The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-11-09

CdCnrO. she Tell suddenly TO
trembling. It was plain the thought
dragged her soaring spirit down. Her
breath caught once or twice, and she
brushed from her forehead the mois-
ture that had gathered there.
She felt the need of restoration, and,
glancing at her husband, found it in
the exultation and pride which COW
cred him like garment. She was
winning, his little girl; singing herself
straight into the great, discriminating
heart of Washington. Congratulations
were being flung at him from diplo-
mats and statesmen round about.
Such youth, such beauty, and a
voice beyond the reach of mortals!
Senator, you have given us Mar
guerite for whose love any Faust
would be justified in making any sort
of a bargain This from North, the
celebrated musical and dramatic critic,
left him on the heights.
The curtain went down on the third
act amid a storm of applause. Wash
ington never withholds appreciation
from merit, and Constance Cathro, as
Marguerite, radiant in the joy of sue
This, together with the influx of
friends who sought their box from all
parts of the theater to offer felicita-
tions, laid the ghosts that tortured the
interval of retrospection Mrs. Cathro
had allowed herself. From the presi-
dents box came a hastily scrubbed
note, and Mrs Cathro looked up from
the warm, congratulatory words to
meet across the house the kindly bow
and smile of the writer, the gracious
first lady of the land Never in all
her life had she known a prouder
moment
The curtain had gone up again and
the young prima donna returned to
even greater conquests. Once more
her voice, rare and sweet in the Spin
ming Wheel song, caressed the ears
and stirred the hearts of the auditors.
During charged moment, when the
great assemblage sat hushed and
breathless under the singers spell,
words spoken in the Italian ambas-
sador's box reached the mothers ears.
You have singers, you Americans!
To have been here tonight is to have
heard one" The tones were excited,
those of a person moved to enthus-
iasm.
She certainly has a divine gift"
came the answer, 'but they say she
has no Faith, is an atheist"
What, so lovely a flower without
perfume! Impossible!"
ut is pity, for a woman without
religion is like what you say-a flower
without perfume"
ic %rr,n Sc +a Io1or,oa
for it.. Behind her work is heritage
Of religion. Yes, yes, otherwise she
could not be SO convincing"
They were applauding now, but
Mrs. Cathro heard and saw as in a
dream. At the remarks of the Italian,
the phantoms again walked. She was
scarcely conscious of the operas shift
ing scenes.
IF it is true, some one is to blame
for it, The words burned in her
brain like letters of fire. Yes, it was
true, and, oh God, who was to blame
for it but herself! She had given up
her Faith for worldly marriage, and
her husband, who was materialist,
had brought up their child without
religion. The fact that her mother
had once been a Catholic was care
fully kept from her. Tonight, in the
midst of fulfilled ambitions, remorse
threatened to overwhelm Mrs. Cathro
as it had not done since she turned her
back on her God.
Her husband, noticing the change in
her, asked in alarm if she we're ill.
NO." she replied, "just little worn
from excitement. You know my
nerves." she added, with a slightly
forced Taught. IT shall feel better
shortly"
The act had reached the terrible
church scene and she was suddenly
keenly aware that her daughters voice
was rising sweet as that of a seraphim.
Behind her work is heritage of
religion" Was he who uttered that
truth an accusing angel set there to
bring the dead to life, and for the mo-
ment in her minds eye she saw her
own mother as a husbands love had
often pictured her-dead in the June
time of life, because she would not
withhold her beauty and accomplish
ments from the Church in an hour Of
need. 1t was three weeks after the
birth of her baby when the sudden ill
ness of an engaged soloist made it
necessary for her to take the singers
place or witness the failure of a
church undertaking from which great
financial results were expected. In
spite of her physicians warning, she
decided to sing, and paid for it with
her life. Such was the religious heri-
tage to which her daughter had proved
recreant
Of what avail had been ambition and
wealth, when they failed to drown
these memories that shriveled and
scorched? Mrs. Cathro covered in
her seat as if. shrinking from an
avenging spirit She struggled to shut
out the vision of her mother that was
so relentlessly bringing her face to
face with the consequences of her
apostacy
"A flower without perfume" At
that moment, above the swelling har-
monies of the priests chorus, she
seemed to hear the words. It was