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

"16 THE CUKJE OF ARS.with the other members of the family. He did his pertof the work conscientiously, and so long as all workedtogether, every thing went on happily; but one day whenhe was sent to the vineyard alone with Francois, he tiredhimself out with trying to keep up with his brother, who,in his capacity of elder, felt bound in honour to surpasshim. In the evening poor Jean Marie complained to hismother that Fra^ois went on so fast, that he could notkeep up with him. *Fra^ois, said she, * go on a littlemore slowly, or else give a helping hand now and thento your brother ; you see that he is much younger andweaker than you you must have a :little compassion forhim. But, replied Fransois, Jean Marie is not obligedto do as much as I. What would be said if the elder didnot keep ahead of the younger ?The next day a religious,who had been driven outof her convent by the revolution, and was living with herfamily at Dardilly, gave my brother, whom she loved verymuch on account of his piety, a little figure of our BlessedLady, contained in a hollow cylindrical case, which <jouldbe opened or shut at pleasure. This present,"continuesMargaret, "came just in good time, and my brotherthought he had now found a sufficient auxiliary againstthe over-activity of Fran9ois. The next time, therefore,that they were sent to the vineyard together, he took care,before he began his work, to place his little statue at ashort distance before him, and as he advanced towards it,he begged the Blessed Virgin to enable him to keep upwith his elder brother. As soon as he came up to it,heagain nimbly picked it up, put it once more before him,and seizing his pickaxe made head against Fra^ois, whochafed in vain at not being able to pass him, and told hiamother in the evening (not without a slight tone of pique)