The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-23

do all in his power to- help them.
They requested him to approach their
respective families and gain the par
entail consent.
1t was the Lees to whom Father
O'Leary went first. Here was a house
hold with ambitions. Within the past
year real lace curtains had been
achieved by the parlor windows, an
ell added onto the kitchen, and a
new porch was attached to the front
of the dwelling. Mr.. Lee was now re-
ceiving fair wages as bookkeeper in
Almy's haberdashery, and Mrs. Lee
could be little better than fair man
ager. They would have been COM
Portable long before this, were it not
for sickness. Mr.. Lees lungs were
not of the strongest, and Mrs. Lees
NERVES" frequently necessitated a
| dismal period abed. But at present
everything was as smooth as cream.
Not for months had the old cough
bothered her husband, nor the nerves
the wife. Several entries had been
made in the handbook. Heaven was
in sight until-Father O'Leary dark
ened the doorway
Mrs. Lee was a tall, handsome
| woman, with disappointment written
in light wrinkles on her forehead. She
| had been fond of the world in her
| day and often marVeled to herself and
her intimate friends that, out of many
VIZ chn oh I11d hoX
chosen Richard Lee, the one least
| fitted to shine in business and society.
| She was frank in her admission that
her supposed love for Richard was
mere girlish folly. But the affection
| which she withheld from the father
was lavished on the son. 1t spoke
wondrously we'll for Eddie that she
had not succeeded in spelling him.
That morning Father O'Leary
called, Mrs. Lee was seated in a
rocker on the sun-sWept porch, read
| ing a "best-seller." 1t was Monday
but of late the lady consigned her
cares to the Wet-wash and hired
girl.
''Time that I should get little
| ease out of life" was her sharp
opinion.
| She rose with a show of dignity,
gave her hand to the priest, and mo.
| toned him to the opposite chair.
Il have come to see you with re,
gard to Edward, Mrs. Lee" explained
Father OLeary. He's a good boy
and"
Indeed he is, Father. So superior
in SO many ways to his father!
really don't know what I'd ever dc
without him, he's such comfort"
| Gould you give him up, if"
"Of course, couldn't give him up!
Why do you even suggest it,"
Wouldn't you yield him over even
Ito God!"
What nonsense are you talking
Father?" said Mrs. Lee, in tones Of
thinly yelled irritation.
Your son wishes to be a priest"
The womans face blanched. For q
| second her fist clenched and the
knuckles were white. Then, with q
toss of the head, she expressed her
self:
Edwards duty is to me, Father
| O'Leary. / risked my life to bring
him into the world. l reared him
And now that he's old enough to be
help and comfort to me, I'm MOI
going to allow an idle Whim to draw
him away from me. Every young
ster who ever served at the altar
wanted, at one time or other, to be {
/! priest. Merely boys enthusiasm
Father, that's ALL" She snapped hel
fingers. God wants my boy to dt
his duty by me, his mother. Surely
as a priest, you can recognize thi!
plain fact
''How about your boys duty to his
i Father-his heavenly Father?" sug
i gested Father O'Leary mildly, though
a line of pain and perplexity was OF
! his brow. Like Christ, he should be
(Continue,I on marc 6l