The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-07-20

| She was distressed beyond expression
| to find he was not licensed under
taker and would not go to the house.
| He was sorry, but he had none Of the
requirements for disposing of the re-
mains, and directed her to the cor
rect undertaken, fifteen miles away.
Everything was rough in that primi-
tive settlement The men were all
working, and the women were few,
and, did not dare. They, too, had seen
death under similar circumstances.
The man was moved at her tears
and when he heard she had not tasted
food that day, forced her to swallow
some hot milk, and said he would
try to get her horse and sled if she
would drive.
There was no alternative. If she
returned home to look after her baby
she would have to come back and thus
make the same journey over again.
The lumbermen would not be back till
shutdown.
Breathing prayer that her dear
ones, the living and the dead, might
meet with nothing harmful, she took
the reins and started on her fifteen
mile Journey. The horse was a poor
one, but she found the undertaken, who
came back with her and the ready
made coffin in the sled. His horse
he fastened to the back of the sled.
She reached the village, returned the
borrowed horse, and weary and worn
after her thirty-six miles of travel in
the bitter cold, took her seat again
with the undertaken the coffin at her
feet, and arrived at her cabin just as
the lumber men returned home. /"
They knew in moment all that had
happened, and respectfully. gave all
the help they could.
The baby was sleeping peacefully
at it's dead fathers feet, apparently
unconscious of it's long fast, and the
weary mother thanked God while she
ministered to it.
And when her husband lay in the
coffin, his worn features in repose,
like one peacefully sleeping, her DESC
lation broke upon her, and she cried
out: "Oh, God! what next?"
She did not wish to bury him in
that wild place until at least she had
heard from her home in Pennsylvania,
and the undertaken promised to wait
two days at least, and if an answer
ing telegram came he would bring it
to her.
Can you imagine that lonely vigil?
All night the men watched in turn,
but next day inexorable contract drove
them into the forest, and Annie was
alone with her babe and her dead.
No reply to the telegram came, and
>. her heart was sore and heavy. She
had only twenty dollars for the fun
eral expenses and the journey home
when all was over, and it was not
enough; she could not ask aims of
those with whom she shared her poor
home, for money was scarce with
them
YEARLY she watched the snow
flakes, ministered to her babe, and
face of the dead. ALI alone until
evening she sat, until the lumber men
came back from their work, and then
they had to be fed and the domestic
work attended to, almost all done in
sight of the coffin which held the re-
mains of him to whom she had given
the best years of her young life, and
not once had she regretted. Such is
woman's love.
Again the night watch, and the next
morning the undertaken arrived with
; dispatch. It was from her mother
in-law: Bring remains home. Will
J meet you at depot, Chicago. Wire
, what train you leave"
: With heart relieved, yet very sad,
J the young widow began her prepare
| tons. In her poverty there was not
much to take with her, and when she
, told the undertaken she had but TWEEN
, ty dollars for him, and begged him
: for loan until she could send it back,
| the good man added twenty more and
assisted her in getting everything
ready for the train, even sending the
; telegram to meet her mother-in-law
r in Chicago.
I Perhaps you will wonder why those
! who were near and dear to her did
t not help her; but this is true story
= its dramatis personae are still liv
= ing. They did not, and the fact re
l mains. Truth outweighs fiction.
r The journey home began. There
e was sad meeting in Chicago. The
r rough box in the baggage car, the
$ mother and the young widow and hel
8 babe. And when it was found how
:, Strengthened were her means every
n help was given, and as the traiI
8 whirled on toward Pennsylvania the
+ story of the hardships of that Western
n home was told, with mutual tears.
4 In the meantime the second tele
+ gram was discussed in the young wild
i ow's family, and when it was found
the Protestant mother-in-law had beer
|, the first to go to Annie'S relief there