The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-10-04
BEAUTIFUL STORY OF "VIRGIN
WITH Bird"

while paying visit to the Cathe-
dral of Notre Dame in Paris" writes
former member of ST. Patricks par
ish of La Junta, Colo, now connected
with the United States postal agency
in France, my attention was arrested
by the preference shown by many chill
dren to repeat their prayers before
the 'Vierge l'oiseau' Che Virgin with
the Bird. Seeking an explanation, l
found in the gentle pages of Louise de
Grandprie the pretty story of the
statue of the Virgin, which will lend
interest to those who may visit the
historic edifice.
In the Rue Chauoinesse in Paris
there lived a young woman, very de-
Vout, who came every day to pray
| She brought with her her son, little
fellow very wide-awake and full OF
to say his prayers. Cyril would close
| his little hands to say his Ave Maria
and he would throw kiss to the little
Jesus, his dear friend, complaining
| sometimes to his mother that the little
Jesus would not play with him. You
are not good enough yet said his
mother. Jesus plays only with the
little children in paradise
| "a very severe winter fell and the
young mother fell ill and no longer
came to church. Cyril never saw the
little Jesus now, but he often thought
of Him as he played at the foot of his
mothers bed. On one of those days
| when the sky was dull and leaden and
| the air heavy and depressing, and the
poor woman was rather worse and
more hopeless than usual, she became
so weak they thought each moment
would be her last.
cyril could not understand why his
| mother no longer smiled at him OF
stroked his hair or called him to her
| With his little heart almost bursting
and his eyes full of tears, he said: 4
| will go and tell the little Jesus of my
| trouble
while they were attending to the
poor mother the child disappeared
He ran as fast as his little legs coulG
carry him and entered the Cathedral
| by the cloister door, crossed the
transept, and was soon at the foot Of
the statue of the Virgin Mary, where
he was accustomed to say his prayers
with his mother. Little Jesus sale
he, Thou art very happy. Thou hast
| Thy mother; mine, who was so good
is always asleep now and l am alone
Little Jesus, wake my mother up, anG
will give you my best toys, morning
and evening will send you the sweet
est kiss and say my best prayer. An6
look, to begin with, | have brought
you my favOrite bird. He is tame anG
will eat the golden crumbs of para
disc out of your hand At the same
time he stretched out his little closed
hand towards Jesus.
''The Divine Child stretched out His
hand and Cyril let his beloved little
| bird escape. The bird, which had 9
lovely colored plumage, flew straight
to the hand of the Infant Christ anG
has remained there to this day. The
Virgin smiled on the child, and hel
white marble robe at that moment
became the same color as the birds
| plumage.
Cyril, with his heart very full, go
up to go out, but before leaving thu
Church turned round to have one more
look at his little bird he loved 81
dearly. He was struck with astonish
| want u,bon bo hoo rd tho fovorod l,irS
singing one of the sweetest songs il
honor of the Virgin and her Child
when Cyril returned home he wen
into his mothers room without max
ing the least noise to see it she wa