耶穌聖心節的前夕，艾美和艾麗在餐廳忙著準備明天野餐用的食物。

約翰把車子停在門口，然後走進屋裡問道：

「大家是否準備好去聖堂辨告解？」

艾美回答：「是的。」

但是，艾麗皺著眉頭說：「假如明天早去參加彌撒而有了延誤，我們一定會趕不上船，這不是太煞風景了嗎？」

   艾美走到妹妹那兒，牽著她的手說：

「親愛的，來，在耶穌聖心節，妳一定會去領聖體的。」

但是艾麗很生氣，而且斷然地拒絕去聖堂，所以約翰和艾美就走了，當她們從聖堂回來的時候。艾麗已經休息睡覺了。

  第二天早晨，正如艾麗所預測的，由於領聖體的人太多，彌撒延長了。約翰和艾美心情愉快地離開了聖堂。

「艾麗一定會很生氣，因為時間不多了。」

匆匆地用過早餐，她們急速地開車去碼頭，到達時正好看見船開走了。艾麗更生氣了，就開始批評熱心的教友弄糟了這一天。

約翰建議在一個鄉下野餐，那兒可以吃他們的午餐，但是艾麗反對，憤憤地回家，整天不快樂地緊繃著臉。

   那天晚上吃晚餐的時候，報童送來一份報紙。約翰翻閱報紙，看見一個大標題，記載著他們要搭的那艘汽船的爆炸事件。很多去玩的人當場死亡，有的淹死、有的燒死。

   艾麗離開餐廳去她的房間，在耶穌聖心像前跪下，許下將來會更熱心恭敬耶穌聖心。她明白了假如她的哥哥和姐姐沒有去參加彌撒，祈求天主的助佑，她一定成了這件事中的犧牲品。

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10.Accident

        It was the eve of the Feast of the Sacred Heart.   Emily and Alice were in the dining room busily preparing lunch for the picnic they were going to attend the next day.   John came into the room and asked if the girls were ready to go to confession, for the car was at the door.   Emily replied,  “Certainly.”   But Alice with a frown answered,  “You will spoil our fun if you go to Mass in the morning.   If it is delayed we shall surely miss the boat.”

       Emily went over to where her sister was standing, and taking her by the arm said,  “Come, dear, you would not neglect to receive  Holy Communion on the Feast of the Sacred Heart!”  But Alice was sulky and positively refused to go, so John and Emily started for church alone.   When they returned Alice had retired.

        The next morning was glorious.   As Alice had predicted the Mass was delayed owing to the great number of Communions.   John smiled as he and Emily left the church.   “I fear Alice will be cross for we have but few minutes to catch the boat.”   Taking a hasty breakfast, they drove quickly to the wharf and arrived just in time to see the steamer sailing off.   Alice was crosser than ever and made some very disagreeable remarks about pious people spoiling the day.   John suggested a picnic in the country where they could eat their lunch, but Alice objected and went home to pout all day.

        That evening when the family was at supper the newsboy brought the paper to the door.   John opened it and in large headlines was an account of an explosion that had taken place on the steamer on which they would have sailed.   Many  of the pleasure-seekers were killed instantly, some were downed and others burned.

        Alice left the table and, going to her room, knelt before a picture of the Sacred Heart and promised Him to be more faithful in the future.   She realized that if her brother and sister had not assisted at Mass she, too, might have been among the victims of the accident.