By
degrees he was taught the whole of the Catholic doctrine, and was
received into the Church. None of his family, however, would follow his
example. Exposure to cold and wet brought on an illness, of which he
died, in a very pious manner. A short time after his death, his wife
was one morning sweeping about the open door of her house, when her
husband walked in, and sat down on a seat by the fire, and began to ask
her how she did. She answered that she was well, and hoped he was happy
where he was. He replied that he was, at that time; that, at first, he
had passed through Purgatory, and had undergone a brief purification;
but that, when this was ended, he had been taken to the enjoyment of
the bliss of God in heaven. He remained talking to her some little time
longer, then he bade her farewell, and disappeared.
The woman applied to a Catholic priest for instruction; and it was
found that, although she had never in her life read a Catholic book,
nor conversed about the Catholic religion with any one, she had
acquired a complete knowledge of the doctrine of Purgatory from that
short interview with her husband. She, too, became a Catholic. The
author was told this story by one who was a member of the community of
Ampleforth at the time.
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