Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-04-15


sculptured her sitting ON a throne, with a
nimbus headed, and he was always careful
that the folds of her robe should cover the
feet of her whom the prophet said, "A gar
den inclosed is my sister, my spouse" And
then sometimes he would represent her MS
a graceful child, and she seemed to be say
ing, 80 Lord, thou art my Lordp DIX
de ventre matris mea; Deus meus es tu'
psalm xxi, H.
In the convent there were also poets, and
they would compose in Latin prose and
verse hymns in honor of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, and there was even one monk from
Picardy who used to put the miracle of our
lady into the language of the common peo
pie and in rhyme.
When he saw such a rivalry of praises
and so great harvest of tributes, Bamabe
was always lamenting his ignorance and
stupidity. "Alas!" he would sigh as he
walked alone in the little shadeless garden
of the convent, 81 am very unhappy that |
cannot, like my brothers, worthily praise
the holy Mother of God to whom have
vowed the tenderness of my heart. Alas
Alasl | am a rough man and without skill,
and l have for your service, Virgin, neither
learned sermons nor treatises divided ac-
cording to rules, nor fine paintings nor
beautifully cut statues nor verses counted
out into feet and marching by measure.
have nothing. AlasN' And then he would
groan and give himself up to sadness
One day while the brothers were talking
during their recreation he heard one OF
them tell of a monk who could do nothing
but recite the Ave Maria" This monk
was despised for his ignorance, but when
he died there came out of his mouth five
roses in honor of the five letters of the name
of Maria, and his holiness'was thus mani
Tested. As he heard this story Barnabe
once more wondered at the Virgins good
ness, but he was not consoled by the ex-
ample of the blessed dead monk, for his
heart was full of zeal, and he longed to exalt
the glory of his lady who is in the heavens.
But he sought in vain for means of do
ing this, and he grew day by day more
grieved till one morning he awoke full Of
10y, and running TO the chapel remained
there for more than an hour, going back
again after dinner From that time he
would 90 every day to this chapel at an
hour when it was empty, and he spent there
great part Of the time that the other monks
consecrated to artistic and ordinary labors
He was no more sad, and he no longer
groaned.
So singular change excited the curiosity
of the monks, and they began to gossip as
to the frequent retreats of Brother Bar
nabe. The prior, whose duty it is to pass
/ over nothing in the conduct OF his monks
without scrutiny resolved TO observe Bar
nabe in his solitary devotions, and one day
when the brother was shut up as usual in
the chapel came my lord prior with two
of the oldest brethren to spy out through
/ the cracks of the door what was going Oh
inside
Then they saw Barnabe before the altar
of the Virgin ON his head, his feet in the
air and tossing up and catching again
copper balls and L. knives. lie was playing
in the honor of the holy Mother of God the
trick which had formerly won him so much
praise; but, not understanding that this
simple man was thus Offering up his one
talent and his only knowledge to the service
/ of the holy Virgin, the two old monks cried
| out at the sacrilege
/ The prior knew that Barnabe was incap
| able of any such thing, but he judged that
the poor man had fallen from melancholy
/ into insanity, ana they were all three about
| to drag him by force from the chapel wheL
they saw the holy Virgin come down tht
steps of the altar and gently wipe off with
the fold Of her beautiful blue robe the drop
of sweat which stood thick on the forehead
of the juggler
Then the prior knelt down with his fac,
on the marble pavement and recited these
words: BLESSED are the simple hearted, fol
they shall see God"
"AmenW answered the reverend monks
kissing the floor. From the French of An
stole France.