The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-09-16


to pick all the little rosebuds, ready
to bloom, for her mothers bedroom,
so that her mother should awaken
with all the little blossoms around
her,-roses so small that they never
reached the size of the baby's tiny
mouth. But one day, Merrybabe
stopped the rose-picking by declaring
that they were all doll-roses and be-
longed to her Truda. The big rag-doll
with her broad Dutch face looked as
if she might prefer the cabbage-patch
for her special domain, but Dearie
knew in her heart of hearts that she
could in no way please her mother
by displeasing Merrybabe, and so she
left the garden and went to the other
side Of the house to let her pent-up
anger flame itself out on the pale iris
that grew on the very edge of the
hill. The slightest of green's united
with the simplest of forms to lift the
ethereal beauty of the large, pale
blossoms into the iridescent mists of
the evening air. There was no back
ground to bring out and intensity
their delicate color and form. They
bathed and rested and lived in an
atmosphere which in the dusk re-
sembled their own soft violets and
gold
But their beauty tonight served
only to sadden the bitterness of
Dearie's heart, for she knew that
Merrybabe could spoil her feeling
about them also, with her practical
| baby-mind. She had use for every
thing; her family of dolls, her kittens,
and play-thoughts appropriated all
| like a hostile army. While Dearie
was brooding over the beauty before
her, the sun setting threw a last
goodnight over to it's birthplace in
the east, and just above the stately
| iris-garden, a rainbow bloomed in the
soft heavens. Jan had explained to
| Dearie what Iris" meant, and JacOba
had taught all her children that
everything beautiful meant Gods love
and that the rainbow was for the
promise of eternal love. And now,
Dearie remembered all her lessons,
and although a child of seven cannot
| read the whole mystery of beauty,
she felt that there was something
for her which the play-thoughts of
Merrybabe could not spoil. Il will
ask God to give me the rainbow for
my secret-garden, when | say my
night prayers" she whispered.
Just then the small, irresistible call
90 ,h0h fnll0uyinu hnr
even into her safe hiding-place.
"DeeWie, Deewie," she heard, ooh,
come, DeeWie!" Dearie started up
and retraced her steps to where
Merrybabe stood, very red in the face,
trying to push large, ugly plant
growing in a tub. What are you try
ing to do with Ugly-fatty!" exclaimed
Dearie. HE scared the little wosies
with his big picklers. He can't stay
in Merrybabe's garden any more
Come Deewie, help baby push Ugly
fatty away" And Dearie did help
with all the might of seven years and
with a very glad feeling stealing into
her heart Merrybabe hated the old
cactus, but she did not know that in
August it's great red-rubber buds
would bloom. Just one night apiece!
Dearie would have secret that Mer
rybabe should never know. So she
pulled and dragged the tub with its
precious plant along the gravel walk
and at last had it in a corner where
the sun would visit it little while
in the morning, where it would not
|, offend the eyes of the roses, and
where the bright eyes of Merrybabe
should not be attracted by its hidden
treasure.
The eyes of Merrybabe had partic
ular fondness for Dearie's secrets
They had spied the weed-vine In
which the compassionate heart Of
Dearie had founded home for stray
worms. Any poor, slow crawleJ
, thing that had no means of getting
quickly out of the way of peoples
; feet, Dearie would carry to the ole
, weed-vine. From there, one day
Peter heard cry that sent him flying
to rescue Merrybabe who was scream
ing with fear from the dreadful
, sight of "lots and lots of crawley
bugs" Peter quickly cut down the
, old cucumber vine and carried it
, worms and all, down to the river
, leaving Dearie in silent grief, wonder
, ing why they could not understand
that this was her worm-asylum.
; But for all these troubles, there
was Dearie's lullaby hour, which al
: ways smoothed the little rough
} wrinkles of every day, until that toe
; was spoiled by Merrybabe. 1t was
JAMS custom, after the long days
work, to throw himself on the cot by
the window in the big sitting room
, to wait till Jacoba's supper wa:
ready. And Jacoba's supper wa:
never ready until Jan had had nice
! long nap and had walked, laughing
and saying what long time mamma
had kept him waiting. And Dearie
/ always sat in her little low rocker
: by his side with a big fan to keeI
: the flies away. And all the time she
crooned the old cradle song, "Husf
ably baby, on the tree-top," in little
| voice like an old, old grandmother's
r In Dearie's nature, all the love thai
, had been planted from her earliest
r babyhood, had sprouted quickly ant
: matured. The tiny child of jan:
4 huge, stretched-out form was tense
!, with the tenderness, protectiveness