Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-12

Calpurnius and Concessa wished to keep
him with them for time. The hard
trained. self-reliant youth obeyed them.
but taking risks came natural to him. lie
adventured, hunting out beyond the wall.
Twice again ne was captured by the pets
and twice he escaped. And with this bis
parents seemed to have enough of ii and
got their posts shifted to what Is now
central France.
Or was there another tragedy here?
Did all three so direct to Tours? Or did
Calpurnius die up there and Patrick take
his widowed mother to the protection OF
her powerful uncle. Martin. for fifteen
years bishop OF that rich Caulisih city?
Nothing mere seems TO be heard of CAL
purnus. Perhaps this French savant
will clear it up in whole Or part. but
it is plain history that Patrick went
Stra .gGt to Tours. where he embraced the
nIonastic life. And ST Martin. though he
lived the poor. hard life OF a monk i'll
his brilliant see. was 50 beloved ana
Nenerated that senSle word OF his was
sufficient to settle his widowed niece i'll
cultivated society that would cherish her
after his own death, which was shortly
TO take place on an episcopal tour round
in Touraine.
1t was not tie first time that Concessa
would have seen her uncle since he quit
the palace OF his father. tie military tci-
bune. on the Danube. lie. youth of sin
teen. had left her, little girl. down
there. Eut see how they travelled in nose
ia x. n year !aCGf ne arrived Will iiia
legion al the gates of -Amiens. III north
France: noticed Il poo" man insu1iiclentiy
clothed. cut his own heavy blue military
cloak in halves and gave him one o. the
two pieces. This episode in the lie OF
Martin, which has been so celebrated by
painters. occurred before he had become
nomindiiy Il Christian.
In between then and his twentieth year
Martin was baptized. sent i'll his resiena-
ton to the army and went to study under
st. Hilary, Bishop OF Poitiers. In the
course of time he was ordained. When
Hilary was exiled to north Italy he pre-
pared to start off with him, but the elder
man said: First pay visit to Your
family. whom you have not seen Tor a
long time"
So We have glimpse of Martin back in
the cid home beyond the Danube. The
best proof is that he then and there con
Verted his mother-a picturesque episode,
famous in a., the lives Of ST Martin.
And there is strong reason to assert tnat
Conce ssa was converted with her grand
mother because at the next glimpse or
her she is found married TO the Christian
man Calpurnius not only patrician and
military ma sisGrate, but also-a deacon.
Thus Patrick. their son. was to grow UP
a Christian boy from his birth.
Meanwhile. Martin joined Hilary in
north Italy, built himself a hermitage
where he medtated ten years, and re-
turned to Poiters with Hilary OH his re-
call. Outside the city, in a desert, Mar
lin erected the first monastery founded in
Gaul. and directed il during eight years.
Elected Bishop of Tours, his virtues and
numerous conversions of hfgh-rank pa
gans gave him extraordinary Influence
and renown. F'ar-of tyrants like Nalen-
tin!an | of Milan and the uSurpinE Max
linus at TreVes sat free their worst enc
mics at his mere request.
This is the kind of uncle that Con-
ceSSa found again When--after many
years OF mixed joy and sorrow in north
Britain-she was brought to Tours by
her young son Patrick. says my French
investigator.
Certainly he embraced the monastic life
at Tours: and during the ten wears be-