For Greater Things: The Story of Saint Stanislaus Kostka — John Shaqi
For Greater Things: The Story of Saint Stanislaus KostkaKane, William T. (William Terence)
Religion
For Greater Things: The Story of Saint Stanislaus Kostka
Kane, William T. (William Terence)
Kostka, Stanislas, Saint, 1550-1568
Forty miles or more out of Vienna, they saw a boy trudging ahead of
them, in a rough tunic, rope-girdled, with a staff in his hand. At
the noise of the hurrying wheels the boy glanced back, then quickly
turned up a lane which there entered the road. He did not look in
the least like a nobleman's son, and the carriage passed the bottom
of the lane without so much as slacking speed.
Stanislaus ran up the lane until he came to where it ended at a
rough, brawling stream. Without a moment's hesitation he put off his
shoes, tucked up his tunic, and began wading in the course of the
stream. The water was cold, the sharp stones in the bed of the
stream bruised his feet, at any moment he might fall into a deep
hole and be drowned. But he splashed and stumbled ahead, as fast as
he could go, praying to his guardian angel to have care of him. A
little farther, he knew, the highway crossed this stream by a
bridge, and there he could leave the water and regain the road.
The carriage meantime kept on and came to this bridge. But Paul had
been thinking of the young fellow who took to the lane when he saw
the carriage approach and a shrewd suspicion came into his head.
"Did you see that boy who ran up the lane?" he cried at length to
Bilinski. "I believe it was Stanislaus."
"But he was dressed like a peasant," said Bilinski. "And Stanislaus
had on a handsome suit."
They debated for a time, but Paul prevailed. Round they turned and
drove furiously back to the lane. But as the driver tried to turn
his horses into it, the animals reared and balked and refused to
enter. Blows and curses were showered on them; they merely stood and
trembled; no efforts could urge them into the lane. Then the driver
grew afraid, and cried out:
"My Lord Paul, we cannot go into this lane. And before God, I have
fear upon me! Never have the horses acted this way."
And indeed fear seized them all. They saw the hand of God in this
strange obstinancy of their beasts. Even Kimberker cried the pursuit.
"Fear God!" he said. "For this is no common mishap!"
And when they turned the horses' heads again toward Vienna, the
animals snorted and pranced and went very willingly.
And so, when Stanislaus came to the bridge, the highway was clear.
After a look about, he put on his shoes, gripped his staff afresh,
and took up again cheerily as ever his thirty miles a day to
Augsburg.
Day after day, tired and footsore, he told off the long miles,
begging his food and lodging as he went; fearless and happy, praying
like an angel of God as he walked along.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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