Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 2.djvu/61

ST. MARY 40 iaQght her to say her prayers and sing hymns and psalms and say the responses to his prayers, and daily instructed her to hate and despise all the pleasures and vanities of the world. Her father had left her a fortnne sufficient for her dowry, hat Ahraham gave it all to the poor. When Mary was twenty, a young hermit came repeatedly to visit her uncle and receive instruction from him. One day, as Ahraham was singing the even- ing prayers and psalms, he suddenly perceived that Mary was not saying the responses ; he thought she had fallen asleep ; he called in vain, and at last with great difficulty got out of the cell in which he was immured and went round to see what was the matter. Mary was not there. Ahraham pondered and wondered for a long time hefore he was ahle to entertain the idea that she might have gone away with the young hermit. The old man hlamed himself much for having lost the lamh entrusted to him, and came to the conclusion that he could not hope to he forgiven, unless he recovered the erring soul ; so he walked off in search of her, and after much wandering he found that she was living in a certain city, rich with the gifts of her lovers and the wages of sin. He ohtained an interview and spoke so earnestly to her of her wicked life, that she was alarmed, hut said she had sinned past forgiveness and she had nowhere to go, no one to guide or hefriend her. Then he made himself known and said he would take all her sin and penance on himself. She was touched hy his anxiety for her, the trouhle he had taken to find her, and the sacrifice of his solitude, and agreed to return with him. He made a great heap of all her jewels and heautiful rohes in the court-yard of the house, and set fire to them, and when they were reduced to ashes, the pair went hack to their desert, where they spent fifteen years in penance and prayer. Mary attained to great holiness, and when she died, angels became visible and carried her sotll to heaven. Abra- ham survived her a few years. Her conversion is commemorated in the Greek Church, Oct. 29. Mary and Abraham are honoured together on that VOL. n. day and on March 16. Golden Legend. Mrs. Jameson, Sacred and Legendary Art Stadler. Baillet. St. Mary (32), the Captive, V. Daughter of Eudaemon, a Eoman noble- man in Africa. She was taken by the Vandals in the fifth century and sold into slavery with her maid, who continued to serve her in captivity. Ruinart. St. Mary (33), Jan. 26, lived in the 5th century at Constantinople, with her husband St. Xenophon and their sons, SS. Arcadius and John. They were of senatorial rank and great wealth. Their sons were studying law at Beyrout, when Xenophon fell dangerously ill and sent for them. After a short time, how- ever, feeling that his illness would pro- bably be of long duration, he advised them to return to Beyropt, and promised that before their next visit he would arrange for their marriage. He recovered almost immediately, and very soon after- wards, a report reached Constantinople that Arcadius and John were ship- wrecked. Their father and mother, ki great anxiety, set off to look for them. After long wandering, they found their sons monks at Jerusalem, and both took the habit of that quiet life, and having attained to great sanctity and the grace of miracles, " emigrated to God." Table of Russian and Greek Saints in AA.SS, Mail 1. Stadler. St. Mary (34) of Antioch, May 29, V. It is uncertain which Antioch. Daughter of a poor widow who decided that a celibate life was rather to be chosen for her child than marriage, as being free from care in this world and full of joy in the next : therefore they frequented the churches, singing and praying night and day. The devil, being displeased at their piety, stirred up a wicked man named Anthemius, one of the chief men of the city, to love Mary, watch her wherever she went, and try to tempt her and her mother to sin and disgrace by every kind of bribe, including a promise of marriage. As they rejected all his advances he swore to obtain possession of Mary, if it should cost him all he had. At the end of two years he was no further advanced with his suit than at the beginning. He