The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-04-11
Church
Universal.
"This is
the victory
Which over.
cOmeth the
wOrid-.-our
faith"

separated her from the scaffold. But
here, too, she tasted the purest ce-
lestial joy; here she had moments OF
delight and calm that were to her a
foretaSte of paradise, for in the midst
of her desolation the Eucharistic God
entered the gloomy portals of her pris-
on to console by his divine presence
= her anguish-str stricken soul.
Thanks to the courage and devoted
ness of an heroic young girl Mile.
Fouche, and the benevolence of the
gaolers, Richard and Bault, the Able
Magnin had gained admittance to the
prison and comforted and sustained
by his holy counsels the poor broken
hearted queen. Encouraged by the
success of her plans, Mile. Fouch grew
bolder, and one day suggested to the
gaoler Bault that the able should be
permitted to celebrate mass in >the
dungeon of the august prisoner. But
! with all his devoutedness Bault hesi-
tated, for he was not ignorant of the
dangers to which he exposed himself
| in permitting a refractory priest to
have access to the dungeon in which
| the queen was confined. Supposing
/ that one of-the officers CHANGED to visit
| the queens cell while the holy sacri-
flee was being offered? Such visits,
at untimely hours, were not unusual,
]
priest in sacerdotal vestments, lighted
candles, sacred vessels, could not be
readily hidden away His reason told
. him that the undertaking was fraught
with terrible danger. but his devotion
to the tortured and suffering queen
outweighed his prudence, and who will
blame him? If human wisdom con-
demned him, divine wisdom absolved
him. So eloquently did Mile. Fouche
Tn1n hn of 10
nestly did she point out to him the i'm |
mense happiness this earthly joy would |
bring her, that the gaoler was van
quished.
But how was he to obtain the neces-
saries for the holy sacrifice without eX-
citing suspicion? "Only procure for me
two smoll candlesticks,'' said the young
girl; Il will take charge of everything
else" The following night she re-
turned, accompanied by the Able Mag
min, carrying with her all that was re-
quired, a red chasuble, linen, altar
cloths, small silver chalice, a little
missal, a consecrated altar stone, the
size only of the base of the chalice,
cruets and two wax tapers, all of
which she carried in a bag hidden
under her own garments.
The poor queen had been forewarned
and waited their coming with anxious
cred with a mattress, lest the light of |
the tapers might betray them. In
few moments the preparations were
made, the table covered with white lin | 4!
en- on which were placed the waXen
tapers and a small crucifiX, and then
the priest began the mystic sacrifice.
What tongue can speak adequately
Of the joy that inundated the sorrow
she saw accomplishN in the semi :
Iov~ly1 .af In,. rrlo yar;eO Il r.
danger and poverty, the august mys- '
eries which for more than a year she i
lad yeaned to participate in? Amid I
he Splendors of her throne she had e
perhaps, sacrificed somewhat to the f
owe of the world the sentiments of ! a
)iety which were the result of her a
education. But now. thrust d
rom the throne into the depths of a
prison, and guided by sorrow into the
rms of Divine Providence, she had
earned to raise her eyes far beyond | ]
he f1eeting joys of earth, and to beg F
f Heaven the help and consolation b
enied her by man. AS she knelt upon s
he damp floor of her dungeon to re- a
Give for the last time the God of love
lto her crushed and broken heart-ths
Iod who was to be her strength in a
hat terrible hour when she would a
tand alone to endure trial, humilia- N
oH anu uedlL-IleF auInlfaDle courage p
nd self-a basement must have touched
nd astonished the hearts of the faith f
IL few who kne!t around her. They W
aheld a woman whose birth and des- II
ny had promised her a life of nappi- ol
eSS, embracing sorrow and abandon b;
ent; queen proud and high-spir- A
ed, accepting humiliation and pain; ii
mother whose heart was Wrung with
sony, pardoning the prosecutors of
sr innocent children. AS she knelt sc
ere peace came to her troubled soul M
Id the dark prison was illuminated ST
: the presence of Him who is the he
orld's true light, and who, in the IF
cary night of woe, brought peace, liy
5ht and refreshment 70 the anguish w
ricken heart of Marie Antoinette.- w
de M, in Annals of Our Lady Of the w
cred Heart.