The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-12-09
(continued from page Sd
THE PRIESTS STORY.

his eyes to the image of Our Crucifed
Saviour and again he repeated the
ejaculation, Heart of Jesus, have
mercy on mel" With his eyes on the
crucifix and those sacred words on
his lips, hes breathed his last; and
the soul of poor, good-hearted Tom
Dolan went forth to be. received by
Him Whom he had but moment
before received. Just as had fin
ished reading the prayers for a de-
parted soul, the house surgeon en-
tered the room.
Father" he said, slipping his
hand in his pocket as we walked
slowly down the corridor, here is
something that was tied around this
mans neck and we removed it when
we were preparing him for the opera
ton. know it is not a scapular, for
/ have seen so many of them that
| know one when see it. Perhaps
you know what this is, Father?''
Ct took the little piece of soiled
cloth and found it was a badge of
the Sacred Heart, on which could
with difficulty make out the words
Heart of Jesus, have mercy on mel"
Eyes, DOCTOR" answered softly,
81 know what this is, and / think l
shall keep it."
Placing the badge in my pocket
book, and deeply impressed, I hast
ened from the hospital into the storm
again.
"The good priest paused and gazed
steadily into the fire.
"'But that's not all, Harry he again
resumed. Reaching home, thought
over all the circumstances and decided
to get the main facts in the case. so
on the morrow I questioned my little
acolyte as to his knowledge of the
affair. I learned that his father was
taken suddenly i'll that night and
Willie was dispatched for the family
physician On reaching his house the
boy was informed that the doctor
was out on a call and might
not be in until morning, and was
advised to get his assistant, who lived
down the next street about half mile
After delivering his message to the
doctors assistant Willie started for
home, a journey which necessitated
his crossing the mainline railroad.
AS he was nearing the tracks he heard
the 10:45 limited come laundering
along. When he was within about a
hundred yards of the crossing the
train passed, and through the binding
storm he could distinguish the lights
of the express leaping through the
blackness of the night. Above the
rumbling of the heavy train and the
wind and fury of the storm he thought
he heard moan-a terrible cry of
agony. With fast beating heart and a
hurried prayer for the soul in distress
he hurried onward in the direction of
the moaning. As he reached the
tracks he heard faint cry and there,
about ten feet away, was a man, hor-
j ribly crushed and mangled. Going
over, he knelt beside him and, look
ing closely into his face, he recognized
the injured man. He didn't know him
personally, but he had seen him and
he knew that he should have been a
Catholic. He was joined presently by
several passengers and members of
the train crew, for the engineer, see
ing that he had struck some one, had
/ stopped the train. The crowd, headed
/ by the brakeman with his lantern, the
light of which fell on the injured mans
! face, eagerly pressed around to catch
a glimpse Of him. The brakeman took
the man in charge and bolstering him
up, made him as comfortable as pos
sible and supported him, awaiting the
arrival of an ambulance which had
been sent for. From the heart of my
little altar boy, who had started at
once for my house, there arose to the
/ throne of God fervent prayers that
God might spare the life of the dying
man until he could get a priest. Strug
Cling onward through the storm, the
brave boy finally reached the rectory
in the condition in which described
him. I shall always remember that
act, and feel that the noble soul oil
poor Tom Dolan in heaven was instru
4 mental in bringing nearer to him thai
heroic boy, who did so much for him
on that awful night; for he afterwards
became priest of God.
Harry he said, this is the badge
of the Sacred Heart which was the
direct means of getting the priest fol-
a dying sinner twenty years age
tonight and as he unfolded it he read
the aspiration: Heart of Jesus, have
mercy upon mel
".I learned the whole story of poor
Tom Dolan and the sacred emblem
several years later, continued Father
Mcnamara, from a priest who had
known him in Ireland 1t seems thai
Tom had always been a tender-heartet
and good boy, for this priest told me
that, when he was attending the
Christian Brothers school with hin
n