The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-06-08

acter-smiling valleys stretching as
far as the eye can reach, green and
cultivated-but it lacks the subtle
tints, the depictable lights and shades
which add such charm to an Um-
brian landscape. 1t is lacking also, to
my mind, in the poetry and glamour
OF that fairest province in Italy. But
If | dilate on Umbria we shall not get
at the story tonight!
well, l was fortunate enough to
find two rooms in the upper part of
the town, near the Duomo. There is
a fairly good hotel, believe, as hotels
go in those unfrequented spots, but
was little off the society of my fell
lowmen-a prolonged sojourn in Rome
has that effect-and longed for the
freedom and solitude of an apartment
of my own. 1t is true that my land
lady, Assunta, did her best to prevent
my attaining the latter luxury, but
here intentions were kindly and she
cooked fairly well. I bore her CONVEX
sation as politely as l could.
Zone morning she made one of her
tempestuous entrances into my little
sitting-room, exclaiming, "A Signora
to see you Reverend, Signora motto
distinta-shall 7 make her to pass?
1T was an unwelcome Interruption.
had received large number of dis
tinta' ladies in Rome, who had favored
their own, and their neighbours affairs,
and I hoped that they were an I'M
known quantity here. She is a Sig
nora Inglese,. put in Assunta tenta-
lively, and the fact did not improve
matters. I was obliged to tell Assunta
to show her in.
"She was not in the least like the
voluble ladies who had called upon me
in Rome. She was tall and, even to
my uninitiated masculine eyes, very
well-dressed-no unnecessary frills
and furbelows; quietly, but in the
handsome, too, but there was nothing
meretricious about her, and neither
the brilliancy of her long-lashed brown
eyes nor the ivory pallor of her skin
owed anything to art. That I could
recognize at a glance, for we priests
have a keener discernment in that
matter than women imagine or would
care to believe.
II rose and bowed, than waited for
her to speak. She had heard of me,
she said, from various quarters, and
as she was spending a short time in
Montepu1ciano with an Italian family,
had called to have a talk with me. She
was entirely self-possessed, her voice
was low and cultivated and her per-
sonality made itself Immediately felt.
I murmured something polite and non
commital and asked her to sit down,
and she took a chair by the open win
dow and studied me for few seconds
in silence. There was no trace of
awkwardness or embarrassment about
her, it was simply that she saw no
necessity to speak until she had quite
made up her mind what to say. And
her first words rather took me aback.
"'Do you believe in miracles,
Father?'
"Most women paying an unlimited
visit to perfect stranger would have
paved the way to the subject they
wished to discuss by few preliminary
remarks on the weather, the view, or
the beauties of the place, but this one
went straight to the point.
"'May inquire whether I am speak
ing to a Protestant or Catholic? I
questioned in my turn.
"She lowered her eyes for an in
slant and then looked me full in the
| face.
"T am a Catholic; but it is some
years since I have practised my re-
ligion.'
Somehow I was not surprised by
her answer. There was something |
could not define about her atmosphere
which had already told me that all was
not we'll with her soul. It's a curious
thing, Dudley, how one does feel that
sort of thing, and it's certainly great
help to priest"
TITS a help that a good many are
without, l should say" I interrupted.
you are an exception. Now, let us go
ahead"
"Who interrupted" retorted Father
Cuthbert. Butt realized that my
visitor was not quite ready for ordi-
nary spiritual advice; besides, she had
not asked for it. Exactly what do
you mean with regard to miracles?'
asked. If you have been brought UP
in the Church, you know that they
frequently occurred in the past and
that they still take place in the pres
ent.'
"'That is what | mean she put in
quickly You think they really dc
occur in the twentieth century,
you know, Dudley, that this is one
of my hobbies, SO will I not mount il
now. I told her briefly and simply
what my views were. She listened at
| hnl Rri che