The Catholic bulletin., 1922-03-11

ton and COndemn6Q, as ne put IL, tHe
efforts nuns make of hOOdwinking
young girls of the best families and
getting them into their medieval con-
vents, and maintained that priests
were little better. Having relieved
himself of these up-to.date notions,
Mr.. Collins snapped the cover of his
watch, threw away his cigar, and re-
tired for the night.
A summer abroad was planned, so
as to get away from the sitting en-
vironment of the nuns, as Mrs. Collins
put it; and mother and daughter were
condescendingly added to the outer
fringe of Mrs. Scudder-P PembertOn'
party, which was to spend season
partly in England and partly in Scot
land. Not, of course, that they were
admitted into English society, but
they got a distant look-in from the
outer edge, and were allowed to gath
er few crumbs that fell from socie-
| ty's table.
Kathleen returned, much changed
girl. Little by little, her spiritual Wis
ion had been blunted, her supernat-
/ ural perceptions had shifted out of
| focus, and worldliness had, like a
moth, eaten away the fibre of her re-
| ligious tendencies. The world had
glittered, and Kathleen had been daz-
zled, and now the idea of a convent
life, life built on high ideals. stimu-
lated by lofty motives, was dead, snuff
fed out and suffocated by vanity and
the love of pleasure. The worldly
mother congratulated herself on the
change in her daughter, taking it as
a clear sign that the child had never
had a vocation. She did not realize
that she had killed that vocation by
| depriving Kathleen of spiritual oppor-
| tunities, and by exposing her to the
cold currents of the world, which
froze and CONCEALED all higher i'm
pulses.
The rest of the story is briefly told.
Kathleen restricted herself to the per-
legations of her religion. She never
visited the convent; Sister Raphaers
kindness was forgotten. Father Nc
Manus had died, and a new pastor
with whom she was not acquainted
was now in charge Of the parish. Any
thing like a generous service to God
she regarded as an exaggeration. FL
nally, her engagement to Mr.. Harrison
was announced. He was young man
of social prominence and rather ques-
tionab1e habits A Catholic in name,
he had been educated at Finston. He
had never hinted to Kathleen that he
would not have objected to being mar
ried by minister; it would have add
ed tone to their wedding. He thought
the Church rather narrow-minded in
her teachings on the duties of matri-
mony. She was not moving with the
times. The priest suggested Comics
sion before marriage, and Mr.. Harri.
son said that was a duty he attended
to in his own parish. Kathleen had
:, not thought of Holy Communion on
: the occasion. The marriage had to be
at high noon. 1t was social event
: in the town, the reception taking place
:, at the Ritz, and Everybody that was
anybody" was present.
t The honeymoon was not over before
the bride was wiser and sadder WON
| an. She returned to town to receive
t the fluctuations and congratulations
of friends, and took up her residence
. on the outskirts of the town, in the
! fashionable quarter. Gradually, hel
! health failed, the roses faded from hel
cheeks, the brilliancy and laughter
4 died in her eyes, and the buoyancy left
! her footsteps. After lonely year, al
r anaemic, diseased child was born, tt
: which she clung with mothers fierce
: tenderness, but the unfortunate crea
! ture died after few days and lef
. her alone again with a fashionable
, dissolute husband.
On the morning of his death, after
a quarrel with his wife, he had gone
off in his automobile and met hi.
;, end dashing down the avenue. Hel
;. father, Mr.. Collins, was dead, ant
y :, Kathleen, after the funeral of her hus
band, returned to her mothers house
), a young widow whose health had beer
= ruined, after her mother, by her world
illness and social ambition, had poi
soned her soul and blighted her vo
= cation to the higher and holier life
One who ought to have lived close tt
the Sanctuary as the spouse of Christ
lived far from the Tabernacle, til
death took the dissolute husband
L And now the two widows, chastenet
l. by sorrow, are often seen visiting will
. Sister Raphael, who knows so wei
how to pour balm into suffering hearts
and to turn their thoughts to Him wht
has said, "Come to Me, all We tina
! labor and are burdened, and I will re
:, fresh you"
--hfoecouroy of tbo CorYod Heart