The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-04-08

professor on my right, after telling
some fool Joke about a b~ricklayer and
an air-gum, lapsed into academic Ian
guage; and ] had things to myself.
Here was a row Of young fowls on
my left that had to be impressed;
and | was cid cock enough to know
how to go about it. The girls laughed
and talked back and eGged me on;
and | more than met them half way.
And at the supper-that's what they
call it ct the Krodin Sanitariun-went
gaily on. And all the time, at the
back OF my mind, | was fussing over
the case OF that tall, g0lden-haired
,eirl whose hand | could have touched
as it rested d~aintily on the white
cloth or toycd delicateiy with fork
and spoon. Toyed? Wen, yes; but
Miss Carmichael didn't precisely toy
with the eatables. Like all nurses |
have ever met, she displayed an ample,
appetite. This candidate for the
Sisters of Charity didn't intend to
specialize on religious starvation.
A Sister Of Charity. | didn't be-
lieve it, really. Why the girl was a
wonder. She could keep up her end
| of the conversation, no matter what
| topic was broached-and / made it a
| point Of introducing more topics than
the average graduate nurse usually
| hears about. Miss Nolan was right.
Miss Carmichael was indeed bubbling
over with talent.
With the coffee came the speeches,
and that brought about a slight change
at our table. The college professor
| excused himself and left early-for
which may he be pleased to accept
my thanks. Then the girl sitting next
to Miss Carmichael got Q telephone
| call and didn't como Dack-blcss her
little heart. The result was tfat Miss
| Carmichael and [ were isolated from
the ether diners, and in the rather
lengthy intervals between the formal
speeches we had a very satisfactory
tete-a-tete.
Well, didn't lose any time. !
leaned heavily on the tabIe-there is
a good deal Of mo-and devoted my.
self to her directly and ~unsparingly
| got right down to brass taclts.
Miss Carmichael" | said, Miss
Nolan happened to be speaking OF
you this evening. She said ever sc
many nice things, Of course. But she
said che thing that isn't nice at ALL
The girls eyebrows went up a tribe
though q smile played about her lips
Yes" | went on, 1T sounded not
at all nice OF me. Is it trne that YOU
intend to become a Catholic num-
Yes, doctor, that is true," said Miss
Carmichael quietly. IS there any
thing so very remarkable in that?"
There is-something mighty re
markabIe! What. business have yoy
to throw away your life?"
Miss Carmichael. laughed; it was c
good, round, musical laugh at that.
Don't DE silly, Or. F~arraday."
Dent you he silly, young woman
I pounded the table vigorously with
my middle finger. You have no right
to shut yourself up in q cloistGr. YOU
owe the world the best th&t is il
you. It's bad enough'-here l dis
croctly lowered my voice and zsiancet
2pprehensively X my shoulder
that you Should go in for nursing
at all; but you can get cut of that
l fancy, whenever you want to, sim
ply by cro0hin@ your little finger Al
well, at anybody standing around
who happens to take your eye. Sc
we won't bother about that. BUt thi:
Sister of Charity business is cate
another matter" I
That. is the first 8ensibA tlrine
you've said for some time, doctor.
Though her eyes danced, ah9 voice
grew grave. 1T is, indeed, quite
another matter"
GO on, go on" 7 snapped. "Ex
plain what you mean by that$
THAT. is what | mean, doctG3. since
you are so good as to wish I'd know
You said a few moments agd. that,
owe the best that | have. irs me L
the world. Now, | dispute thai state
ment. | maintain that | owe Ahe bes
that is in me to Cod, i
, That came cn me like a blow be
tween the eyes. This girl anG l wer,
talking two different languages. Cod
She meant the Unknowable. And how
can w argue
Look here" | insisted, tersely.. ="
know what's the matter with You
You've fallen in love with al idea
This thing"
Spiritual ideas, DR.. Farraday, arr
not bad things to fall in love with.
Spiritual gTandmothers. Let II,
tell you something, young woman
even if you do thinl; that I'm an oil
fogy who ought to be taken out ant
Oslerized.. I'm a specialist on the IN
sides OF the human animal. I've GU
up more men, women and childrel
than you could stack in this room
I've found a lot Of strange thing
in them, from gall sto3es to fiv,
rats, but I've never seen any spiritua
IDEAS"
THAT is doubtless because you
eyesight is not sufficiently keen, doc
tor" she said softly.
l gasped; I had to. The audacit,
of it.
q don't mean to be offensive, DR.
} Farraday," she continued, but it i
SO difficult for YOU to appreciate M,
: point Of view. You argue, do you not
that because I appear TO possess
well the promise Of worldly success
ii shnuld strire in some va or ntla