The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-04-02
Dora, you cant go to church that

way" ,# ax.t sa
And why not? Maybe / can lend
my umbrella to someone; and If /
don't, can at least have the salts
faction of knowing that | am pre-
pared for the weather.
So up the church aisle | marched,
to our seat near the very front, and
before the Holy Mass was half over
the rain began to come down hard.
Sarah and looked comfortably at
our three rain protectors, and pro-
ceeded to wonder to whom 1 should
lend my surplus umbrella.
There was Janet Porter sitting
across the aisle, but she had quite
elegant raincoat, and an umbrella,
too. Bess and Alice Nelles had their
brothers, who always ran home for
anything the girls wanted, and old
Mrs. Johnson had hung her big cotton
parasol on the front seat in full sight
of us all. 1t really did seem as If
that particular Sabbath morning there
was going to be small demand for ex-
ira umbrellas.
were in the church lobby, and shrink
ing back in one corner saw very
shabbily dressed girl She was look
| ing fearfully at the steady rain, for
it was the kind that had no notion of
quickly going out of business. Evil
IDENTIFY she was without an umbrella,
and it was equally evident that she
dreaded getting wet. My first foolish
thought was that clothes such as hers
were hardly worth considering, but
quickly recollecting that if they were
the best she had, there was reason
for her distressed face. plucked up
all my courage and made straight for
| her corner.
Good morning" / said as cheer
fully as could. Il see you have no
umbrella. I have an extra one. Won't
you have it,"
But you don't know me-" the girl
| faltered.
ooh, that doesn't matter" said.
"You can return it any night you're
passing 107 Dupont street" She told
me her name-Kate Howard.
Somehow, 1 knew that the girl was
honest, and sure enough, after Sarah
for whole day and half poked fun
| at my expense, didn't my umbrella
| come home safe and sound. 1t was
| Kate herself who brought it, and
when l persuaded her to come in and
warm herself at the CHEEKY CRATE fire,
Ii discovered that she had quite a
bright face, only she looked so very
tired heard the whole of her sad,
plucky story.
| "My father drank" she said in a
| queer, matter-of-fact way that made
me feel choky, "and when he died,
mother was left with us three chill
dren to see to. She worked like a
slave for two years, and then she
died, and have the children on my
hands,
did your mother leave you moth
| ing?" l asked anxiously.
"Only a message" Kate replied
softly and when l looked inquiringly
at her she said: a4g
| Mothers last words were, You'll
have a hard struggle, but don't go un
DER" sj9e r
Some way, / couldn't say a word
and Kate dashed away a big tear, anG
| went on with her story. u
"For year managed to keep q
roof over our heads but the wages
were so poor and then little Bonnie
got sick and died and Jessie was al
had left. | was so afraid that she
would leave me, too, for she was new
err strong, that I put her in Home
That was two years ago, and by las
spring I'd saved enough to send fol
Jessie, and now we're in a room
down on John street"
"And is Jessie stronger" | asked
eagerly.
"She's always delicate like" Kate
replied anxiously, "but I'm addressing
envelopes nights now, and Jessie |:
having an extra pint of milk ever!
day, and the, child looks so mucf
brighter"
"Then you. work day and night
too?" l said soberly. ~
"Oh, addressing envelopes ism
hard work. Kate answered bravely
And then l asked her if she hat
friends, and she made this reply: