31. Catholic block, 1865

In the summer of 1864 this is how we were lodged. I had shortened the store in such a way that I could have my bed in the back. This was done before my sickness. Then came the room for my wife and the three children. The fourth one slept on the sofa. The adjoining room served as kitchen. As I had only a few feet of yard, I had rented ten feet of the church's yard, where I had built a shed. There we had our wood, then soon we kept there an infinite number of things, for which we had no room elsewhere.

In the summer the children were sent to the Kaufman's, one mile from town, so that they might breathe the country air; and when they returned in the Autumn, we found ourselves in close quarters. I was praying for larger space, and was expecting an answer. And then one day in November, I was informed that I must move my shed, as the yard of the church was going to be sold. In that case I could no longer stay in the store. So I said to Fanny, "God will give us another house; He will not take from us our shed without having another place for us." That very day Prince came into the store to have his watch regulated. I told him that I was having to move my shed; and I asked him if he had a place for me. He asked me how I should like Dugan's store. I answered, "I should like it very much." He told me that it would be vacant the 1st of December; and I told him that I would take it. This meant that I should take the entire building, and the rent was six hundred dollars per year. At the end of a few days he brought me the lease, and in reading it, I saw that he reserved two rooms upstairs, which served as the meeting place for some Catholics. I thought that those dirty Irish would not miss letting water fall on the floor, as Stephenson had done, and that we should always be bothered by the dripping. We had suffered much when Stephenson had tipped over his bucket, and even his chamber pot, which dripped through the floor on to our table.

I felt that God was with me in this affair; and I wanted the lease written as the bargain had been made. Prince became angry. We were astonished; but we were firm, for we knew that we were in God's hands. He had the power to give us a building, for the having of which we should not have to abase ourselves before man. As we were making these reflections, Hefferman brought us in the lease as we wanted it. Our first exclamation was, "God be praised!"

Fanny went immediately to Cathcart, member of the commission of the Episcopalians, to pray that we might have the use of the yard until we should move. The commission gave us until the New Year.

We employed a carpenter to work all the month of December to make the set of shelves, the counters, the drawers, and other things. The painter also did his part, so that the place was ready December 31st, and that day we moved to Catholic Block.

Toward the end of December, I had my eye trouble, as I had had it several times in the past. When one eye became inflamed, I had to cover the other one also, or the inflammation would have grown worse. And in moving, what need one has for one's eyes; I prayed God to heal me for the 31st of December, that we might move. When we got up that day, the eye was still red; but by the time we were ready to carry out our things, the eye well. I have passed through many trials out of which God has delivered me admirably, when I asked Him in faith, believing.

On the first of January 1865, we found ourselves installed in our new place, without accident of any kind; and glad of the change.

We knew a French woman about forty years old, intelligent, and who seemed of good repute. She had come at the invitation of a brother, who was a drunkard, and a man without character. He stole from her all he could. She quit him and went to work with some French people; and everywhere they stole from her. She had been a nun and employed in teaching; but not liking the conditions, she had quit, and had become engaged to a mechanic of her own age. In coming to America, she had thought that they would marry, and live their lives in a Protestant country, avoiding thus the disgrace which would have been loaded upon her in a Catholic country. As we had the room, we took her into our home. She gave French lessons in town, and was as a member of our family. She paid us nothing; but she helped Fanny according to the amount of time she had. She was a likeable character; and she read her Bible, though remaining a Catholic. She was with us for nine months, then returned to France to be married. That then was Mlle. Marie, now Mme. Boileau.

In the Springtime we learned that Mr. John N. Darby, [not in original:leader in the Brethren movement], was in Milwaukee, at the Alex McEwen's. I went to see him at the very time of Lincoln's funeral. [Linclon d. 15 Apr 1865; bur 4 May 1865] Darby was a well-built man, with a white beard. He was of easy access, and in his meditations, he was at the same time simple and profound. I told him of my difficulties with Kaufman. His answer was, "It is not glorifying to the Lord to allow these sayers of nothing to speak." That was all that he said upon the subject; but I was glad to have made his acquaintance.

After my return Kaufman made one of his meditations. There was but one stranger there, Mlle. Marie. He started thundering against the Catholics, and spoke about St. Bartelemy [Bl. Bartholomew of Marmoûtier [Bartelemy] (French, Benedictine abbot, archbishop of Tours, d. 1067] with the intention of insulting him. After the meeting, I drew him out into the yard and said, "Do you think that you very much edified Mlle. Marie?" He answered that he had used his gifts for exhortation. I quoted, "Let all things be done unto edifying.

It’s better to be quiet, he said: "Yes, it would be better," I told him. So he ceased coming to the meeting.

[Il faudrait donc se taire, me dit-il: celà vaudrait mieux, lui répondis-je. Alors il cesa de venir à nos réunions]