Smoke Signal
<http://www.guideposts.com/story/mysterious-ways-smoke-signal>http://www.guideposts.com/story/mysterious-ways-smoke-signal A man sees smoke coming from his neighborhood, and rushes home to an entirely different danger By Joseph Caldwell, New York, New York January, 1985 I was waiting for the bus to take me down from the Janiculum Hill into the city of Rome when I turned and saw black smoke rising into the sky. It seemed to be coming from my studio, a small, cabin-like study built up against the ancient Roman wall that bounded the grounds of the American Academy. I'd arrived there three weeks before with my most precious possession: the first draft of my new novel. The smoke. I thought of the electric coil I'd been using to heat water for the endless cups of tea I need to fuel my writing. What if I had started heating water and forgotten about it? Suppose the coil had slipped from the cup and started a fire that would not only destroy the studio committed to my care for a year but the pages and pages of work I could never duplicate? I hurried back, but soon saw that the smoke came from a bonfire in the adjoining orchard. I felt relieved, and even a little foolish. But since I was now so close, I went into my studio anyway. The electric coil was still plugged in, and the water I'd meant to use for tea before I left had all boiled out of a cup that had tipped overand the red-hot coil had toppled onto the desk and was charring the wood. Manuscript pages that would have flared up in a second were only inches away. Drawn by that column of smoke, I'd come back just in time. "Thank God," I said. Of course, thank God. Yes, it's real postage! <http://www.holypostage.com/catalog/index.php> Holy Postage - yes, it's real postage! + <*}}}>< <http://www.holypostage.com/>Custom Faith-based U.S. Postage <*}}}>< + --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Please note that I do not send or open attachments sent to this list. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Catholics on Fire" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Catholics-on-Fire May the blessing of Jesus and our Blessed Mother be with you -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
