The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-10-07
Tommy walked away.

Tommy walked away.
In a more sedate and respectable,
though by no means fashionable, part
of the city stands a little grey church
with O side alley out of which there
streams each morning q long thin line
of people. 1t is the Church Of the
Carmelite Fathers. Every day you
may join the file of waiting men and
women and be served to a good hot
breakfast by two brothers in brown
habits, white aprons and bare, sandal
led feet. Nobody is ever refused; you
need not be good, not even respect
able. Your only recommendation is
your poverty; your only passport is
your hunger. Tommy went into the
church, where the first Mass was
about to be said. A little dark novice
came out and lit the candles on the
altar. The calm, the peace Of the
place filled Tommy's soul. Here in
the heart of the worlds greatest city
was a little spot where a few men
lived who had sought peace and found
it. Gould there be a faith more sim
pie, lore beautiful and more child
like than; theirs?
Tommy noticed for the first time
that at the other end of his pew there
knelt a lady. She was young and
pretty and she wore a little grey hat
with Violets tucked in the corner.
You could see a CLINT of her pale goI-
den hair under the brim of the hat.
Tommy felt interested.
After Mass she rose and went over
to the altar where the statue of st.
Anthony stood. This, as every one
knows, is the saint to whom you go
when you have lost things, and as
Tommy had always lost something
he felt that he was doing quite right
when he followed the lady and went
over to ask st. Anthony to find things
for him, too. Presently she stood up
and, opening a little violet bag, took
out a silver threepenny bit, intending
to put it in the box for st. Anthony's
poor. But either st. Anthony or fate
was with Tommy that day. The coin
slipped and fell out of her hand with
a gentle tinkle or to the floor. Tom
my rose and came to her assistance.
He saw the wretched thing at once,
glinting at him spitefully and unneces-
sarily out of a dark corner, but, equal
to the occasion, he placed a firm foot
upon it and went on searching.
Please don't bother; it really
doesn't matter" she said at last,
rather distressed. Tommy saw her
face distinctly for the first time and
removed his foot. eve must find it,
he said hypocritically, ut really can't
have gone far. Why, here it has been
all the time. How stupid of mel"
What st. Anthony thought of it all
we don't know. Tommy handed it to
her and she thanked him prettily.
Then they left the church, each hop.
ing that some extraordinary chance
might bring them together again.
1t did. They met in Kensington
Gardens, on a day late in spring OF
early in summer. The leaves were in
their silken fulness and the trees
stood densely and darkly rounded in
the soft sunshine; the pink and white
hawthorn blossoms gave to the grey
old town an air of appealing charm
Joy a in the air. Was there ever
morning SO beautiful?
The waters of the S%erpentine
danced in the sunlight; it was nc
longer merely a sheet of water, but
a gentle mass of Pickering lights
Yes, it was beautiful. London was ir
a holiday mood and nothing could
look really ugly. The great houses
had clothed themselves grandly fol-
the summer in creamy white and deli
cate tints, while the humble lodging
houses did their share in smartenine
up the dear city with clean coats Of
green paint on their front doors and
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