The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-01-18

SAC AcIO u1duC uSI SdCIluCS. ne uUSS
not ask for the success of our efforts.
The cup of water given in His name
will give pleasure to our Father in
Heaven. Nothing that we do for His
sake is lost in His sight.
Twelve months passed away Nora
was still at her post, little saddened
by her experience of the previous
year. On leaving the house one morn
ing setting out for the factory, her
landlady handed her letter just de-
livered. Nora looked at it in surprise.
The Informed writing was unknown
to her. She opened it, and with feel
ings difficult to describe read the il
legible scrawl:
This amt no trick. I'm dying, an
before I go want to see you. You
told me God loved even the likes O.
me. For His sake come to me, for
I'm afraid, oh, afraid, an I've no one
to turn to. E. W."
In tumult of conflicting emotions
Nora spent the hours of that days
work. Yet not for one moment did
her resolution of attending to the pit
eous plea she had received waiver
Before even coming to the concluding
initials of the note, she knew instinc-
lively from whom it came. She rec
ognized in the few, hating words the
cry of despairing soul. Unconscious
ly the humble factory-girl was putting
into practice the sublime teachings of
the great apostle: Charity is pa
tient, is kind, believeth all things, hop
eth all things"
The moment she was at liberty she
started to discover the address given
in Emma Willis note. 1t was in a
part of Manchester quite unknown to
Nora, down among the slums. So evil
looking indeed was the quarter in
which she found herself, that she was
glad to see policeman on his beat
near at hand. She CROPPED her way
up an ill-lighted stairs, following the
directions of an unkempt, ragged wom-
an whom she questioned, and, opening
door that hung half off it's hinges,
stepped into a dreary garnet. There,
on miserable pallet, lay wasted
form, the wreck of the girl she had
last seen in robust health. She turn
ed her head at the sound of the OPP
ening door and stared wildly at Nora.
"Ah! You've come" she cried in
hollow voice. IT wanted to beg your
pardon for that trick played on you.
For twas all trick to get money
out O. you, that talk about the river.
But now, oh now, tbs river of fire
l see creepin' up about me, an must
go down into it. Oh, how can I die?
How can go before the Judge?"
Shudderingly she clutched Nora's
arm and continued to pour forth a
flood of wild words, which made her
hearer realize the abyss into which
the poor creature had fallen Alas!
She was now tasting the bitter wages
of sin. 1t seemed as if the demons,
secure of their prey, were already
wreaking their cruelty on her, and
were giving her foretaste of eternal
doom.
But all the demons of hell are pow
erless before the might of the Precious
Blood which was shed for all poor
sinners. After long struggle Nora
succeeded in persuading the poor
erring girl to see priest.
There was no time to lose. The
sands of life were fast running out.
And this was case far beyond Morals
power to contend with She fastened
to seek sanity old priest, one who
had rescued many strayed sheep.
With tender charity he Immediately
devoted himself to the work of mercy
Who shall describe the depths of ig-
norance, prejudice, and now black de-
spair in which he found this unhappy
soul. For hours there was struggle,
all but visible, of the powers of dark
ness to keep it in their grip. But
grace triumphed. Poor Emma Willis
turned to God with all her heart;
begged to be received into the holy
Catholic Church, and, having been
conditionally baptized and purified by
the holy Sacrament of Pennance, re-
ceived in her poor failing heart the
God who has come to call, not the just,
but the sinners to repentance.
From that moment, until she breath
ed her last, her peace was undisturbed.
The Divine Shepherd had gathered the
wanderer to the shelter of the true
Fold. He would not suffer her to be
molested. In sentiments of heartfelt
sorrow and humble trust her last
hours were passed. A little before the
end she said to Nora:
| sWhen 7 am gone I will do nv best
to prove my gratitude for all you've
done for me-"
To that promise Nora always at,
tributed the speedy realization of her
cherished earthly hopes, while she
also understood that in reward of her
act of charity, God had granted her
the salvation of an immortal SOUL
C1pelL L0nde. in the Messenger
ofthe Sacred Heart.