The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-03-08

fenSlOn was, ne would nave dHSWeIeu
Catholic" and proudly too. If you
had suggested that he was not prac-
teal Catholic he would have been in
dignant. Nevertheless, the cancer of
worldliness had eaten into his soul
and as business cares and worries
sponsibility, religion had been more
and more crowded out. John Nor
timer once was a First Friday Com
municant-now just barely made his
Easter duty. Once he would have
walked miles rather than have missed
Mass-now if he heard the patter of
rain or saw the snow piling up, he
would rather rejoice on Sunday
morning that he had a conscience
balm to Justify his staying abed.
Once he would have dragged him
self to church, even though he were
sick; now, if he stayed too late at the
club on Saturday evening, he would
find himself too tired to go to Mass
the next morning. OF course, the
once" was when the dear old Irish
mother and dad were living; and the
now" WELL the now" was when
John Mortimer had become success
full and prosperous and felt rather in
dependent of God, or at least acted
as if he felt that way.
AS | have said, John Mortimer
would have felt very indignant if any
one had talked to him or about him
in this way. You can meet such John
Mortimers, though. almost any day
along Wall street. not to look nearer
home; nominally Catholic, in practise
Indifferent. John had not lost the
faith, but it had become atrophied by
lack of exercise. What would his chill
dren be if he married a non-Catholic,
or a Catholic as Indifferent as him.
self? Riches and the faith do not
seem to go together somehow or
other. | presume that as Our Lord
loved the poor and gathered them
about Him long ago in Galilee, so He
does in our own old U. S. A.
Poor old Irish mother and dad!
night. He was not bit tired. He
was elated with his triumphs, and
what is more, he felt that he deserved
them. At least the business triumph
he knew he did not deserve the
young lady-no mortal could! She
was, we'll, she was just wonderful.
But the partnership-he knew that he
had earned it six times over. Fitzroy
senior had hesitated long time about
taking young Mortimer into his good
old Yankee firm: but Fitzroy junior
had no capacity for business. He was
| no initiative, no getup-andget-at
spirit. He was a rather spoiled and
pampered young man. He had a col
lege degree, it is true, but that alone
gets one nothing in business.
The young Irish-American, Morti-
mer, on the other hand, knew the bust
ness backward and forward. He had
been in it since he was in knicker-
bockers-he was hustler, had a good
presence, was a good talker. He could
extract money from Mrs. Hetty Green
at an easy rate of interest, and could
beat Mrs. Eddy at piling it up. He had
put an energy and go into the old con-
sentative company that was making
competitors envious A contract in
volving millions, not to speak of pres
tige, Mortimer had hurried off to
Washington and gotten it. On his re-
turn he demanded an oft promised
partnership, and got that also. Fitz-
roy seniors admiration was reluctant
and tardy. but it was sincere.
Poor old Irish mother and dad. If
, they had only lived to see the tri-
umph of the boy! How delighted they
! would have been. If they had only
| lived to enjoy a little of the splendor
which now surrounded their son, if
I only they could have had a few of
j the comforts of life - before death
claimed them. What a hard, bitter
sickness and misfortune. Yet as he
! looked back on it, they had always
been cheerful and happy. He knew
he could never have been cheerful
under similar circumstances. He often
wondered at their secret He had
! lost it. 1t was the simple, vital ami
mating faith they possessed which
j kept them afloat when he would have
| been submerged.
If he could only have done some
! thing for them while they were alive.
! He sat back with sigh as he thought
, of them. He had not given them much
thought of late years He had been
so rushed But now on the day of his
triumph he wished they could be here
with him to enjoy it. He had clean
wholesome soul, did John Mortimer
even though worldliness was creeping
into it,
Strange that he did not feel tired
/ One O'Clock striking, and he did not
have the least inclination to go to bed
How pleasantly the logs in the open
+! fireplace smouldered-how fantastic
the shadows which were dancing on
walls! The study in which he sat was
delightful place. Rows and rows of
beautifully bound books (for John
Mortimer loved books), and good pic
lures, softly shaded electric lights, a
harmonious color scheme-all showed
the man of good taste. John Nor
timer had not mingled with the world
for nothing. He had kept his eyes
open and had been learning every
hour and every day. He had had the
opportunity to see the best in the land
and to meet the best and he had bene