The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-05-24
ST. ANTHONY OF THE
SINGLE ARM.

cut clearly through the air and ar
object projected from a window OF
the house fell upon a rubbish heap
Melanie knew both the voice and its
owner. Paul Sehrt, the infidel cob
bier, had just moved into the house
from his former shop lower down in
the village. He was an old resident
of the neighborhood who for years had
shocked the people by his virulent
attacks on religion and the Church
Otherwise, he was a worthy man and
did his work well.
Melanie walked slowly over to the
heap, being curious to see what had
been thrown there. She walked very
slowly, as her health was poor and
she was easily fatigued. She looked
around for the object cast away and
to her establishment found it to be a
figure of Saint Anthony. She picked
it up and busted it reverently with her
handkerchief. The figure, a simple
one of wood, had had hard treatment,
as one of the arms was missing; as
diligent search failed to discover the
fragment Melanie concluded that it
had been previously detached. She
walked to the house and tapped tim
idly at the door. Sehrt thrust his
head out of second-story window and
glared at the visitor
IN. Sehrt," said Melanie, you threw
this figure of Saint Anthony out of the
window. Is it that you do not want
it?'
"Why do you ask?' he queried
Il would very much like to have it,
if you do not want it, answered
Melanie.
do want it? ?" he cried, satirically.
Surely | would not throw away some
thing | wanted. No, do not want it.
Some simpleton like yourself-pardon
me, Melanie, but it is the truth
evidently believed there was some vir-
tue in piece of wood shaped like a
man. l do not. Take it, and I advise
you to make your fire with it,
Melanie was SO terrified at the
irreverence of the man that she hur-
ried off with the figure without thank
ing him for it. She climbed YEARLY
to her little room and sat down on the
bed. How tired she felt, and how
the little walk she had taken had
weakened her! She knew she was
growing worse each day, and that the
dull pain was growing sharper-that
pain which kept her awake at night
and which she bore silently on her
mothers account. At times the
thought came into her mind that she
her mother turn away and wipe her
eyes when she looked at her-and
how pityingly Pere Ribot had spoken
to her after Mass that morning
Melanie was a pious girl, and if she
must die, she felt that she had moth
ing TO fear. But, then, came the
thought Of mother and father-and
Ernest.
She and Ernest had grown up to-
gether, and today as she sat there SO
sad and weary, her thoughts flew back
to that sunny May day when Ernest
had bashfully told her how dear she
was to him and she had timidly whis-
pered the word he longed to hear.
Then they had walked to her home
and when la mere had glanced at
Melanie's blushing face as they en-.
tered the door, she had kissed her
daughter and embraced Ernest. When
NJ. DOurges lie pere, came in he
slapped Ernest on the back and
grinned all over his face. M. Dourges
was man of few words.
When, the next Sunday, Ernest &C.
companied her to his mothers house
his father had died years ago
Madame Perrin showed such joy over
her sons choice and was so loving
and kind that Melanie cried for very
thankfulness.
There was no talk of immediate
marriage-for among the villagers en-.
gagements are long and a man and
woman must see their way very clear.
ly before they venture on this impor.
tant step-but was ever a love match
so full of sunshine and promise
And now was she to die?
She looked at the poor one-armed
figure in her lap Saint Anthony
she cried, pray that I may not die
Pray that l may have Ernest"
Then she placed the figure on a
shelf just over her bed.
The summer had passed, with its
hot days and it's thunder and hail
storms, and now the frost sparkled in
the morning on the tufts of grass.
Winter came swiftly, and by All
Saints there had been flurries of
snow and the ground was frozen.
In the lee of Cabot's baker shop,
sheltered from the cold wind that
blew down the street, Pere Ribot and
Doctor Lebrun talked earnestly. The
priests face was very sad as he lis.
tened to the vehement speech of the
doctor, who had kind heart, though
he was rather snappish and gruff, and
became violently enraged whenever
anyone charged him with doing kind
act.
and you can give me no hope of
Melanie's recovery" asked Pere
Ribot.
Ma fol, how can [? She has a ma
lignant tumor which is dragging her
to her grave?"