The Mysterious Stranger Manuscripts (Literature) (41 page)

Father Peter's face seemed to deliver hope and blessing and grace
upon us just by the benignity and love that was in it and beaming
from it. It was good to look at him, that true man. He described to us the origin of the Perpetual Adoration, which was a seed planted
in the heart of the Blessed Margaret Alacoque by Our Lord himself, what time he complained to her of the neglect of his worship
by the people, after all he had done for men. And Father Peter said,

"The aim of the Perpetual Adoration is to give joy to Our Lord,
and to make at least some compensation by its atonement for the
ingratitude of mankind. It keeps guard day and night before the
Most Holy, to render to the forgotten and unknown Eucharistic
God acts of praise and thanksgiving, of adoration and reparation. It
is not deterred by the summer's heat nor the winter's cold. It knows
no rest, no ceasing, night or day. What a sublime vocation! After
the sacerdotal dignity, one more sublime can hardly be imagined. A
priestly virgin should the adorer be, who raises her spotless hands
and pure heart in supplication toward heaven imploring mercy,
who continually prays for the welfare of her fellow creatures, and
in particular for those who have recommended themselves to her
prayers.

Father Peter spoke of the blessings both material and spiritual
that would descend upon all who gave of their substance toward
the repairing of the convent of the Sisters of the Adoration and its
new chapel, and said,

"In our new chapel the Blessed Sacrament will be solemnly
exposed for adoration during the greater part of the year. It is our
hearts' desire to erect for Our Lord and Savior a beautiful altar, to
place I on a magnificent throne, to surround Him with splendor
and a sea of light; for," continued he, "Our Lord said again to his
servant Margaret Alacoque: `I have a burning thirst to be honored
by men, in the Blessed Sacrament-I wish to be treated as king in a
royal palace.' You have therefore His own warrant and word: it is
Our Lord's desire to dwell in a royal palace and to be treated as a
king."

Many among us, recognizing the reasonableness of this ambition,
rose and went forward and contributed money, and I would have
done likewise, and gladly, but I had already given all I possessed.
Continuing, Father Peter said, referring to testimonies of the supernatural origin and manifold endorsements of the Adoration,

"Miracles not contained in Holy Scripture are not articles of
faith, and are only to be believed when proved by trustworthy
witnesses."

"But," he added, "God permits such miracles from time to time,
in order to strengthen our faith or to convert sinners." Then most
earnestly he warned us to he on our guard against accepting miracles, or what seemed to be miracles, upon our own judgment and
without the educated and penetrating help of a priest or a bishop.
I said that an occurrence could be extraordinary without necessarily being miraculous; that indeed a true miracle was usually not
merely extraordinary, it was also a thing likely to happen. Likely,
for the reason that it happened in circumstances where it manifestly had a service to perform-circumstances which showed that
it was not idly sent, but for a solemn and sufficient purpose. Ile
illustrated this with several most interesting instances where both
the likelihood of the events and their unusual nature were strikingly perceptible; and not to cultured perceptions alone perhaps,
but possibly to even untrained intelligences. One of these he called
"The miracle of Turin," and this he told in these words:

"In the year 1453 a church in Isiglo was robbed and among other
things a precious monstrance was stolen which still contained the
Sacred Host. The monstrance was put in a large sack and a beast of
burden carried the booty of the robbers. On the 6th of June the
thieves were passing through the streets of Turin with their spoil,
when suddenly the animal became furious and no matter how
much it was beaten could not be forced from the spot. At once the
cords with which the burden was fastened to the ass's back broke,
the sack opened of itself, the monstrance appeared, rose on high,
and miraculously remained standing in the air to the astonishment
of the many spectators. The news of this wonderful event was
quickly spread through the city. Bishop Louis appeared with the
chapter of his cathedral and the clergy of the city. But behold, a
new prodigy! The Sacred Host leaves the case in which it was
enclosed, the monstrance lowers itself to the I ground, but the Sacred
remains immovable and majestic in the air, shining like the
sun and sending forth in all directions rays of dazzling splendor. The astonished multitude loudly expressed its joy and admiration,
and prostrated itself weeping and adoring before the divine Savior,
who displayed His glory here in such a visible manner. The bishop
too on his knees implored our Lord to descend into the chalice
which he raised up to Him. Thereupon the Sacred Host slowly
descended and was carried to the church of St. John amid the
inexpressible exultation of the people. The city of Turin had a
grand basilica built on the spot where the miracle took place."

He observed that here we had two unchallengeable testimonies
to the genuineness of the miracle: that of the bishop, who would
not deceive, and that of the ass, who could not. Many in the
congregation who had thitherto been able to restrain themselves,
now went forward and contributed. Continuing, Father Peter said,

"But now let us hear how our dear Lord, in order to call His people to repentance, once showed something of His majesty in the city
of Marseilles, in France. It was A.D. 1218 that the Blessed Sacrament
was exposed for adoration in the convent church of the Cordeliers
for the forty hours devotion. Many devout persons were assisting at
the divine service, when suddenly the sacramental species disappeared and the people beheld the King of Glory in person. His
countenance shone with brightness, His look was at once severe
and mild, so that no one could bear I gaze. The faithful were
motionless with fear, for they soon comprehended what this august
apparition meant. Bishop Belsune had more than sixty persons
witness to this fact, upon oath."

Yet notwithstanding this the people continued in sin, and had
to be again admonished. As Father Peter pointed out:

"At the same time it was revealed to two saintly persons that our
Lord would soon visit the city with a terrible punishment if it
would not be converted. After two years a pestilence really came
and carried off a great part of the inhabitants."

Father Peter told how, two centuries before, in France, Beelzebub and another devil had occupied a woman, and refused to come
forth at the command of the bishop, but fled from her, blaspheming, when the Sacred Host was exposed, "this being witnessed by
more than 150,000 persons;" he also told how a picture of the Sacred Host, being painted in the great window of a church that
was habitually being struck by lightning, protected it afterward;
then he used that opportunity to explain that churches are not
struck by lightning by accident, but for a worthy and intelligent
purpose:

"Four times our chapel has been struck by lightning. Now some
might ask: why did God not turn away the lightning? God has in
all things his most wise design, and we are not permitted to search
into it. But certain it is, that if our chapel had not been visited in
this way, we would not have called on the kindness and charity of
the devout lovers of the Holy Eucharist. We would have remained
hidden and would have been happy in our obscurity. Perhaps just
this was His loving design."

Some who had never contributed since the chapel was first
struck, on account of not understanding the idea of it before, went
forward cheerfully, now, and gave money; but others, like the
brewer Hummel, ever hard-headed and without sentiment, said it
was an extravagant way to advertise, and God the Father would do
well to leave such things to persons in the business, practical
persons who had had experience; so Hummel and his like gave
nothing. Father Peter told one more miracle, and all were sorry it
was the last, for we could have listened hours, with profit, to these
moving and convincing wonders:

"On the afternoon of February 3d, 1322, the following incident
took place in the Loretto Chapel at Bordeaux. The learned priest,
Dr. Delort, professor of theology in Bordeaux, exposed the Blessed
Sacrament for adoration. After the Pange lingua had been chanted
the sacristan suddenly arises, taps the priest on the shoulder and
says: `God appears in the Sacred Host.' Dr. Delort raises his eyes,
looks at the Sacred Host and perceives the apparition. Thinking it
might be a mere effect of the light he changes his position in order
to be able to see better. Ile now sees that the Sacred Host had, so to
say, separated into two parts, in order to make room in the middle for
the form of a young man of wondrous beauty. The breast of Jesus
projected beyond the circle of the monstrance, and He graciously
moved His head whilst with His right hand He blessed the assembly. His left hand rested on His heart. The sacristan, several children,
and many adults saw the apparition, which lasted during the entire
time of the exposition. With superhuman strength the priest then
took the monstrance-and constantly gazing at the divine countenance-he gave the final benediction. The commemoration of this
apparition is celebrated every year in this convent."

There was not a dry eye in the house.

At this moment the lightning struck the chapel once more and
emptied it in a moment, everybody fleeing from it in a frenzy of
terror.

This was clearly another miracle, for there was not a cloud in the
sky. Proof being afterward collected and avouched by Father Peter,
it was accepted and consecrated at Rome, and our chapel became
celebrated by reason of it, and a resort for pilgrims.

To KATRINA and me the miracle meant that my card had
turned up, and we were full of joy and confidence. Doangivadam
was coming, we were sure of it. I hurried to the Owl Tower and
resumed my watch.

But it was another disappointment. The day wasted away, hour
by hour, the night closed down, the moon rose, and still he did not
come. At eleven I gave it up and came down heavy-hearted and stiff
with the cold. We could not understand it. We talked it over, we
turned it this way and that, it was of no use, the thing was
incomprehensible. At last Katrina had a thought that seemed to
throw light, and she uttered it, saying,

"Sometimes such things are delayed, for a wise purpose, a purpose hidden from us, and which it is not meet for us to inquire
into: to punish Marseilles and convert it, the cholera was promised,
by a revelation-but it did not come for two years."

"Ah, dear, that is it," I said, "I see it now. He will come in two
years, but then it will be too late. The poor master! nothing can save him, he is lost. Before sunset to-morrow the strikers will have
triumphed, and he will be a ruined man. I will go to bed; I wish I
might never wake again."

About nine the next morning, Doangivadam arrived! Ah, if he
could only have come a few short days before! I was all girl-bov
again, I couldn't keep the tears back. At his leisure he had strolled
over from the village inn, and he marched in among us, gay and
jovial, plumed and gorgeous, and took everybody by surprise. Here
he was in the midst, scattering salutations all around. He chucked
old Frau Stein under the chin and said,

"Beautiful as ever, symbol of perpetual youth!" And he called
Katrina his heart's desire and snatched a kiss; and fell into raptures
over Maria, and said she was just dazzling and lit up the mouldy
castle like the sun; then he came flourishing in where the men were
at their early beer and their rascal plans, now at the threshold of
success; and he started to burst out with some more cordialities
there, but not a man rose nor gave him a look of welcome, for they
knew him, and that as soon as he found out how things stood he
would side with the under dog in the fight, from nature and habit.
He glanced about him, and his face sobered. He backed against an
unoccupied table, and half-sitting upon its edge, crossed his ancles,
and continued his examination of the faces. Presently he said,
gravely,

"There's something the matter, here; what is it?"

The men sat glum and ugly, and no one answered. He looked
toward me, and said,

"Tell me about it, lad."

I was proud of his notice, and it so lifted my poor courage that
although I dreaded the men and was trembling inside, I actually
opened my mouth to begin; but before I could say anything 44
interposed and said, meekly,

"If you please, sir, it would get him into trouble with the men,
and he is not the cause of the difficulty, but only I. If I may be
allowed to explain it-"

Everybody was astonished to see poor 44 making so hardy a venture, but Katzenyammer glanced at him contemptuously and
cut him short:

"Shut your mouth, if you please, and look to it that you don't
open it again."

"Suppose I ask him to open it," said Doangivadam; "what will
you do about it?"

"Close it for him-that's what."

A steely light began to play in Doangivadam's eyes, and he called
44 to his side and said,

"Stand there. I'll take care of you. Now go on."

The men stirred in their chairs and straightened up, their faces
hardening-a sort of suggestion of preparation, of clearing for
action, so to speak. There was a moment's pause, then the boy said
in a level and colorless voice, like one who is not aware of the
weight of his words,

"I am the new apprentice. Out of unmerited disapproval of me,
and for no other or honorable reason, these cowardly men conspired
to ruin the master."

The astonished men, their indignant eyes fixed upon the boy,
began slowly to rise; said Doangivadam,