The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-10-21
1.-THE =.
CHILDREN'S HOUR
THE ROSES OF HlLDEsHElM.

On a beautiful summer day, CEN
turies ago, King Louis the Pious OF
France was hunting in his forest OF
Wohl. The king had but little in
clination for the sport, being a good
and gentle man who would not will
ingly put any poor animal to torture,
and he was only engaged in it now
because of wild boar that was roam
ing the forest, killing man and beast
as it met them. BY his side rode his
chaplain, who always accompanied
him, and the two spoke together OF
many other things than the chase. So
absorbed were they as they rode along
that it was some time before they
perceived they were upon an unfa-
miliar path-in fact, they had entire
ly lost their way and saw or heard
nothing of the huntsmen and courtiers
who formed the train of the king.
This they minded but little; they
sought out, and the repose and peace
of the summer woods was very CRATE
full to the king.
They sat down beneath the shade
of a splendid oak
1T is the color of Our Lady's man
tie, father said King Louis, rails
ing his eyes to the beautiful heavens
above them, the thought coming to
his mind because he was devoted
servant of Mary's. "Shall we say her
rosary together in this moment of
quiet? Some day 1 will raise her a
chapel in this spot" And with that,
he took from his pocket small image
of the Blessed Virgin that he always
carried about him and handed it to
his chaplain, who rising, attached it
to the oak before which they knelt,
reciting their chaplet. They had
scarcely finished when they heard at
some distance the horns of the hunt
ing-party calling them. Louis an
swered with his own, and made haste
to follow the sounds to where the
hunters were searching anxiously for
him. In his hurry, the little image
was forgotten.
Next morning, the thought of it
came to the chaplain as he finished
his Mass, and knowing how the king
priced it, he fastened to find the spot
and the oak where the treasure had
been left. All was as yesterday when
he finally discovered it except-the
| image was gone. Distressed, the good
| chaplain searched all about on the
ground, thinking it had fallen from
the trunk of the tree, but in vain. All
at once, watt of delicious perfume
stole across the air; and looking I'D
to trace it, saw in the branches of a
| Wild-rose near by the missing statue.
Roses, lovely wild roses, clustered all
| about the figure of Our Lady, and
reached up to her feet and to her out
stretched hands above, and as he look.
I, ed, their perfume filled all the place.
In vain he tried to dislodge the image
from its new resting place. The deli.
cate roses held it back in grasp he
could not break.
| Hurrying to the king, it was not
long before Louis and his courtiers
followed him to the spot again; but
I iiOilC Couiu iCiuOs0 lu6 Image.
/ Here, then, shall be the church ]
promised her." said King Louis. And
there he built her not a church, but a
magnificent cathedral, ordering that
/ the rosebush be not disturbed. So
when it was finished and first town
then city gathered about it, the
roses, untouched and undisturbed
leaned against one wall and climbed
about it till the whole was covered
And there it still grows and fIourishes
although 1000 years have passed
since good Father Albert and King
Louis first saw it in the forest.
The wonderful rosebush of which
this legend is told is at Hildesheim
in Hanover, Germany. 1t is now 2e
feet high, spreads over 50 feet of wall
and every year breaks forth again in
fresh leaf and flower. -E,o..;..a.. IL,