The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-09-27
A FEAST DAY GIFT

1t was early spring in San Fran
cisco, the Golden Gate of the West.
The air was soft and balmy and deli
cately fragrant with the wealth of
flowers bursting into bloom.
Agatha Lambert was coming out. p"
The process was a slow one, with it's
dances, receptions, dinners and teas,
but altogether delightful to the moth
erless girl, who, after ten years spent
in the peaceful monotony of a convent
school, had been taken under the pro-
tecting wing of her mothers girlhood
friend, Mrs. Scott Martin.
Mrs. Scott-Martin was not a Cath
Ole, but she had promised the dying
mother to care for her child, to give
her Catholic training and when the
time should come, the right kind of
start up the social ladder.
The fulfllment of the promise had
proved most pleasant to Mrs. Scott
Martin. From a sweet child, Agatha
had developed into a sweeter woman,
bright, frank, sympathetic, with great,
laughing, blue eyes that revealed the
heart and soul of a child.
The round of festivities was near
ing it's close On this perfect after
noon tea" was in progress, and as
the luxurious brougham rolled along,
Mrs Scott-Martin suddenly recalled an
important meeting of the Missionary
Board on which she served, and which
she must attend. 1t would not delay
them long
They found some thirty women
gathered, fine, earnest souls, who,
Agatha soon learned, gave up a day
each month to work for missions in
foreign lands. The idea was all new
to her. She had of course prayed for
the heather, but she never knew or
dreamed of personal service for such
cause. She was quite sure Catholics
did nothing of the sort, at least in
America, and her heart filled with a
queer longing as she heard these
women plan the collection of funds
for foreign missions and discuss meth
DDS of arousing others to activity
That night she wrote to the Sisters
who had mothered her, asking all
kinds of questions about mission work
and opportunities of service. The an
swer was discouraging. Outside of
prayers and almsgiving to home mis-
sions, and to the Holy Childhood"
and the Propagation of the Faith"
they knew of nothing she could do.
| WOO TNoCcnd-nnn nj fhnCn orb
full, acknowledgement years when
youth is care-free and the pleasures of
life wholesome. But the seed sown in
the young girls heart had taken root
and was beginning to bear fruit.
In the midst of her joys she thought
much of that Mission Board meeting
and tried to interest her Catholic
friends to do some real work for mis-
sions, but it was all in vain, for priests,
nuns and laity had too much to do at
home to be concerned with the heath
en-. Feed my sheep" seemed to be
local command. Each shepherd had
his own flock and would not see be-
yond the fold.
Yet the missions called insistently
to Agatha Lambert, and grace to an
swer was not wanting. To the "hor-
ror" and amazement of all, she quilted
the life she had made SO bright and
had so loved, to join, in Europe, an
order of foreign mission nuns, because
in her native land none was to be
found.
=
1t was time of famine in India.
The land was parched and dry, and
hunger, suffering, and fever desolated
the district which few months be
fore had given promise of luxurious
harvest.
A little group of Sisters who had
labored there for ten years in one OF
the poorest missions, was reduced to
absolute want, the more keenly felt
because the sick and the little ones
whom they had adopted were dying fol-
lack of nourishment, and souls they
might have saved with a few grains
of rice were being turned away daily
Two of their own number had already
died.
Agatha Lambert was in this group Of
nuns She had gone the whole way
for souls.
1t was her feast day and after Mass
she had gone up to the clearing back
of the convent to oversee the making
of some adobe bricks, to be used
when times should be better, for 9
dry, clean chapel, decent classroom
and a sunny room for the sick Fol
: ten years she had tried to secure this
much-needed addition and today, al
though peace was deep in her heart
she felt the impossibility of it all. Hell
strength was almost gone, and hel
companions dying.
Would relief never come? For the
moment her courage was low, hel
: heart sick But at the sight of 9
. weary Sister coming towards her
Mother Agatha's face lighted with hel
J ever-ready cheer, and she laughed out
J right when the Sister announced
There's present for you below Il
came with this note. Three guesses!'
| Her thoughts flew back to the child
} hood days when three guesses meant
a real Paris doll, a iewe1led ring Of
: boxes of sweets. So she made al
7 three and then gave up"
The Sister handed her a crumpleC
: note. She opened it and read:
'Palem remembers your feast day