The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-01-04
"CATCH IT, AND RUM"

"These are fine, big humps, aren't
they, Mr. OBrien?' said the little boy
| as he selected a particularly huge
piece of soft coal with which to crown
the smouldering heap in the cobblers
ttiny stove.
They are that, and a good thing
too, with coal the price it is. All
| that's a grand bit, pitch it in and
twill Reep US warm for as long as we
want to stay, which won't be long to-
night" said the old cobbler, throw
ing his finished work-a russell kid
shoe-on to the window shelf. From
| d heap Of nondescript footgear on the
floor beside his bench he chose)a bat.
tered child's shoe, and budding down
again upon his cushioned
bench. Thady' severed the loose
strands that had tried in vain to hold
the uppers and sole in some sem blance
OF unity s.. %@a
The dying flames curled around the
grand bit" and licking their crimson
tongues around it's rough outline
snapped and cracked with joy at such
a feast. The little boy knelt on the
threadbare mat before the tiny stove
and stared with admiring, Fascinated
gaze until his eyes dazzled with the
glare, saw only red and yellow bIurs.
shut the door, vor you'll have us
smothered with the gas itself, Johnny.
Shut the door," commanded the old
man. rs it blinded you want to be?''
he added as Johnny drew a grimy
hand across his eyes.
mo, but just love to look at it,"
confessed the boy. He shut the door
carefully in difference to its one hinge,
and then sat down beside the old man.
Through the scorched ising-glass the
dancing flames could be still admired.
6 'Tis a queer thing, fire. said the
old man, i"and bad Off we'd be with
out it, I'VE often thought
Sister brought in some story-books
to-day and one ] got was all about
Indians and how they lived and what
they did and everything began the
little boy.
EIou Say Sdlu L Hduy : t.-r d.
Eyes, and there was one awful good
one and it was just exactly about fire,
too. | could tell you some of it, if
you wanted. Do you want to hear it,
Mr. O'Brien?" -
There's nothing I'd like better, I'M
less it is to tell one myself" laughed
Thady. Tell it now an when it's
done, if it's a good one I'll know more
than l do now
But l don't know whether it's true
hesitated Johnny. Sister didn't say
anything, but she only laid the books
on our desks if we had handed in our
English homework. I had, because my
mother won't let me do anything after
supper until it's finished
She's right there" interrupted the
cobbler. T
And Sister said, see if you can
lind good story, and maybe some
time I'll ask you to tell it. Then /
read about how fire first was brought
to the Indians"
III have this sole off an a new one
on, while you're waitin' to begin"
scolded Thady. ~: z
You won't, either" laughed johnny.
Now I'm beginning He crossed his
thin ankles, and rubbed his small nose
refiectively, stared again at the glow
ing Goals and began:
"Oh, it was cold, cold winter. The
wind blew every leaf off of the trees
and whirled them about on the ground.
On the north side of every tree, the
frost spirit hid. You see the Indians
believed there were bad and good spir..
its all around: This bad one stung.
and nipped every animal in the forest.
that came near his trees. After a
while there was a terrible snowstorrn
so. that couldn't see the sun. se OK.
.cept once in a while through the
fakes. And then it wasn't a good vel
low sun. It was white and pale like
the moon. -
I'm their cold wigwams-did YOU.
know they called their houses wig.
wams?' tg fsss
Il did so,'' said the listener
We'll, in their cold wigwams the