Bolax Part 30

"That's true," agreed Mr. Allen, "we will be obliged to pa.s.s this way on our road to L'Islet, suppose we leave our trunks and take only handbags.

We won't need anything more for the ten days we propose remaining at Beaupre."

"Justement! I'm glad you thought of that. Now we are sure of your return." All bid a warm-hearted "good-bye," too warm for Mr. Allen, who being an Englishman, could not appreciate the French custom of men embracing, but he submitted with grace, when dear old Monsieur Cartier put his arms around his neck and wished him a fervent "G.o.d bless you."

Arrived at Beaupre, our friends made their first visit to the Basilica.

They were just in time for Benediction, not wishing to disturb the congregation they knelt at the door, but the Beadle (an imposing personage in red ca.s.sock and bearing a staff) came and invited them into a pew.

After Benediction several men and women knelt before the shrine of St.

Anne; one mother held up a child in her arms, imploring its cure, she prayed aloud: "Oh! bonne Ste. Anne guerissez mon enfant, je vous suplie, au non de Jesus a qui rien n'est impossible." (Oh, Blessed St. Anne cure my child, I beg of you, in the name of Jesus, to whom nothing is impossible.)

Mr. Allen looked on, then turning to his wife, whispered: "There was a time when I would have considered this rank superst.i.tion, but now I am greatly edified, for I see the faith and devotion of people is fervent and sincere."

When they left the Church, Mr. Allen surprised his wife and son by telling them that his chief desire now was to make a retreat and prepare for Baptism. Mrs. Allen was so overjoyed, she rushed back into the Church, threw herself on her knees and thanked our Lord. Bolax and his father followed and all knelt in prayers of grat.i.tude for so great a favor.

A few paces from the Basilica stood Hotel Orleans, to which they had been recommended by Monsieur Cartier; having secured rooms, they went out for a walk. They climbed a hill from which they saw a beautiful panorama of white sails and verdant islands set like jewels on the bosom of the St. Lawrence.

The next morning after Ma.s.s, Mr. Allen went to the Monastery and asked the Abbot to allow him to begin his retreat. The good Priest was delighted to receive him and found on examining his neophyte that he was very well informed on religious matters and firmly believed in all the truths of the Catholic religion.

When Mr. Allen entered on his retreat, he requested that no one should visit him. His wife and son willingly agreed to make the sacrifice of being separated from him for a time, so that their beloved one might give all his attention to preparing for the most important events of his life, viz: The reception of Baptism and Holy Communion.

Bolax accompanied his mother to all the chapels and shrines in the neighborhood. They went up the Holy Stairs on their knees, at the top was a figure of Pilate, and one of Christ standing, both life-size. In other Chapels were representations of the different stages of our Lord's pa.s.sion; all the figures were life-size and so realistic as to startle one, who came upon them unawares. In a tiny room with barred windows, resembling a prison, Bolax came upon the statue of Christ as He is being crowned with thorns. The G.o.d-man sits with His Garments torn from His limbs, which are covered with wounds; streams of blood flow from the divine face; a soldier is in the act of spitting on Him, another driving the thorns into the sacred head. On seeing this, the boy burst into tears, he felt as though he was really in the presence of his suffering Redeemer. Knowing the effect such a pitiful sight would have on his mother, he went with her everywhere, carefully avoiding the distressing image.

One day while watching the sailboats landing the pilgrims, Bo heard his name called, looking around he saw Leon Casgrainie, his mother and sister, from L'Islet; they were so glad to meet again. Bo introduced his mother. Madame Casgrainie embraced Mrs. Allen as if she had been an old friend, for these Canadians are so full of hearty friendliness. In a few days the ladies were almost on intimate terms.

The day appointed for Mr. Allen's reception into the Church was August thirty-first. Madame Casgrainie expressed a wish to be present, so Mrs.

Allen invited her and the children to the ceremony, which was to take place at the seven o'clock Ma.s.s, in the Chapel of the Sacred Heart.

The altar was a blaze of light; tiny electric lamps of all colors were placed in every available position, and full-blown roses shed sweet perfume over all.

The Abbot celebrated Ma.s.s. Just before the Offertory, he read the prayers admitting a catechumen to Holy Baptism. Mr. Allen bowed his head in all humility while the Priest poured upon him the saving water which made him a child of G.o.d and heir to Heaven. Immediately after this the Abbot placed a white cope over the newly baptized, emblematic of the purity with which his soul was adorned by this most Holy Sacrament.

After the Priest's Communion, Mr. Allen mounted the altar steps, still wearing the white robe and received our Lord for the first time. At the "Domine non sum dignus," the tears rolled down his cheeks; he was so overcome with the sanct.i.ty of the act, so full of faith and love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Mrs. Allen and Bo also went to Holy Communion. After Ma.s.s, Mr. Allen asked that his wife and son be admitted to see him. I have no words to describe the ecstasy of delight that thrilled their hearts when congratulating the beloved one. Mr. Allen pressed them both to his heart in silence. When he could speak, he said: "I feel our Angel child is rejoicing with us on this, the happiest day of my life." The good Abbot came to bid farewell, and shed tears of joy while bestowing the Papal Benediction on the family.

A few days after the events related, our friends were compelled to leave the holy place and take their departure for L'Islet; Madame Casgrainie offered to take them on her steam yacht, and begged them to accept the hospitality of her house during their stay in the village. Mr. Allen thanked the amiable lady, but told of his promise to return to Montmorency. "That can be easily arranged," said Mrs. Allen. "We are not in need of our trunks; after our visit to L'Islet we can keep our engagement with our friends at Montmorency and send Bo's baggage to him by express."

The next morning the yacht steamed out of the harbor bearing away a jolly party, young and old were full of merriment, so true it is that a clean conscience makes a happy heart. The mid-day bells were chiming the Angelus as they landed at the pier, where Monsieur Le Cure and Brother Director gave them a warm welcome to L'Islet. The good, old gentleman insisted on having his niece and her family dine at the Parsonage every day, for, said he, "I must see all I can of you, my children, it may be my last opportunity." Bolax conducted his father and mother through the College; they were perfectly satisfied with all the arrangements, and thanked the good Brothers for the interest they had shown in their son.

Madame Casgrainie proved herself a most entertaining hostess, she was lavish in her attention to her guests and made their visit to her a never-to-be-forgotten pleasure.

On September 8th, the whole family went on an excursion to Isle St.

Roch. This is a charming spot. On the island is a ledge of rocks, and seemingly carved on the stones can be seen the footprints of a man and those of a dog; they extend the length of half a mile and are then lost in a maze of tangled brushwood. The pious people of the place believe that St. Roch, the great hunter, came here long ago and left his footprints and those of his faithful dog. The ladies and girls roamed over the island gathering blue berries, and the boys caught a basket of fine fish. While they were resting, after a substantial luncheon, a shrill sound floated down from high overhead. Gazing up, Bolax traced aloft against the blue sky, the V-shaped phalanx, pointed southward of the wild goose--the swift Canadian bird by its own instinct following after summer heat.

"Ma, dear," said the boy, "I fear that is the signal for your departure; the frosts come soon after the pa.s.sage of those big birds, and Papa will not be able to bear our cold winds. But, oh, how I shall miss you!" "My darling, my heart will be very empty without you, but your father and I make the sacrifice of leaving you because we are sure you are under the best of care, both for your temporal and spiritual interests."

Madame Casgrainie and her daughter comforted Bolax, promising to have him at their house as often as the Brothers would permit. "After all, Bo," said Leon, "you are better off than most boys, even if you are a thousand miles from home; you have your uncle, Monsieur Le Cure, so cheer up and let us have a race on this hard beach. Whoever wins shall have the biggest peach in the basket." (Peaches are a rarety in Quebec, and its environs and are very costly.)

That evening Mr. Allen had a long talk with his son. He gave sound advice on several points, notably the following: "Let conscience be your king, and never attempt to weaken or to deviate from its commands. It is G.o.d's merciful messenger within you to testify of Himself, to warn you of danger, and point the right. Beware of trifling with conscience or of weakening its force. You can do so, but when you have silenced it, you will be left like a man, who, on a dark night, in a strange country extinguishes his lantern.

"There are three words which perhaps every school boy has written as a text-hand exercise, but which few lay to heart while they are following the copy. They are these: 'Sin causes sorrow.' A mighty truth; would that every boy would so learn it that the suffering which sin inevitably brings with it might be escaped.

"Be truthful in the slightest matters; never allow yourself to exaggerate. Have your mind occupied always with something good, pure, useful. Remember the old saying, 'A vacant mind is the devil's workshop.' Beware of the slightest propensity to evil, no pleasure derived from sense can be compared with the tranquil joy which springs from a pure heart.

"Let me tell you, my dear child, boyhood with all its little griefs and troubles, is the most joyous time of life; its very spring time when everything is fresh and beautiful. I did not appreciate it when I was a boy, but now I sometimes sigh for it. If boys who are longing for the time to come when they may be men could only know what a man's life and work mean, they would pray to be kept at school all their lives.

"I wish I could gain the ear of all the boys in the world, I would say to them affectionately, in the language of the Holy Apostle St. Paul. Be strong; shun anything and everything that has a tendency to weaken your mental and moral life.

"For you, my beloved son, I now say: Be strong in the grace you will obtain by constantly and devoutly approaching the Sacraments. If the love of G.o.d is the motive power of your life, you will grow from a n.o.ble boy into a n.o.ble man."

Father, mother and son sat together late into the night; then kneeling in devout prayer they retired to rest.

At seven o'clock on Wednesday morning, Monsieur Le Cure sent his carriage to take his niece and her husband to the station. Madame Casgrainie and Mrs. Allen bade each other a tearful farewell.

When on the train, Bolax bravely suppressed his emotion, so that the parting should not be too painful for his parents; then Monsieur Le Cure invited him to spend the night at his house, hoping to comfort him. In the morning, our brave boy entered the College, where he found that several of his cla.s.smates had returned. Fulton, Adolph and Tardeef gave him a hearty greeting; soon they were exchanging droll stories and making each other laugh at their adventures during vacation. On the whole, Bolax's second year opened with pleasant prospects and under more promising auspices than that which had preceded it.

Here we must leave our hero, asking the readers who are interested in his story to pray that his future life may prove all that his parents are trying to make it, viz: Pure, honest and n.o.ble in every sense of the word.

END.

Author's Notes

Transcriber's Note: These comments are not part of the original printed text of the book; they are excerpted from notes hand-written by the author in Villanova University's copy.

"This book will tell you how my children were carefully trained in their religion--It is true to life. I kept a diary of all my children's saying and doings and from this wrote the book."

"The odd name comes from the boy's father calling him bow-legs because as a baby he walked crooked. The boy caught the sound as 'Bolax' and was so called until quite a big boy."

Historical Notes

Transcriber's Note: These notes were hand-written in Villanova University's copy of the book by a librarian. They are not part of the original printed text.

In 1892-93 the son of Mrs. Josephine Culpeper, Osmond J., attended cla.s.ses at Villanova, to which reference is made in her pages.

Mrs. C---- lives at Wayne, Pa.; it was from thence that the little "Bolax"

was sent to St. Thomas of Villanova, to which he refers in his letter (p. 70). Allusions too on pp. 71, 72, 75, 82-86, 88, 97, 155-57, 159, 163.

Transcriber's Notes: