The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-05-13

Lucky thing, grumbled the old
man as Helen and her aunt joined
them after careful inspection of the
little church, that old tire busted or
you would have gone on out to your
Uncle Peters an forgotten us alto
gether Now, we'll have plenty of
time to talk of the old days, an your
uncle and his family will be here for
Mass tomorrow"
You know better, than that Uncle
Bob" Then his smile faded and his
voice grew strangely sad. But | am
very anxious to meet Uncle Peter as
soon as possible. want to see if he
has heard anything from mother"
Your mother?" Martha threw up
her hands in amazement Land
sakes alive, boy, don't tell me you
don't know where your mother isl"
Indeed, Aunt Martha, it is but too
true! / have been searching for her
three months, and if Uncle Peter can
give me no clue to her whereabouts,
hardly know what to do
Never heard tell of such thing!"
Uncle Bob's voice held hint of re.
proach
Tell us about it," said Helen soft
| ly. She was thinking of the prayer
attached to the lily. There was a
parent calling for her son, and here
a boy searching for his mother.
Perhaps you have heard from I'm
Gle Peter that fathers health gave
away when l was twelve years old
| Chat was the last summer / visited
out here) and we went out West.
Here, my brother John secured a good
position, and after | finished school,
was taken into the Company also;
so when father died we were able, in
modest way, to take good care of
mother. A year ago, our South Amer
lean representative asked for an as
sistant, and because | had fair
knowledge of Spanish, the position
was offered to me. | know that
| mother dreaded to have me go SO far
away, yet she realized that it was a
| splendid opportunity for advancement,
and she babe me goodbye smiling
through her tears. For six months,
received letters regularly from both
| mother and John, and then / was
compelled to make trip far into the
interior, and received no mail for two
| months. You can imagine my sorrow
| and dismay when among the letters
| that awaited me upon my return from
this journey, found one from mother
informing me that brother John had
| lied after short siege of pneumonia
| and as his illness and funeral had
taken most of her little savings, she
was practically without funds.
FASTENED home as quickly as possible
but mother had left the city and
could get no trace Of her. A letter
which she left at the office for me-
n which no doubt she gave her pres,
| ont address, was mislaid or lost, and
so | have been hunting everywhere
among relations and old friends, hop.
ing that some one Of them has heard
Or seen her.
All were visibly affected by the
story. You will find her, am sure."
said Helen. 1--WE will all pray that
YOU do during Mass, and am sure
that God will hear us" =
Old Bob pulled his hat over his eyes
and his voice was husky when he
| spoke.
Don't get discouraged, Jimmie.
God is taking good care of her some
where, and in His own good time will
bring you together. His ways are not
always our ways, but they are always
best! Some times we grow weary
and disappointed cause our prayers
are not answered at once, an give
up when we ought to be prayin' harder
than ever. Here's Marthy an me, for
instance. For years an years, we
begged God to send us a child, an
then when we had given up hope an
quit askin, he sent this little girl to
us to keep, us company in our old
days"
Much comforted by their kind
words, and with a premonition that
all would yet be well, Jim sat down
to one of Aunt Martha's Incompatible
dinners, to which he did full justice.
Easter morning dawned with a
glorious burst of sunshine, that
called forth the timid wild flowers,
coaXing them to lift their heads in
welcome to Christ, their King A
sleek-coated robin left his nest in
nearby tree, to perch upon the Gross,
his red breast casting a vivid dash,
of color above the golden perch; and
here he bravely chirped the praises
of Him Who had this day risen from
the dead! itE.sE,4
All arose early at the Barnett home.
Uncle Bob, accompanied by jim. took
the car to the station to meet Father
Burke, while Helen and her aunt
Joined the penitents within, for the
good priest must hear confessions be-
fore Mass.
church, bowed his head in prayer, as
he humbly begged God to guide him to
his mother, and as he knelt there, the
years slipped from him and by that
necromancy which carries us, in fam
cy's fight, back to the long, long ago, |
he was no longer mature man but |
little lad, whose mother labored daily |
caring for the sick father, rearing him
and his brother to manhood, never
flinching, though the burdens were
heavy and sorrows great but smiling,
through it all.