The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-01-02

III IT, HSi SidIlCe Iell Oh SprlS OIL
holly lying on the table beside her.
The old shepherd, who came up to the
high fields occasionally, had brought
| it to her and wished her a happy
| Christmas. 1t was an unwelcolne gift
to one who wished to Danish Christ
mas from her life.
She seated herself again, and be.
gan to wind some white fieecy wool.
Years of practice had given her hand
| the quick, unerring turn. The wind,
whistling moro shrilly, came in sud-
den gust to rattle the windowpane.
There was something stimulating
about its reckless vehemence. She
had ever loved wild, I-go-where-I-will'
things. There was so much about
them that resembled herself. Had she
not gone where she liked, always?
AS the wind shrieked and the white
ball increased in size, the woman's life
divided Itself into two periods, the
then and the now. Then was the bit
ter; now, in spite of its deprivations,
| the sweet. Her childhood did not mat
| ter. It was characterized by the wild
spirit, too, but there had been nothing
exceptional about it. She could forget
| it; the thought of it brought neither
pleasure or regret Then meant twen-
| ty-siX years, now, in her way of reck-
oning, seven. But she would extend
that now Indefinitely, both in years
and in capacity for sweetness.
=
Why did they marry her at twenty,
that austere guardian and that frivo-
lous, worldly-minded aunt? Yes, she
| blamed them, although they were just
| letting her have her way. Why had
they not been firm and forbidden the
engagement? They knew she was an
inexperienced child-knew, too, how
eagerly she grasped at every pleasure
that came in her way. The faded
woman laughed as she put the last
twist of wool over her ball. Why dc
any of the elderly ones, be they par
| ents, aunts or guardians, let young
girl marry a fascinating man with
half a million of money?
She remembered how the thought Of
that money had made her young
pulses dance, her soft cheeks glow
To be rich was to be happy-that was
her early creed. 1t was still hel
creed to-day, but with. a modification
Thirty-three years ago she could only
enter at the door of her kingdom BY
1 resigning her freedom; the price
asked and paid was herself Now
after seven years of liberty, she hat
found a way of opening that door ant
entering without any such toll; sh'
had now her own key-zAer own per
tinacity, by which she was to WIZ in
dependence.
myself l give" She had seen thu
words somewhere; they made he
shudder. She had done with giving
|, it belonged to the cruel, humiliatini
. then. Perhaps she was hard, selfish
a woman without heart. Then t.
another's charge would she lay thu
. blame-not to her own.
Il How the wind whirred and moaned
The woman lifted her dainty carmen
, and joined on the new wool. Her aun
had done at least one sensible thini
in her life: the niece had reason t
be grateful for those lessons in 81
many branches ofHeedlewprk, lesson
considered necessity in days befor
the advent of rich husband wa
looked for And it was useful also 70
her to have learned to save out of he
small allowance. The habit had BEEF
formed, and the eXtravagances o
! after years, though they had relaxed
. had not released it's hold.
But how the wind moaned! Nc
not moaned-noW its voice ha
changed-it seemed almost to be sing
ing.
Fl Click, click! The bright needle
} flew, but the eyes of the woman Wer
not watching their motion. No OF
ject in the parlour at Wfndyburn wa
engaging her puzzled attention.
II Down in the valley at the far eA
j tremity of struggling town stood
church. 1t was not large or exteriorl
beautiful. She had often passed il
but nothing till to-day had eve
, prompted her to enter it. She had no
expected to find the inside attractive
: even though it was Christmas Eve
There was something garish and ugl
. about most country churches; she ha
! always felt an aesthetic contempt 10
!, them. Why had she looked into thi
one, to-day? Had her motive bee
merely curiosity? She could not tel
It was difficult to satisfy oneself abou
such impulses.
II wish / had not looked" she mut
tered angrily; "it was wrong OF m
to open that door. I might hay
known that such an action could onl
!. bring back old memories-and ho7
often have repeated that / must fol
: get!"
One of the memory pictures wa
. very vivid before her now. She ha
fled at the sight CT wooden crib
few hours before, but she was power
less here in the presence of a con
pelling mental image. Her face ha
hard, set look, the expression OF on
: determined to endure. The mango
. she saw now was much more realisti
.. than the one in the church at the en-
: of the long street; it was also NOR
beautiful. But it was no effectiv
scenery that held her attention; he
gaze was focused on graceful
kneeling figure, a Mother bending owe
!. her Infant. 1t was a figure such a
any eye might have delighted in, bu
: tI,r 1,,ny7lan -,.ooordinor. iP- had only RI