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

""34 THE CUK& OF ARS.gave place to cordial admiration when longer intercourserevealed the deep wisdom of this ignorant youth the;reaction began with the masters, learned and discerningpriests, who, although at first they had failed to appreciate the high qualities of their slow and timid student,were soon filled with admiration of his uniform and consistent piety. His fellow-students were not slow to makethe same discovery, and, as is common with young andgenerous natures conscious of having been guilty of injustice, they now manifested a love and admiration for theircompanion as enthusiastic as their former contempt halbeen galling. To shield his humility, however, from thedangers attending over-popularity, this general approbation roused the jealousy of one of his fellow-students, whopursued him with the most bitter and unrelenting hostility.The insults heaped upon him by this envious andevil-minded young man were met with a sweetness andpatience, which for a long time seemed to serve no otherpurpose but to exasperate the malice of his enemy. Atlength, however, the hour came when meekness was toobtain the victory over wrong. From taunts and insultsthe furious youth one day proceeded to blows : instead ofmanifesting the slightest resentment, Vianney knelt at hisfeet and asked his pardon. The demon was cast out, andthe unhappy youth, who had so long been his slave, kneltin his turn to ask and obtain the forgiveness of him whomhe had so cruelly persecuted.Having finished his course of philosophy, Jean Mariereturned, in the July of 1813, to begin that of theology,under the direction of the Abbe Bailey. In this study,"says M. Monnin,he felt no longer the dryness, the disgust, and the difficulty which had more than once nearlydiscouraged him in his course."previous His teacher