JANUARY 4

Let us further illustrate although in a small and inadequate way the ability of Don Bosco to deal with boys. We have, related how Don Bosco had the special ability to deal with boys. On certain feasts he gave marvelous proofs of his various skills. The last was given in 1864. He did not however leave aside those games which required only sleight of hand and in the ordinary recreations he sometimes used to alternate them with tricks. 

One day a gentleman came to visit Don Bosco in the refectory after dinner. After having talked with him for some time the saint came out under the porticoes. Immediately the boys noticed him, they ran as usual to gather around him. Don Bosco after he had made them go back a little told them all to sit down in a large circle. He himself also sat down on the pavement. Then turning to the gentleman who stood looking at him in surprise he asked him to lend him his stick and invited him to be seated on a stool which had been brought. Then taking the stick he commenced to perform some very difficult feats. He made it jump from the tip of one finger to another, then to his arms, his elbows, his shoulders and his nose without ever touching with his hand or without letting it fall. The boys were almost beside themselves with wonder for days afterwards, they would talk of nothing else. 

However these games and tricks did not make him forget his vigilance over his flock. He was in very truth, an expert in knowing his own reason to think they were treating of improper things or murmuring. He would call one and ask, "can you do me a favor? Take the key to my room, and bring me such and such a book from the bookshelf." The boy would run there, but generally the book was not to be found. At the end of the recreation he would return to Don Bosco; thanking him he would send him to school. At another time he would send one to the door-keeper to see if such a stranger had arrived or not, a second to look for a companion with whom he wanted to speak, a third to see if the Prefect were in his office, a fourth to bring a biretta, to deliver a letter or to ask a teacher some school roll. He was in truth very ingenious in devising such ways. The boys being constrained to bring back an answer used to run as quickly as they could, content to be of service to Don Bosco without ever dreaming of the reason why they had been sent on such a mission. -Don Bosco was extremely prudent, for he knew only too well that a suspicious superior causes murmuring, irritates those who are not too good, renders suspicious those whom he ought to lead to good and loses the affection of all.