The Life of Paul Seigneret, Seminarist of Saint Sulpice; Shot at Belleville, Paris, May 26, 1871, Tr. and Abridged by E.A.M Shot at Belleville, Paris,

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: tery of La Trappe, at Beliefontaine in Anjou, it was with considerable difficulty that he obtained admittance at all, even on trial, on account of his delicate appearance. In fact, after three weeks his strength was exhausted, and he was obliged to avow his inability and acknowledge his mistake. It now became necessary for him to spend some time at home with his family in order to recover. CHAPTER III. THE ABBEY OF SOLESMES. ]T was in November, 1866, that Paul Seigneret returned to his parents at Epinal, where he remained until Easter in the following year, his health requiring great and continued care. This delay was felt by his friends at Soles- mes to be in all respects advisable, as it gave time to moderate the ardour, which, notwithstanding its evident sincerity, inspiied some apprehension. With his habitual activity, Paul profited by this time of leisure to resume his habits ofstudy, which, for two years, had been interrupted. In January, 1867, he had read through the twenty volumes of Thiers' Histoire du Consulat efc de 1'Empire; and for the three months he was yet to pass at Epinal, he had traced for himself a programme which comprehended, besides Latin authors, Homer, several tragedies of Sophocles and Eschylus, and a review of the principles of philosophy studied at the Lycee?and all this that he might not arrive all new at Solesmes. At the same time he allowed himself the free enjoyment of all the happiness of home- life, which his loving heart so keenly appreciated. The thought of the approaching separation came often across him like the thrust of a javelin, but he calmly faced the sacrifice which, by anticipation, he realised. It was about this period, that a sudden and unexpected form of self-devotion presented itself so forcibly befor...