davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
He SURRENDERED.

u. :
Rev. Martin Scott, S. j., affords an;
example of the facility with which a
Jealous priest improves an opportun-
ity to SOW the seed Of faith. Writing
in The Catholic Convert, he relates
the following experience:
Recently ! was instrum entail in the
conversion Of a Protestant by refer
eace to some OF the matters which
are now transpiringi in connection
with the war. This man was rabid on
the point Of using his own reason as
guide in religious matters. told him
that / fully agreed with him, that God
had given him his reason for that
purpose. Ta
But, II added, your reason tells
you that Jesus Christ is God, that He
established Church and that He
promised to be with It always. You
may use your reason as much as you
wish in. examining into that fact, but
once established, your reason plainly
tells YOU that what God says is trne.
and It is your duty to. believe, not to
discuss. Once God speaks your judy
nent must acquiesce.
He seemed convinced but not per-
|suaded. y was hard to renounce that
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HAND.

There is an old legend concerning
three young women, who disputed as
to who had the most beautiful hands.
One dipped her hands into the pure
running stream, another picked ber-
ries until her fingers we're pink, a
third gathered roses until her hands
were made sweet by their fragrance.
An aged woman, careworn and de-
crepit. leaning upon her staff, came,
asking a, gift, but all alike refused
her, "A fourth young woman, making
no. claims, to beauty, ministered to
her needs. The aged woman then
said: 1T is not the hand that is
dipped in the brook, nor the hand
made red with berries, nor the hand
garlanded or perfumed with roses,
that is most beautiful, but the hand
that giveth to the poor AS she
thus spoke, her. mask fell off, her
staff was cast aside, her wrinkles
vanished. and she stood before them,
an angel oflGod. .,-.s.-.-
1t matters not whether the hand
gives in money, or in kindly acts:
in some cases, money would be quite
useless, while kindness is priceless.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
NOT A SIN TO BE HAPPY.


1t is not a sin to be happy, though
it might seem some people thought
so. God has given us abundant
means for enjoying the natural desire
to be happy, and it is right that We
should cultivate this desire. And il
we try we will be surprised how
much real pleasure we get from little
things. A few hours ride on an
open trolley is capable of causing
more enjoyment to the truly observ.
ant than out in an automobile to a
person who is not observant. There
are as many possibilities for enjoy
ment often in a cheap trip on a lake
steamer. as in one on a steam yacht.
On every side, at every turn, there
are opportunities for real enjoyment.
Do not miss these.
Often when forgetful of self we
make those around us happy and Sc
cure happiness for ourselves. A kind
word, a pleasant smile, trifiing gift,
go further than we sometimes think.
Happiness brings contentment, and
contentment is the most priceless of
possessions.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
THE. SISTER OF CHARITY.

She rises early. Her first thoughts
are for prayer and meditation. While
other early workers are filing the
morning air with the noise of COM
merce and labor, the music of her
thoughts is piercing the clouds like
the song of the skylark above the
chirping of the. hedgerow chorister,
whose only excuse for making noise
is that he is hungry. She has hard
day before her. The work to which
she will address herself has little af-
finity with energies that come merely
from flesh and blood.
Physical strength could do that
work in manner conforming to hui
man standards and demanding human
recompense, but an uncommon vision
and a strange will are needed to weave
that days work into fabric that
angels might covet and that God will
buy. She drinks in, therefore, betimes
heavens light, that, where vulgar eyes
see only the sombre hue of duty, she
may discern the golden color of love,
and she prays in her early communing
with God that it may be given to her
to seek the things which others avoid.
4. The day is not far advanced before
We see her at the bedside of the sick.
Her words are few and simple. She
does not come to preach or catechise.
She is there to soothe, to heal, and
that more by her tones than her
words. Her presence diffuses calm
and strength, and the rays of light
that shine from her heaven-lit eyes
have that indefnable charm that be-
speaks an interest free from the dross
of any selfish motive. When she
speaks, her great regret seems to be
that she cannot, share the suffering.
And indeed that nature must be Of
coarse and base material that would
tighten its weight of suffering by shar-
ing it with her rather than bear the
whole burden when sustained by her
inestfmable sympathy. s
The utter absence of mercenary inn
pulse gives her character a glorified
radiance that affects a sorrow-laden
heart in much the same way that the
sunlight acts ON dropping flower. It
is not saying anything very startling
to remark that money has a magic
touch all know how many willing
servitors it will procure, who will re-
spond to nod or beck or call with unc-
tuous courtesy, ignoring all unreason-
ableness so long as they shall be paid
But not only does the life of a Sister
of Charity define more clearly the
lame efforts OF hired service but it
seals the mouth of any man of refined
instinct against her mentioning in the
same breath her labor OF love and the
activities of Mammon.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
THE MOTHER AS A TEACHER.


Teachers that prove incompetent
are quickly discharged, but there is
one teacher that cannot be dis
charged, though she be an. incompe-
tent and careless teacher, and that
teacher is the. mother I.
These words are quoted from talk
by the, Rev. Reyno1d Kuehnel in the
sHomiletic Monthly, On the duties of
Christian mothers, He advises moth
ers TO train the heart of the child,
to turn it early to God, and leave
the book-learning to teachers in
schools. Laying the foundation is
the mothers privilege the most inn
portant of all. She must teach the
little one to pray, to know the differ
ence between right and wrong, to
realize that God knows everything
and will reward or punish. according
to our acts. Only then can the moth
er be assured that her Child will grow
up in the fear of God.
Love and patience in plenty are de-
manded Of this first teacher, and she
must not fail her little pupils In their
demands on both. She must be ready
to repeat the same lesson again and
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
WARNING, TO. GIRLS.

Too frequently come to our atten-
ton cases of extremely young girls,
yictimiZed by their own indiscretion,
and the wanton care1essness of men.
Usually we believe that the right sort
of home training and earnest religious
instruction can only result in. upright
lives, but sometimes girl will disre-
gard even the most careful training
and set her own feet in the paths of
sin. We can guide them, teach them,
but we cannot make them walk
straight if they are determined to do
otherwise. We can, pick them up
after they have fallen and through
their own sad and unhappy. experience
perhaps urge them to. lead an exem-
plary life, but the urge for right Hv-
ing must exist in the human heart
itself if we are to have any success.
l cannot express myself strongly
enough on the folly of girls flirting
with strange men. ! see girls f1irt-
ing in the street cars, on the streets,
with men in automobiles. It. is. far
too prevalent. / know the charm of
an automobile trip on a hot night
after days work, but in their own
hearts the girls must realize their
peril and what dangers they face
when they step into the car of a
strange man.. i3I
Many times, l am sure, a girl does
not intend any harm. She simply
wants ride, but there are very few
times, almost none, one might say, in
which the men who give these entic-
ing invitations do not mean harm.
There is a beast in every man, and
civilization does not seem to have been
at all successful in graduating it.
It is this side of mems nature about
which girls must be taught and warn
ed. They must realize what the mo-
tive back of the Invitation to go for
an automobile ride really is.
Whilst l do not believe in making
people moral by law, l believe there
should be some sort of a police regu-
lation to cover the case of these men,
old and young, who lure girls into
their cars, drive them out into the
country, and attempt by threats and
coercion to work their will upon them.
Mgr. Thomas In the Washington Times.
.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03

thrown off their guard to exclaim
against dispensations SO at variance
with justice, were divine justice bound
ed by time.
"A fathers love may have wrought
we'll. His wisdom, affection and abil.
ity to do may we'll have served his
family. The Christian must remem
Der God is his Father, all wise, ali
tender, all potent.
Again, how rash to Judge from ap
pearances. What do we know of the
God-given strength in dire adversely
How conscious right, hope of eterna
peace, of perpetual light, illumine the
darkest hour?
And who can tell what blight of pas
sion or anguish Of remorse,. what mis-
cry mental or physical, defowersi sue
cess and turns it to Dead Sea fruit
age? 7a
Self-murder may be the last resorr
of the millionaire, content may repost
within very bare walls.
Not that the good are always thu
earthly yanquished and the preserve
the earthly victors.. Sometimes WE
see the acme of a success only accen
tuating the depth of the subsequen
fall. Or we find long years of trials
passing into calmly maintained pros
perity, where good fortune combine!
with clear conscience.
There is lesson to the individual
in the survival of right in principle
| it ever triumphs in the end One gen
Grafton may not witness it, another
does. So, too, the individual passe,
away; the punishment and the famil.
may survive.
Yet when all is told, if even Provi
dence has sent always clouds, neve
sunshine, some day the skies will
clear, once for all, and, thank God
there are countless cycles to conque
on the other shore.
a. Catholic U1fperse
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
CONCERNING MIRACLES.

Kindly say why a saint, under
whose name there are very many
churches all over the world, exercises
miracles only in particular churches
or countries.
Commenting on the foregoing let.
ter, which he had received, the Rev.
E. r. Hull, s. j.. editor of 1.-THE Elk
aminer,'' Bombay, wrote as follows /:
When we come to. the gratiae
gratis datae, as they are called, there
is simply no end to questions. Why
should some saints work no miracles
at all? Why should some work this
kind and some another? Why should
some miracles be so ordinary in their
manner and circumstances and some
SO extraordinary? How is it that
some saints specialize in sore threats,
and some in sore eyes, and some in
temporal favors and some In purely
spiritual ones? Why should some
martyrs have been saved from fire
and from, boiling oil and from lions,
and yet finally succumb to beheading
by the sword? Why should ST. VIM.
fred's well work cures, while st. Bird.
gets well does not? Why. should
some saints work miracles during life
and others only after their death!
Why should the blood Of countless
early martyrs dry up forever. while
that of st. Januarius liqnifes every
year at Naples-or almost every year
and why does it fail some years to
liquify at all2 And 50 on. and So on
to the end Of the volume,
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
again, until the. child has lIearned.

again until the. child has learned. it
thoroughly.
If tempted to impatience the mother
must remind herself of how often she
herself requires instruction ON the
same point.
Just remember how lessons must
be repeated even to. us over and
over Father Kuehnel says. "The
priest is the teacher of his people.
How often must he repeat the same
lesson over and over again! And he
is not talking. to little children but
to grown people, who pride them.
selves with being in the full posses.
sion of their reasoning faculties. The
priest cannot say: I said this often
enough, the people must know it
now. No; he must repeat the same
lesson, the same warnings, the same
advice again and again, and often he
finds it necessary to repeat the same
words as urgently as though they
were then said for the very first time. :
The mother. who reads and remem
bers stories, that contain little. les
SO -
sons Of honor, and truth, and kind
ness, and love of God. and tells them
to her children is using an effective
i4e.aod of teaching. She will keel
her restless charges happy in their
home, and out of mischief, while al
the same time they are learning les
sons of inestimable value.
You may Gull such stories from
Bible history, from the lives of saints
or from your own experiences says
Father Kuehnel. Catholic papers
and magazines will furnish you Will
material. And if you comply con
scientiously with your duty, both Coo
and your children will bless you fol
it,. So: :.
This is sound advice, and we heart
lily commend it to our readers-an(
particularly to those. young mothers
who are striving to adjust themselve.
| to. their new duties. The, Catholic
paper is a great help in the home, al
our good readers bear witness re
lpeatedly. )
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
A SAINT FOR THE WEEK
ST. NARcIssUs, MARTYR.

st. Narcissus was consecrated Bish-
OPP of Jerusalem about the year $50.
He was already an old man, and God
attested his merits by many miracles,
which were long held in memory by
the Christians of Jerusalem. But his
very virtue made him enemies, and
three wretched men charged him in
the presence of the Church with an
atrocious crime. They confirmed their
testimony by horrible imprecations:
the first prayed that he might perish
by fire; the second that he might be
wasted by leprosy; the third that he
might be struck blind, If they charged
their bishop falsely. The holy bishop
had long desired a life of solitude,
and he withdrew secretly into the des-
ert, leaving the Church in peace But
God spoke for HIM who would not
speak for himself. The first of his
accusers was burnt in his own house,
the second became a leper, the third
confessed and mourned over his guilt.
but the very extremity of his contri-
ton deprived him of sight. When
Narcissus returned to Jerusalem an
other bishop sat in his place; but at
the entreaty of his flock he resumed
his office. He died in extreme old
age, bishop to the last; for God, Who
had protected his good name, sent
him, by revelation, coadjutor to
share his burden when he was un-
able to bear it alone.
Among the many miracles of this
saint one is recorded which illustrates
that same confidence in Cod which sus-
| tanned him under calumny. One Holy
Saturday in the church the faithful
were in great trouble because no oil
could be found for the lamps which
were used in the Paschal feast st.
Narcissus babe them draw water from
neighboring well: when the water
was brought to him he prayed over it,
and, full of faith in God, told them to
put it in the lamps. 1t was changed
into oil, and long after some of this
oil was preserved at Jerusalem in
memory of the miracle.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
DIED RICHER THAN A MILLION
ARE.

One remarked, as they were COM
ing back from the burial of the dead:
What a sad life our departed friend
lived How unfortunate he was! He
never seemed to prosper in his bust
ness relations, and at last died poor .
Had he not some little success q
asked the one to whom the remark
was addressed.
"No,' was the reply. Everything
seemed to be against him. His life
was failure. While others about
him prospered he did not succeed;
his whole life seemed but a struggle
with adverse circumstances"
Il do not agree with you, said a
voice which had thus far been silent
III knew him we'll in life and was
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
-s-f4.44 l4-sa---
MYSTERIES OF LIFE.

Even good people. with fullness OF
Christian faith, are sometimes stag
gered at the success of the unworthy
and the adversities which befall the
worthy and obedient.
OF course it takes but moment of
reflection to recall that Gods king,
dom is not of this earth; that His pro-
misses are not of this earth. Dives
had every temporal felicity here, vet
what believer would prefer the lot Of
Dives to that Of Lazarus2
IS Still, a present fruition, thing visi.
Bile. SO strongly appeals to the senses
that even believers are sometimes
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
AsxloII0Nd, 4
JbocfRiNAf. l@sl9 Ef70RGIcAL.\


with him in his last moments, and |
should say he died rich"
you are mistaken said the first
speaker. '.All his lifetime he barely
had enough to get along, and the
estate he left almost nothing"
But surely he was respected and
honored by all for his excellence of
character and he left a good name
and a legacy of generous and noble
deeds, a faithful Christian example,
and lessons of patience in affliction,
of hope in adversely. and of calm
and heavenly trust when no sun
beams fell upon his path. His fam
lily, too, always found his presence a
joy and blessing, and his children
were faithfully trained up for intel
ligence and duty and a Christian life.
Then he died rich," was the. re-
sponsive and emphatic declaration of
another, richer than if a millionaire,
his only possession the gold that he
could not take with him and covetons
and selfish use of which were but
a sad preparation for his final ac-
count
Who has the surest and most bless
ed inheritance hereafter, the one who
lives for self and the world, or the
one who lives for God and heaven?
Possess the whole world, if it were
possible, and we must soon leave it.
"Shrouds have no pockets" and the
wealth of time has no currency in
eternity. So live as to form char
acter approved alike by God and men,
and you will not only die rich, but
all your riches you will bear with
you to eternity. sos
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03

dear private judgment, so fiattering to
poor human nature. Knowing, how
ever that he was an extreme pacifist
before the present war, but that i'm
mediately after the declaration of
war by Congress he dropped his; until
then, legitimate view, said to him:
My dear man, you have surrender
ed your Judgment on the word Of Con-
gress; why should you not do the
same on the word of God?' This
seemed to stun him, but it had its
ieffect, for soon after he came to re-
quest admission into the Church
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03

THERE'S one short and simple an
swer which is as conclusive as, it is
unsatisfying:: Quia Deus sic Vult--
because God so wills.
THEORETICALLY a miracle is defined
as something. unusual, beyond or
above the, scope of nature, which
serves as sign to strike home the
reality of the supernatural and the
unseen. Therefore miracles must not
be too common. They must not be
come usual. They must not occur as a
matter of course. That is perhaps
the reason why God allows them. te
happen just in this or that place, al
this or that time and not more fire.
quently.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03

OFFENCES.

We are often inclined to think that
this or that moral slip is a minor mat
ter in the eyes of God because it is
very trifiing in the eyes of men; but
we should remember that Gods stand.
ards and ours are far different and
that what men deem of little impor-
lance from a spiritual point of view,
and that the. Importance of an soffense
is not always to be gagged by its
character so much as the Importance
of the person against whom it is COM
mitted, .or the circumstances under
which it occurs.
To eat meat on Friday is not as
grave a sin as some others, really far
less important, according to mankind.
We find it easy to invent excuses for
not going to Mass on Sundays: 1t is
raining, it is too hot, too cold; we
want to- go out of town for the day,
we. want to go to a picnic and must
start early, etc.. Yet going to Mass
on Sunday is a very grave and i'm
portant matter, and only the most
serious excuses really excuse us from
the pain of sin in not going, and none
of the excuses we have mentioned is
sufficient ordinarily,
We read in the lives of many of the
saints revelations which they received
in which this fact that many. things
which we think trifiing are by no
means insignificant in the eyes of
God. and that Purgatory is. filed with
people who were sent there for what
we would consider some trffing fault.
That the idea, of some sin being
trifing is the cause of many persons
staying in Purgatory far longer than
they otherwise would, because those
who should and would pray for them,
do not do SO under the mistaken idea
that they We're SO perfect that when
they died they went direct to Heaven
without any necessity for any stay in
Purgatory.
Again. as we have said, the impor-
lance of an offense is in proportion to
the Importance of the person against
whom, or the. circumstances under
which it was Committed. To strike
the, president is a far more serious
offense than. to strike. some ordinary
man, even to attack a policeman or a
|letter-carrier is far more severely
punished than to attack Tom Doe or
Richard Doe. If then the person
against whom we offend, and whom
we insult by our act is an infinite
personalityin other words, God--it
follows that our act is far more grave
and important than if Committed
against man. -
|. Again.. the circumstances under
which We do a given thing, may
transfer an inoffensive act into an of
fensiye one, because we give scandal,
or in some other way, sim. Thus, talk
ing is not sinful, but talking in church
is not by any means a virtue. though
there are apparently many otherwise
good people who think it is, or at
least Is Of no consequence.
/; It is very important that we realize
the fact that little things in the eyes
OF man are often big things in the.
eyes of God, because otherwise we
shall often. no doubt, commit sins
that otherwise we could easily avoid
E4 - .sa y. 70
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
TRUST HIM.

Trust Him when dark doubts assail
thee,
Trust Him when thy strength is
small: 3
Trust Him when to simply trust Him
Seems the hardest thing of all.
Trust Him! He is ever faithful,
Trust Him! for His will is best;
Trust Him! for the Heart of Jesus
Is the only place of rest.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
TODAY.

Today is ours. TOmorfOW'S land
No sage's hand can ever trace;
All that the beauteous world can give
Rests solely in today's embrace.
Count on no Wondrous deed that vel
Shall rouse the world to glad &C
claim;
For many a grand career has failed
That lived but for tomorrow's name
Today is ours. The helping hand
That we SO gladly would bestow
Is needed now, Some heart is faint,
And needs our smiles. Could we
but know,
When far tomorrow is today
That smile will have but little worth
The helping hand that meant so much
But idly grasps when earth's is
earth.
Today is ours. All that the seers
Have e'er inscribed on history
{, page;
The deeds of valor proud, and fierce.
AS handed down from age to age.
Would ne'er have been extolled or
known,
Nor now would mem'ry gid their
way,
If they within their epoch failed
To grasp the meaning of today.
Today is ours. Then let us live
It's buoyant hours with, hope and
cheer;
No task is irksome, if we feel
The best is always now and here.
Though looking onward, forward,
ne'er
Forgetting what is round our way,
Lest planning for tomorrow, we
Should slight the duties of today.
Today is ours. All must be done
We can accomplish ere tbs gone;
And if our life is spared tbs such :.
That makes us perfect later on.
Thus, filled. with golden hours as each
Today slips into yesterday:
Approving conscience will convince
Us we have lived a sweet today.
III 0'Haa