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Show JOHN RTJSXIN' AND ST. FRANCIS. There is a pretty story tolel of John Ruskini concerning the origin of his admiration ad-miration cf St. Francis of As?isi. It seems that he had a dream in which he fancied himself a Franciscan Brother, but he ?oon forgot all about it. Long years afterward, when he was in Rome, a certain beggar used to ask alms of him daily, always, receiving something from his kind hand. Once the gift was more than usual, or given with a kinder kind-er manner or pleas.anted words, and the beggar seized the giver's hand and fervently fer-vently kisi'ed it. Ruskin was discomfited discom-fited for a moment; then his great j heart was touched, and. as if ashamed j of his chagrin, he bent suddenly and I saluted the poor man in the same way, j only kiss'ing hie cheek instead of his hand. The beggar was. deeply impressed by the incident. Not long after this he wer.'t to Mr. Ruskin, carrying him a little piece of brown cloth, much worn and faded. "It i-s not much to look at," said the grateful mendicant, his eyes filled with tears; "but it is. a bit of the robe of the holy Sit. Francis of Assisi." Then Ruskin thought of the forgotten dream, and shortly . afterward went to visit Assisti, wher-e many of the happiest happi-est days were from that time- spent. One who tells the story remarks: "I personally should like to believe that the mendicant was- himself St. Francis appearing in the garb of a beggar to his great disciple." Thus Rus'kin came to know and love St. Franci? and the order he founded, and he writes to a friend: "I shall be soon sending a letter to the good monks at AHsisi. Give them my love always." Annals of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. ; I |