A Complete Story

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 35, 16 September 1925, Page 11

A Complete Story

Father Locke gazed at the beautiful monstrance. He could see new loveliness in it each time he beheld it. It was a poem in gold and precious stones. Ruefully he smiled as he locked it carefully away in a safe specially made for it by the donor, a convert lady now dead. " A few years ago the priest had come to this southern village to tend to its group of scattered Catholics, He chafed at the change from a city, where he had scope for his zeal. Still he had visited diligently his little flock, opened a school for the children, and thus drawn the careless adults* to the battered makeshift of a church. By.. degrees, „, with perseverance, he had worked a transformation in tliis,lost spot. - His wonderful personality drew some Protestants into the Church. One of these, Mrs. Lacy, a stern old Puritan, had spent her last years in making the lonely chapel worthy -of the Real Presence, and, ere she died had presented Father Locke with the lovely monstrance studded with jewels—her _ jewels—which she now offered as a,gift to beautify the resting place of her loving Saviour. She had made one stipulation, and that was that wherever Father! Locke went to minister he was to take the monstrance with him. It was to him she had given it, as afaithful imitator of his Master.. ~ - "A call, Father, to the hills," his servant announced, one dark night. "Mr. Gray is dying." The priest was ready in a few moments. As he placed pyx and oils, in his breast, he took the key to the safe which he always kept about liim and put it in an inner pocket. Outside he glanced round in hope of seeing Gray's messenger; but there was no one in sight. The hill paths to Gray's home were steep. Several times en route he looked around, so sure was he that he had heard steps on the pathwayyet he saw nothing, and so concluded that it was his own imagination! ,y|.".; '.' - ' "' What was his astonishment when he found, after repeated knocking at Gray's, the door opened by the supposed sick man! * Inquiry revealed that he had not been ill at all, had sent no one for the priest, and was as mystified as his pastor. "I guess it was a practical joke, and a poor, one," Father Locke told him,, as the priest prepared 'to return home ....' ■:'.*;

THE- INVISIBLE GUIDE

Gray vowed vengeance on the perpetrator, - -'4j should he discover him, and Father Locke descended the steep pathways in the darkness. Again he heard footsteps, and stopped ' : ' to listen—he even called out, "Who is./§ there?"—but as no reply was forthcoming, '{*, concluded he had been mistaken again. : .^ * ■'• * ■ m He could never find out anything concern- :„; ing the mysterious night call, and eventually ' i it faded from his memory. The years passed"- . i on in the quiet southern place, and, when, in time, he was given charge of an important / city parish, he brought his beautiful mon- . strance with him. "? / • During Quarant 'Ore, amid flowers and lights, how the precious stones blazed. "The stars of Little Jesus," as' one small child explained graphically, pointing to the glittering brilliants. .■-.„■■ ■ .- . .- , ■tf : «$ .''<''•■' ■••"".• ; " ' " ; 'v". ' :: '<~}??% ... * * ; ■:;-: ..;■■? '.'.'■ - r Y : m 'Any cases to-day, nurse?" Father Locke r asked one morning, entering the ward of the hospital he ministered to spiritually. "Yes, indeed," she answered; "Number '.-}l Nine," pointing to a bed surrounded by a. 'white screen, "is in a bad shape. He entered • *:''* himself as n Catholic, but when I suggested >"s confession, he refused point blank." , ' ;3 "Leave him to me," smiled the Father, advancing toward the screen. ;' '"; '.•' '§f "Good morning!" he said cheerfully. ". 1 | ; Good morning, Father," a distinctly Irish-- *:§ voice answered. . ' : : The priest sat down. By degrees O'Brien; ■ told him his story. He had been in Persia ' for twenty years in .the oil fields, never seeing a priest during all that period. . r ' Sffs "Welly'now,". Father Locke said encour- - / agingly, "you see one. What about the Sao- / raments?" ,'•.-,-if A 1 : ; "Ah, Father! how could I tell in an hour ' twenty years' sins?". ',".:^y| However, by the time the dinner arrived '; '1 'in the ward, the 'twenty years' job was fin- "'"' ished satisfactorily. O'Brien was beaming, and repeating, in a resounding voice, e^acu-^S latory prayers. - J/M The following morning he received with'. '.;'.; sentiments of devotion, love and respect the- ' -■>? v God he had been so long separated from.■ i::■-'-. _-: % ... ,:.:. Father Locke and he became' great friends," > and it was arranged that, as soon as he was --Y-1

better, he was to come as sexton to Father J Locke's church. - If. ... . ■ v ; - v A man in a bed nearby had been an interested spectator while all these events were taking place. He was a morose individual, rarely speaking to anyone, y He broke the silence one day by addressing ~ the priest, to the surprise of all present. "I wish to speak to you, sir," he said, as the Father passed his cot. . The priest paused. The man was not a p-f; : Catholic, and he did not interfere with patients of another persuasion. 7 "You were the Padre in the village of . Goldenhill in the south, fifteen years ago, were you not?" he inquired jerkily., ,7~' • "Yes! But I don't remember seeing you there." . ""Hardly," the patient replied cynically. . "Well, listen to this tale, and see if you can give me a solution to the mystery. "You had a wonderful vessel presented to you by old Mrs. Lacy, who joined your Church?" He went on. The priest nodded. "It was studded with diamonds," the patient repeated, as if saying a lesson. - "It was in a safe. That safe was attacked in vain. "You did not know that! Well, a ruse was planned—by me. You were lured up the hills one night on a bogus call to old P Gray." ( He ceased to observe the effect of his words. The priest was too astounded to speak. The level voice continued: ' "You were shadowed by me—yes, I don't .mind you knowing it now! You stopped in a listening attitude several times. I may • . Sas well tell you that I meant to knock you on the head, kill you if necessary, in order to get possession of that key, as it was known you always carried it on your person." He paused, exhausted. The priest held a drink of water to his parched lips and waited for him to continue. As the patient remained quiet, Father Locke asked him quietly: "Why did you not strike or attack?" "How could I, when you had a guard?" He lay back with closed eyes. • "A guard!" exclaimed Father Locke. / "What guard? I was quite alone.""No, you were not"; the dying man said, looking at him- fixedly. "There was a wonderful young man keeping step with you all I the time. Some-light surrounded you both, certainly different from, though not unlike the most powerful electricity. I tell you. it -" would require -a platoon to approach and attack under such conditions. One man £; could hardly attempt it." "It must have been the Angel of the Blessed Sacrament who accompanied me on that journey—all . unknown to myself," Father Locke murmured gravely. "I guess it was something strange," the patient whispered. "Anyhow, I gave up robbing after that incident. I suppose I'm finished now?" he concluded, gazing ques- ,. tioningly at the priest. . may not have long to live, but why 7 jpp&t profit by this wonderful experience?" the priest asked him. ,'"" ■' "How?" laconically asked the patient. ' ' The Father explained, and eventually took

this poor erring soul under instruction. He was a well-educated man, and had no difficulty in grasping the truths of the Church. "I understand it all now," he told' the Father afterwards. "That night you were carrying the Blessed Sacrament in your breast you saw nothing, you believed without seeing. I, a robber, meant to attack you. In my search for the key on your person, I would certainly have come across the pyx . and perhaps desecrated the Sacred Host. The Invisible Heavenly Guard stood by to prevent this sacrilege, and then, in course of time, made us meet here. Why is this What have I ever done that God should show such mercy and pardon to me, a wretched sinner?" "God's ways are not our ways," the priest responded gently. "You must have done some good act in your life to merit this blessed ending." ■He concluded. "Think, what was it?" "Some good act?" murmured the dying man. "No—still," thoughtfully, "perhaps you would consider this a good act, though I only did it out of a sense of chivalry. "Once I was working in the gold fields. 'Twas a rather rough camp. Some nuns — Sisters —came one day to solicit alms for poor folk they took into their homes. Wishing to save these ladies insult or annoyance, I bade them remain outside, while I went in and hogged for them. I gathered a. goodly sum in their bag, and! when I returned with it to them, one of them told me that God would rfpay me in my hour of need." He has done soblessed be His name forever!" These were his last words. He died that night, and O'Brien, " now installed at- the church, insisted on "burying him decent," to wit, providing a coffin, having his body spend the last night above earth near the Blessed Sacrament in the mortuary chapel and following him to the grave in state, as chief mourner, with Father Locke. "How well T wouldn't have the good luck. Father, ever to see the Angel of the Blessed Sacrament," he said, mournfully. "Few of us, in this life, behold that Invisible Guide," the priest answered, reverently.—Nell Gay, in the Newark Monitor. +* MUSIC EXAMINATIONS Miss May O'Byrne, L.T.C.L., music teacher, Invercargill, has been very successful in the June Theory Examinations of. Trinity College of Music, London, having 100 per cent, passes. The following are the marks awarded: —• Senior Division—Kathleen Elbert 85, Myrtle Mitchell 69. Advanced Intermediate—Nonie Gibbert 82, Thelma Whitaker 72. Intermediate—Orr McLeay 81. " ' Advanced Junior— Barty 92, Beth Thomson 91,. Jean Marshall 81. Junior Division—Kitty MacPherson 100, Margaret Sangster 94, Jack Grenville 88, Winifred Thorn 88. Preparatory— Given 99, Ina Fraser 98, Gilbert Mary 98, Leslie Marllew 98, Cecil McLeay 98, Nola Scandrett 95, Thelma Beatdle 93, Mamie Galbraith 93.