The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03

was first returned in hat case after
a few days.
With mild reproach of the dean,
and with grim looking, cursing face
of Philomina, the hat was received,
and, touched with JOY, he put it on
and the feast of the finding of the
hat instituted, annually this incident I
was celebrated. The poetical clergy !
of the country invented numerous
ballads and hymns on this celebration,
but no sarcasm or bile could de- |
throne the favorite; it's owner chung |
to it in antique fidelity and would |
have never discarded it, not even for |
his life When this old gentleman'l
walked across the balmy hay field in |
hot summer Gays, or admiring the
fruit-laden trees which promised a
cool drink, he would take off his hat
from his perspiring head and hand it
over to his faithful dog. Mr.. Bierbein
was cognizant of this special honor.
Nothing else was safe from his de-
molishing teeth, but his masters slap
hat he was not permitted to injure,
and his carefulness was tenderly
recognized by his master. If no NOR
tai finger could or would touch that
gray old hat throning on the window
molding, the dog could take it down
carefully and play with it and carry
it proudly, like the warhorse of the
famous Cid Canpeador did, before
his lord.
The children of the village were
the favorites Of the gentle old man
and the school was dear to him.
Indeed, l am an honest friend of
the new school, only it ought to be
a little Spanish like" he said once,
then there would be less twelve
/ year-old damsels and ladies, but more
good children Yet, he loved the
young people in spite of their wild
manners, and with tender care he often
called a little barefooted boy to him
under the linden tree and questioned
him in the usual way. what is your
name, you little MANI" Conrad,
Reverend Deani $50, SO, him the high
/ -well-noble born Mr.. Conrad you are?
Your obedient servant! From whom
i
golden hair? Look I need some new
ones and would liketto buy just that
kind. Wouldn't you like to give them
to me? l will give you my fine hat
for them" And then he would bury
the smiling face of the boy with his
big old hat. The little fellow gener-
ally slipped away from under it like a
fish out of a basin and fled, frighten-
ed by the barking dog. The old gentle
man would fold his hands over his
face and forehead and put on his hat
as if something of the young life had
remained init. a
i One day the old pastor did not
appear on his kneeling bench as
usual in church; this hat was rest
ing on windowsill and the sun beams
were playing upon the high pillow
in his bedroom, the dog growing and
stretching himself and aholding out
one paw, and the old housekeeper
Philomina walked through the house
weeping. But the old dean was cold
and stiff, dead in his upholstered bed.
His white head, swith smiling face, was
resting in the flowing pillows-he had
died at sunrise. Ia
| Everybody was stirred by this re-
port, and much running was going on
about the usually quiet parsonage.
Many friends came who honored his
merits, who praised his virtues, and
a touching necologue was written up,
and on the third day the entire popu-
lace of the village was present. The
bells tolled mournfulIy and after the
solemn requiem an almost endless pro-
cession was formed, eseorting the dear
old dean to the cemetery.
/ The blue sky hung over the noun
tains and valleys where the little vii
/ lage is located It was bright sum-
mer day and very hot Alongside the
cemetery road flows a wild mountain
stream deep into the rocks, The
church banners waved up and down
and the prayers of the white-surpliced
i priests and people we're broken by
! the dull and deep sounds OF the vet
Grams drum and piercing sounds play
ing the funeral dirge. The process
sion moved on slowly UP hill and
down hill till finally it reached the
large gates of the cemetery. The
bier was let down, the people gather
ed around it, then deep silence set in
| and the most prominent priest rails.
: ed his voice to chant.
; Suddenly the people were aroused
First they quietly began to speak;
line after line was picked up and all
turned their faces towards the creek
There he was, painting and excited
! standing up high on the other side Of
the shore, the deans dog, holding be
tween his teeth his old hat and look
ing towards them. a3
He had been penned up in the
house and had noticed the noise d
the funeral services moving away
Howling, he ran about to find an out
: let and, not finding one, he grabbed
the deans old hat from the window
sill and jumped through the broker
! window. Breathless he ran through
: the empty village, following the trail
: of the procession. And now he stoot
! painting in front of the cemetery
:. Here, on the other side of the creek
s ~, a b;,h borE ho raicnd him GOLF mn