“Lord of the manor” Eugene may have thought himself, but the lord also was involved in the harvest of one of the farm products at St. Laurent. This description of the 21 year-old’s antics shows us a side of Eugene that his writing do not often portray.
I wrote you that I was having almonds shelled. I caused to be shelled about 50 loads [ed. A load is about 100 kilograms]. To carry out this task, I had gathered every evening about 20 women. I taught them songs and made them laugh. Every evening at about eleven o’clock as they were leaving, I made them do a dance on the threshing floor with flaming torches.
One day, I came up with the idea of accompanying this company to take by storm old lady Gondrane’s house. With this in mind, I brought a ladder with me which I propped up under the old lady’s window. I went up the ladder and began calling the worthy Gondrane by the sweetest names which occasioned great gusts of laughter from the accompanying throng. She responded most graciously. I called upon her to open the window for me; she was just about to do that when I found the means to open the window myself. The worthy lady did not know from whence came my voice; she thought I had climbed up on the roof. I thought it fitting to present her with a lantern in whose light she was able to see where I was located and that I was holding a bottle of white wine in my hand. It seems the old lady has a liking for this wholesome drink. So you can image her delight when she saw that her tastes were being catered to. After a little chat, I felt there was no more reason for caution. I entered her room and presented my group to her as they arrived by the same path I had taken. We performed a little dance, asked her to sing for us; without any more ado, she graciously sang Digne Janette for us. Upon which we bade her a good, holy and peaceful evening. She heaped blessings upon me, asking that God would grant her the gift of another such visit from me in ten years’ time and would still have been going at it if we had not slipped out through the door.
Since we had a good thing going, I took the arm of Jean Jauffret Frijat’s wife who comes from Moustier and can sing. We went through the whole village followed by our entire company, singing and laughing. We stopped at the homes of those we knew enjoyed a good joke and called upon them so that they appeared at their windows and begged their permission to sing them some merry little songs. We then drew ourselves up in good order and royally entertained them. When we were sure that we had awakened the whole village, we went off to bed very pleased with our night’s adventure which had lasted until one o’clock in the morning.
Letter to his father, 31 October 1803, Mejanes library, Aix.
A glimpse of a young man with a free spirit.
“Being young isn’t about age, it’s about being a free spirit. You can meet someone of 20 who’s boring and old, or you can meet someone of 70 who’s youthful and exciting.” Lesley Lawson
What a wonderful story – it shows a side of Eugene that we are not used to seeing but which were not always as blatantly evident as time went on. I am thinking of some of the wonderful people I know who are youthful and exciting – in fact I believe I have been greatly blessed for I have known many over the years. They are not quite as extravagant as they were in their younger years but then neither am I, they have quietened down a little but it is there in their sense of humour and how they lead us, their smiles and their love. Infectious – they were/are infectious in my life and able to coax a smile and happiness out of even the most reluctant soul. Many of them – sons of Eugene, and daughters too.
Its funny but this morning I think of my mother who in another few days will have been dead for 13 years, and who was unable to allow her youthful side to be free until she was in her 70’s. Like Eugene she had this ability to make others laugh and smile and enjoy themselves.
And myself – who was not quite as blatant as Eugene, but I began during my stay at Madonna House and then most certainly within my parish over the years. Not done to laugh at others but rather in love of those around me. I had forgotten how I have been and it is with a wonderful little smile that I can now look back and looked at how I have taken part in such a wonderful way of being.
My heart is laughing right now, I am really quite enjoying myself sitting here and looking at my life and those who have been such a vital part of it. What a wonderful way to start the day, to head into the weekend. Eugene, through his writings and through the love of his sons and daughters is still leading us in his spirit, for I would not have thought and reflected as I have today. How free will I allow my spirit to be today?