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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA A MATTER OF COINCIDENCE OR ? BY P. H. D. L I would like to lay before your readers some facts for whose absolute truth 1 can and do vouch, and ask their judgment. Father E., who has a number of missions to attend, was preparing on Saturday morning for one of his regular visits. He, as usual, wrote three post cards informing some persons that he would visit the places where they lived, after having said Mass at F. He had done this regularly for several years and always wrote the cards in time to give them to the postman on his regular round. On this particular Saturday the postman came as usual. Father E. left F. on Saturday afternoon and after arriving and getting a room at the Hotel, went to the Church to arrange things for the next day’s services. After dinner he called on some parish- oners and then went to the Church to hear Confes sions. After supper he took his breviary to say his office and was amazed to find the three post cards in it. He was positive he had given them to the postman, and could not understand how he had made such a mistake. It was now too late to send word to the people of his coming. After Mass next day at F. he returned home. He had not been ten minutes in the house before the telephone rang and the Superintendent of the Hospital told him that one of his congregation, a woman who had been out of the Church for over twenty years, had just been brought in and was dangerously ill. He went at once to the Hospital and met a daughter of the patient, who said there was no danger at all, and her Mother was at the moment resting, that it would be best for him to call the next morning. On his way out he met the Su perintendent and reported what the woman’s daugh ter had told him. The Superintendent said: “Father, that woman is seriously ill and I do not believe she will recover.” He went up stairs to the room where the woman was and had barely time to give her conditional absolution and anoint her when she became en tirely unconscious and died that night. She could not speak when he entered the room, but was con scious. Had he mailed the post cards, as was his custom, the woman would have died without the sacraments. A Jesuit Priest, who attended a Mission some dis tance from his home, was accustomed to go there on horseback. A short distance from his home the road forked and his way led by the right fork. His horse was so accustomed to the road that the Father never pulled the rein to his right at the fork of the road. One Saturday afternoon he left home as usual, but when he came to the fork the horse took the road to the left. He pulled him back into the right hand road, but just as soon as he released the pressure on the rein the horse turn ed back into the road to the left. This happened three times. At last the priest made up his mind to let the horse have his way, since he had often been told of the wonderful acuteness of sense on the part of horses, and he thought there might be some obstruction on the road. He went on at a rather leisurely pace, thinking that both roads led in the same direction and he would sooner or later arrive at his destination. He knew if he was going in the right direction he could not be very far from his destination, but he grew a little uneasy as night was coming on and he did not recognize any of his surroundings. At last he came to a house in front of which was stand ing a young man. He hailed him, saying “Will you please tell me how far 1 am from X. ? The young man replied: “You have taken the wrong road Sir; You should have taken the right fork. There is nothing for you to do except go back to the fork and take the other road.” The Priest hesitated for a while and the young man said: “Are you bound to reach X. to-night?” “Yes.” replied the Priest: “I must say Mass there at half-past six tomorrow morning.” “Are you a Catholic Priest?” said the young man. “I am,” he answered. “Well, Father get down off your horse and come into the house. There is a man here who is a Cath olic and he is dying.” The priest promptly got down off his horse and entered the house. He found an old man who was evidently near his end. He heard his Confession and gave him Extreme Unction. As it was impos sible for him to reach “X.” in time, he remained all night and as he carried all the requisites for Mass, he said Mass the next morning and gave the man the Viaticum and the Plenary Indulgence. The man died the same day. The priest went on to “X.” and returned the day after and read the funeral service for the man. Years afterwards at a dinner party some one at the table asked the Jesuit if he had ever had any rather unusual experiences in his career as a Priest, and, in response he told this story. An elderly woman at the table asked in a casual way if he had ever heard any particulars of the man, and the Priest said: “I only heard his name and know nothing of him.” He was asked by some one the name and when he gave it the woman who first questioned him burst into tears and said: “Thank God, Father; that was my Brother. We heard he was dead, but where, or how he died, we could never find out. He had not practised his re ligion for years, and we have always feared that he died unreconciled to God.” Had the good Jesuit forced the horse to take the right road, the man would have died without the Sacraments. Do you really think this was chance? III. Father “J.” was roused from deep sleep by the ringing of the night bell over his head. He rose, and putting on his cassock, went to thd front win dow, which was raised as it was summer time, and he saw a boy at the front door. “Well, my Son, what’s the matter?” “There’s a man at Mrs. Casey’s, on 10th St., who is dying. Father, please go at once,” replied the boy. • It was a bright moonlight night and the Priest noticed that the boy had light curly hair, as he stood with cap in hand, and he wore a black velvet jacket, with velvet knee breeches and white stock ings. Father J. did not know the lad. He hurried down stairs and went into the Church to get the Blessed Sacrament, having ascertained from the messenger that the sick man was fully conscious. They walked to Mrs. Casey’s, who lived about a mile from the Church. When they reached the house the boy opened the front door and stood to one side to let Father J. pass him, and at the same time said: “Its the third (Continued on Page 13)