The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-02-22

He held a scale in his right hand,
and the the scale was golden one.
Nor had he smile for her. It was
all very solemn-more solemn than
anything she had ever dreamed of
while on earth. Even the Blessed Vir-
gin, her own Mother, did not stretch
out her arms in welcome to her. And
the child was afraid. And there was
still another angel, holding a Book.
And to his left was Satan.
Satan was hideous. She could never
have pictured any one so vile-looking.
And she wondered how she ever could
have committed sin.
81 claim this SOUL" he was saying.
"She has sinned. For one sin l was
cast out of Paradise, and this soul has
committed hundreds of SINS"
And he put some sand on his side of
the scale and it balanced in his favor.
Then the angel with the Book came
forward. He turned page. And she
saw the picture at which the angel was
looking. An angel was leaving heaven.
It was her guardian angel and Christ,
the Son, and the Father, and the Holy
Ghost and Mary and every angel and
saint in heaven was bidding him:
Bring the child home safely. We are
waiting for her" And the angel
turned another page. 1t was the pic
ture of her baptism. And she saw
how beauteous her soul was before
God. Her angel placed white rose
on the scale, and it balanced nightly
in her favor. She looked up to the
face of Christ, but the face reflected
the justice of the Judge. The Christ
of Mercy was in the tabernacle of her
parish church. He was not here. The
Christ of Justice had no smile. And
the angel turned over seven pages.
They pictured the story of her life
up to the age of reason. They were
bright, beautiful pictures, and the heart
of the child was glad, for her angel
put seven beautiful white roses on the
scales, and they dropped heavily to her
side.
Then Satan grinned.
CAS- you remember, God of Justice,
this soul started to tell lies in her
eighth year And, Recording Angel,
your records will show that she stole
some money from her mothers purse"
And the Recording Angel turned
over the next page. The picture was
a sad one. And the heart of the child
was heavy for Satan piled his side
with sand, and each of her beautiful
roses fell off. She looked up at her
angel. His face, too, was sad.
And Satan grinned again,
"You will remember, Recording
Angel, that this child missed her
morning prayers. You will remember
that the only prayers she said were
the ones she was too sleepy to re-
peat"
And the Angel looked at his Book
And the Book showed that the child
had not prayed. Satan threw more
sand on his side of the scale, and the
balance was even.
Then the Angel turned another page.
The brightness of it dazzled the child's
eyes, and she felt almost impatient
to see the picture that the angel was
looking at. The picture was the Blood
of Christ, and 1t was falling on her
soul, for she was making her first
Confession Afterward she had gone
up to the Blessed Virgins altar, and
said decade of the Rosary, and she
made the Blessed Mother a promise.
She promised that as long as she lived,
every day of her life, she would say
decade of the Rosary. And she
looked up at her angel. Surely he
was pleased at the brightness of the
page? But he was not looking at her.
His eyes were fixed on the Face of
Christ, and he did not drop another
rose on her side of the scale. And
the Angel with the Book turned over
another page. The brightness was
even lovelier. The picture was Christ
coming to her for the first time. 1t
was the day of her first Holy Com.
muni0n. And she looked at her angel
Surely he would drop a rose on the
scale for her. But he did not seem
to see her. His eyes we're still on the
Face of Christ.
Then Satan opened his hideous
mouth to speak.
"Your records will show, Recording
Angel, that the very next week after
her First Communion, she was envious
and disobedient, and she seldom
thanked God for His gifts
And the Angel turned over another
page, and the pictures we're not beauti
full, and Satan threw more sand on his
side of the scale. Still it did not out
balance the other side.
The next page that the Angel turned
was beautiful. A week had passed
She had gone to Confession and Holy
Communion again. And the child
looked timidly up to her guardian
angel. His eyes were still intent upon
the Face of Christ. He did not see
her, nor did he put rose on the scale
for her.
And Satan spoke again.
81 claim this soul, because when i'll
ness came upon her, she murmurret
against God. And when she knew she
could not live, she protested against
dying" And he threw more sand or