Page:Anecdotescatechi00spiruoft.djvu/76

 was afraid  of  sleeping  alone  in  a room. What he openly  denied  he  secretly  believed.

We ought  to  invoke  our  angel  guardians  and  ask their protection. In a remote  town  in  the  Tyrol the alarm  bell  one  night  woke  all  the  inhabitants out of  their  sleep. Two of  the  largest  houses were in  flames. From one  of  these  the  inmates escaped by  the  staircase  only  with  the  greatest difficulty. In their  hurry  and  alarm  they  forgot to rescue  two  children  who  were  sleeping  in  the attic. These two  children  — both  girls,  one  aged eight, the  other  twelve  years  — only  awoke  when they were  startled  by  the  crackling  of  the  boards constituting the  flooring  of  their  rooms,  which  had caught fire  from  below. They sprang  up  and rushed to  the  door;  but  on  opening  it  they  were almost stifled  by  the  smoke  and  flames  that  met them, and  hardly  succeeded  in  closing  it  again. The elder girl  then  ran  to  the  window,  saying: “We  must jump out  of  the  window. I will jump first,  and  if  I get  to  the  ground  without  being  hurt,  do  you  come after me.”  Calling  on  her  angel  guardian  to  help her, she  sprang  out. She fell  on  the  ground  but, instantly rising,  she  cried  out  joyously,  “ Come  along, Jenny, I am  not  a bit  hurt! ” The other  child  then took the  perilous  leap,  and  she,  too,  escaped  without the slightest  injury. She also  had  invoked  the  aid of her  guardian  angel. The parents  of  the  children were delighted  and  thankful  to  God  to  see  them safe and  sound.