After school closed Mrs. Allen had a serious conversation with her son on the subject of First Holy Communion. "You are now past eleven, dear child, and I want you and Amy to devote the whole vacation to immediate preparation for your First Communion. Sister Amy is thirteen, but owing to her infirmity, has been deprived of that favor until now. I have made arrangements with the Sisters of Mercy to take you for the next six weeks, that you may be under special instruction and away from mischievous pranks and scrapes like those of last summer, when in company with the village boys." "But Ma, dear, six weeks! Will I have to be silent and pray all that time?" "No, no, my son; there are a few nice boys in the Convent who will remain all summer, so you will not be without recreation. Indeed, you will have plenty of fun, for the Sisters play ball with the boys." Amy came into the room while her mother was speaking. "I have just been telling Bolax of what we propose doing by way of preparation for that most important event of our lives, viz: the First reception of our dear Lord in Holy Communion." "You both know your catechism perfectly, and I am sure understand all you have studied. I know you firmly believe all the sacred truths contained in the Gospels and Teachings of the Catholic Church. For the past three years our talks on the subject have been many and earnest. You know how kind our dear Lord was while here on earth, how he fed five thousand people in the wilderness. Well, He is just as loving and kind now, and gives us His precious Body and Blood to nourish and comfort our souls. So, dear children, let all your thoughts, words and actions from this day be offered up as a preparation for that greatest of all events of your life, your First Holy Communion." [Illustration: AMY.] "We will give up all reading, except books that lead our thoughts to holy things, not necessarily dull or uninteresting because they are holy. You know how delighted you were with 'Fabiola,' 'Faber's Tales of the Angels,' 'Babies Who Died for Christ,' 'The Little Spouse of the Blessed Sacrament.'" "I should like to read 'Fabiola' again Ma, dear," said Amy. "I always feel--I don't know exactly how to describe my feelings after reading such a book as 'Fabiola'--happy, calm, a longing to have been one of the first Christians to have loved our dear Lord as did little St. Agnes." "And I," said Bo, "wouldn't I enjoy going round with the big soldier Quadratus, and tearing down the Emperor's edicts against the Christians. Oh, wouldn't I play tricks on those mean old Pagans; I tell you I'd make them skiddoo."