The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-10-04

lean guards! | was a donkey to even
dream of such a thing!
THAT is what they said, madame.
But you see | had dreamed of it.
had wanted to see the Pope all my
life! 1t had lived with me, a great
desire, and since l had come to Rome
it had grown until it seemed that, if
my longing were not satisfied, should
lose my mind!
Well, they said | was a fool, so
tried to put the thought Of seeing the
Pope out of my head altogether.
worked hard, and month passed.
Then one day a messenger came
to our house, came--and asked for
me. Imagine my establishment l who
had never received letter in all the
time l had been in Italy. Who was
there to write to me?"
He paused a moment, whimsically
wistful smile playing over his poor
twisted lips. | glanced at Marie. She
was sitting forward, holding tight to
the window frame as she bounced gro
tesquely whenever we took the bumps
a little too fast. There was an eager
look in her eyes which she tried to
hide as soon as she caught me watch
ing her, but her interest was too
great.
Go on, monsieur, go on" she MUIR
INJURED breathlessly. Then she remem-
sided into her corner.
All, but yes, madamoiselle, I will
continue Madame is interested now,
Ell? 1t is not such a stupid little his
tory after all? 1t has its points, yes?
Well, as | was saying, | was aston
ished. I opened the letter with trem-
bling fingers, and l suppose that my
face showed my surprise, for my COM
panions said: Sapristi, but he is
clumsy through fright And 1 was
frightened, madame understands, more
SO than ever before in my life. There
is nothing in a trench to frighten one
like Pope.
When at last | was able to look
at what l held in my hand, saw it
was a paper with a great seal at the
top, and on it were printed words
which told me to come to the Vatican
two days later to see the Pope pri-
yately. AT first | was so bewildered
that | did not believe it was true, and
thought that there must be some mis-
take. But as | gazed upon that big
sheet of paper, | began to realize that
it was for none other than myself.
Then, of a truth, | became frightened
indeed I did not want to see the
Pope. l told my friends so. | said
that, after all, it must be nothing
| much, this see a Pope. The Holy Fa-
| Their was not a very handsome man,
and l believed | would send letter
to His Holiness explaining that there
had been a mistake; that his invita-
ton had, extraordinarily, got into the
wrong hands. No, | did not care to
go; l would stay quietly at home
and read about the Pope in the news.
| papers!
| But my friends tore their hair!
| They ragged! They swore, cursing me
| for a ninny. Per Bacco. But | must
go. 1t was a command. l could moi
disobey 1t was as if God in His
heaven had sent the angel Gabriel tC
summon me before the throne. Was
mad? Had I lost my mind? MOI
go? l was a fool! Il most certainly
would have to go, there were no two
ways about it.
You see. madame, had what they
call Collect of an appalling GOODNESS
and it was with very slow steps tina
finally l did drag myself there
And ali! What found! If hat
been frightened before, now my leg!
were shaking so | could hardly stant
upright. My mouth was SO dry that
thought | never would be able to tel
them my own name.
There was a tall gentleman wh'
met me at the door. He passed M
on to another gentleman, who gav'
me yet to another. l thought l woult
never get through with those gentle
men. But finally was taken into
little room, very high and with a beau
tiful window at the end which locke,
like the gates Of paradise. And as
stood there, trembling, figure all il
white came through a door and | al
most wept, madame, because he wa
so unlike Pope and SO like my owl
!. dear father. And he talked to me jus
| as my father would talk. He put hi
, hand on my shoulder. He asked IN
questions about everything: about m
: father and mother; my little sisters
! lr,y brother who was shot at Ham
about my medals; my friends whom
had saved when the shell came
everything. And he spoke SO gentl
; Just as my father would-that / ha,
no more fright and told him about m
parents, who must have been kille,
, when the Germans took our village
of how l myself knew through a com
rade that my sisters had-how tn
boches had taken them away; of hoy
had come to Rome because Their
was no place for me to- go, my vii
| lage beingsdust, my home gone. AM
the Holy Father put his arm about M
and there were tears in his eyes a
he took my hand in his-but yes, ma
dame, this one, all twisted and use
less-and said he was proud to fee
the flesh that had bled for Franc,
close to his own flesh!
"Ah! That was my hour madame
kissed his hand and he blessed me
and when l came out again into thu
sunshine it seemed brighter than