davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09

a road shelled and badly torn up by
enemy artillery, in September, 1917,
he received the Croix de Guerre from
the General commanding the 74th Di-
vision of the French army, in which
the brave Tulsa boy was humbly serv.
ing as an ambulance driver.
Again for distinguished bravery"
nine months later, Leo Mcclure re-
ceived the American Distinguished
Service Cross from the hands of Col
onel Percy Jones, Chief of Service.
He had an almost miraculous escape
from death when shell burst near
the ambulance he was driving. That
he is good Catholic is shown by
this extract from letter written to
his sister:
do you know to what / attribute
my escape? was wearing the scapu,
lars that Sister Basilissa had sent to
me through you. l received them a
few days before. Your good letter
was in my pocket at the time. Some
thing was watching over me that day.
i wish you would write and thank
Sister Basilissa for me. Tell her
am now wearing the scapulars and
have been to Holy Communion this
week"
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09

where Catholic property owners pay
taxes to support the. public schools.
A fine young man of our Office force
attended this same school and if they
turn out many like him they are do
ing splendid work. He informs us
that religious topics are barred dur
ing school hours as in Sother schools.
After school hours the Catholic pupils
may, if they so desirey be instructed
in religious work.
The writer is not a Catholic and
his reading has taught him that there
is much in Catholic history to be de-
plored. His ancestors were driven
from France to England following the
Huguenot massacre but he believes
that religious issues should be side
tracked; that man should be elected
to office because he was fitted for the
place regardless of his religious be-
liefs, and that public school teacher
should be selected because she was
qualified. Any law barring persons
of Christian religious sect from any
line of industrial endeavor would be
declared unconstitutional by the
highest court in the land
The Florida 'oUsr.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
LEPERS SUFFER FROM THE
FLOOD IN CHINA.

Newsfrom the flooded regions about
Sheklung continues to come in, al
though the flood was back in June
One of the Canadian Sisters Of the I'm
maculate Conception in charge of the
leper asylum there has written about
the effects of the flood on their re-
treat, and from her account are taken
these extracts:
Our unfortunate sick were forced
to leave their rooms in which the
water carried them off their beds
They could not remain in the water
which was up to their shoulders. We
lodged a part in the new infirmary,
and we had to share with the remain
ing $50 the protection of our house
by giving them the lower floor. The
water comes in there, too, but at least
they can sleep in dry beds.
After having made several appeals
to the government, we obtained boat
which accommodated 100 persons. We
still have thirty persons in our house
All these trials do not dishearten US;
we rejoice all the more that we have
to divide the shelter of our roof with
the most abandoned of this world.
Among our unfortunate women
there were some who would not obey
when they were ordered to leave their
rooms to enter the boat or our house.
One of them, having passed the night
in the water, probably became discour-
aged, and in a moment of despair she
threw herself out of the window of
her room and was destroyed. We
recovered the body q few hours after
wards, only to let the current carry
it away, not having little corner of
earth for the dead, as we are between
Heaven and water.
What is proposed is to buy an
island at higher elevation not far
from that of the men, as the nursing
sisters must devote two hours to the
care of patients every day, and to
construct new lazaretto secure from
foundations.
But how can the poor missionaries
meet this expense? The world, we
know, is now passing through severe
period, but will not this be an oppor
tunity to appeal to the Sacred Heart
Let us recall the history of the humble
virgin, Pauline Marie Jaricot, who, il
working for the foundation of the So
ciety for the Propagation of the Faith
saved her country from greater calam
tiles than those from which we ar
now suffering. Every Offering, how
ever great or small it may be, viii
be received with gratitude"
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
DO THE ODD FELLOWS SANCTION
THIS?

1t is not surprising that in the
length and breadth of this rather big
land there should be found a few
fanatical individuals capable of talk
ing the ignorant nonsense that fell
from the lips of the State Organizer
of the Great Secret Order in Odd Eel
lows Hall Friday night. There is no
law compelling man not to believe
that the Catholic Church murdered
Lincoln and Mckinley and would
murder Wilson if it dared; no law,
that is, save the law of sanity. But
it is surprising that the responsible
authorities of the Odd Fellows, a
reputable and presumably respectable
organization, should open their hall to
such individuals, or having done so
inadvertently, that they should not
promptly disavow any sympathy with
such utterances. Do the Odd Fellows,
generally, really wish their neighbors
to believe that their knowledge and
their patriotism and their Christianity
are of such type that this sort Of
thing appeals to them?
Baltimore San.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
EXTRACTS FROM A MISSIONARIES
LETTER.

Rev. Father Patron, Mourindi, Congo,
writes: Notwithstanding the intense
mobilization We are still at Mourindi,
in our missions, which through the
mercy of God develops slowly. On the
spiritual side we have certainly moth
ing to complain of. Though founded
only 81 years or less ago, the. mission
has had already 4O3 baptisms and
counts Sc Christian marriages. I'm
happily the material condition is not
so satisfactory; at this moment we
have debt of $500 at Loango
A good work which I commend much
to your charity is that of marriage
Our Christians begin after many ex-
hortations to group themselves about
us. Seven villages are already begun
one of which is called st. Peter Claver
For these brave young men it is nee
eSsary to find wives, and for one of
these we must pay $50 to the maternal
| uncle and the father of the young
girl. Where can we get this money
| or it's equivalent in merchandise? We
have no resource but this mission and
that is not rich. Our people must &C
away from here to find work with the
planters and the merchants AnC
what dangers there are on all sides!
| have a great desire to have at my
| disposal little capital which would
permit me to lend them SO to $40
Little by little, by working here, they
would be able to pay back this small
amount which would again serve the
turn of another. This would be ar
excellent means of establishing {
number of Christian families about
the mission-an Indispensable condi
| ton here for all truly Christian life.
Who will help start Christian
home in Africa? Send your donation
to American Headquarters of Sodality
of st. Peter Claver for the African
Missions, Fullerton Bldg, 7th anG
Pine Streets, st. Louis, Mo.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
AN APPEAL FOR A MISSION BELL,

fi +. r t4 :. s
From a letter of Father Diss. NJ. L.,
Of Abidjan, Africa, to the Directress
General of the Sodality of st. Peter
Claver, we Gull the following:
e.. You know. dear Countess, that
Father Meraud has given his last
farthing towards the completion of his
beautiful church and the sacred edi-
fee will be finished and dedicated to
God as soon as the terrible war comes
to an end. In the great work you
have helped him generously. 1t only
remains to remove the thought and
dispel the shadow. And here again
Father Meraud counts and we all
count on the love which you bear to
the mission of Memni and the interest
you have always shown in it, We
need a fine bell which will represent
the voice of God calling His children
from every side to come and meet
Him in His temple. That voice re-
quires to be very strong and so the
bell ought to be very large to fill
Worthily the place designed for it in
the noble monument here erected to
the greater glory of God. 1t is per-
haps too audacious to ask for such a
thing in the present cruel circum-
stances. But, dear Countess, Switzer-
land and particularly the canton of
Tug. where / spent some time during
a holiday, will not remain deaf to our
petition, and the echo of the tiny bells
attached to the necks of the dairy
cows on the mountains that encircle
the lake will remind you that in the
African forest there are souls who
would like to have a small share in
that delightful concert which the
jewellers in your mountains enjoy I'M
ceasingly."
Such then is the request which |
address to you today in the name of
Father Meraud this the supplication
which place at your feet in the name
of our dear Christians and catechu-
mems. AS for myself / live in the
fervent hope that it will be granted
for the greater glory of God and the
further diffusion of His knowledge
and the extension of His reign among
populations who as yet know Him not.
American Headquarters of the
Sodality of st. Peter Claver, Fuller
ton Bldg, st. Louis, Mo-, appeals to
generous American Catholics to
donate the bell for the church at
Memni that they may be the means
of calling the children of God in far
away Africa-from far and near-to
assemble for His worship.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
ANOTHER STORY OF DIARoLlcAL
INFLUENCES IN WENcHoW.

Sister Mary of Wenchow keeps us
close touch with her missionary
work. Like other writer's, she states
hat the Evil One seems particularly
lct1ye in that section, which is good
evidence that many souls are being
matched from his clutches. Here is
Ter latest communication:
Our neophytes have a great devo-
ion to the Blessed Sacrament. Per
laps when some of our millions of
)agans are converted we shall then
Zee the fruits of the first Christians
lere. but at present it is uphill work,
md the devil is very powerful in Wen
'hoW; strange apparitions, cases of
possession terrify the people.
In village close to us he was
determined to drive the Christians
rom a certain house the Fathers had
hired for school and chapel, but the
1Wner still occupied the center rooms
md was a fervent heather. Evidently
he devil was angry and vented his
age by setting fire to different pieces
SIC 1ACd1 I1Iu0 d Udm0
broke out from corner of the table;
when extinguished one appeared on
the leg of chair. At night the mos
quito net took fire. The poor land.
lord, Wearied out, went to the cate
chist and begged him to stop the
prayers for few days, as the pagan
priests were coming to offer sacrifices
to appease the outraged god. So the
catechist arrived to ask the mission
aries what he was, to do. The answer
was a. decided one: Prayers to be
said as usual So the Christians
prayed and the pagans prayed, but
the devil was victorious, for the land
lord declared the god would not be ap-
peased until the Christians went to
live elsewhere. 1t was no easy matter
to hire rooms; the villagers were eau
tious, and the end of it all was that
land had to be bought and a chapel
and schoolon very small scale built.
/ Il wanted to photograph the burnt
furniture as a curiosity, but people
spoke of it in aWed whispers, and Il
was not allowed in with a kodak"
ar
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
INSURANCE

tered the Home Club, humming. She
and Nicky Rim had been strolling
down Riverside. The spring dusk
there was very sweet. Nicky had
asked her to marry hinl-when the
war was over Would spring dusks
still be sweet then? A Wistful smile
curved her lips as she paused at the
door of her room. The light was out,
which meant Kathleen was abed
Softly Julie turned the knob. Out of
the darkness a high, insure voice
sounded. 1.-The lines wobble So |
can't make them come straight. Three
squares a day. Three squares day,
isn't that funny, Pete?" w
"Kathleen!" Julie whimpered.
The strange days that followed
were like a succession of horrid
dreams to little Julie. Dusks seemed
all rainy. Nicky Rim was preoccu-
pied because his friend, Pat McKeen,
had left town suddenly. Kathleen,
these sweet, last spring days lay, pas
sive, in hospital. Complete break
down brought on by prolonged
nervous strain a tortoise-shellspe
tacled young, doctor diagnosed to tear
full Julie. Julie prayed necessarily,
trudging often up the steep, front
steps of the hospital to bring flowers
-violets, stiffly punched, sweet ar
butus, daffodils-but the black waves
had their way with Kathleen.
AS she was but twenty-five and
strong, the day came when she moved
from the languor and stretched out a
thin hand "Primrcses," she whis-
pered to the nurse, stroking the flow
ers softly; 'yellow-like JUS dress. ..
That was the beginning. Spring with
its incessant renewal, it's eternal
healing, worked the old miracle Or.
was it jules prayers? At any rate
the day came when Kathleen took
her place at the Home Club. Oddly
thin, with bobbed, black hair, she
looked an out-and-out Greenwich vii
lager. Immediately, she called for
pencil and drawing pad-as any other
woman would have asked for a mirror.
BY this Julie knew that her room
mate was indeed recovered.
Kathleen caught the drawing pencil
and held it tightly, as if she feared
being parted from it again. "I've got
to make up for lost time" shining
eyed. she told Julie. "I'll draw nine
ty-nine magazine covers"
Ought you, do you think, so soon?"
her roommate gasped.
Kathleen nodded sage, cropped
head Il want to- she explained
Julie had given up, long ago, trying
to understand the mad mercHrial
temperament Of the artist. She threw
up despairing hands .s.g a4s
Yes. ninety-nine cover pictures
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
LET Us ENCOURAGE A YOUNG
NATIVE APOSTLE.

A young native priest who merits
our help and consideration is FIR.
Thomas, of ST. Roque's Parish, Roya-
puram, Madras. AS a student in the
Papal Seminary at Randy, Ceylon, he
used to send many interesting articles
to America describing that institution
and it's needs.
He has now become a full-fedged
priest and has been sent to help in the
Madras district. He possesses an ex-
cellent command of English and seems
to be one of the promising native
apostles so much needed in the mis-
sion countries. A little gift now and
then would encourage him, for most of
the native clergy reach the altar only
after a heroic struggle with prejudice
and poverty
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
REMAIN AND PRIESTS.

The apostate Renan, who had spent
his early years in French seminary,
in the closest intimacy with the
clergy, once declared: Il have known
none but good priests" A Protestant
writer; Mr. J. E. G. Bodley, quotes
Remains words approvingly in a work
on France; and he adds: Seven
years of constant. association with
French ecclesiastics of every rank has
impressed upon me the full value of
this testimony. There is not
a more exemplary body of men in the
land"
No question is raised nowadays on
this subject by any but lot of very
bigoted and very vulgar people who
had their gullibility and their taste
for obscene sensationalism pandered
to by occasional vagabond lex
priests" and "ex-nuns."
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
RELIGIOUS ISSUE IN SCHOOL,
ROOM.

The Governor of the great state
of Florida appears to be a religious
bigot. He declares that no Catholics
shall teach in public schools, though
he has no law to back UP his man.
date. Cars and Emperors need no
laws but we thought that. the United
States was fighting to preserve
Democracy that all men be. free and
equal and that Dictators were to be
abolished. 1t seems to this non-Cath.
Ollie writer that now, when over a
quarter of million Catholics are
fighting in the United States army, is
not the best time to Cypress citizens
who are free even as you and l.
Certain nuns have been teaching
public school at San Antonio, Florida,
which is a Catholic community and
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
WHAT THE CHILDREN OF THE
WORLD DID LAST YEAR FOR
THE MISSIONS - EFFECT OF
WAR,

Every Catholic should know some
thing Of the work done by our Church
in the mission field. Especially to-
day, when her work is hampered and
well-nigh destroyed in many parts of
the world. The children of all Chris
tendon are being educated to know
their duty in this regard through the
Holy Childhood Association. They
contribute one cent month to the
cause, collect pennies for the 'pur
chase" of heather children and sell
Christmas Seals for the furtherance
tributed nearly $354,000, North Amer
lea about 100000, and the rest of
the world $4,000.
If we consider that this sum of close
to half million dollars came largely
from and through children, we can.
not but hope for the future of the
mission activities. These same little
tots will never forget their duties
toward other much less favorably sit
uated than they are. In the United
States the collection was three times
the amount of four years ago, $S2,,
1858.
AS a point of contrast" says Fa
thCr Knaebel the Director General OF
the work, lit may be enlightening tt
note that the Catholic children of de
VaStated France have contributed the
grand sum of $144,232, and the ma.
lions of wartorn Europe have beer
able to provide $353,419 during the
year 1917 for the poor, abandoned pa
gan children" We may read a great
deal of the religious situation in
France, of her infideI government, OF
the priests in the trenches; a record
such as the above throws a brighter
and pleasing light on the soul o.
France and proves to us that she is
not only Catholic in NAME but also in
sacrificing spirit, despite her own
needs and her heroic deeds on the bat
tlefelds. If French men and women
did not believe in their Faith, their
children surely would not be first in
all the world in their offerings toward
this glorious and inspiring work!
This same spirit is being shown by
our children in America; we can only
hope and pray that the work may
spread and thrive as the years go on:
the harvest is great: the workers few,
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
DEPLETED BATTALIONS CAP
TURE DOUBLE THE NUMBER.

BY slow stages comes joyous news
from the far off battle line of Africa.
The commanding general of Christ's
forces in the Vicariate of Upper Kas-
sal sends this thrilling report to the
well wishers of the battling Church
throughout the world:
'The past three years of war are
a new proof that the ways of God are
always wonderful. For in spite of
our great shrinkage in money and
men the number of conversions has
more than doubled. On July 1, 1914,
we had in the mission of Kassai a.
379 baptized Catholics. On July 1,
1917, we numbered 60,775. Our hap
tisms from June 80, 1916, to July,
1917, were 1879; those listed as
catechumens, 32,875; as postulants,
70,059; communions distributed 475,-
879; marriages performed, 1,025. In
addition there are 81 schools accom-
modating upward of 5000 pupils and
20 hospitals and lazarets looking after
an average of 500 sick.
God has brought about these won
derful results by seconding with a
special blessing the almost super
human efforts of the So priests who
we're left after mobilization. But
they can no longer suffice for the
ever-increasing task. And to make
matters worse our financial resources
have been all but cut Off. Yet grace
is breathing over this region of
promise. And shall we be compelled
to leave souls thus called to immor-
tally perish eternally2
LAS a last line of defense we shall
have to rely on our native catechists.
They now count 2,704 dispersed
through as many villages. They sup
ply the place of the absent missionary
by teaching the catechumens the
elements of our holy religion And if
these poor helpers are taken away,
the villages will fall into the hands of
the American Protestants who are
trailing us with feverish anxiety to
find an opening for their propaganda
OF error. It's heartbreaking to think
OF surrendering even a single village
to the enemy, much less them ALL,
You, Catholic reader, are you patriot
enough to make provision for one
village? A fifty dollar Liberty Bond
would keep up the fight for a year, A
thousand dollars in Liberty Bonds
would keep up the fight in perpetuity.
Answer the call of distress by send
ing reinforcements through the So
dality of st. Peter Claver for the Afri-
can Missions, Fullerton Building, st.
Louis, Mo.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
T. K EeNkfzz Ak(lll2.I4{&A,z,e
i kEa6$SSS.SIAAM MISSION FIELDSA

where do you come from? Have you
been fghting?" Sister, said he, 81
worked in the fields the whole week;
mother would not have me go to school
with these clothes, but yet l have
come"
Such cases happen often. The chill
dren must help their parents; their
clothes are worn out; the parents have
no money to buy new ones, and the
consequence is that the children can
not go to school. BY erecting little
store for food and clothes to be sold
at very cheap rates the Sisters would
be able to supply the necessities OF
life to the very poor and aid effectu
lily in the evangelization of the coun
try. Of course money is needed tc
set up the establishment.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
A LITTLE STORE WOULD HELP
THE DOMINICAN SISTERS
OF SANTA CRUZ.

Sister Pulcheria, o. S. D., labors' at
Santa Cruz in the Island of Aruba,
Curacao, and according to her account
great poverty exists there and is. the
chief cause for parents neglecting to
send their children to school To get
enough food to feed the numerous
little ones is about all they can do
The Sister tells of one lad Of seven
years who was absent from class eight
days, then one Monday morning he
walked in most unexpectedly. His
clothes looked so strange that all the
children burst out laughing. There
was not single sound part on his
blouse, neither on his little trousers;
he was clad with mere rags. -se...
My boy, the Sister asked him,
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09

McKeen. spoke again. Il got over
to the trenches and into the thick of
the, thing. There's no glory about it
all. You people over here don't un-
derstand! It's mud and horror. But"
MS blue eyes sparkled, sit gets you!
| want you to know" he finished,
that I'm glad / went-glad you sent
me- can never come back to three
squares day again. That's ALL" He
saluted stiffly, as Saint George might
salute Joan of Arc, and turned to 60.
through the room rang sound. He
wheeled about, incredulous. Kathleen
was huddled in one of the velvet
chairs, her face hidden. Through the
half dusk came her sobs-the terrible
racking sobs of the woman who sell
dom cries. In an instant he was
kneeling beside her. Don't, dear"
he advised, huskily Don't, now"
"Oh," she moaned, eff l had let you
so again-like that"
His ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS right arm
folded about her. do you care,
them" he questioned, little bit?"
Care she choked; care? Would
have hurt you SO, before, if didn't
care?'
Pat McKeens mouth opened.
amazedly at this glimpse into the
astounding psychology of woman.
and thought" he muttered, "you
hated me-"
She laughed softly, through the
tears. Dear" she faltered, you
must forget all / said to you-then,
was not quite responsible. l was
taken i'll soon after, with nervous
breakdown"
He patted the cropped dark head.
"Life's been darn hard with you" he
said huskily.
1T doesn't matter, now" she told
him.
Out there" he said, Il thought q
lot of you. | wanted you so. Kath.
leen, There never was girl like
you! You jolted me awake. What a
conceited fool was before you-o
6 A soft hand stopped his words.
NO." she corrected, 'just-asleep
You walked up. always said Won
looked like Saint George of England.
Now her voice rang gladly, you are
more like him-brave, humble"
kneeling before her in the dusk he
caught her closer and kissed her many
times. Say" he whispered, 'if YOU
don't mind I'd rather you Thought
looked like saint from Ireland."
Y Her glad laugh was like the note of
q bugle--a silver bngle.
(Conehdaa !