The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-11-07
How Priest Became a Riahop.

how Priest Became u Bishen
: In the year 1928 there lived. In N Iit,la h.n
ies IN she dfocese.of Lyons a yosIng priest MI
ii n.tu only recently been ordained. Afia,le an
ntu eoWaIds every member of his fiocl
aiways ready to help with lis nd ans, u, M
hfs pnrse too, If necessary he Iraynsl To- T;nd
ana loved his fellow. men; lie, was one Of thos
gehtae hearts who say, g. 1t is good TO lift an
10 open them is better stilip II
| Hsaeay circumstances he had shown that gentle
I ness OF manner is not always aa indfeaYioI1 III
Weakness Several times he had felt IL nj,
guy to defend the interests OF the operati ve,
| ID ms parish aSainst the petty tyranny of the
municipal authorities, and in this the good
| pastor generality succeeded I'm satisfnctorily
concentrating both parties, The peasants con,
consulting him. He was the VILLAGE Iayvyear
notary, architect, doctor and public writer he
performed the general CORES pondence of hIs
c r,soi1 k.ngdom in WHICH the most learned
GouId scarcely read the Gospels printed In the
largest type. F0Ytwo leagues round lie war
.pokea upon quite as the father of the poor of
the nelgfborhood. y :t.s..s1~tN 80. -
ing towards the end Of February. vixen fbe
mountains were covered with snow, the plain
ietsHea lake an immense white winding sheet
ip91 which alf dead hopes were sleeping.
Tue poor laborers, as the good Cure came into
Their cottages every day, repeated to him IN
cessantl y, : Pray for sonr fields, Monsieur lie
Cure il the thaw does NOT come soon ali A.
seeds viii perish" ~
lie assured, my friends, replied he, "wfat
God. dnes Ia
tue logic of hesktt. ttlle 0s bls
solitary old'hll 81 the village rang ont long
before dawn it wasAthe sound of the alarm
bell and all the inhabitants, awakened in
terror, rushed out of their cottages, looking, IN
their distress, for the part of the village which
they imagined toH=be in Hames. AfasF the
calamity was worse than o fire. Fire can be
fought against, arrested, quehchedi bnt water
water which rises, boiis, gushes out into u
torrent. hrealSs down and OyRrEhrOwK~~ lil
einbanknents aud BARRIERS whether natural or
artihcial-the food which rushes on unrestrain-
ed across plains and valleys, levehng hills,
undermining walls, and carrying away strong
oaks as well as houses, in the irresistible en-
brace of the waves, wild and unbridled in their
fnry-the flood of water is terrible indeed
Halt of the village was already covered with
muddy water Cows, horses, sheep, were
hoating about, lowing, neighiug, bicatuS in
Distress, carried away in 9TH litterana stables
in these surging waters, the approach of which
had been quite onpeTcsiYed by the peaeantry.
The good Cure, who had passed the night
with II sick person, was the FIRST on the alert;
and, owing to his desoti and presence OF
measure. Gained, means to rescue those in
danger organized, and in few minutes afi'thc
men were formed into brigade of which the
Cure was captain. His orders We're executed
-Asi Tia xyondarfal braYeEY and obGdiense.
Suddenly a ,saeloutl cry, coming as with
ono voice from all breasts, rust ffoht the midst
of the crowd; the furious current, changing its
course, had rushed upon an isolated cottage.
IN the twiukfing OF AN q go the water had risen
to the roof and npon the thateh appeared n halt
naked woman, carrying tySo hildren, one still
-ftt~her BREAST. The water was rising-rapidly
rising the flood, which seemed as ifirritated
By FessJaITC6, sfsatsat
the feeble walls of the cottage, built only of
clay. The foundation was already lonsened.
aud large pieces of clay were already floating
out from IL, and being carried away by the
Thousand currents of this tnulultnous sea. No
one dared to risk himself in this gulf, each
eddy of which was iike whirlpool. jacques
Poirier, the blacksmith; distinguished for his
strength and courage, had three times attempt
ed to swim to the aid OF. the poor family, but
three times the rope which he'd been fastened
to him III ease he should sink had been pulled
back by his friends. Two others, Pierre, the
thresher, and WON, one the village gendarrne,
an old sailor, had also failed. And still the
water was rising! But n few minutes
more, and both mother and children would be
swallowed mp in the food.
A horses galop was now heard; they turned
round, il was NJ, 10 euro, who had mounted
. La Grise,P little pony which he was in the
habit of riding, and which the farmer lent him
every Sunday wbcn he went to say prayers nj
a chapel at tho extremity of the parish
Without moments hesitation, he urged on
the brave aHituaf, who disappeared np TO che
nostrils in the foods the waves now drew il
dowuwards the Cure struggled TO keep nj
its head with the bride; he pierced through
the cddics which covered him with spray
twenty times he and his bOrse rolled into tbs
gulf, bnt stili he held on, and arrived, by
means of skill and presence of mind, at the
edge of the roof, which was cracking and
/ falling in. But four persons on sachI a littl,
horse is 800 heavy burden; surely Il mus
sink! The Cure seized the two children
which, with maternal self-devotiOu, the poor
mother held out to him. Trayersing the same
dangers now augmented by the rapid increas,
of the waters, be carried them back and placeS
| them upon dry ground then, when he turnes
the bride TO cast himself afresh into the mits
| of the danger, and al tho peasants cried on
! implOring him TO renouDce Drawing certain
\ deRth=-whiist the poor mother appealed f0i
| help Ia the midst of the foods N.siell VI crS