Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 1.djvu/493

ST. LYA 479 took his seven daughters to him to reoeive the sacred yeiL He divided his property among them at his death that each might have a place in which to serve Qod in solitude. He gave Lutmde, who was his favourite, a place called after him, Mens Sicmari. She was the first to leave her home. By the advice of Eugenius, she made a pilgrimage to Borne, lived there for three months with Justina, a devout woman ; then, in obedience to a vision, returned to her own country still accompanied by Eugenius. They had failed to procure the relics they wanted at Bome, but were directed in the same vision, to get them at the monastery of St. Maurice in Switzerland, on their way home. Passing through Bavenna on their journey, Lutrude saw a maid-servant come out of a house, and said to her, *' Gro back into the house and tell your mistress that a pilgrim asks hor hospitality." The woman answered, "You cannot lodge here, for my mistress's daughter is at the point of death." Lutrude said '< Would my presence in the house cause the death of your mistress's daughter ? " The maid went back and gave the message. The mistress ran to the door and led Lutrude into the room where the dying girl lay, and told her with tears that she had not been able to obtain of Grod that she might die and her only daughter live. Lutrude threw herself on the floor and prayed, then arose, took the maiden's hand, and raised her up in poi-fcct health. The girl who had not spoken for throe days said, '* You have come in a good hour, servant of God, to save me from premature death and to rejoice the hearts of my parents ; and now I pray you, give me food and drink with your own hands and take the veil off your own head and put it on mine and let me remain with you the rest of my life." Lutrude replied, " You cannot accompany me on my pilgrimage on account of your beauty; but if you persevere in serving God, you shall be with me in the glory of God." The parents begged Lutrude to stay with them, but as she would not be per- suaded, they conducted her with great honour to the next town on her way. This incident is also told of Sabina of Sahos. When Lutrude arrived at St. Moritz and told the Abbot George of her dream, he gave her some relics of St. Maurice and his companions of the Theban legion and accompanied her to her home, where he encouraged and assisted her iio build a church in honour of St. Maurice and have it consecrated by her own bishop. She built herself a cell close to the church and lived a very ascetic life there, taking no food but barley bread and water once or twice a week ; if any- thing better was brought to her she gave it to sick people. One day messengers came and told her that her sister Pusinna, who lived in the village of Bansion in Picardy, was ill and begged to see her. She prayed all night that she might be permitted to see her sister before her death. Early next morning she set out with Eugenius. They found Pusinna at the point of death. She had not spoken for five days but had made signs to ask if her sister was coming. The moment Lutrude came into the house, Pusinna sat up and thanked God; she told her sister she should die happy as she had seen her face again, and begged her to stay there until after her burial. Then while they both wept and prayed in each other's arms, Pasinna died. Lutrude buried her near a church of St. Mary's at Corbie in Picardy. Lutrude returned to her own cell and resumed her saintly life until she de- parted full of days and good works and the angels took her soul. Her body was buried before the altar of her church of St. Maurice, and a few days afterwards, a glass bottle of oil, which was kept before her tomb and had only once been filled, began to run over. There was a great deal of oil on the ground and people came from all directions to got it, and it cured all sorts of evils. AA.SS. Baillet. The names of the seven sisters are not alike in all accounts and some of them occur in other groups of saints. St. Lya, June 1 , M. Wife of Stephen, a German. He was tortured with his four sons at Pallonia and miraculously released from prison; they were after- wards put to death at Antissa. Lya