The Good Humor of the Saints [pp. 127-138]

1882.] TirE GOOD HUMOR OF THE SAJivTS. 133
ney's life, in his wonderful gayety, in his ready repartees, in the
charming vein of humor which runs through the many anecdotes related of him.
"M. le Cure'," said a lady of rank in the condescending tone of one who
confers a privilege, "I am come to make my confession to you."
"It is well, madame," was the reply; and then, with perhaps the faintest
tinge of malice, "We have heard confessions before."
Even with his works of charity there is mingled a certain boyish
spirit of fun. Sceur Lacon, having made a most beautiful pie
with which to tempt him from his rigid austerity, hid it carefully away in an old cupboard in his kitchen. When evening
came she ventured to say insinuatingly: "M. le Cur~, will you
have a little piece of pie?" "Certainly," was the unexpected
answer; "I should like it very much." Astonished and delighted, the good woman flew to her hiding-place. Alas! the pie had
vanished. M. Vianney had discovered its retreat, and it had
gone the way of all his other delicacies-into the basket of a
beggar.
Humble and readily abashed, the praises and gratitude lavished on him by those whom his prayers had cured were his
particular dread. Upon one occasion a woman whose crippled
child had been restored to health at Ars begged permission to
see him. Nothing, however, could persuade M. Viauney to
grant the interview. He was safe inside of the sacristy and
would only come out to say the Mass. After the service another
attempt was made. The poor woman, he was told, entreated
that he would help her to thank St. Philomena, through whose
patronage the cur6 obtained his wonderful graces. To this appeal no refusal was possible. He returned to the church, silently
blessed both mother and child, and, when the ordeal was over,
said in a tone of deepest annoyance and mortification, as one who
felt himself ill-treated in the matter: "St. Philomena really
ought to have cured the little thing at home."
But if we owe a debt of gratitude to the Abb6 Monnin for
the knowledge he affords us of one holy soul, what is the extent of our obligation to Cardinal Newman, who, laboring "con
amore," has given us a wonderful insight into the lives of those
giants of an infant creed, the early Fathers of the church? He
has striven to select and arrange such portions of th~r numerous
letters and exhortations as will serve best to show us what manner of men these were, and he has added short sketches of their
lives and labors, wntten in a style which has now no equal for