need good husbandmen to work in God's often
neglected vineyards. Unless you have very much
changed, dear Genevieve, you are still a religious and
generous soul who will give of your plenty to those
who have nothing. Therefore, greatly daring, I will
beg of you a gift; in due course Jan must go to the
Grand Seminaire — that will not be until the boy is
nineteen, but I want you to promise to provide the
money. We need not consider the Petit Seminaire,
since I will prepare him for his Baccalaureat; already
I am supplementing his studies.
'Doubtless he could take a scholarship with ease,
but that would mean his going to a local institution,
whereas I wish to make him a priest of the world —
for the world needs its priests to help it to heaven. I
wish him to go to Paris, Genevieve, or rather to the
Grand Seminaire at Versailles; only the best is good
enough for Jan who possesses a rarely courageous
spirit.
'And now, Genevieve, the better to persuade you,
I will gladly humble myself to the dust and will tell
you that I have been a great failure. In thirty years I
have done very little except to surround myself with
books, and these days when I realize my short-
comings, I find it hard indeed to correct them —
Genevieve, if your northern son should crave the
south, see to it that his visits are of short duration.
Yet I do feel that God in his infinite mercy is giving
me one more opportunity to serve Him. He is giving
me the chance to train this boy who possesses the
qualities which I myself have lacked, and which, for a
priest, are so very essential.
*I appeal to you, will you compassionate my
need? Will you help me to justify myself in God's
sight? I am writing not as your spiritual Father,
but rather as a tired and ageing man who earnestly
begs that you will not refuse him,
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