The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-06-21

Il
Jack; we must wait. Perhaps when
papa sees that-tha my hearts,
breaking"
HE won't see it," interrupted her
lover tempestuously. HE is blind and
hard as the old pagan gods with
whom he lives. When these old Dry
adjusts get crank in their craniums,
it's there for good and all, Iris.
There's no hope for him, I tell you"
added the young man gloomily; mo
hope"
ooh, don't say that, Jack" she fall
tered; 81 thought that for those like
you, who can see stars in the dark
ness, that there is always hope and
help. l don't know how, Jack" she
added simply-"but can't you pray?"
"Pray?" echoed Jack, looking into
the violet eyes uplifted with childlike
truth to his.
"You believe there is a God who
hears you," she went on softly-"a
Father, loving and tender and wise
and powerful, Who guides and rules
our hearts and lives. Surely He will
help us in this trouble-if you ask
Him, Jack. / have never been taught,
but you know, Jack, you know how to
pray. Try it, DEAR" and, though the
| faith had been a Devon heritage for
generations, Jack felt he had never
known how priceless was his birth
right until he saw Iris turning from
her darkness in sweet, trusting ap-
peal to the God she did not know.
| But, despite all his Faith and Hope
and Love, it was a very disconsolate
young gentleman that broke into
Uncle Hugh's study late that evening
with his story of woe.
The story had to wait it's turn, for
their was parish feud to be settled
amicably between church sweeper
and sexton, and the organist was
there for full pontifcal explanation of
the new and old chant, and Mrs. Raj
ferty was lingering outside the door
to say ga word for Mickey" who was
lin throuble wild the teacher" while
plans for the new schoolhouse
strewed the big table in the study,
and the shabby desk was loaded with
pamphlets, papers and letters which
would keep Father Hugh up to mid
night at least. With all the cares, the
sorrows, the burdens of a great parish
upon him, perhaps Jacks troubles did
not seem to Uncle Hugh the mighty
things they were in the eyes of the
young lover.
well, well" he said, when at last
his nephew found time and chance to
burst out his indignant story; $50 the
old pagan has gone back on us, Ell,
my boy? I was afraid you would not
find it all plain sailing in such strange
seas, Jack. And the pretty little
pagan stands by her father Most
natural, suppose, too" There was
perceptible relief in Father Hugh's
tone. Never mind, my boy. It's a
little hard, of course, at first, but it
may be a bad business well ended for
you, Jack. And there are plenty of
other good girls in the world"
"But there is only one-one wife in
the world for me-" was the answer,
and there was thrill in the words
that went to the good priests heart.
| And then, Jack related at length
the story of that last interview, the
kind heart softened more and more,
until the clear eyes were dimmed
with plying tears for the white lamb
that had never known Shepherd or
fold.
Poor child, poor child" he said;
''she is an exception, as you say, Jack
This will be no mixed marriage, for
she is one of us already in heart and
SOUL" And then suddenly a light
flashed into his eyes, and he burst
into laugh. 81 believe I'll try it,
Jack. I'll face old Zeus for you, my
SELF"
"You, uncle!" exclaimed the young
man; "why, you are the chief objec-
tion-it's the priest that is the diff
Guilty! He swears he won't have one
under his roof He'll turn on you"
with all his thunderbolts, eh,"
laughed rather Hugh, who, leaning
back on his chair, was regarding his
nephew with twinkling eyes, well,
it may be fight, Jack, but I'm some
thing of a Greek myself, and I'll risk
it; for your sake I'll risk the tug of
war Well have it out, together, if
live, tomorrow"
III.
Father Hugh was as good as his
word Though it was Sodality night,
and his promised talk on Vacations"
would be greatly missed, though the
architect was coming to discuss the
lecture room of the new schoolhouse,
though he had a fight on for a band
of Italian emigrants that had been
corralled by the Calvin Colonization
Society,"" the busy pastor let all these
and a dozen other pressing engage
ments go by for the nonce, and took
the evening train for the Parnassian
heights that stood some twenty miles
away from the smoke-veiled city in
which for the last five years he had
found his life-work. He was no
stranger in the great university whose
j splendid range of buildings crowned
: the hill His broad, strenuous life
: had brought him in contact and
sometimes in conflict with many of
} the professors and students engaged
in sociological and economic studies
in the neighboring city; but he had
( never met Professor Weatherby, and
) he was conscious of certain humor.
GUS trepidation as to the coming in.