Speaker 1: Chapter twenty four of Claude Lightfoot, or How the Problem
Speaker 1: was Solved by Father Francis Finn. This LibriVox according is
Speaker 1: in the public domain. Chapter twenty four conclusion. Shortly before
Speaker 1: reaching the house where young Hardy was staying, Claude, having
Speaker 1: finished his long thanksgiving, told Frank in great simplicity of
Speaker 1: words his strange adventure. Frank was so moved that he
Speaker 1: was hardly able to speak. At times during the narration,
Speaker 1: he glanced over his shoulder, half expecting to see the
Speaker 1: throng of radiant angels that must have made the progress
Speaker 1: of his charge along this country road sacred and sweet
Speaker 1: with their lovely attendants. They found Rob Collins with Willie
Speaker 1: awaiting them at the house of the German Woman. Speaking
Speaker 1: unconsciously in a whisper, Frank told Rob of the wondrous
Speaker 1: thing that had come to pass. Rob glanced at Claude,
Speaker 1: whose face still gave evidence of the holy thoughts and
Speaker 1: inspirations which so recently had enjoyed full play in his
Speaker 1: radiant soul. Frank said Rob in a whisper. I remember
Speaker 1: when I was preparing for my first communion, how Father
Speaker 1: Maynard used to insist that one Communion could make a saint,
Speaker 1: And now said Frank, you understand. Then Rob, at Frank's suggestion,
Speaker 1: rode to the village to tell the parish priest of
Speaker 1: what had happened, and Frank, having hired two horses of
Speaker 1: a farmer, brought Claude and Willie back to the camp.
Speaker 1: It had been Frank's intention to break up camp on
Speaker 1: the afternoon of the following day, but now he resolved
Speaker 1: to hasten his preparations so as to take the early
Speaker 1: morning train for Milwaukee. On reaching the city next morning,
Speaker 1: Claude went at once to his father's office. Why, Clod exclaimed,
Speaker 1: mister Lightfoot, jumping from his chair, what brings you here?
Speaker 1: Clod returned his father's kiss, and then told his story.
Speaker 1: Mister Lightfoot was far more moved than Frank had been.
Speaker 1: The tears came to his eyes, and he bowed his
Speaker 1: head to conceal his emotion. And when Cloud had come
Speaker 1: to an end, he took his little boy in his arms,
Speaker 1: kissed him tenderly, and said, God bless you, my little child.
Speaker 1: Then he bowed his head upon his hands again. Cloud,
Speaker 1: He said, presently, do you think of going to communion
Speaker 1: next Sunday? I like to sir very much well, Clod,
Speaker 1: with God's help, I shall go to communion with you.
Speaker 1: And if Clod hereupon exhibited a joy of surprise which
Speaker 1: just fell short of dancing in its expression, none of
Speaker 1: my readers should be astonished. Mister Lightfoot had not approached
Speaker 1: the Holy table for the past seven years. As the
Speaker 1: happy father and happy son took their way homeward Cloud,
Speaker 1: after some hemming and stuttering, at length said Papa, I
Speaker 1: want to ask you one question. Certainly, Claude, do you
Speaker 1: think it was American? The people on the streets may
Speaker 1: have been astonished somewhat at mister Lightfoot's answer to this
Speaker 1: simple question. Again, he caught his boy up and pressed
Speaker 1: him close. Claude. He then said, if you're faithful to
Speaker 1: your God, there's no danger of your being unfaithful to
Speaker 1: your country. You may go to Milwaukee College as long
Speaker 1: as you like. And again Claude was tempted to break
Speaker 1: into a short and simple dance of his own composition.
Speaker 1: I have noticed, continued mister Lightfoot, that there have been
Speaker 1: many men untrue to their religion and untrue to their
Speaker 1: country at the same time. But I don't know of
Speaker 1: a single case in which a man living as a
Speaker 1: true Christian ever betrayed his native land. The reader may
Speaker 1: imagine the joyous meeting between cloud and his mother. Three
Speaker 1: months ago. Cloude had been wild, impetuous, and passionate. He
Speaker 1: had threatened to become ungovernable. Recklessness and a high temper
Speaker 1: when they join forces may bring about dire results. Frank Elmwood,
Speaker 1: in his first moments of acquaintance with Claude, had read
Speaker 1: the youngster's character and been puzzled by the problem. The
Speaker 1: solution had come about in a few minutes, and it
Speaker 1: had come from Heaven. Claude, from the moment he made
Speaker 1: his first communion, was a changed boy. And yet in
Speaker 1: another sense he is the same claud. His smile is
Speaker 1: as genial, his laugh is as light, his limbs are
Speaker 1: as quick as when we first made acquaintance with the
Speaker 1: dancing Sunbeam. He is different in that he has been
Speaker 1: taught in one sharp yet sweet lesson of divine grace,
Speaker 1: to reflect, to think, to keep in mind. That he
Speaker 1: is a responsible being in class. He is a model
Speaker 1: of behavior at home. He is an earnest student in
Speaker 1: the playground. He is the leader of all his fellows
Speaker 1: and everywhere. He is happy as the day is long,
Speaker 1: as indeed is very natural, he misses Kate, who is
Speaker 1: finishing her studies at the Visitation Convent in Saint Louis.
Speaker 1: It is possible that Claude will continue to miss her
Speaker 1: for years to come. For Kate, charmed by the high
Speaker 1: ideal which the rule of the Visitandines presents, and drawn
Speaker 1: by the modesty, holiness, and charity of these gentle ladies
Speaker 1: who live so sweetly and graciously, the same hidden life
Speaker 1: that gave us a blessed Margaret Mary, has already made
Speaker 1: application to be received into their ranks, and Claude is
Speaker 1: indeed pleased with his sister's choice. Of course, he will
Speaker 1: miss her at times, but he will not suffer from lonesomeness. Claude,
Speaker 1: at the present writing, has a little brother two years
Speaker 1: of age. And I am given to understand by missus
Speaker 1: Lightfoot's lady friends, who appear to be experts in such matters,
Speaker 1: that a finer child than Frankie Elmwood Lightfoot never opened
Speaker 1: his eyes upon the delightful city of Milwaukee. If one
Speaker 1: can judge by Claude's attentions to the infant, he too
Speaker 1: is of the same opinion, Missus Lightfoot, I am glad
Speaker 1: to say, is no longer an invalid. On the very
Speaker 1: day that Claude, under such startling circumstances, made his first communion,
Speaker 1: his mother experienced a decided change for the better, and
Speaker 1: she maintains to this hour that it was the fervent
Speaker 1: prayers of her dear little boy which brought about this change.
Speaker 1: Claude still cherishes the picture of Tarcissius. Whenever he looks
Speaker 1: at it, he thinks of his first communion, and wonders
Speaker 1: whether he shall ever again feel so unspeakably happy in
Speaker 1: this world? Who knows? Should Claude, in the years to come,
Speaker 1: ascend the altars some day as the legitimate minister of
Speaker 1: the blessed sacrament? I dare say that his heart kept
Speaker 1: pure and spotless. Let us hope, by the singular graces
Speaker 1: of God, shall throb at the awful words of consecration
Speaker 1: with a bliss even more unspeakable than the bliss with
Speaker 1: which it throbbed when he made that memorable first communion
Speaker 1: by which the problem was solved end of Chapter twenty four.
Speaker 1: And of Claude Lightfoot, or how the problem was solved
Speaker 1: by Father Francis Finn recording by Carrol Pelster