The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-03-28

into the back yard and burn them
He had carried out several armfuls,
when, in dropping magazine, letter
slipped out
He. stopped and picked it up and
placed it in his pocket, setting the
magazine aside until he had carried
out all others. Afterward he sat on
the little porch and opened the letter
The first words written in Tins crab
bed handwriting caused him to read
the letter through. 1t ran:
Reverend Mother: You appeal for
a small donation toward the expense
Of caring for the crippled children
in the home under your charge touch
ed me deeply. For years I had the
care of my crippled grandson, and
can appreciate the wonderful work
of love you have undertaken. At pres
ent l can send you only few dollars,
but have made loan of 5000 to a
friend. I expect to be paid at any
time. When l receive it shall send
you check and enroll as a perpetual
member. Yours sincerely
Timothy Murphy"
SilaS Grant stared at it in amaze
ment striving to collect his thoughts
Then he snatched the magazine It
was publication printed to help de-
fray the expense of caring for Grip
pied orphan children and contained
an earnest appeal for help. The ad-
dress of the institution was printed
plainly.
Slowly the wonderful realization
came to him. He was free! The bur-
den had been taken from him;
miracle had happened! Here was a
message from the grave. These tumul-
| tuous thoughts raced headlong through
his mind, then one steadily piercing
thought became uppermost. He had
obtained peace of mind, and Father
O'Brien had said he would obtain it.
With feeling of awe he remembered
it was the fifteenth Of August
For the remainder of the afternoon
he sat there communing with himself.
Afterward he never forgot that day.
He studied himself, past, present and
future, striving to adjust himself to a
new order of things, and finally when
he took the road up the hill, he ex-
perienced a peace of mind he had
never felt before.
His wife's anxious eyes noticed i'm
mediately that the shadow was gone
from his face. She could almost sing
for joy as she set the table for supper.
She added many dainty things out of
sheer happiness; so it was in the ma
ture of feast that the fifteenth of
August was celebrated in the Grant
home
The next day he went away on a
business trip and his destination was
the "Home for Crippled Children" He
presented the Sisters with Murphys
money to enroll him as benefactor
and added the same amount for him
self He told the story of the wonder
full answer to his prayer, to the Rev.
erend Mother and was amazed that she
was not more surprised.
"Ah, yes!' she said softly, so! Our
Blessed Lady is good, she does much
for those who ask her with sincere
hearts. This Father O'Brien is one of
her loved children"
Silas Grant returned home with
those words ringing in his ears-"One
of her loved children" He felt a
yearning to be one of them also.
Who knows? Perhaps one of these
days the Blessed Mother through the
prayers of her beloved children, the
Reverend Mother and Father O'Brien,
will obtain for Silas Grant and his
wife the priceless gift of Faith.
AS for Tim Murphy, his ghost is
never seen about the cottage, which
seems always to be bathed in sun
light. Happy children play about the
door, and to Silas Grant now we'll and
happy, the little house seems to be per-
meated with the faithful, kindly per-
sonality Of Tim Murphy.
-Mdr00ret E. DonneHdn
| in the OYDh0nS' MESSENGER