The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-05-05

SlTi llK me-" Mary Woulu say 10 ner-
self, "and so | must try and be as
much like her as | can. All Marys
ought to be like the hottest and love-
hest n that ever lived"
There were many prettier girls
than Mary Milton at school, but there
was none quite 81 popular, for she
was always good-natured and unself-
ish-never preferring her own will to
that of others. If a dispute happened
to arise she did all in her power to
settle things amicably, and won the
goodwill of all her companions.
Mary is indeed a peace-maker,"
Sister Rita, her teacher, would often
remark after witnessing her success
in restoring friendly relations among
some erstwhile enemies on the recrea-
ton grounds.
One day Mary caught a sever cold
and had to go to bed. Gradually she
grew worse, until finally pneumonia
developed, and Mary became danger.
ously ill. At school, her companions
deeply grieved over her sickness, and
prayed ~fervently for her recovery,
while all this time the little girl did
not know anyone about her but lay
breathing heavily with her face sc
drawn and pale that her little friends
hardly would have recognized her.
The doctors finally pronounced her
illness fatal, and said they could dc
| M moro AoJ If thiS S1d nnyuC the
children at school redoubled their fer
vent petitions. On the day that their
noven ended an Improvement was
noticed in Mary's condition, and by
degrees she began to mend rapidly.
The physicians, of course, took all
credit for the little girls recovery,
but Mary and her parents, too, felt
that it was due to the many earnest
prayers offered in her behalf.
1t was necessary to cut off Mary's
long hair and she looked quite like
a boy when she was able to sit UP
and reveal a cropped head. She asked
once for a mirror so she might see
how she looked minus her hair, and
| at SlS1lJ " l6l luldSC Ill IhC Sluoo IL
laughed in her old-time mirthful way
20, won't the girls have fun when
they see me-" she exclaimed
mother, I'm the q%ueerest looking
thing-just like l came out of the
funny paper, only worse" And she
giggled gleefully.
The girls did laugh when they saw
their former playmate but theil
pleasure at having her safely restored
to health again far exceeded theil
mirth over her altered appearance
caused by the shorn hair.
Her room became an audience
chamber where visitors were coming
and going every day. Some of the
children brought flowers and books
and others gifts and candies. The
latter, however, had to be put away
until the patient was entirely we'll.
I'm going to have a party some
day when Imsall over my sickness
mother says l can," Mary told hel
visitors, "and I'll keep the candy yot
brought for then. Girls, if you hadn'
all prayed so hard | guess I'd be II
Purgatory by this time, and you'd be
praying hard to get me out" Thu
face beneath the cropped hair wa
quite grave.
Some of her friends objected to thi:
declaration. Mary was so good she't
go straight to Heaven, they thought
But Mary and several others con
tended that a person would have tt
be just perfect to escape the cleansing
flames, and that very few, if any
passed right on to glory.
WELL ventured one of the de
baters on the negative side of thu
question under discussion, maybe sht
would have to go to Purgatory, but
bet she'd just go in one door and GU
the other and not have to stay at all.
And get good and %scorched, too
while l was going through, that
what l Think said Mary and SO thu
matter was dropped.
A couple of months after Mary
recovery, the Forty Hours Devotion
began at the church. This was
time the little girl dearly loved, TO
was not the King of Heaven presen
on His altar throne awaiting TIL
homage of His subjects? And sh'
could kneel before Him and gaz'
upon the Sacred Host there in tn,
monstrance knowing that the dea
Lord was truly there just as He wa
at Bethlehem, Nazareth or on Calvary
She liked to light candles in tn
candelabra. that stood near the altar
and make this little offering to tn
Blessed Sacrament.
Each one is my heart, dear, swee
Jesus" she would whisper softly a
she turned her eyes toward the CLEAN
ing monstrance, Il just wish | had
thousand hearts to give you instea'
of one.'
AS she and her mother came dow
the steps one day they saw a Cath
Ollie neighbor with her two little girl
passing by the church. Noticing tina
they did not intend to stop, Mrs. Mi
ton said as she accosted the woman
Aren't you going to make a visit
We're having Exposition of tn
Blessed Sacrament, you know"
Mrs. Miller paused and locke
rather bored.
Ooh VOC s1re enoughi I'd fol