ST. BRIDGET 
thus to want to associate with the lowly rather than 
with her social equals, but that made no difference to 
Bridget. Society has always been about the same in 
its magnification of trivialities no matter what the 
stage of civilization and Bridget was one of those 
who realized the truth of the Scriptural expression 
fascinatio nugacitatis obscurat bona, ‘‘the witchery 
of trifles obscures what is worth while in life.” 
Strange as it may seem at that period in the 
world’s history Bridget insisted on finding the oppor- 
tunity to live the life of the mind and the spirit 
rather than to follow after the cult of things and 
fortunately Patrick was able to help her so effectively 
that she was prompted to take up the task of found- 
ing a religious community in which her Irish fellow 
country women might have the opportunity to seek 
happiness apart from marriage. Her parents were 
very much opposed to this idea of hers and all those 
around her who liked the beautiful kindly girl whose 
gentleness of disposition and care for others had 
endeared her to all hearts showed unmistakably 
that they too felt that her place was with her parents 
and her friends rather than in what they considered 
the narrow limitations of a religious community. It 
has often been remarked that not infrequently it is 
just those who become convinced of their vocation to 
a religious life whose charming dispositions make 
them the most missed by their relatives and render 
separation from them seem all the harder for friends 
who know them well. There are those even who 
do not hesitate to say that some of the others who 
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