month, and gave them each a tiny picture with the prayer on it: "Good St. Joseph, FosterFather of Jesus, pray for us!" After that, the Sister figured in their talks as a beautiful, though somewhat mysterious, lady, and they paused every day before St. Joseph's altar, always saying the little prayer. The kind face of the great saint became as something dear and familiar to them, and they wondered if he looked like that up in heaven. One afternoon, they had just returned home from their visit to the church. It was still clear light, for their aunt had told them never to stay out when it was dark, and they would not have dreamed of disobeying her. They were playing as usual. Little Mary sat on a tiny, wooden stool, cutting up paper, and Francis was busy driving an imaginary horse. They did not perceive the smoke which began to pour in from the hallway through the crevices of the door. The grandmother, indeed, was the first to notice it. "Smoke," she said, and she laughed softly to herself as if the notion pleased her. 66 She pointed it out to the children, repeating, Smoke, smoke," with the same childish chuckle. The little ones had at first no idea of the danger, until, instead of smoke, flames began to make their way under and around the closed door with a strange noise. Then little Mary began to cry, and Francis said to her that they must say their prayer to St. Joseph, and kneeling down together and clasping their tiny hands, they prayed to St. Joseph, Foster-Father of Jesus, saying, "Don't let the fire catch granny or us." At that moment, a gentleman passing stopped before the house, and cried out to other passers-by that there was a strange light shining from the window, and that it looked as if the house were on fire. The neighbors quickly took the alarm, knowing well how helpless were the three inmates of the dwelling. In an instant, the door was burst open, and the flames, pent up in the narrow hallway, poured out with a blinding mass of smoke. Brave men rushed into the room into which the fire had scarcely effected an entrance. They found the old grandmother seated in her chair, childishly delighted, and the two little ones kneeling in the middle of the room with clasped hands. The neighbors and the firemen thought it little short of a miracle that the old woman and the children were brought safely out. The women wiped their eyes when they heard the children tell that they were not afraid, because they had told good St. Joseph not to let the fire catch granny or them. - ANNA T. SADLIER. NOTES AND QUESTIONS What is an orphan? What were the orphans' names? What did the grandmother do all day? Who really took care of them? What did the children do for grandma? How did they amuse themselves? Did they like to go to the church? What did the Sister give them? What happened one afternoon? Was grandma frightened? What did Mary and Francis do? Who came to their rescue ? What did the neighbors think about the fire? When is the month of St. Joseph? Have the children tell what they know about this great saint. Anna Teresa Sadlier (1854– ), a story writer and novelist, was born in Montreal, Canada. Order is heaven's first law. ALEXANDER POPE. OUR HEAVENLY FATHER My God! how wonderful Thou art! How beautiful Thy mercy seat In depths of burning light! Yet I may love Thee, too, O Lord, Almighty as Thou art, For Thou hast stooped to ask of me The love of my poor heart. No earthly father loves like Thee, No mother half so mild Bears and forbears, as Thou hast done With me, Thy sinful child. Only to sit and think of God, Oh, what a joy it is! To think the thought, to breathe the Name, Earth has no higher bliss! - REV. FREDERICK W. FABER. How does the poet describe God in the first stanza? What has God asked of him? Does God love us better than our father and our mother do? Is it a source of joy to sit and think of God? Explain "mercy seat," "forbear," "bliss." |