The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-09-04
A Touch of Nature


flashing smile of scarlet pomegranate
lips over pearls of teeth made her
seem like some gay tropic flower to-
the chance acquaintance, and to those
who knew her we'll she seemed al
ways full of life and gayety, quite
care-free, envious ones said, incapable
of feeling pain or sorrow. She was
the greater mystery to those who
knew of her ancestry. "Alys is
changeling," said young Mrs. Garden.
the girls best friend. "Of the sternest
Puritan ancestry, her forefathers
could never have allowed themselves
to smile. With them every day must
be spent as nearly as possible like
that abomination of desolation, the
Puritan Sabbath Her foremothers
were as bad. Their little girls had to
stitch long seams all the week, and
ON the Sabbath could not even play
with their clothespin dolls. One won
ders of the Puritan mothers thought it
grievous sin to take care of their
babies on Sunday thing almost as
bad as baking a mince pie-relic of
the merry-making days of the Scarlet
Woman!'"
"Amiable creatures!" responded
Jack O'Brien, Mrs. Gardens brother
and Alys' devoted slave. "They were
first cousins to Macauley's New Eng
landers who 'disapproved of bear-bait-
ing, not because it hurt the bear but
because it gave pleasure to the by
standers,' weren't they? 1t seems i'm
possible that my gay lady should be
descended from SUCH"
But she is" his sister said There's
nothing on either side the house Of
Glyn but Anglo-Saxon blood. The
fathers people colonized Connecticut,
the mothers Massachusetts. Beans
and wooden nutmegs on the family
coat of arms. All the family tradi-
tions are Presbyterian in capitals
Infant Damnation, Predestination, and
all the rest of it. Alys must be a re-
version to some primitive type, wild
sea-rover, captured Celt, wander
ing Latin, to account for her delight
full inconsequence, her sense of humor,
her gladstone lack of conscience. She
is certainly dear girl despite her
grim ancestry"
TOO dear!" murmured Jack
despondently.
'Since you needs must fall in love
with her, Jack, my boy" continued his
sister, why don't you convert her to
our blessed religion of joy?"
IF she'd show the slightest signs of
being in love with me, perhaps
might" grumbled Jack. "But when
my most ardent appeals to her heart
meet with absolutely no attention,
what's the use of worrying about her
soul? If l said anything to her, she'd
laugh at me-"
"Alys hasn't found out she has a
soul yet; perhaps you will be the one
to discover it to her. / think she
likes you, Jack" said Mrs. Garden.
make it negative quality" he said,
modify. "She doesn't dislike me, per-
haps. That's something to go on at
any rate. The attitude she takes to-
ward religion seems strange, Mar
garet, when you come to think about
| it.. She's such a good girl, so full of
sweetness and light, never says a
word against anybody, no knocker
like other girls. She wants pleasure
herself, but she wants everybody else
to have a good time, too We have
grand talks about all sorts of things
but just let me approach the serious
side of life and she blows it off as il
it were thistledown 'Pouf! Talk OF
sunshine and song, of birds and flow
ers, of 'isms and 'ologies if you must
be solemn, but spare me Hades and
horrors! Life is too short, my dear
Jack, for all the joy of this world-let
me enjoy it all while 1 can.
The time has come, the Walrus said
To talk of many things,
OF birds and bats and sealing wax
And whether pigs have wings
Now what is person to say to that?'
and the stalwart young giant frowned
at his sister in utter perplexity.
There's nothing to reply to such
nonsense as that but nonsense, OF
course, but a practical Catholic like
yourself, Jack, can pray if he CAM
talk. Let her see that you believe in
your religion if she doesn't-that's all
Somehow l feel it will come out al
right"
you feel more than I do, then,
said Jack, as he kissed his sister
goodbye and strobe off down the
street, looking gloomy as was not his
wont, for he was cheerful soul anG
found life treated him we'll as rule
isn't that always the way!" sighed
Mrs. Garden to her husband.
What is it this time, Mag? Baby
swallowed his medal, or cook going
to be after leavin',' or your Easter
bonnet not come home, or what?'
said her husband, sympathetic afte1
the fashion of the male who thinks
his wife could not possibly have any
troubles. How could she-married tt
him and he giving her everything any
reasonable woman could possibly wan
in a temporal way.
Teddy, you are the most aggravat
ling creature! Here I am worried tt
death over Jack and you don't sym
pathize with me one Bit" Margare
Garden pouted
81 am devoured with sympathy
What is Jacks affliction now?" asked
her husband. Last time saw thu
young man he seemed to me quite able
- h -