The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-05-30
HIS OWN WAY.

my religious opinions. / am going to
do what / think proper in the matter,
and | do not propose to be a party to
any quarrel you may arrange for me.
If you intend to cut my acquaintance
because do not go to church or con-
fession, I shall be sorry for you and
for myself; but had rather lose your
friendship than stultify myself. I can
hardly think your liberality is so con-
strained, however, and hope to count
you among my friends in spite of my
resolution I just told you of. Now,
Jerry, do not be foolish; we can have
lots of things in common without re-
ligion."
"You will pardon me, Eugene, for
my foolish display of temper in speak
ing. You know how | get sometimes,
so forgive for am sorry"
"All right, old man, but"
"Not only am I not going to quar-
rel with you, Eugene, but am resolv-
ed to be a better friend to you, than
ever. We have been friends since
we were children, and have been to-
gether in troubles, scrapes and joys,
up to this very day. You have just
told me of your resolution regarding
religion. Let me tell you Of one that
I have made. I shall stick closer to
it, now you have given it up. But |
shall never speak Of it to you, Eu-
gene, until the day comes when you
come to me to have some conversa-
ton on the subject. This silence you
have made the price of your friend
ship. Very well, let it be So"
II thought so, Jerry. You speak
now like a man. We will go on as
friends for the future as we have done
in the past I have chosen my own
way and you have chosen yours. /
won't disturb you. You will leave
me alone. In our common pursuit in
life we can advance on the same road
together. I knew this news would
make you feel badly, but I was sure
1 should keep your friendship in spite
of it."
Eugene Mayer and Jerry Sloan had
been chums from boyhood in the will
derness of the great metropolis of
the country. Together they had wan
dered up to Mount Tom" in the days
of Shanty Town, to take their first
natatory exercise in the waters of the
North River. Side by side they sat
in school, learning the same lessons
yet lessons very different. They went
to the same Catchism every Sunday
and Wednesday and made each of
them his first Confession, and Holy
Communion. Hand in hand they walk
ed up before the Archbishop the day
of their Confirmation.
Where Jerry was in playtime, there
was "Geney'' as everyone called him.
If Sloan pitched, Geney had to be be-
hind the bat. And if Mayer was
caught in any childish prank, Jerry
was sure to have been in it with him.
Yet there were cords which were
drawing them apart though they knew
it not; and only today had the facts
| become known to one of them at
least, that there was a departure from
one another in their lives.
1t was the first difference of a seri-
Gus nature the friends had ever had,
and Jerry had made up his mind not
to let it seperate them. To show his
wisdom in this matter, shall be the end
of the chapter from the life of Eugene
Mayer, which was told to the old or
gan few months ago from one who
knew all about it.
| The two friends went to school to-
gether and graduated from college,
the one devout Catholic, and the
other careless one. The reasons
may be easily found when shown why
Jerry and Eugene were that they
were in their views of the Catholic
Faith. The secret lay in their par
ents, and the home life. 1t is there
in the home that religion must be
taught to children by practical ex-
ample. AS the father is the child is;
as the mother so the son. Lessons
| taught in school, and not enforced in
the home, have little if anything of
practical value for the poor child who
| is forced to learn them. He runs a
great danger of becoming little
hudNO1 vi O Att1C CuAA1u6 AyPOS441Os
Eugene had become careless Cath
Ollie for the past four or five years.
The example of his father who sell
dom if ever went to Mass, and that
of mother who haunted the Church,
and let many household duty go in
consequence, did not have the best
effect in the world on the poor child's
piety. Neither did the quarrels at
table between his parents, heighten
his love for religion, any more than
the knowledge that his mothers re-
igion was to large degree on the
surface, and was confined to the
church, seldom invading the home
circle.
Jerry Sloan had on the other hand
a father and mother who were model
Catholics Never absent from Mass,
and taking their religion home with
them, they had family of good chill
dren, because they themselves set
a good example for the little ones to
follow.
| So side by side these two boys grew
up to manhood, the one devout and
well instructed Catholic; the other a
careless half instructed Catholic, and
now a protested infdel.
Eugene Mayer was handsome, and
half the young ladies who knew him,
1 L.