The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-12-21
A Christmas Eve Home Coming

oil C10 IOW VI Haas OIL Inc uOTLQ size OIL
Fifth street that did not have wreaths
of green in it. Even the top windows
next the big church on the corner had
their laurel and red paper, though the
family had moved in only that very
day.
And, if there were a great many
happy families on the north side of
Fifth street that night, none were more
happy than the one that was still busy
Strengthening its meager household
goods about that particular floor be-
hind those particular windows. For
this was to be their new home-the
finest they had ever lived in Here
there were five big rooms. They had
just moved from two. Here the front
windows looked out on the gay street
where the many children played The
old home had looked into dismal back
yards where the general dinginess was
relieved only by lines of washing.
Last Christmas they had been thank
full that the payment for the mothers
washing had purchased a few second
grade pork chops. Tomorrow there
was to be real turkey with all
its trimmings. A year ago, Mrs Nor
row had been ashamed to go to the
first Mass, even in the church of the
poverty-stricken community where she
lived. Now, she had clothes which
would, at least, pass in the crowd at
five o'clock. Then she had not been
able to take the children at all. Their
garments were too thin for the cold.
Tomorrow, they, too, would be dressed
like other peoples children.
What had brought about the change?
The answer is very simple. Tom Nor
row had kept the pledge for two
months. A thoroughly good workman,
he had easily secured work. At the
end of each of those months he had
brought home his wages-the high
wages of an expert craftsman The
first month, most of the 800 had to go
| for the payment of bills. This month
we'll, they were moved up here.
Tom was gone out to get the things
for the dinner. Mrs. Morrow stayed
at home to look after the babies. The
two last were too small to trust in the
house alone. To be sure they we're
sleeping soundly in the new crib; but
they might wake up at any moment if
their mother were absent The first
month of their affluence, the woman
had taken the checque for her hus-
bands labor, cashed it, and paid the
bills herself. But Tom had done so
we'll, had kept straight so long, that
she felt it was safe to trust him with
it now.
Full of that hope which springs
eternal in the breast of the wife of a
reforming drunkard, she went about,
putting things to rights, the refrain of
Christmas carol rising spontane-
ously to her lips. And then the little
brass clock struck ten times
Mrs. Morrow looked up with sur
prise. Tom had been gone two hours
and half for that turkey and a few
other things to go with it, She tried
to go on with the carol, but it soon
went fiat, then stopped altogether.
She did keep on with the settlement
of things for while, but her eyes
constantly reverted to the new face of
the brass timepiece. Time had passed
so swiftly she did not note it's flight
before. Now she wondered why it
took the big hand so long to creep
halfway down the Roman figures.
When at length it reached the
enameled "V," she stopped her work
and sat down. Her chair faced the
mantel and the brass clock Some
how, the brightness had gone out OF
her eyes. The lines, that had we'll.
nigh faded from their corners, took
their place again, growing deeper and
deeper as the slow hand crossed over
the swift little second hand at the
bottom and gradually reached for the
'VI."
She was trying hard enough to be
cheerful. She had gone to confession
that afternoon, and she strove to keeI
away the bitter thoughts, the sus
} picions that crowded ever closer. She
hung onto the last straw of hope as
long as hope could endure. She tried
to convince herself that the stores anC
, the market were crowded with Gus
toners; she calculated the possible
delays for each purchase. She begar
, by allowing twenty minutes to eacf
shop; then made it half an hour;
: heightened it to three quarters
might have kept him till half-pas
nine. No, she could not stretch i
: farther.
: Still the little clock licked on al
merrily as though each little bea
: were not falling like blow upon /;
: woman's heart. The children in the
other room stirred. She went to Sc,
that they we're all right. When sh,
returned, the big hand had reached
almost to "XI' and was covering tn,
little hand entirely. Then sh,
. stretched her arms across the oil
wooden table that was waiting anothel
month to be replaced She laid he
> face between them on the dark, hare
r board. Sobs shook her fraiI body
| Tears wet the rough wood.
t |. To those who are racked witt
physical torture, there is, usually. tn,
) certainty that there will be recovery
) or that death is near. And to thos,
8 who grieve at the bedside of thei
c loved ones. there is the same consola
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