ly enrolled himself, and Bonadona declared that she would
join her husband. Encouraged by this good beginning, Francis publicly
announced his intentions, and a number of men and women came and
offered themselves to him. So, one day, in the Church, in the sight of
many spectators, he clothed them in a simple, modest dress of
ash-grey, and the first group, or rather the first fraternity, was
formed.

Lucchese persevered nobly in his good works. He was no longer content
with merely helping those who came to him, but he travelled great
distances to find the suffering. Sometimes he was to be seen leading
three or four poor creatures, and carrying the weakest of them on his
back! When once they were in his house, he cared for them, body and
soul, and many of them were converted, and some joined the Third
Order. Close to where Lucchese lived, there were large tracts of
swampy, malarial country. Every summer fever was sure to break out
there. Lucchese saw this place now as a beautiful field for Tertiary
labor. He bought an ass, and, loading it with suitable drugs and food,
he went down into the fever swamps, and did his best in the capacity
of doctor and nurse and priest all in one. His wife was always ready
to help him in all his good works.

His death is reported to have been "serene and grand as that of a
patriarch." He and his wife were both taken ill together. She got
worse rapidly, and they came to tell him of it. They carried him to
her side. Kissing her an affectionate farewell, he said--

"Oh, my beloved and devoted companion, we have served God together in
all affection. Wait for me, we shall be permitted to go together to
the unspeakable joys!"

He returned to his room and lay down in great weakness. Those around
saw that his last hour had come.

"My dear brother," said one of the Friars Minor, who stood beside him,
"be strong and prepare thy soul to appear before thy Saviour."

Lucchese raised his head a little and smiled.

"My good father," he said, "If I had waited till now to prepare my
soul I should still have confidence in God's mercy, but to tell the
truth I should leave the world with less security, on account of the
terrors of the passage."

But the passage had no terrors for Lucchese. He raised his arms and
said--

"I feel myself free and ready, not through my merits, but through
those of our Lord Jesus Christ." A few minutes after the death of his
wife, he, too, followed her to Heaven.

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