Woman's enterprise., 1922-10-27
THROUGH A WINDOW
Continued from paga fvo,

Continued from page five)
away to pray in the Church at tbi
nour' when life was one LONG nrave
and penance in the Convent, Tho,
was something infinitely pitiful in tn
ACT and attitude of the nun, who kne]
at '0e Virgins shrine perhaps half a
hour' when a clock somewhere in tn
Guy struck ten, and she arose hu,
rlediy and left the Church as sb
came "a As she passed the high mid
ole altar something in her hand
caught ray Of light from the tame,
and CLEANED like drops Of blood hun,
~ upon silver thread, and I recognize,
the rosary of Sister Ignatius.
~ VIII sound like a confession O
1ole curiosity to say for several sue
cessful evenings, was in the Church
waiting, far back in the shadows. TO-
the bIackrobed figure to come an,
pray at the Madonna's altar. At tn,
same hour every night she came, lik,
shostly visitant to a haunted SPOT
and l was surprised, after I had be-
come accustomed to seeing her come
alone, to find her accompanied ont
night by another nun; by the din
light | recognized the new conner a.
the Mother SUPERIOR" l had noticed
in the garden. The two knelt ir
prayer, the Mother rising first
waiting for Sister Ignatius, and
through the stiffness and gloom, he,
voice came to me, "This is the ninth
night, / have let you come here to
make your Novena my child. Is the
old regret and pain still there?" "Oh,
Mother! Mother!" and the sound Of
low sobbing followed. saw the
elder woman put her arms caressing-
ly about the other and seem to pray,
then rising, said, "Come my child, it
is late." Mother, pity, and pray
for me, and have patience!"
"Seven years is long time to cher
ish a sorrow, and the cross and habit
you Wear, should teach you resigna-
ton to the will of God. Sorrow is Of
the world, not Of the cloister; we
have no emotions there, save the &C.
tasy Of prayer.
1T is not the world. l have given
1t up. / have renounced the memory
Of all living things, but the dead,
mother. Is it wrong to pray, to hope
for, to love the dead?" she pleaded
piteousIy, as they passed out Of the
chancel door.
l had only one friend, who seemed
to value my regard, and who over
looked my hermit-like propensities,
paying me an occasional unceremoni-
Gus visit. I found Frank Chretien
awaiting me in my study, that night,
and I was glad that I found him there,
instead Of only "Cassius," for my
thoughts were not pleasant company.
"Oh! you morbid, misanthropical
recluse! Here you are at last" he
said without getting up from his seat
to greet me. ~ determined to stay
and see where you have been all these
many evenings, that Old Charlotte
tells me, you have spent away from
home. Have you found a kindred
spirit at last and seek the intercourse
Of souls, so pleasant to think OF, but
inconvenient to experience? I've
been here for two hours, in company
with my cigar and your skelton'
Lively company, eh! But you are
not much more entertaining, and not
half so interesting as your Casslus''
"As you say, he is more interesting
than entertaining, but he has one
qualification that ought to recommend
hin, IN vou-he is a good listener" |
answered, perhaps better than | u.s.
ually am, but not tonight, for / am in
a humor to hear you talk"
His visits were a great pleasure to
me. this debonair friend from the
world in which I had no part. He had
often, during our earlier acquaint-
ance, urged me to join him in the
rounds of pleasure, but l had con-
vinced him that my student life best
suited me, and with no inclination nor
talent for society, l was best at nome
in my study or laboratory. II ! &C.