Life of St John Vianney.pdf - the Catholic Kingdom!

"We214 THE CUR OF AKS.reached Ars a little before eleven ;and a goodpriest, the curb s assistant, led us by a side-door into thechurch. The first object on which my eyes fell was thehead, face, and shrunken figure of the cure straight beforeme ;a figure not easily to be forgotten. He was saying his Office, and the nave of the church was crowdedand heated with the number of peopleit contained. Hisface was small, wasted, and sallow ;many expressive lineswere marked around the mouth. His hair was white assnow; his expansive forehead pale, smooth, and clear;whilst his eyes were remarkably deep in shadow, andcovered with their lids. He soon moved to a little sidetribune in the nave, and holding his Breviary in his lefthand, and leaning, or rather supporting himself erect,against a pillar in the nave, as if to sustain his feeble frame,he began to preach. As he opened his eyes, they sentforth a light, pale indeed, as if from his incessant fasting,but so preternaturally bright and tranquil, as to awakenat once the deepest interest. As he went on, the vigourand vivacity of his spirit, mantling through his thin andsuffering frame, increased in energy.His voice, soft, yetshrill, rose into cries of anguish as he spoke of sin ;hiscontracted hand was placed between his eyes, his browsshrank together, ana his tears began to fall, as they alwaysdo when the thought of sin comes to his mind. He againopened his eyes, and those shaded recesses became full oflight and he threw his feeble hand ;appealingly towardsthe people, who, fixed in the positions they had first taken,listened with profound attention, and even awe* Then hiseyes were cast up, and his whole figure seemed to follow.He spoke of God, so good, so amiable, so loving, and hisbands, his shoulders, his very person, seemed to gatheron his heart. It was impossible not to feel that God alone