The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-07-12

DFOk0 at mlQnlgnL, WITH LnunQ0r ana
lightning and heavy rain. The wind
walled around the windows like the
dies Irae" in the Manzoni Requiem.
could almost hear the words:
Dies irae, dies lila,
Solvet saeclum in favilla,
Teste David cum sibylla.''
About two o'clock in the morning
Maudie Joyce came to my room and
crept into bed with me, and little
later Mabel Blossom came, too. They
said they were too nervous and I'M
happy to be alone, and that the storm
frightened them. / didn't talk much
but when the lightning flashed l could
see that their eyes we're open. | heard
them slip away a little before morn
ing, but l was too wretched to speak
to them.
Day came at last. The five o'clock
rising bell for the community rang
first, and then the bell for Mass, and
finally heard the voices of the nuns
singing in the chapel, wondered how
they could sing. But, Of course, they
dered how it could rise. But of course
it had to, too But couldn't bear see
ing it shining in at my window when
Sister Irmingarde was dying. The lay
Sisters were polishing the waxed
floors of the hall as I went to break
knew now how wise it was to work
every blessed minute, and | made out
program then and there that would
keep me busy till bedtime.
AS turned corner into the refec-
tory hall 1 met Sister Edna. The mo-
ment l looked at her face knew she
had good news 1t was perfectly quiet
and serene-as if she had fastened on
again mask she had dropped a day
or two. But her eyes shone like little
lamps under the white band across
her forehead. She didn't wait for me
to speak.
Eyes, she is better, May" she said,
and her voice was like the soft notes
of silver trumpet. "She's better!
The crisis is past. The doctors say
she will live!"
l have heard some wonderful music,
and I expect to hear more-but never
anything so beautiful as Sister Edna's
words. l felt like singing them, and
shouting them, and calling to the
world to stop and listen to them. Sis
ter Irmingarde was better! Sister
Irmingarde was going to live! 1t
seemed as if the whole universe
must know such news and be thrilled
by it. She was coming back to us, and
we could go on living and working and
being happy in the old way. No-not
in the old way-I didn't mean that; in
better ways we had thought about and
prayed for when we thought she was
slipping away from us. We did not de-
serve it, but we were to have another
chance. Sister Irmingarde would live!
That night we girls met in my room
We were so happy that it almost hurt
We made more noble resolutions in
half an hour than we could carry out
| if we gave all our days to them for
twenty years. At last we were tired
quiet for minute. Then Mabel Bios
som said softly, 81 wonder what we
would have done if she had died"
We glared at Mabel. 1t is horrible
to have a cold chill run down ones
spine in the midst of perfect happi
ness. Kittie James said she thought
we would have died, too. But Maudie
Joyce shook her head.
People don't, usually" she said
''They want to- but they don't They
have to go right on living. Mother
said when my brother died that that
was the hardest part of it-having to
go on living"
| The girls shivered.
God wouldn't let such a thing hap
pen to u.s." Mabel Muriel Murphy said
Maudie Joyce looked thoughtful.
"He does sometimes" she said. HE
didn't this time, but He will sometime
you know. Dreadful sorrows come to
people when they grow older Some OF
them may come to us. / feel as if
we had learned a great deal the last
few days, but I'm not sure just what it
is"
She sat still for moment, as if she
had looked into the future and caught
glimpse of strange and terrible
things life held for her. II wonder if
we can bear our sorrows when they
come" she added.
We'll be given strength said
Mabel Blossom, primly.
Through prayer" added Mabel
Muriel Murphy, devoutly.
What do you say, May?" asked
Maudie. What am | trying to get
hold of that can't think out?"
l thought little while, and then a
great light broke upon me, for I re
membered Sister Cecilia's words.
Troubles will come" l said, "and
we will bear them because we'll have
to. That's why people bear them. But
think we'll bear them better because
we are Sister Irmingarde's girls We
haven't lost her this time, but we
must some day In one way, we will
| lose her when we leave school, But
we can take into the world what she
has taught us, and we'll always have
the memory of her. 1t will be kind
of shield, such as knights wore in a
battle-and as long as we wear il
over our hearts nothing can hurt us
much"