The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-01-24

same old rut, and his failure to get
ahead was causing him to lose all
hope of help from heaven.
On this very morning, for the first
time in Mollie's memory, Torrance had
left for his work without having said
his morning prayers, without having
asked Gods blessing on his daily toll.
Martha, the eldest of the eight, no.
ticed the worried look on her mothers
face as she stepped into the living
room.
What in the world is troubling YOU,
MOTHER" she calculated, you look as
| though you had lost every friend in
! the world
"Ah, Martha, it is your father, child.
am afraid we must pray a little
harder to the Sacred Heart and His
Blessed Mother, lest your father for
get that we were not placed in this
world that we might live on a bed of
flowers, but for the one sole purpose
of saving our immortal souls"
Martha, who idolized her father, be-
came sad and offered fervent prayer
for him in silence. Then her face
frightened and she exclaimed:
er. This is the last day of October,
and next month is the month of the
Poor Souls. You, Beatrice, Frank,
Fred and myself will take the smaller
children to Mass every morning dur
ing November. We five will receive
each day, and all can offer our Com
munions and Masses for the Poor
Souls and ask them in return to pray
God that father be not foolishly led
astray."
| Dear little girl said Mollie, gath
| ering her daughter into her arms,
your plan is comfort to your moth
er's heart; for the Poor Souls, I am
sure, will be grateful to us for cur
remembrance of them, and will inter-
cede with Him who does all things
we'll to guide your father Alright
That evening Torrance strobe into
the house, his face purple with rage,
his eyes alight with anger Mollie
gazed at him a moment in silent ter
rOr.
What now, Terrance," she finally
managed to say. "You seem to take
things so to heart of late"
"To heart, Mollie, to heart? Is it
not time that I should begin to take
things to heart? Here | am a poor
fool with house full of little ones to
| ho I,o1 &C
God, with nothing to show for it but a
continual increase of expense and
trouble. Has not the twenty years of
our married life been one affliction af.
ter another? What have we accumu.
lated with our prayers and our hon,
esty? What but pack of bills?" And
throwing himself into chair, he
bowed his head upon the table and
broke into a torrent of tears
Mollie Morley raised her eyes to
heaven, placed loving hand upon his
head, smoothed his ruffled locks, and
gently said:
'Ah, but Torrance, sure lad and
through it all Our Dear Saviour has
never taken a single little one from
us; and now, with but few more
years of struggle, prayer and honesty
we will have at least four of the chill
dren to help us. Now, Torrance, dear
tell me what is the trouble"
Terry raised his head, looked into
those patient eyes, drew her lips to his
and kissed her affectionately
MY Mollie, you dear, sweet angel
he said, "ah, if could but be like you
You see, it's like this. There at the
works, Jim Rice, a. man without chick
Or child, young in the service of the
Company, knowing less about the
work than l who have been with them
all these years, has been put in charge
of the shop. And why? The reason is
plain. The manager and the superin,
tendent are both Masons. Jim Rice,
find is also Mason. And now, just
because Jim is Mason and they know
me to. be Catholic, he is advanced
while l must remain in the back
ground"
Nov Terrance," admonished his
little wife, do your duty as you have
always done it, and am sure your re-
ward will come sooner or later. You
know Mr.. Regain, the owner of the
works, is a Catholic, and that he likes
you. You know he has offered Mar
tina position in the Office as soon as
she is through her schooling. More
than once he has stopped both Fred
and Frank and told them to hurry and
grow up as he needed more good men
like their father in the shop. And
now, while he is away for his health,
the foreman who has been in charge
for years, who was with Mr.. Regain
even before you secured work with
him, resigns and leaves this first open.
ing for advancement. On Mr.. Regan's
return, Torrance my lad, even the
manager and the superintendent will
not be able to keep an inferior man
in so important a position. So cheer
up, lad, there are indeed better times
ahead for u.s.
Torrance arose from his chair in a
far better mood and sought the com.
pany of his babies.
The next day was All Souls Day
and all who were old enough in the
Morley family were found at the Altar
| l..