The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-12-24
OUR LADY OF THE ISLE.
CONTINUED from page 81


most primitive and once or twice her
heart sank, but she was rejoiced to
think that she had brought with her
some old linen sheets and some fresh
gauze and cotton to add to the doctors
own supplies.
1t was difficult and delicate opera
ton. Sheila gave the ether with a
steady hand, her whole being con-
centrated on the task before her. She
tied arteries, she handed instruments,
she never faltered
d. Conklin, terribly haggard,
washed up in tin basin, "If only I
could have got her to Greenport or
Southampton to a hospital he said,
but it was too late. And now-what?
You're about done?"
I'll stay with her. said Sheila,
steadily, until you can relieve me-"
She stayed until Christmas eve, do
ing twenty-four hour duty, nursing the
delicate life-fame of the child, attend
ing to the woman who struggled
slowly back to life out Of utter dark
ness and into the binding light oi
pain. She cooked for the voluble,
grateful husband and for the four dir
ty, curious children, snatching occa-
sional catnaps on mattress beside
the bed.
The doctor came twice a day, and
Father Phillip was with him on several
occasions.
On one of these visits the priest re-
marked, you look happy. Why?"
She pushed back the hair from her
white face. She had not had time to
brush it properly and it was tangled
and lustreless.
I'm busy" she answered.
While the doctor talked to the hus.
band, Sheila threw a coat about her
and went out on the broken front step
with the priest.
Its wonderful out here" she said
its so hard to get them to tolerate
air, those poor things inside there
Her tone was proprietary and Fa
Their Phillip smiled.
"Sheila," he said suddenly, ''that's
what l meant by real prayer, the
prayer of the hands and mind. AL
service is prayer. You must have
learned that in France. And YOU
prayer, these last few days, has saved
two human lives for Almighty Cod
Il never thought of it that way
said Sheila, humbly, Il was just help
ing
That afternoon, that Christmas Eve
she sat by the sleeping woman mark
ing her even breathing and the pair
lines lifting from her tired mouth
Rose was clean and her hair wa.
brushed and braided, and she looked
young again as she lay there in one
of Sheila's nightgowns. Sheila coult
see faint trace Of that glowing
beauty which had captured the fame,
Of the young sutton on the sunny fal
away hills of Italy. The new black
eyed baby slept on Sheila's apronet
lap. She drew deep sigh. She wa.
so tired. This evening the nurse from
Greenport wiuld come and out of he
own savings Sheila would pay tina
nurse for Rose. But somehow sh,
hated to give them up, Rose and thu
little baby who was to bear the yer,
un-Italian name of Sheila. She fel
that they were very much her own
But she was tired, and her father ha,
pleaded and the doctor had ordered.
Her eyes fell on little plaste
statue of st. Anthony in the corne
of the room, then passed to the othe
image of the Mother and the Child
It was to them that Sheila made he
prayer for compassion for those sh
had served, this mother and child
lying asleep in the little, close room
on the shore.
Tired as she was when her fathe
called for her early in the evening, sh
held him for a few minutes at tn
church while she entered and prepare,
herself for the reception of the Chill,
who was coming to her on the morrow
Ten minutes after she had reache,
her room she was sleeping dream
lessly When old Annie called he
and she descended to find her pres
ents grouped around the little tree,
great peace filled her soul.
She turned when the door bell ran
and as she took the brown envelop
that was held out, she knew. Sh
did not need to be told that this cabl
message had been received at Greer
port the evening before-she knew
When she had completed her prayer o
service, at the moment when she ha
crowned it with spoken prayer 70
I another, at the instant when she ha
, forgotten self, God had answered.
II Praising Him in her heart she read
, "Regained memory lost when WOUND
j ed in head and captured. First wor
L is to you. Sailing within fortnigh
Love. Robert" Faith Boid,oiu.