The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-08-26

Clipped.
From this market place a narrow
street leads on up the hill to the higher
part OF the town, whence one has a
glorious view of the impetuous blue
waters, banked on either side by beau.
tiful wooded hills, beyond which rise
the Cevennes mountains; while yet far.
Their off one can, on bright day, catch
| a glimpse of the Alps, with stately
Mont Blanc overlapping all the others.
At the lower end of what looks like a
long and narrow lake stretches another
chain of mountains, the highest of
which, Mont PLAT, stands right at the
bend of the river like a great barrier
closing it's entrance.
The climate here is delightful, the
winter short and mild, and consequent
ly it is a perfect paradise of flowers
and fruit. Roses, clematis and wistaria
grow in profusion, covering the houses
like mantle, and seeming the air with
their countless blossoms In the val
leys one finds variety of wild flowers;
there are babbling brooks, edged with
delicate ferns and overhung with shade
trees; while song birds without num-
Der fill the balmy air with their sweet
melody. Surely Palestine could not
have been more beautiful.
His Punishment.
The punishment of PLATE began even
in this world; for it appears that, soon
after our Lords crucifxion, he gave
offense to the Roman Emperor, who re
called him from Judea, and later on
sent him as Governor, not of Gaul, but
simply of the city now called Vienne.
This was a terrible blow to the proud
Roman, whose ambition had made him
| willing to sacrifice even his integrity
as judge rather than suffer it to be
said that he was not Caesars friend.
Though beautiful and stately the Gallo
Roman city was quiet, and it's life mo-
notonous compared to that of Jerusa-
lem; and, in his humiliation, Pontius
Plate was constantly haunted by the
| face of Him of whom he had said,
Behold the Man!"-of the Innocent
One Whom so many now proclaim to
be the Son of the one true God.
| The sacred drama was ever present
to his mind. Evermore he seemed to
see that gentle Prisoner, so noble in
His quiet dignity; and to hear Him say
that He was King, though not of this
world. He remembered, too, how the
soldiers at the tomb had related that
| they had been struck down and over.
whelmed by the majesty of the risen
Christ-that Christ Whom he had al
lowed to be crucifed, in spite of his
wife's warning message.
! What to him were the beauty of the
surrounding landscape, the ba1my scent
of the flowers, the songs of birds, and
the brilliant sunshine on the blue wa.
ters! They seemed but to mock him in
his shame and despair; to remind him
evermore that he might have given his
life for the grandest cause on earth
and had dismally failed, even in his
duty as magistrate.
! Tormented by Remorse.
Tormented by remorse, haunted by
despairing fear, broken by his disgrace
desperate in his misery, he wandered
away one day from his palace and at
tendants, and threw himself into the
surging waters of the Rhone. But even
the river refused to be polluted by the
decide, and, at few yards from where
he had taken his fatal leap, the waters
cast his dead body upon the rocky
shore. 1t was soon discovered, and
buried with considerable pomp near the
spot where it was found This was at
some distance from the Roman city
and over it still rises the monument
which bears no name but which is
known to mark his grave.
From the cool avenue of lime trees
where it now stands, one can hear the
roar of the rushing waters, and see the
lofty purple mountains. All around are
pretty villas, beautiful gardens, the
sound of merry voices, and the babble
of children. The neighboring country
is full of peach and apricot orchards
which cover the hi1lsides on both
banks of the river, and make the whole
valley look in Nspringtime like huge
bridal bouquet, while in the late sum
mer it is redolent of the perfume of the
luscious fruit. Whole train loads OF
this fruit, for which vienne and Its
neighborhood are noted, are sent tc
the capital and other great cities every
day during the season
1 Yet, in spite of the charm and fertil
ity of the surrounding country, in spite
Of it's commanding position at the head
of the winding river, in spite of it's de
lightful climate and its ancient gran
deur, the Vienne of today is anything
but prepossessing city. Full of fac
tories where felt hats and slippers are
made, it is known as bad city, one in
which it is unsafe for woman to ge
out alone after dark, except on the
most public thoroughfares. Vienne is
a very hotbed of Socialism, and il
would seem as If the evil spirit of the