CHAPTER xiv

religiously minded in the town of Saint Loup
were not only prayerful but extremely busy, for
presently would come the month of May when their
offspring would make their First Communion.
For the past seven months a feud had been raging
between those who agreed with the Holy Father —
the saintly and simple Pius X, who argued that as his
Lord loved little children, Communion might well be
received very young — and those who agreed with
the conservative clergy who argued that until a child
was eleven or thereabouts, it could not receive its
Lord with the requisite understanding; an opinion
which was also held by the Cure. And thus it had hap-
pened that Christophe and Jan had not taken advan-
tage of the Quam Singular!, but would make their
First Communion in May when both of them would
be just over eleven.
Endless candles now burnt at the shrine of Saint
Loup: *O golden saint, make our dear children
worthy.' Endless candles were lighted for the Mother
of God: *O Mary Virgin, thyself a mother, make
our sons acceptable to thy Son.' In this wise prayed
many a mother these days, for the women always
found time to pray in spite of their arduous household
duties, whereas the men must smoke at off times,
and must stretch their long legs as they basked in the
sunshine or drank a small glass with Mere M$anie.
But what would you? That was the way with all men,
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