Page 108 - March On! God will Provide by Brother Aubert

CONSTITUTION APPROVED 87

Father Scherpereel* as the Diocesan Inspector of Pri-
mary Schools that facilitated the Ryken efiort.
Both sides had compromised. Brother Ryken must
have been satisfied that the raiding acrivities of those at
the Bishop's College would be temporarily held in check,
but deep down he knew that if the number of pupils
able to pay was not sufficient to support both schools,
he would have to give way and accept the rerms dictated
by necessity, real or imaginary.
In fighting for his rights, Brother Ryken could be a
very determined and wily opponent. In other respects,
particularly in caring for the sick Brothers, he rvas as
tenderhearted as a woman. At this time in the infirmary
at "Het Walletje" rvas a young Brother whose illness
did not respond to the treatment of the local doctor.
Brother Ryken wrote to another doctor, a friend of his,
who lived at Courtrai, twenty-five miles from Bruges.
He told him, "The doctor forbids all food. The pa-
tient said several times that he was famished, so we
secretly gave hin two slices of bread with jam. This
distressed him, but little by little everything was all
right. Later we gave him fried potatoes. There rvas no
discomfort. In the afternoon his face was flushed and
he was perspiring."
Brother Ryken came from a long line of medical men
and he should have known better but with the sick he
was so softhearted that he could not resist doing what
he felt was the kindly thing.
The medical man in Courtrai, whom Brother Ryken
* Father Scherpereel, afterwards Monsignor-an unusual
title in Belgium, was secretary to Monsignor Corselis, Apostolic
Visitor in Belgium to all Religious except the Jesuits. He
succeeded him in this office and also as Vicar General of the
diocese.