A Complete Story

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 52, 30 December 1925, Page 9

A Complete Story

(By Mary Janet Scott, in the Missionary.)

Yvonne glanced up and down the street, which looked as dismal as only a cobbled ..street can look, as the great drops of heavy ■7 ; - rain splashed down upon the time-worn stones. ■;, '■■'■••■'■. ;.,. She was standing at-the round window of , : the little inn, waiting for her father to come ■-' and fetch her in the old green cart drawn by V the apparently "immortal "Jaco." Yvonne's ■7 heart was like the street; the big drops of X, disappointment were splashing down into it, 7;77 md it was not on soft ground they fell. a 7 Six months ago she had left her father's house to join the children of St. Francis, whose work i s amongst the poor heathens! /; And three days ago the kindly-faced, soft--7; voiced Reverend Mother had told her that ;i her place was not with them, and that on Thursday morning her father would meet her **at St. Gabrielle's, the old Breton town near ;. "Nher home. ~\ ' ' s -:7 "But, ma Merc, lam very happy here — '- it is true that the Mother-Mistress does not H seem to. like me, but when I am professed * ,•' that will be over : "Yes, and then perhaps someone else will ;. 'not like you,' as you call it—what then?" 7; Yvonne did not answer and the other went on:; _ "No, my child, it is not a question of lik- ' ing; you think Mere St. Genevieve does not like you—why?—because she tells you your 7 faults—that is pride. You will have to over- _ come that before ever you can do anything Vr..: for our Lord." '-....-. :;■ ;: Yvonne was deeply hurt, and the cobbles 7 , ; in her heart grew harder, as disappointment rained down on them. She had yet to learn 7 that it is only love that can wear away the *£ hard : stony pavement of "our hearts. 7-: 7 The sound of hoofs on the road made the - girl turn round, and she caught sight of the . well-known grey horse, and beyond him/her father's rosy face smiling as he drew nearer, <: for he loved Yvonne and was rejoiced to have :■ her back once more. True, he had listened 7; with reverence when M.. le Cure had told , him of the honor our Lord had done to his - family. in selecting Yvonne as His spouse, 7.,. and he had tried to' be glad—but— there . was the child herself standing in the doorway - —and he was glad now at all events. The old cart stopped and Yvonne clambered ; 'tip beside her father. "77 -7 / "Art glad to be home, little one, eh?" the man said, looking bard at her. , ."Thy mother .,■ ' ■;'. ■'.;■■ ■';■■'' ' ■ '■'■ ' ■ - ■.— ""

YVONNE'S DREAM

will be pleased to have thee; the children are " a handful when she has so much to do." Yvonne's heart sank. How she hated the old round of daily dutiesthe boisterous children, the washing days, the feeding of the pigs and poultry, the deadly monotony of the simple village life! It seemed cruel that her one chance of escape had been so rudely cut off— who had meant to do so much for our Lord out among the poor blacks. Yvonne was very pretty and very engaging and had lived upon a little shrine all her life, and had had no little incense offered before her, till she had come to see everything from her own point of view only, and to' believe that she was the centre of her own and other people's lives. She was quite sure now that Mme. la Superieure was wrong, and that they would soon regret having sent her home. She wondered even how long it would be before, they realised their mistake and asked her to come back to the lovely convent, where everything was spacious, and the chapel lovely and bright, and the singing in which Yvonne joined, like a chorus of angels, and there was always news of the foreign missions to fill'the minds of the young aspirants. And never once did Yvonne suspect that she thought all this because she wanted to go back to a life that was more agreeable to her tastes than her home life. She was strangely silent on the way home, and old' Jules put it down to the atmosphere of sanctity from the convent that still hung around her. When they arrived at the small farm house, her mother was not so enthusiastic about the halo round her daughter's head. She was a practical, hard-working woman, who believed in doing your duty as God gave it to you to do, and; she knew very well that it was no effect of holiness to be sharp with the little ones, or to sit dreaming in the church instead, of driving the goats in from the hedges where they were browsing. She shook her head when she heard from M. le Cure- that Yvonne wanted to go to : another convent. - N : . : * V' "Let her be content at home'first, M. le Cure—doing her duty here, she stays,; and then I'll believe that she'll stay in any convent." *"' 7 - ;'. : - _; .='■ , ... M. le Cure looked at the-woman-it was the . first time he had realised that perhaps ; Yvonne was not quite^-flawless' at, home<as i she looked in her whfte i:^

walking in the May procession, or singing before our Lady's altar in the church v . -;-_. He said no more of the consent to tne|||l| mother and daughter, but he was somewhat dismayed to hear that Yvonne was constantly p§| to be seen walking with .Lucille, who was &0M home for a vacation, she being a lady's maid in Paris. -- . The two girls seemed inseparable, and thef«§l| old priest's heart was sad. Yvonne was al- V ways a good child, regular at Mass and the .7 Sacraments, but Lucille—well, it was not Hoher <fault, poor child; left without her mo- •-' ther early, in the care of a 'drunken father. ,7 Then came his second marriage, and a hard • 7 time for his little child, and finally no one :-;/:\;i knew how, or by whose means, she was off . , to a situation in Paris, and now here after - '? four years she had come to see her grand- ;' ; mother, and astonish the village folk by her ,, '. airs and graces and the fashion of her clothes- " and hats. . ' ■- ; *7'7To Yvonne it was a revelation. It was her first glimpse of the world of pleasure, and - : , it was not long before she came to know that 7 it was the one thing her soul longed for. ;'•:-M Hitherto she had seen no means of breaking 77f her bonds save by entering a convent; now truly she was being shown the glory of the 77 kingdoms of the world, and hearing specious \ promises of possessing all the pleasures x 7 thereof. - 'te Mere Jules shook her head, and M. le Cure J 7 prayed longer in the little church, before ■.•'•;•£ the tabernacle, but to no one would Yvonne 7; listen except Lucille. 7: How should the old-fashioned " villagers J -.',7 know the great world when they had never 77 been in it? And she ran off to meet her 1 friend and-hear more of the wonderful shops and cinemas and pleasures of the gay capital. 7 It was close to Christmas and after the V. - New Year Lucille was to return to her situa- 71 tion—or a new one no one was quite sure on 7;7| the subject—and she had promised to obtain one for pretty, graceful little Yvonne, who . was scarcely more than a child in years, and a veritable child in worldly wisdom. But all this was a.profound secret between 77 the two girls, for Yvonne had sense enough -I to know that her parents would not have ; i permitted it. Then came the questions of 7 money—Lucille looked doubtful when Yvonne told her that seven francs was all she posses- : sed. T -' i - "Seven francs for the journey and all the 7 new clothes you will want—it is not a for- '" tune must think." 7 , Next day she appeared radiant. 7\ , ,7 • A friend (Lucille seemed to have many •. mysterious friends) wouldl' lend the moneyYvonne could repay it when she had earned : -J some. It all sounded very plausible. ."-.- ; ■ Christmas Eve came, and Jules and his % wife went off to Confession with the elder ' '7 children.' Yvonne's mother looked at her. ~ : 7"Wilt thou come with us now, or later . J on?" . - - - 7:4 "Not now, mother— must finish ironing 7 S my petticoat." . : '[ The family went out? leaving her alone with the little ones. . . -. i She was hot andtired when at ' last she WM put away the irons, and she sat by the fire Wm near little Yves' cradle, rocking it occasionally when the child cried. _ ;-,

|||j||6h& wondered fhow she would escape her KShe wondered how at Mass next "day, for other's vigilant eye at Mass next day, for ie had no intention of going to Confession, Sjk^ d . could not dare go up; to the altar with others. For deep in her heart she knew that she v'was".;'doing wrong; she could no longer pretend that she -did not know that Lucille was no fit friend for her, for during lie-last few days she had thrown off much «si vof her former reserve, and Yvonne began to feel sick with terror at the idea of going to Paris'with her, and yet the picture of its beauty and pleasures drew her like a magnet. '-/" She thought of all her friend had told her -',; --of the delights of dances and theatres and suppers : at which they had sparkling wines and dainty dishes, and pretty dresses, and then she looked round at the smoke-begrimed ;. kitchen,", at the rough clogs of her parents, and her own, her common serge skirt and coarse white cap—and she shuddered. It .was the old, old temptation, and Yvonne was weak, for she had kept away from the only thing that could give her strength—c Sacraments. : ;; The family returned, and Yvonne was forced to go to the church as if for Confession, unless she wished to betray all her ■>i.\ plans to her mother. -;•.'•' There were still many waiting round the Confessionals of M. le Cure and the young . Vicaire, when she entered the building where she had been baptised, and made her First Communion. She. slipped up the side aisle and turned into the Lady Chapel— the M Crib was already prepared—even the Divine 1 r Child was there before His time—but the ; _.. : villagers would have been disappointed not ..to see Him there when they came out to >make their thanksgivings for the outpouring .:; oFfiis precious Blood on their souls. -- _. Yvonne knelt a moment in the corner, and then sat back on her heels. The Baby Christ • was wonderfully sweet, and He smiled as if M welcoming each kneeler. The girl moved a somehow. His look disconcerted her, R though she had always loved that figure of I the Divine Child. She had had a long and tiring day, and she-was weary and leaned her head against the wall. * . "When somehow the wall seemed to give way, and Yvonne found herself In the streets Uof a great city. The roar of the traffic frightened her, the lights blinded her, and a voice r-. which struck terror into her heart asked her i; what she wanted. * S-'-.J' 1 am looking for Lucille," she murmured faintly. "Come and I will show you where she is." .They, turned down a side street, dark and . silent, : which seemed deserted, but presently they met men and women hurrying on, and / their voices and above all their laughter made .Yvonne shrink away. It seemed a long, long time that they walked and she was cold and , miserable. : The streets grew darker and more silent till they came to a large building and her guide stopped. No word was spoken, but Yvonne halted also. . '-,.'' ""; '..... JJ£rom within the building came the sound i. of music such as Yvonne had never, heard, and laughter and voices now reached her, and she wanted to run away, but she could not move. She felt ill and faint, and yet she could not understand why, for this was she knew the hall of pleasure for which she had longed.

' Louder : and louder grew_the sounds within —a very babel of confusion. Then the doors burst open and Yvonne was almost blinded by the medley of colors and lights, and'by; the; roar^ of so many voices, the music and -laughter. I : > '- , , Men ? and women whirled past in a, dance such as she had never seen, and she shrank back terrified, just as her eyes caught sight of a tiny figure not far from the door. It was the little Child who year by year lay in the Crib in -the church. Now He was hustled and jostled from side to side. His tiny feet trodden on, and His beautiful little head bleeding from the knocks He received on all sides. No one heeded Him; no one apparently saw Him.- Yvonne saw that through eyes .blinded by tears He . seemed searching in vain for a friendly face. She tried to cry out, but her voice was dumb; then He looked at her and her heart seemed to break with sorrow and love—and somehow He was in her arms and she could feel the beat of His little Heart near hers. She bent her head as He looked up at her; she must tell Him how grieved she was, and how she had loved Him in spite of all, and wanted only Himself." But a great sob choked her and she awoke as M. Ie Cure'touched her gently on the shoulder, saying: "Wake up, my child; everyone has gone but you. Are you waiting Confession?" The girl gazed up into his kind old face, and he saw that she could not speak for her tears— she rose up arid followed him to the Confessional. - ' . * * • • • • • Far away, out in a lonely district in China, Sister Marie of the Divine Child toils amid the little ones of our Lord's flock. Her sisters love her for her great humility and charity, and her babies adore her, arid there is one story she is never tired of telling them—all about the Holy Night of Christmas. For the little ones it is such a joyous feast that they cannot understand why Ma Soeur weeps so much as she kneels before the Crib on Christmas Eve. Her sisters wonder, too, but then they smile. "It is her love that makes her weepwho ever had such a great devotion to the Holy Child? One would think she had seen Him; the way she talks of Him." "Perhaps she has," added the baby of the Community, little Sister St. Agnes,, not yet nineteen. "Anyway, I am going to kneel by her now, and ask the little Jesus to .show Himself to me this Christmas Day. If I creep close to her, perhaps I shall see what she does." . - The others laughed, I think because they were just overflowing with happiness. They hardly even wanted to see the Divine Babe, when they thought of what, a few hours would bring them—His visit' at- their Midnight Communion. '•-... i. \■ ■ ■

Man never rose to greater power . and honor, never "lifted his daring to the stars"in such- a sublime hope as. when through Christ he turned the defeat of suffering into victory and dared to creep up to the knees of God and' call Him Father. To our Brother i Christ be the honor v and praise! ~ -.(