away cheered with a patient smile from him.

But just sometimes he slipped away for a little peace alone with God, at
a beautiful monastery called Marmontier, which he formed near the city,
and which later became very famous, and kept the Rule of St. Benedict I
told you about before.

There were many things that were serious worries and very bitter sorrows
and trials to St. Martin at this time, but I can't tell you all about
these now. But there were also joys; and one of these I will tell you
about, because it was the companionship of a little boy. He was nearly
ten when St. Martin baptized him and then adopted him. As they travelled
together soon after the boy's Baptism, and while he still had on the
beautiful white robe I told you about, which showed outwardly the new
purity of his soul, they came to the River Loire. A little way ahead of
them they saw a poor blind beggar waiting for someone to help him
across.

"Son," said St. Martin to the boy, Victorius, "go to that man; wash his
face and eyes with water from the river; then bring him to me."

So the boy went and did as St. Martin had told him; and as soon as he
had washed the poor man's eyes, the man opened them and found he could
see! With joy he looked about at the blue sky and the river; and when he
heard that it was the holy Bishop who had sent the white-robed boy to
him, he praised God for what had happened, and ran and fell down at St.
Martin's feet. The poor beggar was very excited about it all, and didn't
know how to thank St. Martin and the boy. So St. Martin said:

"Calm thyself, cease talking, and come; for with me in this boat thou
shalt cross the river."

So the beggar stayed with them three days, and Victorius was allowed to
look after him, and, as the old book says, "eagerly brought him
everything to eat that he liked best."

Victorius stayed always with St. Martin, and went about everywhere with
him, scarcely ever leaving his side. Even to the church he would go with
him for the night offices; or on his tours visiting the churches or
preaching to the heathen. St. Martin taught Victorius, and in return the
boy waited on him; also, I think, he must have cheered up the old
Bishop, and often made him feel a boy again. But don't you think
Victorius was a very lucky boy? He saw a great many wonderful miracles
of the Saint, and was even allowed to have a hand in the doing of some
of them, as in the case of the blind beggar. When Victorius was old