The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-02-13
The Eyes of Faith.


The old sexton glanced uncertainty
at the bowed figure in the corner of
the last pew The little old lady al
ways stayed after Mass to say 1.-The
beads, but this morning she had re
manned SO long and was SO omniously
still, that Michael was a little uneasy.
He felt rather sense of response
bility towards this small, black-clad
person. There was something appeal
| ing about the sweet face and the soft
| eyes-:'it's the blue eyes of her.
| Michael told himself at the times
when he tried to account for this un
usual interest in a stranger. Yes
| it's the blue eyes and the smile OF
her. TIL just be after touchin' hel
to see if maybe she's asleep" He
shuffled over-the rheumatism got
| Michael every winter bad cess tC
| it, but the will of God be done! "-ano
| gently touched the bent shoulder. In
stantly the old lady raised her head
and gave Michael rainbow of 6
smile through her tears that were
streaming down her worn face.
Are We in amy trouble, ma'am?'
inquired the sexton, respectfully.
Gould l do anything to help ye?"
No, thank ye,' she replied, stand
ing up with difficulty mo, God bless
We, I'll be gettin' home now-they'll
be Wonderin' am | lost. Isn't it ter
rible the little faith we have? It's a
great wonder that our Lord and His
Blessed Mother don't lose patience
entirely, the way we ask for things,
and then despair and cry, and don't
trust enough to be sure We'll get them
if it's for the best
Eyes, ma'am," answered Michael,
with sigh, we're like children, and
it's terrible hard for us to see why we
can't have what we want But it's
sorry | am to see you feelin' so sad,
ma am He walked with her to the
door Of the church and after she had
wished him good-morning, watched
her shabby figure going slowly down
the street. Then he went back to his
work. She's a widow" he reflected,
remembering the old-fashioned wild
oW's weeds she wore, $50 her husband
lis past giving her trouble. It'll be a
son, maybe-a wild gossoon, a drunk
ard, or one that has lost the Faith .
tain green mound in far Roscommon,
where he had laid his own mother be-
fore coming to America. Thank
God, l never left her while she lived
nor gave her any trouble. May her
soul rest in peace!"
New York bewildered and fright.
ened little Mrs. Halloran. She had
, travelled, as a girl, to Limerick, and
she had sailed from Queenstown two
years ago, but such a place as New
York she had never dreamed could
exist. She maryelled at it this morn
| ing as much as she had marvelled two
7 years before. But she did not won
, der to-day, as she used to do, how she
) was going to cross the street without
, being instantly killed, for she had g
staunch friend in the big, blue-coateG
young fellow at the corner, one oil
7 New York's finest" who stopped the
/ traffic in his lordIy way and helped hel
| over as solicitously "as it," she
: though wonderfhgly, "as if was {
! pretty colleen instead of an ugly oult
: witch
officer O'Brien evidently, did no.
S think she was an ugly ould witch a
E all, for he looked very tenderly a
{ =1lJ Lp,
; almost reverentIy across the crowded
:, avenue. She turned to him at thC
J other side and said, God bless We
j. ye're good boy" He smiled raised
his visored cap while New York;
traffic awaited his pleasure, and re
: piled, THANK you, maam The da,
wouldn't be started right without you
blessing
; Officer O'Brien effectively upheld
d the majesty of the law and compelled
, the respect Of reckless chauffeurs an
d truck-drivers, but, often to his owl
6 vexation, he seemed unable to impress
O the women of his acquaintance wit
o a. sense of his dignity. Unawed b.
o his six feet of height and his Jove
n like look of sternness, they persisted
r in smiling a certain kind of smile an
: characterizing him as a nice boy.
r. Mrs Halloran entered her daugf
@ ter's modern fiat and was immediatel
. hailed by an onrush of childrel
n "Gran'ma gran'ma!" piped the choru
t of shrill voices, while sticky finger
o clutched her dress and bread-andbut
q terry mouths were raised to be kissed
She greeted the infant Flynns rathe
G absently, and went straight to tn
n mantel-piece, where a few posta
Q cards and 'ads." proclaimed that tn
d postman had made his morning visit
d She turned these over with feveris1
eagerness, and then, the light gon
from her face, sat down at the windoy
and gazed out unseeingly.
Young Mrs. Flynn, brisk and rosy
and wiping her hands upon her apron
n entered from the kitchen and made
y raid upon her offspring.
n s-Rosie, go straight into the kitche
e and wash your hands, and was
II Toms, too, and the baby's. Sham
oil on We, teasin' granma like that
,r Mother, why don't We jist give them
good clout when they come botherir
i, around ?-Where were We this lon
e time? Sure I thought We we're ru
d. over or something, l was that anx
n ous!" She was vigorously untyin
If the black bonnet and taking off tn