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Show t Jar Boys and girl$... EDITED BY AUNT BUSY. This department la conducted solely m the intercuts inter-cuts of our girl and boy readers. d nephews -who read hls pape. and to sirs ifcein all the advice and help m tr power. rite on one Bide of the paper only. I Do not have letters too long. V TiSVmerA ver8es w,u E,a l.etuSedUSCr,PU f contrIbutIon accepted wlU f little Kitty. BY TIMOTHY P. O'DOXNELL. 1 John bey that type of a mau who found 4 the utmost solitude and comfort beneath the roof of Ins own little homestead. It had taken him many long years of hardship and good honest toil to procure for himself the little house he occupied for himself the little house he occupied and cherished; cher-ished; and here it was he had determined to settle down together with his wife and babe, and face bravely the many misfortunes that might chance to overpower him. Mrs. Lacy Mas a proud woman since the day. God had given her her first-born, and after pondering ponder-ing her bram and consulting the almanacs for a name, she resolved to christen her prize Catherine after her own mother, whose face (Mrs. Lacy declared) was a striking resemblance to that of her child. Catherine she was called, but whether that ap-pelation ap-pelation seemed too stylish for Forker street, or, perhaps unbefitting tn tlio mmu :1 o "Luc iicasuie, it soon became a mere byword, and the little innocent grew up to be loved and cherished as "Kitty." She was a slim, blue-eyed little creature "of five at the time our story opens, her white skin overlaid over-laid with tan and freckles; and her flaxen, disorderly disor-derly hair burned to a steelly drab, would be rudely caught up with a piece of some dingy material, and left to drift in tangled glory across her clear-cut features. It was often remarked by passers-by, who would stop for a moment from the busy routine of life )' to caress her cheek or dangle with brr sunnv curls. If "that the child was too cute to live." But the will ' 4 1 of sermpd destined to have in store for her a t 'SS 5i-fe- hat Was beyond the hopes of the highest am-i am-i . bit ion; and as day came and spent her admiration jL' increased, and the girl was an unending surprise T to her very parents. As September approached, and the summer months were last coming to a close, Kitty started to the Sisters' school, and was at the height of her 1 ambition vrben Tif nnnl.l oil nl - --. vuuiu -.iic aii tiiuiic iue uur i - Father' and "Hail Mary" and could make the sign of the cross. Under the careful guidance and splendid protection of the Sisters, she soon picked up into a neat, careful miss, who read books that were new to Forker strett. and was a powerful example ex-ample to the neighborhood. All the wayward young girls, who were wont to steal out of evenings to join the rowdy young men on street corners, were told to observe Kitty Lacy, who never did such things. Kitty also set the stvle for the street no flaunting flaunt-ing expensive white feathers and costliest ribbons, but dressed in a trim white suit, an extra large "Merry Widow" hat. set off with a huge pink silk bow, and her wavy hair caught up neatly to the marcel wave; she would hold the overgrown boys of tho school in perfect awe, and they would tip hats uneasily as she passed, and comment in silence. si-lence. That was all. But, alas, things were soon destined to change ; the sweet, modest life of our little subject, and they happened in a way that was terriblv strange and heartrending. The little rosy cheeks and luminous eyes would soon become pale and haggard; and her beautiful, smiling countenance was destined to appear aged and thin. One evening as Kitty was slowly wending her way from school, softly humming a new piece they had learned that day, she was startled by a large crowd running from all directions and making straight toward her little home. Immediately strange, unwelcome thoughts began be-gan to penetrate her mind, and sent a cold tinge through her veins. She noticed the scared, white faces of the women folk and the terrible questioning question-ing glances cast in her direction as she hurriedly , pushed her way up the narrow stairs and into the ' house. A priest was bending over a prostrate figure listening eagerly to the choking, almost inaudible j r r,: tt 1 1 . low, her hair dishevelled and eyes haggard and drawn, gazed fixedly into the pallid face of her husband. hus-band. Kitty saw, and in an instant realized all. Her eyes raised slowly toward the merciful Savior and her fragile, 6upple body sank faint and exhausted upon the floor. y$ "What memories that sight was to recall in after I years can only be imagined by one in whose life 1 such a misfortune might have some time oc-."V oc-."V .. curred. There on the floor lying prostrate before the Iriest and mother were the bodies of father and daughter. 51ie stunned by the unexpected, terrible, heartrending heart-rending sight of her father, whose life had been a part of hers, and whose love was all she asked. 0 his body broken in several places from a fall received vhile striving to earn a livelihood to bring that child up and worship her as God's choicest choic-est ancx'l now breathed his last. His hands were forever numb, and his lips were never more to utter her encrished name. II. Long, weary years 'had passed since that memorable me-morable night. How sad and lonely they seemed to the unhappy pair remaining. The mother had tried to resign herself to the will of God, to bear up and be cheerful; but she could not. The light of her once happy life seemed to have been extin- guished. Her checks grew thin, her eyes lost their if once wonted brightness, her step once so firm and so elastic, halting and uncertain. Her sorrow had found no relief, and in the midst of her anguish a dreadful fever set in, leaving the unfortunate J mother wretched and heartbroken; until with a C lingering praver to God for her child and a devout JJ act of contrition to her father confessor dropped her head and died. -pr As for Kitty tender, sensitive Kitty she seemed to fade away like a flower. The glad light had died out of her eyes, and the ripple of her laughter was heard no more. There seemed nothing left for her now m the. world that had deprived her of her most beloved. The romping playmates, the lonesome surroundings surround-ings and the fast deserted homesteads only seemed f to forever present the sad reminiscence of her terrible misery. Alone in the world, pious, devouted, wretched, she would visit our Lord each day, and beg sincerely sincere-ly that He might take her to her parents and end her anguish or ease her aching heart. Devoutly she would kiss the little crucifix on her beads, and tears unheeded and unchecked would sprinkle the ground on which she knelt. One evening after she had visited the wellkept graves of her dear parents, she determined to gather a little bouquet of her favorite flowers for the May altar. As she stole cautiously into the little chapel to place her offering before the shrine of the Blessed Virgin, she found the entire body of Sisters bowed low in adoration and receiving God's sacred benediction. Xever before had this saintly girl witnessed such a beautiful sight. She looked forward to the sweet face of her Sister instructor, and her cheeks suddenly became a crimson red. What was it in the beatification of that pure, holy face that could touch the deepest chords of an aching heart? The eyes luminous in the light of faith seemed to be pleading for her, the lips murmuring prayers seemed to be calling her, and yet she was not worthy. Burying her face in her hands she prayed as never before prayed God in His goodness for a life so pure and holy; prayer that lie might let ' her follow in the footsteps of those saintly Nuns. Slowly one by one the Sisters began to file out in single order, and 'ere the last one had risen from her knees Kitty knelt beside her and kissed fervently fer-vently the hem of her gown. Her pleading eyes raised slowly to meet the soft inquiring glance of the Sister Superior, and as she rose to depart from the chapel Kitty gripped the coarse black sleeve and spoke to her in a voice full of energy and sheer determination, in a voice that meant separation forever from the cruel world, whieh linrl trentprl hpr cn -fnlcpK' -fri-im tVin cold, harsh world that had so unkindly deprived her of her dear parents "Sister, take me with you?" The face of the good Sister turned a trifle pale, but it suddenly beamed with a new radiant joy, and slowly bending over so that her gaze rested rest-ed on the upturned,, hopeful face, she kissed her forehead, and together they walked from the house of God from the world, with its pleasures and disappointments dis-appointments and privations to paradise. In due time she received the sacred vows of the sisterhood and took the blessed name of a patron saint. But to the old playmates and cheerful comrades com-rades of her early life, to the children of the world, who had watched her grow from the radiant miss, who astonished the street b" her zealous piety, and whose sympathy she had shared in her early grief ; she remained the idol of their hearts, the simple, much-adored "Kitty." |