290 ST. VIBORADA seclusion iu her fiathor's honse, not neg- lecting anything that conld add to the happiness and comfort of her parents, vfho indulged and encouraged her devont inclinations. When her brother Hitto bocame a priest she took delight in making his clothes and everything that he wanted for his sacred ministry, and while he was studying theology in the abbey of St. Gall, she worked not only for him but for the monks and the church of that monastery, and was par- ticularly useful in making covers for their books. As soon as Hitto was or- dained priest she went to live with him, to attend to his temporal needs, and to serve God and her neighbour with greater facility. They turned their house into a hospitfld, and Hitto often brought patients on his mule or on his shoulders, to his sister, who tended them carefully. They made a pilgrimage to Rome, after which Hitto, by Yiborada's advice, be- came a monk in the abbey of St. Gall. Yiborada resumed her ascetic life. She soon had to appear before the bishop of Constance, to answer a disgraceful ac- cusation, brought against her by one of her servants. The bishop was easily convinced of her innocence, and took her with him on a visit to her brother's monastery. Afterwards she would not return to her former dwelling but had a cell built for her near a church of St. George, on a moimtain not far from St. Gall. The people understanding that she had impoverished herself by charity and had been calumniated through her sanctity and asceticism, vied with each other in giving alms for her support. She only reserved for herself the barest necessities of existence and gave all the rest to the poor who came to her from great distances. But as the concourse of those who gave to her, those who begged from her, and those who came to consult her about their salvation, occupied too much of her time and disturbed her too much, she resolved to shut herself up entirely from contact with the world. Her friend, the bishop of Constance, blessed a cell for her, beside the church of St. Magnus, a little way from St. Grail, and there, with a solemn religious ceremony, he walled her up, about the year 891, and there she lived for thirty-four years, oonver- sing with God and undisturbed by man. During that time Bachhj), a young woman of the neighbourhood, was afflicted with a dreadful incurable disease. When her parents had vainly tried all ihe or- dinary means for her recovery, they resolved to take her to Borne, Uiat she might be cured by some of the relioB of the martyrs, or at one of the shrineB of the Apostles. Yiborada hearing of their intention, sent and requested them to bring the girl to her, promising to take care of her body and soul as long as they both should live. She fulfilled her promise so well that her cares and prayers procured perfect health for Eachild, who, under her training, be- came a saint. When a war broke out in 920 between Henry the Fowler, em- peror of Grermany, and Burchard, duke of Suabia, Bachild's parents thought she would not be safe in so unguarded a place as the cell of the saint, but T^- borada made her a recluse like herself and whenever she had another attack of her illness she cured her by her prayen and her treatment. Many other women begged to be taken under her direction, but her humility and love of solitude prevented her increasing the number of her disciples ; the only one she was per- suaded to receive was Wendilgard, grand- daughter of Henry the Fowler. Her husband, Udalrio, had been taken pri- soner by the Hungarians very soon after his marriage, and was believed to have been killed. Wendilgard, partly to avoid making a second marriage, undertook a life of religious seclusion, and obtained permission to build herself a cell near that of Yiborada, whom she chose for her spiritual director. She made liberal offerings to the abbey of St. Gall, to pro- cure prayers for the repose of her hus- band's soul, gave the greater part of her property to &e poor, and kept only what was necessary for her submstence. As she had been brought up luxuriously and found it very hard to fast, Yiborada had to reprove her for her desire for good food and fresh fruit Under the influence of Yiborada she attained to such sanctity that the bishop of Oonstanoe
