This parting with his money, instead of spending it upon his great work,
may well seem to be a conduct of doubtful wisdom; especially as at a
later period much difficulty was encountered for want of funds. But it
is hard, and perhaps not justifiable, to find fault with a man, who
adopts the course of selling all that he has and giving to the poor,
after using devoutly such a prayer as the following:--

'My God, I do not know whether to endow or not. It is not
for me to found communities, or to know how they should be
founded. It, is for Thee, Oh my God. Thou knowest how, and
canst do it in the way which is pleasing to Thee. If Thou
foundest them, they will be well founded. If Thou foundest
them not, they will be without foundation. I beseech Thee,
my God, make me know Thy will.'

Soon after the last livre was spent, De la Salle had occasion to make a
journey in connection with his work. He went on foot, as needs he must,
and begged his way. An old woman gave him a piece of black bread; he ate
it with joy, feeling that now he was indeed a poor man. He had at this
time reached the age of thirty-three years.

Behold the Society of the Christian Brothers, and the Christian Schools,
taking form at last with De la Salle at the head! Let us examine that
work and see how matters stand.

In the first place, so far as the founder was himself concerned, his
life was one of asceticism, but still more of prayer:--

'He prayed by day and by night--his life was one incessant
communion with God. He would fain have avoided even the
interruption caused by sleep, and he grudged every moment
given to it, because it shortened his time of prayer. He
slept on the ground, or sometimes in his chair, and was the
first to rise at the sound of the morning bell. While at
Rheims he regularly spent Friday night in the Church of
Saint Remi; he made the sacristan lock him in, and there
poured out his soul in prayer for help, and guidance, and
success in his work.'

The Superior and the Brothers of course lived a common life. The great
principle of bringing himself exactly to the level of those who worked
under him, which had led to his resignation of his stall and the sale of
his property, made it quite certain that he would not call upon the
Brothers to do or to bear anything which he was not willing to do and to
bear himself. But the burden was heavier to hi