The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-06-10

suIllcaent and all busy about their
several affairs. None of them needed
Maryanns assistance.
MarEann Donnelly was twenty-five
years old when she first conceived the
ldea OF her vocation, and, to her own
mind, at least, fast becoming aged.
she was attractive and popular, but
sne mad failed, so far, to find the young
man who measured up to her ideal
among her many friends. Matrimony
Gid not seem to her a possible solution
to her problem, and, with the sad
realization that she had no cali to
the religious life, she found her pur-
poseless existence hard to bear. Her
fH1ends noticed that she had grown
strangely quiet and preoccupied.. Hav-
ling caught a vision of her, life as a
useful, purnoseful thing, it was unut-
telraply hard to be satisfied with it, as
she had previously lived She recalled
| the m1ssionary's words now and then,
and tried to believe, as he had, that
the circumstances of her life would
lead her, quietly and naturally, into
that place in the world which God
would have her fill But,only those
who have experienced it can appre-
clate the agony of soul with which,
Eday by day; she faced again the same
problem, no nearer solution than it
had been. at first.
/ Under the stress of her desire for a
useful existence, Maryann made visit
to the motherhouse of an order of
Sisters whose acquaintance she had
made through a mutual friend. But
though she enjoyed the visit and loved
the Sisters, she returned more con-
WINGED than ever that the life of the
| cloister was not for her
She learned many things in those
days OF, waiting. Maryann's family had
never, made great pretences to piety,
any more than had Maryann herself in
the days before the mission. 1t was
wonderful and new experience to know
the joys of frequent Communion, Of
occasional. visits to the Blessed Sacra-
ment,, of the, things included in that
idea OF being a Christian. Maryann's
family smiled at first and wondered
how long the transformation would
last, but as a year wore away and
Maryann continued her practices of
devotion, they grew to have some re-
spect for her steadfastness and to be
almost unconsciously Influenced by
her example. And it was at the end
OF that year, quietly and naturally, as
the missionary had predicted that the
call; came,
Passing down the street one after
noon at some distance from her home,
Maryann tripped and almost fell over
| two small urchins scuffling on the side
walk in front of her. Recognizing the
smaller, of the Two. she dexterously
| extracted him from the clutches of his
antagonist and holding him by a torn
collar at arms length, surveyed him
With.a critical and disappearing eye.
Al Jack .Westbrook,' said Maryann, in
her graVest accents, lis that you?"
The culprit rubbed rapidly swell
ing bump on his forehead. i. .
:iigessum, Miss Donnelly,' he said
lruefully. .-..ss. Hail
~: Aren't you ashamed of yeurself?"
demanded Maryafin Struggling to keep
down the rising tide of pity;that threat
ened momentarilg to overwhelm her.
The little boy studied the tips of his
shoes in rebellious silence.
Aren't your asked Maryann again,
punctuating her remarks by vigorous
shake. There was no response. The
other boy, who had been watching the
proceedings from distance, turned
and trotted away down the street to
safer, regions. ..,G s -.
MaryannJ fell, again upon her pris-
oner and, because her inclination was
to pity the child while she felt that
Isshe should blame him, gave him an
other determined shaking.
Answer me, you little sinner" said
Maryann. Don't you know that you
on the street like this?' 4
=; Thereupon the culprit-lfe was a
particularly. handsome lad-rafsed
great, appealing brown eyes to her
face. There was a world of unuttered
scorn in their lepths-the scorn that
one sees, occasionally, in the eyes of
a child who despairs of all grown-ups'
comprehension and Justice.
Hump! should worry about the
family
Maryann bit her lip.
( "Why?"a she inquired.
f'oh, hothin'," responded the child,
with the Sair OF one who knows him
self to- have said too much already.
50 Sonnet thing caused Maryanr to loosen
her grasp ON the tattered collar and
rest her hand tightly on the small
shoulder beneath it. Something also
caused her to ask:
Where's Josephine?"
Il dunno. OF somewhere"
And Nary
"Gohe to the Sunday school picnic"
Gone where2" asked Maryann, in
credulous1y. .
ITO the Methodist Sunday school
picnic with Lillian Franklin
"Oh. Well, isn't Tom homer
Nav. He's gone to Carley's, play