The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-03-16


my husband, for of this / am sure, he
is only rusted on the outside"
Thereupon, she went deep into the
woods, and before long met an old
beggar woman gathering faggots. She
had on ragged, dirty dress and over
it mantle of as many patches as the
Holy Roman Empire used to have,
and what the original color of the
patches were one could scarcely tell
any more, for rain and sunshine had
done quite a little work on them.
will you give me your skirt and
mantle, Granny" said the knights
wife. II will give you all the gold in
my purse and my silk dress, also, for
them, for | want to be poor
The old woman looked at her in
establishment and said: ''I'll do that;
I'll do that, indeed, my fine little
daughter, if you are in earnest. l
have seen a good deal of the world
and found many people that wanted
to become rich, but one that wanted
to become poor have never yet met.
1t will ill suit your with your soft
little hands and sweet face"
The knights wife had already be-
gun to undress, and she looked so
earnest and so sorrowful that the old
woman now knew that she was not
making fun. She gave her the frock
and mantle, helped her to put them
on, and then asked:
What will you do now, my fine
little daughter?"
BEG, Granny answered the lady.
BEG? Well don't grieve over that,
it is no shame. At the door of Heav-
en- many one will beg, that never
learned how here below. But the
beggar's song I must teach YOU
Begging and loafng,
Hungering and thirsting,
Everywhere all the time.
Travel we beggar folk.
Have you? Then give it us,
II only sup!
Bread in our beggar sack
Soup in our cup!
wallets of leather,
Nantes with rag fringe
Wear the poor beggar folk!
Whatever you give us
We merrily squander!"
"Now, isn't that a pretty song?"
said the old bag. Thereupon she
threw the silk dress about her, sprang
s-L~ Ix,~ Sxa ~
moment.
The knights wife wandered through
the woods and after some time met
a peasant who had gone out to look
for maid, for it was the harvest
time and work-people were scarce.
The knights wife stood still and held
out her hand, 'Have you? Then give
1t us, if only sup!" But the other
verse she did not say because she
did not like~i The peasant looked
at her and found that in spite of her
beggar's dress she looked healthy, and
he asked her If she would not become
a maid servant for him.
ct will give you cake at Easter
a goose at Martimass and dollar and
a new dress at Christmas. Are you
satisfied with that?"
NO." answered the young wife, Il
must go begging; the good God will
have it So"
Thereupon, the peasant became
very angry, called her bad names and
rallied at her, then he said sneeringly:
'The good God will have it SO?
Hey? You have just dined with Him,
perhaps? What? Lentils with fried
sausages, isn't that SO? Or, maybe,
you are His nurse that you know so
we'll what He wills? You are dirty,
lazy thing, good for the rod, too mean
for the beadle?" And he went on his
way and gave her nothing. Then the
knights wife saw that begging was
pretty hard work, indeed.
She went on, and after some time
came to a place where the road divid-
ed and two stones stood. On one of
them sat a beggar with crutch.
AS she was very tired, she thought
she would sit for little while on the
other and rest herself She had hard
ly seated herself when the beggar
made lunge at her with his crutch,
and cried:
Get out of this, you hussy. Do you
want, with your rags and your sugar
sweet face, to take my business away
from me? I have a squatter's title
to this corner. Clear out quick, or
you'1I see what a fine bow nv crIltch
makes with your back for fool f1d-
diet"
fContinued on Pare