her heart and mouth, and expressed her miserable condition with rising sobs, she was suddenly overcome by sleep and fell into a trance.

Behold, her kindly father, clothed in white, in glorious garments, came down into her dark cell and began to speak to her in sweet words, "Get up, beloved daughter, get up and do not fear! Receive the sign of complete healing and keep your promise intact!" Then he took her by the hand and lifted her up, and disappeared. She turned here and there in the cell, not realizing what the servant of God had done for her. She still thought she was seeing a vision.

Finally she went to the window and made the usual sign. A monk came right away, and marveling beyond belief said to her, "What happened, mother, to enable you to get up?" But she still thought she was dreaming and that it was not really he, so she told him to light the fire. When the lamp was brought, she recovered her senses. She felt no pain and proceeded to recount in order all ^{Est 15:9} that had happened.

Chapter XVIII
VARIOUS MIRACLES

¹⁸²An eighty year old woman from the diocese of Sabino had two daughters. When one of them died, her infant son was given to the other to nurse. Then when this one conceived a child with her husband, the milk in her breasts stopped. No one could be found to help the orphaned child, no one to provide a drop of milk for the thirsty baby. The fretful old woman was distressed over her grandson, but since she was extremely poor, she did not know where to turn. As the boy grew weaker and faded, the compassionate grandmother was dying with him. The old woman went about through streets and houses ^{Sg 3:2} and no one could escape her cries.

One night she put her withered breast in the boy's mouth to alleviate his squalling, and tearfully begged for the help and advice of blessed Francis. The lover of the age of innocence was immediately there, to show his usual mercy to the miserable. "Woman," he said, "I am Francis whom you called with so many tears. Put your breasts in the baby's mouth, for the Lord will give you milk in abundance." The old woman did what she was told, and straightaway her eighty year old breasts filled with milk.

This became known to all who saw with their own eyes, to their amazement, that the bent old woman glowed with the warmth of youth. Many came to see; among them was the count of that province, who had to admit from experience what he doubted about the rumor. When the count arrived and was investigating everything

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