The Holy Sheperdess of Pibrac [pp. 753-760]

T57le Holy Shepherdess of Pibrac.
her children; and her sagacious eye
is quick to discover the chosen of
God. But, whoever it was, he did
but little, and there was little to be
done. God himself perfected the re ligious training of his handmaiden.
She early learned what must for ever
remain unknown to those who do not
recognize in him the fountain of all
wisdom. Living amid the wonders
of creation, she contemplated them
with the intelligent eye of innocence.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they shall see God-see him in the
brilliant stars, the burning sun,
the unfathomable heavens, and the
changing clouds-see him in the
flowers and plants that cover the
surface of the earth! Germaine
learned from the open book of nature
a wondrous lore; and her attuned
ear caught and comprehended that
mysterious anthem of praise, which,
floating through creation, is unheard
by more sinful man. Her pure soul
united in the eternal song: Benedicite
omnia opera Domini Domino: laudate
et sitperexallate eum in shcula /
Althloughl Germaine was a poor
infirm orphan, subjected to the heavy
yoke of a severe step-mother, and
exposed by her occupation to the inclemency of the weather, she bore all
her trials with cheerfulness, never
brooding over her sorrows. One
of the characteristics or the saints
which particularly distinguishes them
from ordinary Christians, is, the use
made of tlze common occurrences of life.
They share in common with other
men, and often in a greater degree,
the trials common to humanity; but
they are chastened, purified by them,
and they look upon the afflictions of
this life as a means of assimilating
them to Him who was a man of
sorrows and acquainted with grief.
Even in the manifest ill treatment
and injustice of the malignant and
wicked, they disregard the channel,
but accept the suffering, as a means
of perfection.
The extent to which this princi ple is carried, is peculiarly Catholic;
and, in reading the lives of our saints,
we cannot but be struck by it. They
never struggled against their trials,
and therefore were cheerful under
them; for the greater part of our
wretchedness proceeds from strug gling against the current of life.
This is the key to the saying of Fdnd lon: Noan-resistance is a remedy for
every ill.
The paternal roof was not for Ger maine, as for most-even the most
wretched-a refuge and a place of
repose. And yet neither her pover ty, nor sorrows, nor infirmities, could
have rendered her insensible to that
which surpasses all the other plea sures of life-the happiness of being
loved. By a divine foresight, God
has placed in the hearts of parents,
by the side of that fount of love for
their offspring, a well of singumr
tenderness for the unfortunate child,
the black lamb of the flock. This
peculiar love Germaine had not. She
had not even the legitimate share of
her father's heart. She was denied
a place at the fireside; she was
hardly allowed shelter in the house.
Her step-mother, irritable and imperious, would send her away to some
obscure corner. She was not permitted to approach the other children - those brothers and sisters
whom she loved so tenderly, and
whom she was always ready to serve
without manifesting any envy on account of the preferences of which
they were the object, and she the
victim. The inflexible harshness of
her step-mother obliged the infirm
girl to seek a place of repose in the
stable, or upon a heap of vine branches in an out-house.
But Germaine knew too well the
value of sufferings not to accept with
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