The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-07-15


into the garden to read and was busy
making boat according to the time.
honored method.
Now then, Ronnie, what can we
have for fiag?"
The cover of the magazine caught
his eye. A startling one as usual, a
little niger dressed in brilliant red
overall.
Tranton cut a pennon out of the
overall, then searched his pockets for
match, which on finding he split al
both ends. The improvised flag was
then inserted, and the pennon and
staff fixed ON the tip of the sail.
Nov what shall we christen the
ship, Ronnie? / think in compliment
to the flag she flies we will call her
H.M.S. Pinafore Come along and
let's launch her. See, we will make
this magazine the slips. There she
goes! Where shall her first voyage
be? How about Timbuctoo?"
ooh, uncle, what are you doing?'
cried Ronnie; for Tranton had taken
the lens and was focusing bright
spot of sunlight to the pennon.
Just wait and watch" he said.
The boy waited in silence, then sud
denly exclaimed in amazement:
"Oh Uncle Jim, it's smoking!'
A moment afterwards it burst into
flame. The brave, gaudy pennon was
slowly devoured and the fire crept on
till the whole of the tiny ship was
aIight; soon all that remained was q
few ashes scattered on the water.
The boys face was a study. He
looked thoroughly mystifed.
what was it you did, uncle? How
did you make it catch fire?"
'''Well, Ronnie, I'm not clever enough
to explain it all to you so that you
could understand. You see this lens
| is rounded, so instead Of the rays OF
light falling evenly as they do through
window, they are gathered up in the
centre and the light and the heat are
concentrated See how very bright
the light is. Now feel it."
And Tranton focused it for q
moment on the back of the boys
brown hand. It was suddenly snatch
ed away as Ronnie exclaimed:
''Oh, it's hot, uncle! Why doesn't
| the sun set light to things?"
TT is such long way off. 1t is all
fame and fire just the same as the
little fire which burnt up the ship. The
lens brought the power and heat OF
| the sun quite near" t.
Tranton stopped, and an expression
dawned on his face it would be diff.
cult to describe His lips closed and
Strengthened and his eyes grew sud.
denly still as though he we're either
listening intently or striving to grasp
an elusive idea. The laundering humble
bee still hummed in the hollyhocks
and the softened stir of the traffic
sounded carelessly across the gardens.
The boy, silenced by the wonder he
had seen, was trying to re-enact it.
bending with puckered brow and lower
lip held between tiny teeth.
But in. that suburban garden a
mightier wonder had been wrought
than any in the storehouse of nature
A Light greater in its intensity, holier
| in its, heat. had consumed Tranton's
difficulty, and at the same time had
shown him the City set on the Hill,
and the Lamb slain (which is the Light
thereof" BY the light of the natural
| wonder, he saw clearly and unmis
takably the miracle wrought daily or
all the affairs throughout the world.
As the lens brought the concen
trated. nature and essence of the sur
within actual reach, so that dfvinely
1 instituted Sacrament brought the yer,
TSun of Righteousness Himself more
wonderfully near than when He taber
nacled in Bethlehem that first House
Iof Bread" and even as the sun suffer
ed no dinninution by any number o.
similar demonstrations, SO that Holy
Sacrament, like the Love of which 1
was the transcendent expression, was
I'sfor ever shared, for ever whole"
The revelation he had received Was
las the keynote OF an arch, making ol
This belief a perfect structure, and the
structure was illuminated with thu
Igiow of living faith. Those first few
moments were. to Tranton momenf.
lof ecstasy, foretaste Of Eternity, and
lever afterwards remained a yiyii
memory. their absolute reality helpinl
III ( II -