The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-04-19
looked out into the night. Had Ruth

HUISeil III luch, lOI Il ule cSCdpt COuIu
be easily reached from the window.
Stepping fearlessly out, she looked
cautiously about her and slowly de-
scended. About five feet from the
ground the steps ended, and Ruth,
with all a child's quickness, hung
bravely to the last step and jumped.
Finding herself on the ground, with
GREATNESS haste she made her way
t the graveyard, and with little diff
Guilty found the newly made mound.
Then she threw herself with heart
| rending sobs, on the beautiful flowers
which detked the grave.
The tired horses which came slowly
down the hill, bore two weary travel
Fers in the uniform OF the North.
Their merry talking had ceased and
th~ey4rode5in silence. It was with Joy
they entered the town Of c., for
there they would rest. l.
Il say, Clayton said the younger
of the two men, eve are nearing the
graveyardi Do YOU remember" he
added, when Welwere youngsters we
we're afraid to pass it for fear Of see
ing ghosts" His companion laughed,
but made no answer. They had not
gone much further when Clayton sud
| denly stopped his horse and merely
whispered to his friend, Look
The. moon, which was high in the
sky, lighted up the graveyard with a
dazzling splendor, rejecting light on
| the many tomhstones. \ little figure
in white appeared from behind the
| old church and ran wildly into the
city of the dead" :
The two men looked at n another
in wonder. Then Clayton burst into
a laugh and said, 4 say, Conner, |
think. you haven't yet overcome your
| bogish fears of the graveyard" These
words brought Common. back to his
senses, and he again. started his
horse, making his way toward the
graveyard.
Not quite" Conner answered
laughing. "But l am. going to inves.
tigate." In .a.
Alighting at the gate, he tied his
horse and made his way into the
graveyard. He was soon. neal enough
to see a child lying on the neW grave.
She was barefoOted and was clothed
in her little white nightgown. Her
long golden hair hung loosely over
her shoulders, giving her the appear
ance of an angel. Connor tenderly
laid his hand on Ruth's golden head,
trying to arouse her. But at his
touch; she .trembled, and, through her
tears. said in a pleading voice:
Don't take. me away. Oh! don't take
me away. Papa, papa, why did they
take you from me-" she added, pitt
fully. With the tenderness of a
woman the young officer lifted the lit.
tie girl in his arms and told her. that
her father was not in the cold grave,
but that the angels had carried him
away and that he vas in heaven with
God waiting for his own little daugh.
ter.
BY this time Clayton had come up,
and hearing his fellow-traveler's
for in the many years he had known
him Connor had never entered a
church or uttered a prayer. Clayton
was right. For the things which his
friend was saying to the little girl
were not what he pretended to be
lieve, but being so suddenly called
upon to console q grief-stricken child
Connor's early training came wildly
before him. He saw himself again q
roguish boy at his mothers knee
listening with eagerness to her words
and repeating the simple prayers she
SO faithfully taught him.
When Rnth@ceased crying her new
friend took off his buster and quietly
wrapped it around her. Clayton was
rather provoked that Conner should
bother himself SO much about the
child and was more than amused a
what his friend had said to her.
That night Ruth slept peacefully il
the arms of the young, officer. The
next morning when he inquired about
the child he decided to take her to his
home as his little charge. d
Mrs. Connor, the young officers
M0luoI, I6CtlFEu TIC lllLlt gin VIII
open arms. i Happy were the days tina
followed. for Conner was father
!; brother and playmate to little Ruth
But what a gloom was cast over the
family when the young officer wa!
called to war! When, he was sayin:
goodbye to his little charge, Rutl
putting. her little hands up to he,
neck, unfastened her docket ant
placed it round his neck. Then Con
nor taking. her in his arms almos
smothered her with kisses. AS h
went by in the ranks he saw Rutl
waving her little hand in farewell
| All, was it. to be the last?
Long and bloody was the war. On
; evening when Mrs. Conner was read
ing the paper, with little Ruth sittin!
at her feet, she suddenly gave a pierc
5 ing cry and tainted. The servant
, rushed in and after taking the sic
lady to her room, picked UP the pape
to see what had shocked her. Ger
r eral slain. His mother never reeoy
) cred from the shock and sometime
| afterwards died, leaving Ruth agail
an orphan. %a
; Mrs. FIoden, the housekeeper, wa
} left in charge. She was a stauncl
! hater of Catholics and now that he
: mistress had died she ridiculed tn