L.T.L. Column.

White Ribbon, Volume 27, Issue 319, 18 January 1922, Page 12

L.T.L. Column.

SAINT MARY OF THE WOOHB. Many hundreds of year* ago, in the heart ot the Black Forest, stood a little cottage, which was thatched with reeds, and patched with rude clay. It was evident that the inmates of this little cottage were very poor. Had you l**en there in the evening and seen the poor, broken-down, good-for-nothing man, who had been bound for many a long day with strong cord.*- of craving desire for drink, you would not have i wondered at their poverty. Little Mary and h* r mother would sit night and day at the spinning wheel, trying to earn a few pence ti keep Isnly and soul together. Mary’s mother grieved to nee tin- child having to work so hard, and she did her utmost to lighten her burden by telling her. as she worked, sweet tali** of the bird* and tin* sky and the forest. The one that Mary loved Above iid to hear was how God looked down from heaven and saw the lieautiful. cultivated gardens of the rich, and sighed whi n He saw nothing to ch**r tli ' ** who earned their bread by the sweat of their brow; anil how He hud called to Him His holy angi Is, telling them to go into tin* highways and the hedges, to thi* forests, mountains, and moors, and scatter little seeds of kindness and Joy; and how the sun came out to help in the task, and warmed the cold earth, anil caused the needs to spring up. These little flower* of the poor, tlii* violet, primrose, meadow-sweet and heather, were God’s special gifts to His less fortunate one*. When spring came Mary would go out and gather these little gifts of God and put them in a vase to cheer her mother and herself while they worked. In the winter, when the wind blew and whistled through the cracks in the broken window pane, or howled through the branches of the tree* in the fortst, and they were waiting by a rush light foi father to come home, little Mary would get terrified at the noises, and would run and hide her head in her mother's apron, saying she was sure the bogeyman won coining to take them. t>m night she seemed more frightened than usual, so her mother stopped her spinning and took her little one on her knee.

“Listen, Mary,” she said, "do you know how you can keep the bogey <iimui or the wolf from the door?" "Nor’ tut Id Mary, beginning to get interested. I "Well," continued the mother, "you just try and think all the Ixautiful thoughts you can, and each thought you think will he like a little fairy who will come and liar the door quite tight. The more good thoughts you think the safer you are, for however pow< rful your enemy may lx 1 , he is never so strong as these little fairies. Love’s mess* ngers." This pleased little Mary very much, and next time the storm came she calhd to mind all the lovely little thoughts she . could, to come and help to bar the door against her imaginary fear thoughts. Her inothi r also taught her a little prayer: "God bless this house from thatch to floor, May twelve Apostles guard the door; And four good angels guard my bed. Two at the foot and two the head." Bvery night she said th»s«* simple .lines, and dropped off to sleep as happy as possible. Hut still darker days came. Father was found one cold morning dead in the snow, not far from the cottage. and mot he* fretted so that she too soon died, bu* betore she died she called Mary to her side, and said, "Mary, do you remember how to guard the door?" The child shook her little head, and turned away to hide her tears. After her mother had |>assed away, some kind to* n’s folk offered to take little Mary In. but she refused to go and live with them. She said if they would give her work she would prefer to ait at her spinning wheel with her faithful dog at her side, and her little chickens to keep her company. She was a brave little girl, and worked away; anyone passing could hear her singing at her wheel. When night came on she bolted and ’»arred the door, said her little prayer, *»d went to sleep. People often won*r«d that she was not flightened to Ve all alone; hut then they did ,dt know* the remedy her mother had given her. One nig som* town’s folk passing the cottage declared they saw a •j light at the window*, nr.d some figures of men crouching outside the eav»s. Others (noticed the same, and they grew, so maimed that hey went to call the old clergyman. Th» gentle old man called the little maid to him. *.nd asked hrwhat time she went to b'd at night,

and whether she said her prayers. She told him her simple prayer, and that she and her doggie want to tied just as soon as it was too dark to work. Her face was so iniloc* nt, and her look so frank, that the old man believed all slit .'-41 id, and Lade her go home. That night, he thought, he would try aml solve th* mystery, so as soon as it wis dark he took his lantern and went out into the forest. As he neared the cottage he saw a light, and a little fur ther on he could distinguish the dark outlines of figures against the wall. H* hid his lantern and went nearer, and by the glow* of the light in the window he could see that the men were dressed in long flowing robes, and were majestic in appearance. In the hands of one who guarded the door he saw a golden key. In an Instant he guessed who they were, and fell on his knees and went towards the cottage, and peered in at the window There the most beautiful vision met his eyes. On the simple couch lay the sleeping child, with her faithful dog at her side, and round the bed stood four angels, guard ing her as she slept. The old man covered his eyes, for he could not look into their faces, for, said he, "In heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father" (Matt. IK: 10). The legend runs that as the years passed by and the little hut fell to ruins, the site on which it stood was covered with the little flowers of the poor, and in the centre, where little Many’s bed had stood, grew four stately lilies Later a little chapel w.is built there, and was dedicated to St. Mary of the Woods