The Life of Venerable Sister Margaret BourgeoisAnonymous
History
The Life of Venerable Sister Margaret Bourgeois
Anonymous
Bourgeoys, Marguerite, Saint, 1620-1700
On presenting herself at
the inn, in company with so many men, suspicion again closed the door
against her. She was told plainly that an honest woman would not travel
as she did, and that the credit of the house would be injured, by
receiving her as a guest; nor did the companions of her journey
sympathize with her in the least, on receiving the insult, although she
had edified them very much since they left Orleans. Such marks of man's
inconstancy frequently occur in every grade of society. However, a
charitable citizen of Saumur, who was present, being touched with
compassion by the modesty and meekness with which she received the
affront, offered her the hospitality of his home, which she gratefully
accepted. It is remarkable that these cruel insults cooled neither her
determination nor her fervor; on the contrary, she interiorly rejoiced
at the high honor God conferred upon her, by permitting her to share in
the contempt and humiliation of His divine Son, whom the Jewish rabble
maligned and cursed, and almost as extraordinary is the fact that she
completely regained her influence over her inconstant fellow-travellers,
when they again met on the boat to continue their route. They arrived at
Nantes three or four days afterwards. One of the party was a young man
who had determined to enlist in M. de Maisonneuve's regiment for Canada.
He had many opportunities of noticing the exalted virtue of Margaret
Bourgeois during the week, and politely offered to carry her little
package when they left the boat. Even this attention of Christian
charity drew upon her a fresh humiliation. Accompanied by the stranger,
she enquired for the residence of M. le Coq, merchant of Nantes, which
was the address given her by M. de Maisonneuve, but the gentleman was
not known by that name in the city; he was there styled M. de la
Bassonniers. She walked along every street in Nantes to find him, and
was about giving up in despair, when she suddenly encountered at a
crossing a brusque, business-looking man, whom she timidly requested to
direct her to the residence of M. le Coq. "_I_ am the person you seek,
madame," he replied, "and if I mistake not, you are the lady concerning
whom M. de Maisonneuve wrote me a few days since," handing her the
letter of her friend at the same time. Margaret was very agreeably
surprised by the providential rencontre, and began to hope that the
mortifications of her eventful journey were drawing to a close. The
merchant directed her to his home, which was not far distant, and
assuring her of a hearty welcome from his wife, left her abruptly to
attend to his own concerns. On arriving at the house, she met Mme. le
Coq, who was highly indignant to learn that her husband sent her a young
woman to entertain, accompained by a rustic who carried her clothing. "I
will positively receive no such people into my house," she said, "you
must depart forthwith." And poor weary Sister Bourgeois did depart, but
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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