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

"As"24 THE CURl OF AJRS.had reached the age which rendered him liable to be calledupon, M. Bailey had taken the precaution to have hisname inscribed on the list of students for the priesthood,this inscription constituting an exemption from militaryservice; but by some oversight the entry was never made.An order to join the troops atBayonne came upon himand his whole family like a thunder-clap.Parents, brothers, sisters, and friends were all overwhelmed with griefand consternation. He alone, on whom the blow fell withmost stunning weight, kept up his own courage, andsought to rekindle theirs. Matthieu Vianney made anineffectual attempt, at an enormous cost, to procure a substitute for his son; but two days after the affair had beenarranged, the young man who had undertaken to fill hisplace changed his mind, and left the money which hadbeen paid him on the door-step of the house.The self-control which Jean Marie had exercisedbrought on a severe attack of illness, and instead of sending him at once to Bayonne, the military authorities wereobliged to place him in the hospital at Lyons. Duringthe fortnight he remained there, he received visits fromseveral members of his family, among others from thegood cousin Marguerite, who had been his kind hostessat Point-du-jour. soon as I heard," says she, thathe was in the hospital, I hastened next day to see him.It was on a Sunday. I found him in bed with fever.When he saw me crying, he could scarcely forbear to dothe same. I sat down by his bedside, and he began tospeak to me of the holy will of God, and submission toHis decrees, in such beautiful and touching words, that Iwish I could repeat them. As I listened to him, it seemedasifmy heart was changed, and 1 had less difficultyinaccepting, as good and adorable, whatever itmay please