The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-11-27
AN HUNDRLDFOLD.

letter which he had read aloud, ana
on her lap lay her forgotten knitting.
The chickens should have been fed
half an hour before; it was time to
prepare her sons evening meal; but
she sat-she who was never idle,
staring with unseeing eyes at the
speckless village street, the prim lit
tie house opposite her own, and a
slow-noving windmill indistinct in the
distance. The fire burned low and
f1ickered, fickered, died, but she did
not see. The Ange1us rang, and she
did not hear.
i She left the window at last to cross
the room and kneel before chest Of
drawers. Unlocking the Lowest one
with key which she drew from her
pocket, she opened it wide. On top
lay the photograph of young boy
whose strong, earnest, simple face
was very like her own. Beneath were
some baby clothes, yellow with age
and worn ragged; and, wrapped in
tissue paper, a boys little white suit,
a white badge, and an over-decorated
First Communion candle. She lifted
each garment in turn, lingering long
over it, and examined the precious
souvenirs as critically as If she had
never done so before; then put every
thing back into its place, stopping
only to gaze a second time at the
photograph.
Blinded by tears, she CROPPED her
way to the seat beside the window.
Half an hour passed; twilight fell, and
laborers hurried by, going home after
their days work; but she did not stir
again until Joseph, her son, came into
the house. A bright-faced, whole
some-looking youth he was, little
| less typically Dutch than his old
mother
| Being young and consequently hun.
CRY, instinctively he glanced first at
the supper table. Surprised to see it
empty, he turned toward the figure
family outlined in the window, and at
once knew that something was wrong.
The merry air he had been whistling
died on his lips, and he stood silent,
and looked at his mother. Without
turning her head, she held out the let
ter.
Father Van Buren, brought this
she said, and her voice sounded
strange even to her own ears. "It
was sent to him. He read it to me-
Joseph took the letter from her
and, standing close to the window fol
the sake of light, read three closely
written pages; and as he read his
face grew white and winter, and his
hand trembled so that the sheets
shook and the letters danced before
his eyes. There was a fourth page
but he could not read it for his tears
Not one word did he say to his moth
er; it was their way to be silent when
they felt deeply But, with great ten
derness, he put his hand upon hel
shoulder and let it rest there, as he
stood staring, like her, at the placid
scene spread out before them.
1t was quite quarter of an hour
before Mrs. Damen spoke.
; "And he would have been ordained
in three months" she said.
Joseph's answer voiced the only
comfort he could see for her or fol
himself q
"But the Father says that Henry
suffered very little. 1t was all over IL
two or three hours"
His mother seemed not to hear.
1t had grown dark in the big room
but neither of them remembered tt
make light; and for the first time il
his life Joseph forgot his supper HI
spoke again, after time, in a troubled
]. way, all unlike his habitual cheerful
ness:
Henry being gone, that makes ont
J less, and the missions need priest;
more than they ever did They shoulC
have twice as many students at Stey
, to replace the tens and hundreds WHIT
| are being killed in the trenches"
7 His mother nodded her head. Sh,
understood, but could say nothing
After a long, long silence, in a voic,
} that trembled, Joseph spoke again, no
: using many words even then; the,
: understood each other without that.
II shall go in the morning. 1t Il
S what you wish p
: For the second time she nodded he
/ head. Two tears rolled down he
weather-beaten cheeks, and her sol
! saw how her clasped hands shook
{ When she could command her voice
( she said simply:
Il am old, but am strong and uset
: to work. Ishave our garden and Lii
) tie money. Do not think of me-
Fl STOPPING, he kissed her on the fore
+ head and turned away quickly
!. Mrs. Damen rose suddenly an,
J briskly, lit two candles, and place,
upon the supper table some milk
bread, and cold meat. After Will
Joseph sat down and took little O
! each, but his mother did not toucl
either food or drink. She opened ;
cupboard and began to look over an,
to sort little piles of clothing, much o
which was old and had been neatl,
patched or darned. Joseph watches
her at first, but soon went to the othe
end of the room, and, pretending tt
be occupied with some tools, dried hi
} eyes again and again. But the moth
er never faltered; and, the tremblini
of her hands and the pain writer
i across her face being hardly visibl
) in the candleiight, she looked the in
J dustrious Dutch housewife, busy abou
! a homely, everyday task.
r Soon all the decent clothing JOSEPH
) lowned was heaped upon a table. H