Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-12-16
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Us ot 1the Illfa,lt IL tr5u5 III

~
n.y. clothes of the Infant Jesus.
It is a sweet and beautiful
ossession which many visitors come
ON afar to venerate.
One Christmas eve the sacristan
as arranging the treasure confided to
is care, which was to be exposed to
! lew on the great fete of the morrow
hacked man, bandy-legged and red
osed, and it was to this ugly person
hat the privilege was reserved of al
trays caring for the adored relic We
;1ust not be astonished at this, but
must reflect that often the most hum
Die and unattractive are chosen to be
carer the kingdom Of heaven. But.
Unfortunately, the hump backed sacris-
Ian had no idea that he was one of the
elect, and the marvellous character OF
his task gave him no extraordinary
emotion. During the 20 years that he
had snuffed the candles Of the cathe-
1ral, and been in daily contact with
the treasure, he had received no en-
lightenment; he never made the sign
cred linen, and he treated it with the
game mechanical Indifference with
which he had hammered the soles of
the boots in his former occupation of
cobbler
This day, on opening the cupboard
in which the linen Of the Infant Jesus
was carefully enclosed, he whistled
|
| IT'S not nice weather outside"
| A violent wind was blowing in the
town, unlocking the signbOards OF the
shops, and making the chimneys shake
on all the pointed roofs. .:.'-
The man, on entering the sacristy.
listened to the moaning of the wind,
and thought that the fury of nature
did not accord we'll with the fete for
which he was preparing; but doubtless
there was a striking symbol In the
storm, and the Embossed elements
might calm themselves suddenly when
the words of pardon and pity were
said: con earth peace. good Will to-
ward men"
The sacristan went to put his coarse
hand carelessly on the Divine relic.
when an unheard-of event happened.
The window in the sacristy opened
suddenly, pushed by a great rush of
wind. The storm entered like an In
Easion of the Barbarians; it rushed
pver all In the room knocking down
the sacred objects, and the linen OF
the Infant Jesus, taken up in the
whirling tempest, was blown out OF
the window. The hump-back remain
ed for moment stupid and stricken
then recovering himself, he rushed
into the hurch. crying:
Saint Joseph, Saint Martin! Help!
Help! They have taken the linen!"
At this alarming cry the people ran
from all parts. The priests in their
suplices, the beadle in his cap, the
Swiss with his halberd, the old women
who had been praying, ran with pale
faces and terrified eyes. and everyone
cried out:
what are you saying? Holy Moth
er, what are you saying?"
The little hump-back tore to the
door; he seemed stricken with mad
ness.
THE linen.-what misery!-the lin
en-, By the window! A puff OF wind.
Run quickly to catch it again.
Then in the road was sudden tumult!
everyone began to run in pursuit OF
the stolen relic.
The noses turned up to the houses
resembled notes of interrogation.
.eTbere! therei" said some one.
mo. MOI" ...-f
They discovered it at last. It was ~
ing close to crest high up on the
roof of the church One would have
said that the fretwork column, chilled
with cold. had taken refuge in the
sheltering folds.
"Tbere it Isl there it is" Every
one cried out together. But how were
they to reach it?
OTIS the sacristan's duty to go up;
y was he who let 1t 60" The hump
: hack whist1ed no longer.
Suddenly a courageous man came
e,ruord He craw1ed up the columns
he hooked himself to the fretwork. ne
, hung from the projections; a1ter
. thousand perils he arrived at the
1oo. and extended his arm to take
+be linen. But-at this moment. the
, linen unfurled itself and was blown te
q neighboring roof.
People rushed to catch it; 1t waited
,n+i, the hards were quite close. Their
Il few off to the other side OF the
street.
: Now began an extraordinary race
rrono street to street. from roof tt
roof the Divine swaddling clothes
eew pursued by the crowd
what a chase! The priests, red with
,,a,onation, sitting. lifting their arms
crying orders, and gesticulating madly
49, Swiss followed with his useless
oalberd. The little hump-backed sacris
tan ran also as fast as his handy legs
u,onld 60 And behind came the ole
women. limping, plying themselves
| ~ Nor