CHAPTER I.
AMY'S COMPANY
"Come children," said Mrs. Allen, "Mamma wants to take you for a nicewalk."
"Oh, please, dear Mamma, wait awhile! Bolax and I have company!" Thisfrom little Amy, Bo's sister.
Mrs. Allen looked around the room, and saw several chairs placed beforethe fire; but seeing no visitors, was about to sit in the large armchair.
"Oh, dear Mamma," said Amy, "please do not take that chair! That's forpoor old St. Joseph; he will be here presently."
Turning toward the chair nearest the fire, the child bowed down to thefloor, saying: "Little Jesus I love you! When will St. Joseph be here?"
Then bowing before the next chair: "Blessed Mother, are you comfortable?Here is a footstool."
Mrs. Allen went into the hall, and was about to close the door, whenBolax called out: "Oh, Ma dear, please don't shut the door. Here comesSt. Joseph and five beautiful angels."
Mrs. Allen was rather startled at the positive manner in which this wassaid, and unconsciously stepped aside, as if really to make way for thecelestial visitors. Then leaving the children to amuse themselves, shelistened to them from an adjoining room. This is what she heard:
Amy--Dear St. Joseph please sit down; blessed angels, I am sorry that Ihaven't enough chairs, but you can rest on your beautiful wings.
Bolax--Little Jesus, I'm so glad you've come. Mamma says you are verypowerful, even if you are so little. I want to ask you lots of things.Do you see these round pieces of tin? Well, won't you please change themall into dollars, so we can have money for the poor, and sister Amywon't be crying in the street when she has no money to give all theblind and the lame people we meet. And dear Jesus, let me whisper--Iwant a gun.
Amy--Dear Blessed Mother please make poor Miss Ogden well. I heard hertell my Mamma she was afraid to die; and she is very sick. She has sucha sad face, and she looks mis'able.
Bolax--Sister, won't you ask lots of things for me? I'm afraid to ask'cause I was naughty this morning. I dyed pussy's hair with Papa's redink.
Amy--No, I won't ask any more favors; Mamma says we must be thankful forall we get, so let us sing a hymn of thanks.
Here Papa came upstairs calling for his babies. Mrs. Allen not wishingto disturb the children, beckoned him into her room, hoping he wouldlisten to the innocent prattle of his little ones. All unconscious ofbeing observed, the children continued to entertain their heavenlyguests.
Mr. Allen not being a Catholic, was more shocked than edified at what hethought the hallucination of the children, and spoke rather sternly tohis wife. "All this nonsense comes from your constant talk on subjectsbeyond the comprehension of children. Amy is an emotional child; shewill become a dreamer, a spiritualist; it will affect her nervous systemand you will have yourself to blame.
"As for Bolax, I have no fear for him. He'll never be too pious. I'mwilling to----" Here they were startled by a most unearthly yell, andMaster Bo rushed into the room, saying that Amy would not let him playwith her.
"Why won't she?" asked Papa.
"Oh, because I upset St. Joseph; I wanted to take the chairs for a trainof cars."
Papa broke into a fit of laughter, and said: "Bo, Bo, you're thefunniest youngster I ever heard of."
Poor Little Amy came into the room, looking as if ready to cry, tellingher mother she would never again have that boy when her company came."Just think, dear Ma, Bo said he liked monkeys better than angels."
The serious face of the little girl caused her mother to wonder if thechild really saw the holy spirits.
Mrs. Allen consoled her little daughter, telling her Bo would be morethoughtful and better behaved when he should be a few years older.
"Come now," said she, "we will go to see poor little Tommie Hoden. I amsure from the appearance of the boy, the family must be in very greatdistress."
It was a beautiful day. The hyacinths were in bloom, and there weredaffodils, tulips, and forget-me-nots, almost ready to open; the cherrytrees were white with blossoms, and the apple trees covered with buds.The glad beautiful spring had fully come with its lovely treasures andeverything seemed delighting in the sweet air and sunshine.
Miss Beldon, a neighbor, was digging her flower-beds, and asked wherethey were going.
"I want to visit that poor little fellow, Tommy Hoden, who comes here sooften," said Mrs. Allen.
"You're not going to Hoden's," cried Miss Beldon; "why the father is anawful man!"
"So much the more need of helping him, and that poor neglected boy ofhis," answered Mrs. Allen. "Can you tell me exactly where they live?"
"Yes, in a horrid old hut, near Duff Mills. You can't miss it, for it isthe meanest of all those tumble-down shanties. I do wish you wouldn'tgo, it won't do any good."
"Our Lord will take care of that," said Mrs. Allen. "I am only going todo the part of the work He assigns me, and take food to the hungry."
"Well," said Miss Beldon, "I wouldn't go for fifty dollars. The man isnever sober, and he won't like to be interfered with. I shouldn't wonderif he would shoot at you."
Mrs. Allen laughed, and said anything so tragic was not likely tohappen, and then went to get a basket of food to take to Tommy Hoden.
They set forth on their walk, Bo holding fast to his mother's hand whileAmy loitered on the way, gathering wild flowers. "Do you really, trulythink Tom's father would shoot at us?" asked Bo.
"No, indeed, dear. I hope you are not afraid."
"Well--no--dear Ma, not very afraid;" and the little fellow drew a deepsigh; "only I--I--hope he won't shoot you, dear Ma."
"Well I am afraid!" said Amy, in a somewhat shamefaced manner.
"Please, Ma dear, let me go back and I will kneel before our BlessedLady's picture and pray for the poor man all the time you are away."
"That is very sweet of you, dear. Now Bo, perhaps you had better returnwith Amy. I can go alone."
"No; no; I won't go back. I want to take care of my own dear Mamma. I'mnot a bit afraid now."
"Well, dear," said Mrs. Allen, "I will tell you what I want to do forTom and his father. I will try to get Tom to go to school every day andto catechism class on Sundays. I think that would make a better boy ofhim. Then I hope to persuade his father to sign the temperance pledgeand go to work."
Bolax understood what his mother meant by this, for Mrs. Allen made aconstant companion of the child; and although only five, she taught himto recite a piece on Temperance.
The walk to the mills was very pleasant, with the exception of abouthalf a mile of the distance, just as the road turned off from thevillage; here were a number of wretched old buildings, occupied by verypoor and, for the most part, very wicked people.
Somewhat removed from the others stood a hovel more dilapidated, ifpossible, than the rest. Towards this Mrs. Allen, still holding Bolax bythe hand, bent her steps, and gently rapped at the door.
No one answered, but something that sounded like the growl of a beastproceeded from within. After repeating the rap twice or three times,she pushed the door wider open and walked in. The room upon which itopened was small and low, and lighted by a single window, over whichhung a thick network of spider webs; the dingy walls were festooned inlike manner; the clay floor was so filthy, that, for a moment, Mrs.Allen shrunk from stepping upon it.
In a corner of the wretched room sat Tom's father, smoking an old pipe.He was a rough, bad-looking man with shaggy hair hanging over his faceand bleared eyes that glared at his visitors with no gentle expression.
"What do you want?" he growled.
"Your little boy sometimes comes to our place," answered Mrs. Allen, "soI thought I would come to see him, and bring him some cakes; childrenare so fond of sweets."
"Very kind of you, I'm sure, ma'am, though I don't know why you shouldtake the trouble," and the glare of his eyes softened a little; "you'rethe first woman that's crossed that ere threshold since Molly wascarried out. I ha'n't got no chair."
"Oh, never mind. I did not come to make a long call,
" said Mrs. Allen.
The lady looked around the wretched room in vain, for a shelf or tableon which to deposit the contents of her basket. At last she saw acloset, and while placing the articles of food in it, talked to oldHoden as if he had been the most respectable man in the county.
"Is Tom at home, Mr. Hoden?"
"What d'ye want of him? I never know where he is."
"I heard you ought to be a Catholic," continued Mrs. Allen, "and Ithought you would not object to Tom's coming to my catechism class onSunday."
"He ain't got no clothes fit to go; besides I reckon it wouldn't do nogood to send him, for he ain't never seen the inside of a church."
"Well, Mr. Hoden, couldn't you come yourself?"
"It is me, ma'am? I haven't been near a church or priest for twenty-fiveyears. Poor Molly tried to make me go, but she gave it up as a bad job.You may try your hand on Tom for all I care."
"I am much obliged to you for giving me leave to try," said Mrs. Allen,smiling; "I should not have asked Tom to come without your permission,Mr. Hoden. Good-bye, sir."
The poor wretch seemed dazed, and did not reply to the lady's politeleave-taking.
After she was gone, he said to himself "I wonder what that one is up to.I never heard such smooth talk in my life. Well it do make me feel goodto be spoke to like I were a gentleman. I'd give a good bit to know whosent her here, and why she come."
Ah, poor soul, it was the charity of Jesus Christ that prompted the ladyto go to you; and many a fervent prayer she and her children will sayfor your conversion.
"Mamma," said Bolax, on the way home, "that man is not so dreadful bad."
"Why do you think that, dear?"
"Because I saw a picture of the Sacred Heart pasted on the wall insidethe closet; it is all over grease and flyspecks, but you know you toldme Jesus gave a blessing to any house that had a picture of His SacredHeart in it."
Bolax, Imp or Angel—Which? Page 2