Chapter One

The Baby of the Martin Family

Papa was a watchmaker and had a rather long name - Louis Joseph Aloysius Stanislaus Martin. Mama's was much shortert - Zelie Marie Guerin. They were married on July 13, 1858, in the churcyh of Notre Dame in Alencon, France. Papa was about thirty-five years old at the time, Mama was twenty-six. A few people were afraid that the marriage was a mistake. You see, they were remembering those days long ago when Papa thought he had a vocation to be a monk. They also remembered that Mama once tried to enter the religious life, too - as a Sister of Saint Vincent de Paul.

"Louis Martin and Zelie Guerin are far too holy to live in the world," these people told one another. "Each would be better off in some monastery."

But this was not so. God did not want Papa or Mama to live in the cloister. He wanted them to live in the world. He wanted them to have many children and to teach these little ones the beauties of the Catholic faith. So it was that they married each other, that thirteenth day of July in the year 1858, and settled down to a quiet life in Alencon.

The first child God sent my parents was a girl. She was called Marie Louise in Baptism, although from the start Papa justa called her Marie - which is the French form for Mary.

"We'l giev each of our little ones the first name of Marie," he said. "Even the boys. In this way they'll all be consecrated to the Blessed Virgin."

It was a fine thought, and one with which Mama readily agreed. She had a very high opinion of Papa, and not a day passed that she did not thank God for giving her such a fine husband. How king he was! And how hard he worked at his comfortable home! Truly, there was no better man in Alencon, in all France than Louis Joseph Aloysius Stanislaus Martin!

As time passed, my parents prayed very hard that God would send them a little boy. They were anxious to have a son to give to the priesthood. But the next three babies were all girls: Marie Pauline, Marie Leonie, Marie Helen. It did seem as though the many prayers for a son, "a little missionary," would never be answered. Then one find day Marie Joseph Louis came to gladden the hearts of all.

"Here's our priest!" said Papa delightedly.

Alas! The new baby lived only five months. Then God called him to Heaven. The same thing happened with Marie Joseph John Baptist - the sixth child to come into our home. This little brother lived to be eight months old. Then he died, too.

Poor Papa! Poor Mama! They were deeply afflicted at the loss of their two little sons. But they loved God in a really honest way, which means that they loved His Will and trusted it more than their own. Therefore, they did not grieve long. Besides, faith told them that they had given new saints to love God in Heaven.

"The boys will pray for us," Papa said. "Just think! They went to god without one sin on their souls!"

Presently another girl was born in our house - Marie Celine. The next year came one more - Marie Melanie Therese. This little one lived only a short time. Then death came again as God called to Himself the fourth child in our family: five-year-old Marie Helen.

The neighbors were shocked at all the sorrow which came to our house. "Four children dead out of eight!" they said, sadly shaking their hads. "Really, it would be better if these little ones had never been born. Then their parents would have been spared a good deal of pain."

"No, no!" Mama would protest. "My children are not lost to me. Life is short. We shall meet again in Heaven."

"And we still have Marie, Pauline, Leonie and Celine to cheer us up," Papa would put in, comfortingly. "My business is prospering, too. Why should we complain?"

Everyone marveled at the wonderful way in which Papa and Mama accepted these fresh trials. Death ahd called four times in twelve years, yet the Martin house was still a cheerful place. So was the shop where Papa worked at his trade of watchmaker and jeweler. It was a pleasure to visit either one.

Time passed, and presently it was the year 1873. Marie and Pauline, students at the Visitation convent in Le Mans, were home in Alencon for their Christmas vacation. Late on the night of January 2, Papa went upstairs to the little room where they were sleeping.

"Wake up, children!" he cried excitedly. "I have some news for you!"

The girls sat up with a start, blinking at the light from Papa's lamp. What had happened? Why was their faither standing in the doorway with such a big smile on his face?

"What is it, Papa?" asked Marie anxiously. "Mama's not sick again?"

A dozen questions were on Pauline's tongue, but Papa gave her no change to ask them.

No, Marie. Mama's all right. And you have a new sister now - a beautiful little girl!"

Yes, it was January 2, 1873, and God had sent me to earth at last - to the wonderful Christian home of Louis Martin, watchmaker of Alencon!

Of course Marie and Pauline found it hard to go to sleep after Papa's visit. They asked each other many questions about me. For instance, was I a healthy baby! Would I stay with them or go to Heaven like the other little sisters and brothers? What would Papa and Mama call me? When would I be baptized? Who would be my godmother?

"Marie, I think you'll be chosen," said Pauline suddenly. "After all, you're the oldest - thirteen next month. I'm only eleven."

Marie smiled. To be godmother of the new little sister! That would be wonderful!

"Oh, I hope so," she said softly. "I've never been a godmother in my whoel life."

So it came to pass that on January 4, when I was two days old, a little procession set out from our house and made its way through the snowy streets to the church of Notre Dame. Our maid, Louise, carried me in her arms, well warpped in blankets. Then came Papa, with Marie and Pauline each hanging on an arm. There were also soem neighbors and friends.

"Papa, tell us again what the baby is going to be called," said Marie. "I"m so excited about being her godmother that I'm not just sure."

Papa laughed heartily. "Her name is a nice one, child. Marie Frances Therese." Then the happy light died out of his eyes as he gave a quick glance at the wintery sky.

"Dear God, please leave this cihld with us!" he whispered. "In the Name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ!"

There was good reaosn for Papa to be anxious about me. In the days following my Baptism, I fell ill and it seemed likely that God soon would take me to Himself in Heaven.

"The only way that this child can be saved is to give her to a good nurse," said the doctor. "One who lives in the country. Perhaps with proper food and plenty of fresh air and sunnshine, the baby will get strength enough to live."

Poor Mama! She did not want to be parted from me, yet she agreed to do whatever the doctor thought best. There was a farm woman she knew, Rose Taille, who might take care of me for a few months. She had been very successful in nursing other sick children. Perhaps she could help me, too.

Rose Taille wasn't sure about this. The day Mama brought her into Alencon to have a look at me, the good-natured woman gave a great sigh. She had never seen such a poor little scrap of humanity. Why, I was nothing but skin and bones! And so pale!

"I"ll do my best," she told Mama. "But I can promise you nothing, Madame. Ah, what a sickly little mite we have here! Only prayers will save her, I'm thinking."

Mama nodded. There would be plenty of prayers - to Saint Joseph, to the Blessed Virgin, to all the saints. Oh how she would pray for me! And Papa, too.

So Rose tok me out into the country, pausing frequently on the journey to see if I was still alive. She was a little worried about this new responsibility. She had four children of her own to care for, and it was necessary to help her husband with the farm work, too. Perhaps she shouldn't have taken me with her. If I died, people might blame her.

But I did not die. God heard the fervent prayers which Papa and Mama offered for my recovery, and at Rose's house I became a totally different child. This was not because the good woman had any luxuries to give me. On the contrary, she had very little time to spend on my care. Because there was no proper carriage, she would put me ina wheelbarrow filled with hay and take me out to where she and her husband were working. Sometimes I was left alone under a tree. At others, Rose put the wheelbarrow in the sun.

"The little one is too pale," she said. "Maybe the sunshine will help her to grow strong."

I did grow strong and brown. In a few months there was no longer any danger that I would die. Rose was very proud, and one May day she took me hom to show Mama how I had grown. Why, I weighed fourteen pounds!

"Therese is going to be all right, Madame," she said thankfully. "And I think I can leave her with you, now that she's nearly five months old."

Mama was so happy. "Rose, how can I thank you?" she cried. "You saved my little girls' life!"

Rose smiled shyly as she put me into Mama's arms. "I have to go to the market now," she said. "It's the day for selling butter, and I'm late."

Of course I could not understand what Rose was saying, but it did not take long for me to realize that she had left me in a stranger's arms. At once I started to cry. Nothing could make me stop. As time passed Mama became frightened. She tried to comfort me, to sing little songs, to rock me to sleep. I wasn't interested. I wanted Rose, no one else. Finally Mama called the maid.

"Louise, what am I going to do? Therese will make herself sick with all this crying!'

Louise peered down at me. I was screaming at the top of my lungs, and my face was a deep and angry red.

"Do you really want my opinion, Madame?"

"In Heaven's name, yes! None of my other children ever acted like this."

Louise smiled. "It's simple, Madame. The child wants Rose. She won't stop crying unless we take her to her."

"But Rose is selling butter at the market!"

"She could still look after the baby, Madame. And she'd be pleased if we told her how the little one misses her."

Poor Mama! She didn't want to let go of me but there was nothing else to do. "All right," she said sadly. "Take Therese down to the market, Louise. But if she still keeps on crying, what shall we do then?"

There was no need for Mama to worry about this. As soon as Louise and I arrived at the market, where women from the farms outside Alencon were selling their butter, I began to smile. Then I laughed and laughed, for my eyes had caught sight of Rose. I stretched out my arms happily. This was what I had wanted all the time - my mother!

I stayed at the market until noon, happy and contented as Rose and her friends sold their butter. A few people asked questions about me as I lay quietly in my good friend's arms.

"Rose, I didn't know you had such a little girl as this one," they remarked. "And she has fair hair. I thought your children were dark."

Rose laughed. "Oh, the child isn't mind," she said.

"Then whose is she?"

"She belongs to the Martin family, Lord bless her! And good as gold she is, too - at least when I'm looking after her!"