Well' Francie Decided, 'i Guess

It Was So Simple That A Flash Of Astonishment That Felt Like Pain Shot Through Her Head. Education! That Was It! It Was Education That Made The Difference! Education Would Pull Them Ut Of The Grame And Dirt.

It's A Beautiful Religion And I Wish I Understood It More. No, I Don't Want To Understand It All. It's Beautiful Because It's Always A Mystery. Sometimes I Say I Don't Believe In God And Jesus And Mary. I'm A Bad Catholic Because I Miss Mass Once In A While And I Grumble When, At Confession, I Get A Heavy Penance For Something I Couldn't Help Doing. But Good Or Bad, I Am A Catholic And I'll Never Be Anything Else. Of Course, I Didn't Ask To Be Born Catholic, No More Than I Asked To Be Born American. But I'm Glad It Turned Out That I'm Both These Things.

I Wrote About People Who Liked Fake Fireplaces In Their Parlor, Who Thought A Brass Horse With A Clock Embedded In Its Flank Was Wonderful.

Books Became Her Friends, And There Was One For Every Mood.

People Looking Up At Her--at Her Smooth Pretty Vivacious Face--had No Way Of Knowing About The Painfully Articulated Resolves Formulating In Her Mind.