Good Counsel High School - Counselor Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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,,! DREAMS - Continued One night, Mary Ruth was awakened by soft but heart-rendering sobs which seemed to be issuing from the children's dormitory. Mary Ruth listened, trying to find out who was sobbing. She knew Amy, Jane, Joan and Lizzie possessed a whole- some fear of the dark ami sometimes their shouts awakened the entire household. However, these sobs seemed unlike the other children's cries, so slipping on a robe and. slippers, she entered the darkened room. A flood of liquid gold fell across the room. By the colored' curtained window, Mary Buth spied a sweet fairy child. Eyes of deepest somberest black were set far apart in the white pale face. A shower of soft golden ringlets formed a halo for the bent, tear-stained face. The transparent hands were clasped tightly over a yellow aged prayer book, while the scarlet lips moved tremblingly. Mary Ru-th stepped back, startled at the strange, yet sad beauty of the child before her. The little fairy-girl turnedg Mary Buth saw that the gentle face was tear-stained and swollen. The black eyes held a world of mute longilig-Without another word they were clasped in each others arms-the child crying. Oh! Girls! my dear dad- dy and mamma are gone to heaven? The little girl's name was Merlyn Meredyth. Bit by bit, Mary Ruth found Merlyn's story. Mr. Meredyth was a wealthy Wall St. Broker. He had millions at his disposal, grand winter and summer homes, numerous servants, every luxury. His small daughter was the dearest treasure in the world to him. For her sake, he earned his money to bestow on her everything life could offer. But, all was wiped out. The tragedy of it killed him. So, this child of luxury- Merlyn-was bereft of every advantage at one foul stroke. Accustomed to riches, pining for her parents, lost, alone, and forsaken, little Merlyn faded and drooped. She became thinner, her eyes shone too brightly, her cheeks glowed too rosily, her lips were too crimson. Slowly, Mary Ruth watched the little bud' wither, and, at last, one autumn day, little Merlyn bade a last farewell to her dear, darling Mary Ruth, and with white arms clasped lovingly around her, and burning lips held close to the cool trembling ones, the little life faded. After the last breath was drawn, Mary Ruth vowed to devote her life to the care of others -to keep faith with the pure young flower who was cven now blossoming at Jesus's feet. She renounced riches and worldly pleasures at the throne of Jesus in Heaven. The years passed quickly and soon Mary Ruth's eighteenth birthday approached. Strangely, she evidenced no curiosity in regard to the desire 'or wish to know her identity. Sufficient it was, that she would soon be numbered among God's chosen few, to have a place in His Garden, to share in His blessings. Her youthful desire to become rich has faded with the life of Merlyn Meredyth. She had seen the sor- row' money could bring,-in fact, she hated wealth. However, one May evening, when the spell of Spring lay over the quiet convent, she heard the contents of the mysterious envelope. Trembling, she listened to her story written by her mother's trembling hand. May I be forgiven, but I had to do it. This sentence was written in shaky letters, as though the writer's very soul was torn. Then followed the statements which explained Mary Ruth's'identity. Her grandfather was the millionaire Bally from Long Island. Mr. Bally, Mary Ruth's mother's father was a non-catholic who disowned his daughter, when she had mar- ried a young catholic lawyer. Her conversion was the last straw. He hated his girl's husband fiercely, and vowed vengeance. XVhen Mary Ruth was born, he wished to adopt her, for her father was very very poor. But Mrs. Raymond, know- ing that her baby would not be brought up in the true Faith, refused. When Mary Page Thirty-eight F M' M 5'il 3 S ' lliif I H 'Ulm C 0 UN S EL 0 1k,1931

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Dreams There are as many people in this good old World of ours, as there are drops of water in a mighty ocean. And every one of these people has a secret longing .... a dream unfulfilled. Some of these poor, patient souls struggle along for years, keep- ing soul and body together merely with the hope of a wish gratified. And our heav- enly Father Who sees in our future either Happiness, Sorrow, Joy or Sadness, smiles sadly, for He knows far better than we poor creatures, how our hearts must ache and ache, how we must know the meaning of bitter sorrows and lonely agony, how we must tread the valley of darkness and how we must rise to the cheerless dawn. But when our cross seems unbearable, He is ever there to say sweet words of com- fort that heal and help .... In a tiny, rose covered cottage in an eastern city, a woman was dying. A dis- tracted husband sat at an open window, looking beseechingly at the starlit heavens, begging God to spare his wife. A faint call from the doctor brought the man to his feet. A question trembled on the parched white lips and a look of agony lurked in the stricken eyes. Doctor. Gravely the old physician nodded. With eyes blurred with scalding tears, the man followed the doctor into the sick room. On her death- bed, lay a wan, pale woman. She was not yet passed her thirtieth birthday, for the unquenchable light of youth still shone in the death-set eyes. With a tearless sob, the broken-hearted man bid last farewell to his wife, and soon only cold lifeless clay remained, for her immortal soul had gone to rest. Not many weeks had passed when another creature bowed low with grief and sorrow, followed his spouse to a better place, where sorrow never enters and joy is glorified. After the funeral of the young husband, affairs began to take a dark aspect in regard to little Miss Mary Ruth, the two year old daughter of the dead couple. She had no living relatives, her parents had left practically nothing as a legacy to her except a large yellow envelope on which was written in black threatening letters: To be opened by Mary Ruth Raymonds on her eighteenth birthday. So, sad as it was, tiny Mary Ruth was sent with the mysterious envelope to an Orphan Asylum. For twelve years, this tiny bud blossomed fragrantly in the gentle atmosphere of the convent home, receiving the best in educational training that love and money could procure. Naturally, bright and friendly, she was not satisfied with herself. Daily, ever since she could remember, Mary Ruth prayed that the mysterious enve- lope would contain her identity, for no one knew who her parents were. She hoped with the ardor of a child that she would be rich. Oh! rich as the world could be. She wanted pretty clothes, pretty hats. She wanted to go to parties, or to great pic- nics. Oh! how she disliked the asylum. At the age of fourteen, she completed the grammar school department, and en- tered high school at the asylum. There, she was given charge over the younger children. Something in their sweet faces so sad and lonely caused her deep regret, that she could wish for a frivolous life, when tiny children, such as these, were alone. starving for affection, deprived of a mother's love and a father's care. These sad faced children caused her extreme moments of anxiety. Jimmie Burns fell into the scrub bucket almost ending his young and turbulent life, .lane Jones scared the babies into fits by her grotesque facesg Teddy Tines suffered from terrible scares caused by Alice, because of loud coughing usually during study hour, Mollie Min- stc-r's giggles were chronic-Amy Anders was subject to hysterics. ' 0 Y Page Tfizrty seven Nr 'AF A , fl' V15 A -fr.: ,.f.f... ..3 ,.,'.,,. .... m1:.::fm.., ..,...... ..... . ..... . ,..f....:..::e1 ...t.f,.1.1 11.-,.f...:::..:i..E-',asf '3.l16'jg..r'g', wwii-K

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DREAMS - Continued Ruth was eighteen, and well grounded in her Faith, then she would be allowed to go to her grandfather. Below the signature was written faintly: 0h! Mary Ruth, my darling, go to him,-teach him our Faith-make up to him for the pain I have unwillingly caused the dearest man in all the world, next to Jack. Do as he wishes in all that is right. Love him for my sake, my little Mary Ruth. Your loving Mother. Nothing but that sad little plea could move Mary Ruth to surrender her cher- ished dream of becoming God's own spouse. And so she went, this brave little girl, to obey the wish of her dying mother. However, the tears of pure joy in Mr. Bally's dim old eyes made up in part for her sacrifice. Her mother smiled down on her from the wall, and though her father's picture was absent, she sensed his helpful presence. She dared not approach the subject of religion, he would have none of it, in fact, he hardly agreed in allowing her to practice it herself. But in this she was firm, and he had to yield. Years passed, quickly. One year faded into five-into ten- into fifteen-into twenty. At thirty-eight, Mary Ruth had plentiful amount of silver in her chestnut hair, her smile was grim and seldom. In a winter's twilight, when the leaden sky reflected her own mood, and life seemed drab and dreary as her inner world, she sat buried deep in thought. She saw upon the screen of her thought, her parents dreaming a life of usefulness to- gether. She saw her grandfather who had dreamed of a reconciliation with his daughter. Also, Mr. Meredyth who dreamed of riches for his little girl, Merlyn dreaming of the reunion of her parents in heaven, finally, she caught a glimpse of herself dreaming of life for God alone. Yet most of these dreamers, had longed and dreamed in vain! Many have gone to the Valley of Silence. Her grandfather was happy with her. Oh! only she was left alone. Was it fair? She almost screamed the word. Fair! the silent room re-echoed it. The still cold air took it up and passed it on to the white-robed trees, to the frozen rivers, to the snowy gatrtdens. Fair! Fair! Was not anything that God decided, fair? Who was the greatest fulfiller of all dreams? Who longed for His people to love Him? Who died that they might live? With bowed head and downcast eyes, Mary Ruth whispered to herself fully recon- ciled, Lord, Thy Will Be Done! Bernice Kovalik, '32. - 3:32 - W ai :AQQ I4 I-.. - ...I X Trzrrwm. ..... 1.1.1. .... .... 7.,:::i:r. .... :..:.:.q ....A . YN Page Thirty nine Nw U