Journal in France in 1845 and 1848 with Letters from Italy in 1847: Of Things and Persons Concerning the Church and EducationAllies, T. W. (Thomas William)
Religion
Journal in France in 1845 and 1848 with Letters from Italy in 1847: Of Things and Persons Concerning the Church and Education
Allies, T. W. (Thomas William)
France -- Church history -- 19th century; Italy -- Church history -- 19th century
most painfully struck me. The simplicity, and apparent domesticity, of
her way of speaking--her smiling and answering the doctor's
questions--struck me next. As he said, a secular question is answered
in the tone of this world, a religious one in that of the other.
She seems conscious herself of nothing beyond God's chastisement for
her sins; therefore she is shy of showing or speaking of herself
beyond what is necessary as information to serious inquirers. The
wound in her side she refused to show any man, though she said any
number of women, physician's wives, if they would, might see it, for
it needed no medical treatment. She does not seem conscious of being
in any extraordinary or miraculous way the vehicle, as such, of Divine
Grace; but she is patient, exceedingly, and strives, as she says, to
do all God's will. Nothing remarkable in a religious way is recorded
of her early character. "Una buona ragazza," the doctor called her,
but no more; he said especially not "bigotta." Is it not a palpable
evidence of our Lord's presence to us in His sufferers, to bring home
the actuality of what is taught us of the spiritual things we have
been born into, yet to confound spiritual pride? "Thy ways are in the
sea, and Thy paths are in the great waters, and Thy footsteps are not
known."
Next morning we went to Caldaro, a beautiful village about nine miles
or eight from Neumarkt, and, by aid of the Bishop of Trent's letter,
saw Maria Mörl, the Estatica, but were only allowed to see her for
five minutes. She knelt on her bed, with her hands together under the
chin: her attitude was leaning forward, and inclined to the right in
such a position as I cannot keep myself in without support; nor
do I think, from the overbalance of the body, it could be done
naturally. Her face has much beauty, her eyes are dark and full, hair
long and black, and her skin as pale as that of a dead body or a wax
figure; not a muscle moved; and except a very slight oscillating
motion of the body occasionally, and the breathing, there were no
signs of life in her, though I saw once the eyelid quiver slightly.
The friar who took us in, a Franciscan, told her to lie down; which,
after a moment or two, she did; only falling back in the bed, with her
legs from the knee unmoved. She gave two slight sort of groans or
sighs. Her hands remained just as they were, and the eyes were fixed
on the same spot. After a short visit, the friar took us out,--talking
a German which we could none of us understand. When we got to the door
of the house, we asked him, in Latin, if we could see her again: he
answered, "Eam vidistis, eam vidistis," and left us.
We walked back to Neumarkt, and yesterday evening started in the
Bolzano omnibus back to this place. Fare you well. * * * I have given
you as short as I could this marvellous account.
* * * * *
J. H. POLLEN.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account