St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-14
JUGGLER OF NOTRE DAME

From the French of Anatole France
In France, during the time of King
Louis. there lived poor juggler named
Barnabe, a native of Compiegne, VIII
went from town TO town giving exhibit
tions Of strength and skill.
On far-days he would spread out in
the public square piece Of old worm
out carpet. and after having collected
around him all the children and idlers
in the district by a droll discourse,
which he had learned from very old
| juggler, and of which he never altered
a word, he would assume attitudes
which were not in the least natural, and
balance brass plate on his nose. The
crowd at first watched him with lndlf1er-
ence.
But when, after while, he would
stand OH his hands, head downward, and
throw up and catch with his feet copper
balls, which flashed and glittered in the
sunlight, or when, bending backward
until the nape of his neck touched his
heels, he would cause Ms body to as
sumo the shape of perfect wheel, and
| iuggle with twelve knives in that post
ure, murmur of admiration arose in
the audience, and small coins ralned
upon the carpet.
However, like most of those who live
by their talents, Barnabe of COmpiegne
found it hard work to get along. In
earning his bread by the sweat of his
brow il seemed that he had to bear more
! than his share of the burdens attached
to the sin of Adam, our father. He
| could not work enough to meet his
! wants. In order to do himself full
1,~, 1nI hn n
| forth flowers and fruit, the warmth OF
| the sun and the bright light of day. In
| the winter he was tree denuded of its
| leaves, and all but dead. The frozen
ground was harsh and unyielding to his
necessity, and, like the grasShopper OF
| which Marie of France speaks, he Suf-
fered much from cold and hunger in
| the hard season. But his heart was
simple, and he bore his ills in patience.
He had never thought much about the
| origin of riches, nor the Inequality OF
human conditions. He firmly trusted
that, since this world was bad, the next
one must surely be better, and this hope
sustained him. He did not initiate those
worthless, thieving strOllers who have
sold their souls to the devil. He never
| took in vain the name Of God; he lived
| in honesty, and, though he mad no wife
| Of his own, he never coveted his neigh
| boris.
In truth, it cost him more to renounce
| the ale Jug than the ladies, for, without
departing from a decent sObriety, he
| loved to Quench his thirst III the heat of
| the day. He was a worthy, God-fearing
man and most Jealous in the worship OF
| the Virgin Mary. He never failed when
| in a church to kneel before the image of
the Mother of God, and address to her
this prayer:
MADAME, watch over my life until it
please God that should die, and after
death vouchsafe that l shall taste the
joys OF Paradise"
Now one evening, as he was walking
along, bowed and sad, with his copper
balls under his arm and his knives
, rolled up in the old carpet, seeking
some barn where he might find supper
less rest and shelter, he saw monk
coming down the road in the same d1rec-
ton as himself, and he respectfully
saluted him. AS they walked side by
side, at about the same gait, they soon
fell to conversation.
'Friend," said the monk, show Is it
that you are thus arrayed all IN green
perchance to take part i'll some mys-
tery?
Barnabe. "Such as you see me, l am
Barnabe, juggler by calling. The fin
est calling in the world if it but enabled
one to eat every day"
"Friend Barnabe," replied the
monk, "look to what you are saying;
there is no finer calling than ours. We
are continually singing the praises of
God, the Virgin, and the saints, and the
monks life is one perpetual hymn to
the Lord"
Barnabe replied:
"My father, l confess that | have ig
norantly spoken. My profession can
not be compared to yours; and though
there may be some slight merit in dane
ing with a coin balanced on the end of a
rod OH your nose, | confess that it can
IN no way equal your holy practices. |
would like it well, father. if l might
sing the service every day like you,
and especially the service of the most
Holy Virgin, whose devout worshiper
am. / would willingly renounce an
art by which am renowned from Sois-
| sons to Beaulieu in more than 600 towns
| and villages to embrace the monaStlc
life"
The monk was touched by the Jug
| gler's simplicity, and, as he was not
| lacking in discernment, he recognized
clined men of whom our Lord has said.
"Peace be with them on earthW
"Friend Barnabe, come with me and
/ will procure your admission to the
convent of which | am prior. He who
conducted Mary. the Egyptian, across
the desert has placed me in your path
to lead you into the way of salvation"
1t was In this way that Barnabe be-
came monk. In the convent, where
he was received, the good brothers were
ardent enough in the worship OF the
Virgin Mary, and each one employed
all the knowledge and skill with which
God had endowed him, to do her honor.
C. The prior, for his part. wrote books
which treated, according to scholastic
rules, of the virtues of the Mother of
| God, and Father Alexander Illuminated
| them with fine miniatures, in which the
| Queen OF Heaven could be seen seated
upon Solomon's throne, with four lions
guarding its foot and seven doves flut-
terlpg around her nimbused head, to
symbolic the seven gifts of the Holy
Ghost. She had for companions six
golden-haired virgins: Humility, Pru-
dence. Seclusion. Respect, Virginity
and Obedience. At her feet were two
little naked. white-robed figures in an
attitude of supplication. They were
| SOnls imnlOring certainly not in vain