The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-03-16
THE CAPTAIN of the FIRE BRIGADE,
A TRUE STORY.

Many years ago young priest, fresh
from The seminary, WAS appointed TO his
iirst pastoral charge in small village of
the diocese of Lyons. We shall not give
his name just yet. Ia fact, if his parish
toner's had then been asked it, they would
have felt quite at loss what to say.
They knew him as Monsieur lie Cure
they knew no other name, cared for no
other name than this.
Well, then, in this village lived Mons
sieur lie Cure, who was the kindcst and
best of men. Revered by his whole flock,
lie sympathized with them in their trials,
assisted them by his counses, and shared
with them his small income. His sole
motives OF action were an ardent love of
! God, and, tor His sake, tender charity
to man We are not to imagine, however,
that this good priest, kind as he was,
lacked firmness when it was required. On
the contrary, he had frequently shown
that gentleness of disposition and manner
is by no means Incompatible with infexi-
ble strength Of purpose and will More
than 0nce lie had to defend the interests
Of his parish against tho encroachments
OF the village authorities, and. contending
most energetical!y for his fights, he sue
ceedcd in upholding them. A the same
time he was cuncillatory to bis opou-
nents that no breach of charity occurred.
Thus the young pastor won golden opiu
ions from all bis little world. Even those
vino, perhaps, would be slow to appreci~
ate his goodness, applaudcd his prudence;
SO that scarcely any one of his congrega>
tion would begin AN undertaking, great or
small. without first seeking the opinion of
Monsieur lie Cure. He was the general
lawyer, notary, architect, doctor, and
even public letter writer. In this last
capacity lie managed almost the whole
correspondence of his small kingdom,
which is not strange, considering that the
most learned of his subjects could scarce
ly spell the Gospel of ;he day, even when
printed in the largest type.
One morning, toward the end Of Feb
ruary, the village was aroused at day
break by the continued peal of the one
an len bell which the church still possess
, ed. The winter had been an unusually
severe one. The hills were covered with
snow, and even the plains retained their
|
labors. So the poor peasants whenever
they met their priest i'll his daily walks,
they urged the one request:
pray for US, Monsieur lie Cure, and
for our fields If the thaw comes not
soon, the sowing time will be past; then
how shall we get bread for our little
ones ,
And Monsieur lie Cure would give his
invariable answer:
: 'Havc confidence, my children; fear
nothing. Whatever Almighty God does,
lie does we'll"
Such was his logic, such his eloquence.
"JVhotCrer Amghy Got dos lie docs
,ceH - The greatest philosophy could find
no bStier method Of consolation. The
greatest orator could not add 10 lis per-
suasiveness.
Now, at day break on this February
morning, as has been said, the clamorous
ringing of the bell reused every one from
his sluInbers. All rushed into the streets,
. expecting to find one or more dwellings, in
flames. But, alas terrible as are the
, rava2es OF fire, worse foe threatened the
: destruction of the village. Fire may be
I extinguIshed, or at least its course be
stopped bat water rushing along in iu-
D multuous streams, levelling in its way
: banks and barrIers-water, sweeping over
plains and through valleys, surmounting
hills, breaking through walls, carry ing in
F., lis toaming course trees, houses, cattle
y ything-an inundation Who but
i God can say TO its fearful might ':Thus
z fac shalt thou 60, and no farther p
1 The wished>for thaw had suddenly sci
. . III. and The stream which passed by the
: village-in summer a shallow brook, now
y a headlong torrent swollen by the melting
snOw-was spreading ruin and desolation
: in lis track. Already half The village was
: eitswed by It's turbid waves and COWS,
: sheep, horses-all uttering their different
cries of fright and pain, and all mingling
q with the fragments of their sheds and sta
). bles-wero borne swiftly past the panic
G stricken spectators. Ii was in truth a
Y scene TO strike terror into The boidesl
s; heart. There was, however, one heart
e that quailsd not.
The good cure, who had been engaged
during the night by the bedside of a sick
parlshioner, was the fist abroad. Thanks
to his energy, his calmness, the panic soon
o abated measures were adopted TO save
? what property was still unframed, and in
an astonishingly short time the men
q formed into bands, and worked bravely
/ under his direction. The cure was every
; where here animating the tolling mer,
! there consoling the weeping women, and
: always with the same maxim:
! ''Have confidence, my good friends
4 Providence has not forsaken rs. What
v ever Almighty God does, He does well. y
Yes, this sanity soul could bless God
and trust Hin alike in His judgments as
g in His mercies
e On sudden loud cry arose from the