The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1912-07-27

outside. and q beautiful hly nodded
iis bead AZ me throuEh The window.
a. the mothers heartbroken sobs
fen on ny cara But said I. -sho
vent Of her ovn free vill. did abe Dot
ana kou could thcy change her mlad
and her life so-fcr you Hay she vas
born and reared a Protestant. and
vas a member Of your oun Hrat Meth.
odist Church here IN Decatur" Yes,
that II ell true. Mr. Buaa.- said the
mother. 'and that IL What vo cannot
understand ourselves ! have always
thought that abe vas hypnotlEed or
that they had cast some strange
spell OF the Devil himself over Ferns
mind. for since then. ! have seen her
IN the Convent a few times and she
has never seemed like the same girl.
and she has never seemed 70 be happy.
I found out aftervard that for months
and months these Catholics had been
ooaKlng and persuading Fern 20 leave
home and Join the Catholic church.
She told me that the Catholics told
her. that there was no other religion
In the word outside the Catholic
church that could save her soul from
Hell. I cannot understand the awful
hold. the terrible grip that they
seemed 20 have on poor Ferns body
and soul. The last time that I called
20 see Father Murphy. Of St Patricks
Church, here In Decatur. ! told him
would get her out II I had TO 90 to
law"
'LAw!" said he. ''LAwi Why. 30 to
lawl would like 10 20 10 law with
you'll will law you until you are all
In Purgatory but you Val never set
that girl by lawl"
"one time when . visited Fern In tie
convent Al Alton, I took a friend with
me and Instead of talking 10 my own
daughter alone, the nuns came In and
Superior 10 explain 20 me what con.
vent was. She cried, that 10 an In
suit and they srasped me BY the col.
lar and showed me out Of the door,
and slammed the door behind me-"
Mrs. Reeve. said I. how old is
FernG"
Said the mother brokenly through
her tears. Fern is twenty-five years
old" Then came one OF the most
dificult tasks that I have ever had
% do for I was forced to say kindly,
gently. but firmly-though my heart
ached as | said the words and saw
the slender mothers shoulders shaken
again by the storm Of sorrow that
they aroused
f, Mrs. Reeve. you do not know how
much II hurts me TO tell you, but as
your daughter is OF age according 10
these letters that you have shown me.
she 10 staying in the convent OF her
own free will and choice and 50 1ne
Menace has no possible means Of re-
storing her to you!"
The little mother had gotten out the
paste-board box that contained all the
pres ious little relics OF Ferns girl
hood and her letters written from the
convent. Among the letters we're a
number Of gaudy, gaily colored cards
sent AZ various times 20 the father,
the mother. the little sister and broth.
er. Most OF the cards have 10 do
with "The Sacred Heart OF Jesus
and some of them show the Man OF
Sorrows holding His own heart in His
hand with a FIRE lighted az the top Of
Il and a cross amidst the flames.
There is a little poem, entitled. "Per-
feet Trust" which might have orig.
mated from some kindergarten.
There Is another card for the father
In which are promises OF three hun.
dred days indulgence for each time
the verse. Sacred Heart of Jeaus, Thy
Kingdom Come" is repeated. There
are two aluminium medals called,
sacred Relics" to be worn as secret
charms. All OF thes things the
mother gave me as souveAlrs. The
cards and letters now are not signed
Fern Reeve" but ''Sister NJ. Olivia.
The last letter that Fern Reeve wrote
to her mother We herewith repro
duce, as we consider L a curiosity
written by a baptized member Of the
Methodist church,
1