The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-07-19

ana, so you've Hdu d Iull dCio'
Well, | don't know why Father Lad
den should be up in the air as you
say over it. l always had an idea
that miracles were simply the breath
of the air to him. thought that mir
acles for breakfast, dinner and sup
per were only the ordinary bill OF fare
for the Cure of AIRS and his disciples.
That's just it, yer Grace, he
breathed, that's just it. Ye mind
when the Cure of AIRS was the whole
thing in this rectory? Sure, | remem-
Der when everything was too swell for
us-the old rags of furniture that we
had when we started here-and yer
Grace can see that-save for the
chair ye're sitting on and a few other
sticks of furniture - that things
haven't improved much since. AS l
was saying before yer Grace inter-
rupted me, that everything was too
good for us. Sure his Reverence
would be saying, the Cure of AIRS,
Michael, me lad, never had anything
like this When he was tired he'd sit
on the floor; and when he was sleepy
he'd lay on the floor, and be became a
saint, Michael, not through having a
lot of furniture that belongs to the
poor, or piling up fat bank accounts,
but through the getting rid OF them,'
and with that he ordered me to sell
everything extra-and the house like
a barracks-and give the money to
the poor And a smile stole over the
wrinkled old face of Michael.
And you did it," suggested Mon.
signor, who had heard the tale SO
often that he knew it by heart but
who humored Michael into telling it
every time he saw him.
Il did, yer Grace, l sold it. l took
the whole outfit to Casey, the boss OF
the ward, and l. says to him: His
Reverence wants to get rid of this
furniture, and he thought it possible
that We, in the goodness of yer heart
might want to give him a donation fer
it. And in yer turn, We can give the
furniture to the poor
We'll, sir, he did give us donation
for it, and a good on at that, and
took the money and got decent cook
stove to cook his meals,-the finest
gas range in the district-and | got a
good bed for Father Laden. Well,
he was up in the air. SO to speak, yer
Grace, when he learned where the
money came from.
Michael he says, real strict-like
didn't tell ye to give the money to
the poor?' Sure, yer Reverence,
answers him, didn't I do it-who's
poorer than yer ownself?' And I was
right"
YES, Michael. you're always right.
1t was the voice of Father Laden
and he smiled as he grasped Father
| Ewing's hand. Il suppose Michaels
been telling you about what he terms
the miracle He's all up in the air
about it, and there was the suspi
| cion of a twinkle in his blue eyes.
Micnael betook himself to the Gu.
| linary department., determined to pre-
pare a dinner that would do justice to
his skill, even though it did not hap
pen to be Saturday, the regular day
| for Father Ladders big feast. He
| was ambitious that His Grace
should realize that there was no one
in His Grace's" establishment to be
compared to the cook that Father
| Robert Laden possessed.
Father Laden rescued his friend
| from "the chair" Il see he's put you
| in stocks again." he laughed We'll
| that chair was one of the instruments
| of torture he bought with the money
he was so busily telling you about
! when came in, and OF course there's
no two ways about it, visitor as dis
tinguished as Your Grace would have
to grace it! But come, let's go to the
living room, the splendor of this one
stiles me-"
Monsignor Ewing laughed heartily
as he followed his host into the living
| room; then he looked around at the
shabby place. Its not" and the
Monsignor eyed it critically, exactly
what the Cure of AIRS might have had
but then, as Michael would have told
me if you'd given him half a chance
it's none too good for Father Lad
den"
| well, l suppose Michaels told you
that the Cure of AIRS has no longer
| the place he used to have, and if
hadn't interrupted him he might have
! told you that Don Bosco is quite the
rage at the rectory of st. Bernardine
of Sienna
Then Father Laden told him of his
plans; that the old Church of st. Der
nardine must go and a new one, ar
edifice more worthy of the outcast
king, arise in its stead. He told him
about the novena to Saint Joseph, and
about Bob Leonard's gift of the five
thousand dollars at the close of the
novena-'f some of Father Lad
den's tricks
Then Father Laden sighed. "Oi
course l did expect that thirty thou
sand might be forthcoming at the end
of it; but l suppose that's not Saint
Joseph's system"
! Father Ewing leaned back in his
chair and lit cigar. 81 think it was
a signal answer to prayer" he said
land when the five thousand dollars is
exhausted there's no law against your
making another novena for five thou.
sand more, and so on until you get