Page 206 - March On! God will Provide by Brother Aubert

HIS LAST DAYS 185
of disassociating himself from any planning for the
Xaverian Brothers.
- Wh"l Brother Ryken had finished the long retreat,
thirty days, he was called back to "Het Wallitje.', At
first, he felt a bit odd as the difierent memberJ of the
community haltingly addressed him as "Brother Francis,',
a name that was very new to him. Assigned to take
charge of the "Infant School," he went aboul his work as
th.9-gSh he had never been the Higher Superior. His
willingness to adapt himsell to the new coriditions and
his ability to conduct himself as anorher member of the
comm-unity impressed everyone, and Bishop Malou, who;
kept himself informed, wrore ro Bishop Spalding on
May tenth: "Brother Ryken has been fulnUing tris
duties with good will."
As time went on, there were things that Brother
Francis did not like. Brother Vincent had made a com-
plete break with the past and its traditions: he did no
recruiting in Germany; during his first six months in
h:- ugg.Ited no candidates and then very sparingly;
9ffi.."
!y A-prit,.186l, he assigned rwenty-six of the itri.ty*ei,in
Brothers in Bruges to Louisville or to new foundations,
in England; he sold ''ffer IMalletje" and with the pro-
ceeds paid ofi the debt owed the Dujardin Bank.
Brother Francis questioned the wisdom of all these
moves but especially the sale of "Het Walletje', when
the community-what was left of it-had to live in a
hired house which was too small. In his opinion this
house, the de Clyncke residence in Nieuwitraat near
the School of Our Lady, afforded no privacy. One of
the Canons from the Cathedral still ociupied an apart-
ment in the house, as he had done before the Brolhers
moved in, and he saw no reason why he should break
his lease. Neither did Brother Vincent who used to join
him in the evening for a quiet smoke and a pleasant chat.