Evening star., 1915-01-31

the side altar from whose glass case
it had been blown away.
Condolences, ev IDENTIFY. The same might
have been said during Genevieve's life
time, when Attila and his Huns, 60o,oOo
strong after ravag'ng the Rhine country
and sa cking Metz on Good Friday. A. D.
45l made straight for Orleans and
neglected Paris.
Genevieve at that moment, was a
young woman o twenty EIGHT, but al
ready of vast influence by her burning
piety. AS a child she had been noted
by a powerful protector of the people.
the Bishop and St. Germain Of Auxerre.
who said: she will be great before God.
and her example will save many" From
the age of fifteen, when she took the
veil (there were NO conventsp. her in
fuence on the women o Paris grew. So.
how she saved Paris that first tine is
queer story, open to natural explanations.
the more you think Of it, the less you are
sure.
Genevieve never saw Attila. Attila
never attacked Paris. But why was
she so sure that he would not? The
bering the ravages Of the Nandals.
Alains. Saxons, Burgonds and Alamans
of fifty years previously. Genevieve
exhorted them not to; they would not
even have to fight, but only pray.
She first got the women fasting,
praying and sitting up all night in holy
vigilS. In times of trouble such eX-
amples are contag gious. and the spirit
in accurulators, are immense. God
works in a peculiar way his wonders
to perform. Did you ever see whole
city in fervcnt supplication' Then
don't pronounce.
The women got the men of Paris to
praying, fasting and confessing their
sins. They fortified, and sat tight.
The movement to abandon Paris and
their homes was checked Attila was
at Rheims. They prayed some more.
Attila was at TroyeS-and passed to
Orleans. Paris was saved, because the
Roman forces under Aetius, aided by
the friendly Franks, soon broke the
horde in the terrible battle of Chalons.
And the miracle, according to some.
was only one girls extraordinary IN
fuence She persuaded the people Of
Paris not to abandon their homes, In a
land of violence.
But the people said: Her prayers
turned the Huns aside"-meaning her
prayers and theirs together. So they
have thought, all down the centuries.
And so runs the litany: st. Genevieve,
so agreeable to God-model of prayer,
austerity-and all the virtues-terror
of the Huns, helper of the besieged
city-pray for u.s.!
Her help of the besieged city is an
other story, when GeneVieve was sew
enty-One years OlC ne FIdHhlSu hluSs .
Clovis, was sure to be final master of
the land. Genevieve-now a notable
political figure. travelling about and
advising bishops-was cogniZant and
willing, yet she persuaded Paris to
hold out against him ten years The
secret was that Clovis was a heather.
Genevieve and Bishop Remi of Rheims
had cooked up marriage Tor him
with the lovely young Christian prin-
, cess Clotilde, who had not been able
to convert him.
This is why you see the grand old
maid with her fleet of Seine boats in
the Pantheon fresco Of Puvis de Cha
vannes. She organized the entire busi-
ness. Besieged Paris was starving. BY
night they miraculously passed the
blockade Of Clovis, provisioned at
: Troyes. returned with the current to
Ronilly. Joined another fiotilla which