The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1890-02-06

MniNNl ~ tNNt wv W NNN NnW NN'Y
would conaTale ihls leWpln,"
Suddenly, thotlawAm VI thp convent, stout
aud iiprId, with tnt face Rpd very small
eyes, advanced into the midst ~ tlt monks.
"Aly fathers" ha snid, "If ypu will hplieye
mo, 10 u not W Gui tho Father, or tha Bon,
10 lLa Il1ly lhnll ~ Saint Gregory, Saint
Onuplre, Saint fIaGe, Gr Saint cueldn,
that you viii dedicate your church, II would
be-waylua your pardon-tn ~ lie good halul
lldaf0uss,n
"Aud your reason, Falherf' demanded the
Prior
"liaaauae that Ia tho name of tho Duke
Whosa yaaaals We Hfe. II would peaas him,
aud might parlApa prevent him from levyinH
| eKtGnllunata taxes upon NO. under lhe plea
that Wp ara rich, Ono musI dWrm the
powerful, Il possible Ny NyIlIly, iur the
time ars ayil, aud there 10 lea regard paid
nov thau formerly "a ohurcbmHn Hpl ppof
monks Moreover every temple
belongs ffst VI all 90 God aud aiter
you hayn given hia part ilOHr worth aularuin,
nothing viii prevent you from ainuInB your
church win statues NJ thp Holy trgiu, aud
all lba saints yol pleasa.'
Aiiaru uygJ discussion, they agreed "
Aba tlo stewards advice, 10 WHs decided
uuat tbn great portal should ba surinouuted
by statue ~ Faint lldeious httIe above,
tla Virgin MARY viii he placed, and, ~ the
pamt al tAe ggple ChrIft ah tie otOh,
ApfbpIt Nas 70 aonIylurs thwe tbree ag'
ures.
Ito carved without muet afal the figure Of
Saint lldsinne Not being exactly certain
what profession the saint hAd followed dur
Ing hiH lifetime, Norbert made him a knight
" please the Duke, lla posed him straight
aud stn Ia his iron armor, Joining upon his
| breast, with the utmost eSHglltuda, the enOr'
nous lngora of his gaualelel hauds This
waa quokly flushed
Then from block Of granite, ho carved
| Jesus upon tbe cross Truly this
Christ seemed n have gathered up0L himself
| tho ypsnFs uf human misery the despair VI
the starving, the distress n tho .or1bon, the
torturrs uf tho sick, lhs mndmru, uf lcpefa,
Of tboso who nrr lllei or tortured all the
uifminga u tho llesh, Yel ~ tho same
time, bis face counelod resignation, aud
whUo tho bleeding body raid, Anguish, u
the hoHd, though crowned with thomH, said
clearly, "llopeW
"And nov, my sou, said tho prior 70 him,
"nay 0od guide youfhand h0 that you will
give M ilttiHg imagt Of tho Virgin Mary
with Tho infant Jesus IN her hrns"
"But" nld Norbert, "fhould ahr not be
represented In tho aspect that would best
please horr
"Woll, - tali the PRIOR "ia not her nohleT
title that of tho Nolhrf Of UodN
"Yct' answered Norbert, "but 10 my
mlud / would honor her more highly by
showing her, not IN her glory hut rather in
the altitude of Tho virtues by which hho
mer.tol that glory. Il she shows herself 70
M bearing IN hor arms u God, even though
an infant. how can We make QUE prayers 10
her without rauang AZ hint Then, what
expression could gIyeto her facet IL is dif
0cut Tor mr 10 imngne Can she fuol Tor a
| God the true senlmauia " moihnri the
tho tcndtr WutcbfuluoH over 40 fragile and
tiny being, the protecting love, the dcop
/ loy that he ID all hor owni Ag1in, Il Hho
| loves her SON like yorllaho mother with
the affection Of flesh aud blood, " seems 10
mo that then she Will not luNa mankind 20
| we'll, 1 frUl that sho does love us Nearer TO
uf than tho Supreme God. she understands us
| brtIur There are sins that God, all alone,
would not pardon, But the Virgin
IA there, sbo ubligua him to oblolyo ~, she
| olmpa 90 hln, she aayH-'iurdonl | take 10
nplu myself II you know how unhappy
thrn poor mortals are, how material things
opprrta thrm, They would all be-
faluls if tboy had the special grace have ro'
oclyoi sho has Immense compassion, In
anito pity II Ia hor oaaoncr-lt IA her true
glory. wish ~ represent her with
| both handa open aud OutslrUchel 30 man
kind Ehn could not hold tlNm out thus "
she had un infant In hor arms
"My aon, this discourse Is strange aud
sayom OF hprruy command you 10 mnkO
tho statue Of the Virgin Mother ~ | have
Aidn
Norbert did not obey,
Whlo ho worked AZ this statue he would
not lot any one SEQ H. undcr plctoSt that the
comments of the monlu would trouble him
and confuse his Ideas And alone with his
dream, ho carved th0 Virgin, such NJ hc had
imagined her. Majestic, with long draperIoa,
her head inclined toward mankind, tho lm'
mOculUtc Ouo held out her hands whence
pardous llow, 10 speak truth, the body was
scarcely defined, but Che face was 40 boaut.
ful, the lool, In the eyes su full Of tenderness,
the mouth smiling with 80 Wd n sweetness,
the gesture Of the hands NO Oxprvsiyuoi grncs
for tho whole world, that single glnnco at
hor made one long to pray to weep to bo'
come n AinL
When the monks saw her they broke out
in,o crlos Of admiration, aud even the prior
declared II malyclously beautiful But DO.
A.Hl..ttN. Il...l.nlt,ttN. ht
cd him 10 fast for month on bread and
water.
Thon the holy cross, the statucof tho Vir'
gln and that Of ~ lldcfouBo were assigned 10
their places,
The church asolmost completed,
Norbert, animated 10y ioryont EOul for The
house Of God, passed bis days ON tho roofs,
IN tho midst Of the aerial forest Of stones,
along the galleries with thoir delicate open
work, among the monstrous gargoylcs, undor
the Orchwnys Of the supports,
ono evening, ho did not descend ne all llo
wished TO dream thoro all night AZ his case
and TO surprise tho fantastic plny Of the moon
through The architectural framework
He wns nj the top Of ono Of the towers ON
platform, tho balustrado Of which was not
yet In position, He tried " ho could SEQ
from this great height, the statue Of his dear
Virgin. llo bent over, aud thought that he
could distinguish, very far below him, the
hands outstretched from the ncho,
He stopped little furthor-hs foot slipped
--and he fell with u terrible cry
In his fail ho struck eouiIoldng, and, re.
bounding, WIS thrown toward the pointed
gnblo Of tho facade whore rose the stone
cross
lie clutchod tho arms Of the Cruciflcd One
with both hands, aud his head hung over
Che void, along tho great crucIllx. 10 was 50
largo that he could not clasp 10 between his
knees, being further embarrassed by tho
folds Of his white robo.
There, foco 10 face with tho Christ, his
hair brsting with terror, ho duplicated
him humbly and wildly 10 save him. Thon
he began TO shout with all his strength; but
tho good monks slopt the sumbcr that comes
Ia