp, laid his cheek against the
priests. The compact was made.
Gently Father Medhurst set the little
fellow down and they entered the
room.
At sunset Joe's father had been set
| free from the world that had held
many sorrows for him. He was so
thankful for the great good that had
come to his son, that his last NOM
ents were very happy. Across the
still form, when all was over, the
priest and the doctor looked into each
others eyes an instant, and Father
Medhurst said in his deep voice:
1"What sublime faith! What life
of simplicity and hidden sanctity this
mans was! / thank God that mine
| is the privilege to do what remains to
| be done for him, and his son.
The doctor nodded, and walked hast
| lily to the window.
In the days that followed Father
Medhurst gained new experience that
little in former years prepared him for,
Many were the matrons who came to
advise him concerning his boy-many
offers also to take the child into
homes where there were other chill
dren. The good priest listened pa,
tient1y, and thanked all who came,
but he remained firmly fixed in his
resolve to bring the boy up himself
and according to his own system.
Il have ben a boy myself, he would
say, and while it is some few years
ago, 1 remember it, and Joe shall have
the benefit of all the years have taught
me-"
Often, after hard day of varied du-
ties, the priest would find refreshment
of spirit, new and strange to him, in
he companionship of his boy. The two
talked together on all subjects with
ease and confidence that was mutually
Medhurst realized that Joe's mind was
capable of great things, and a glow
ing ambition sprang up in his heart
for this bright soul of promise.
!. Listen to this, Joe," he would say,
Iinterrupting his Office to translate
some interesting bit for the child's
benefit, as they sat together. So Joe
| I. g. he 1rnu q r. "
lives of many of the saints, and where
lother children learned nursery rhymes
The learned beautiful sentences of in
vitatories, hymns, antiphons and re-
sponsories 1t was not that the child
s was able to understand all that the
priest told him; the inequality be-
tween childhood and age, between in
experience and knowledge, was
:. bridged by the love of the one who
gave, and upheld by the love of the
one who received, each in his own way
aiding the other; so that by degrees
there grew to be wonderful com
radeship between them, and constant
/ delightful interchange of thought.
Joe was a very human little fellow
| and there were boyish scrapes and
) troubles in plenty when he began to
go to school, His delicate appearance
{ together with his sedate, quiet man
/ ner. conveyed to his school compan
: ions an erroneous impression OF
weakness. Mrs. Brent, too, had dressed
: him as she had dressed her own small
i boys nearly thirty years before. These
things made Joe's first weeks at school
a eventful. There were series of bat
: ties, from which he emerged victor
, ious, but bearing marks of the fray tc
. an extent that sorely puzzled and trou
! bled Mrs. Brent He won the respect
, of his fellows rapidly when they found
he had fine temper, and physical
, strength to back it. The DULLES among
: them ceased to taunt him with his old
] fashioned garments, and all began tt
desire friendship with him. He was
royal good fellow to those he liked
after his place was established as 6
o real boy; but he told Father Medhurs
@ that he liked the girls better than the
j. boys.
/ 'sYou see,' he explained gravely
a you can be friends with girls without
i beating them; just put your hands il
+ your pockets, look straight ahead anC
start to walk right away; and you've
:, just got EN-
$50 you've sized up the feminine
! part of creation already" the priest ex
: claimed
r "Yes, Father" Joe answered, with ;
r wise little smile. "Of course, there are
n different kinds of girls-more kinds
s than there are of boys-but when the!
t see that you're not going to take thei
nonsense, all of them give in to you.
: We'll, Joe," Father Medhurst sait
:. thoughtfully, you have keen insigh
i for your years; but don't trust to
: Iovermuch. I've had some experienc,
: myself, and I think the best friend
for a how arc hnvS -