The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-06-27
Continued from Page6)
A CHILD OF THE SACRED HEART.

tant. My aunt and uncle never spoke
to me of religion, though a peculiar
look came into his eyes and a quizzi-
cal smile played about his lips, when
ever he happened to see my rosary or
prayer-book.
ct was the feast of Corpus Christi
and a novena was commenced to the
Sacred Heart that morning at the lit
tie church | attended daily. | made
the novena for my aunt. Something
told me that her days were numbered
and / shuddered to think of her death.
l felt that, when that dread hour
would have come for her, she would
be in sad straits, for she had not been
within a Catholic church since her
marriage.
"Her parents knew of the life she
was leading and the pain they suffered
only increased their supplications to
God for their foolish child-such is
the love of good Catholic parents.
''The feast of the Sacred Heart
came and | ended my noVena with a
Holy Communion. Long l prayed for
my Aunt Agnes before l left the
church.
"'You look perfectly happy today.
Bernardo she said, as We walked
about the garden that morning after
breakfast.
"'But I'm not perfectly happy,
Aunt l answered; then suddenly ]
said, in response to her questioning
look: Aunt, do you ever pray?'
GA hot flush suffused her pale
cheeks; she looked embarrassed, but
not offended at my boldness.
"T prayed last night, Bernard
a little pause-'for the first time in
years-months.
"tAunt,' l persisted, what if you
should die %suddenly?'
"a look of fear filed her eyes and
she turned ashy pale; she dropped the
flowers she held and d great sigh es.
capped her; my arrow had struck
home. With an effort, she recovered
her composure.
"'Come, Bernard she said, irrele.
vanity, avoiding my steady gaze,
help ME to gather UP my flowers
'"So ended our religious |colloquy
for that morning.
in the evening about 10 o'clock
Lucille, Aunt's waiting maid, raped
at my bedroom door. Iihad been read.
ing Father Faber's Blessed Sacra
ment,' and had just turned out the gas
and got into bed.
your aunt is very sick said the
girl, in an excited tone, and she wants
to see you at once. Mr.. Hosfeld has
gone for the DOCTOR
81 hastily dressed and went to my
aunt's room. She was lying on her
bed as | entered. Her long beautiful
hair streamed oyer the pillow and
shone like a halo about her forehead
in the ~gaslight. Never had she looked
lovelier; but there was a fear in heI
eyes and face.
"'Bernard,'-all the sweetness was
gone from her voice and it was now
hoarse and husky-'go with all haste
for a priest, child; my hours of life
are not many
when the aged Jesuit Father had
arrived and had heard her confession
she tried to kneel on the floor to re
ceive Holy Viaticum, as many holy
souls do, but she was too weak. When
the Sacred Host had been received
tears ran down her cheeks-tears OF
sorrow for her misspent life, for the
years had passed in utter forgetfulness
of God and her soul. Like too many
others, only in death did she fully
realize her folly. She did not live to
beg forgiveness of her parents; she
died shortly after the reception Of he1
Saviour.
"'Tell them, Bernard she whis
pered, that / am sorry for the past;
tell mother that my heart is warmer
for her now than it was in the bygone
years; tell father that | have repented
of my disobedience, and that | ask his
and mothers pardon for the grief
have caused them. And, Bernard
the voice was almost gone-'pray
often, often for your wretched aunt
She died in her husbands arms.
Il shall never forget his mad grief
He clasped the cold form to his breast
calling her by every ~endearing name;
he showered kisses on the ~colorless
lips that would never smile on him
again; he rubbed her icy hands in his
as if he would warm them. Oh, the
look in his eyes, the agony in his face!
Aunt Agnes was a lovely corpse
She looked like a child in the coffin
so small, so delicate. Poor grand
father Powers, poor grandmother, how
they wept!
agnes was laid to rest in the Hos
field vault, beside the parents of hel
husband. No cross marks her tomb
Andrew; she is not in Catholic
ground.
"a week after the funeral | went tc
Mr.. Hosfeld, and said, Z think ! viii
go home tomorrow A disappointed
look fitted across his face. He haC
been very, very kind and affectionate
to me since my stay at the Hosfeld
residence; his kindness had increased
since my aunt's death. | was with
him almost all the time; he could
roorooJx- 49, - bavn mo orr4 ~