THE SILVER CROWN

Another Book of Fables

BY LAURA E. RICHARDS

Author of "Captain January," "TheGolden Windows," "The Joyous Storyof Toto," etc.

BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, ANDCOMPANY 1919

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COPYRIGHT, 1906, BY LITTLE,BROWN, AND COMPANY.

All rights reserved

Printers S. J. PARKHILL & CO.,BOSTON, U. S. A.

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TO MY SISTER

MAUD HOWE ELLIOTT

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A WINTER THOUGHT

Hast thou e'er a grief, dear? Lock it inthy heart! Keep it, close it, Sacred andapart; Lest another, at thy sigh, Hear his

sorrow stir and cry. Wakeful watchdoth sorrow keep: Hush it! hide it! bidit sleep!

Hast thou e'er a joy, love? Bind it on thybrow! Vaunt it, flaunt it, All the worldto know. Where the shade lies dim andgray, Turn its glad and heartsome ray.Does thy sad-browed neighbor smile?So thy life was worth the while!

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CONTENTS

PAGE

THE SILVER CROWN 1 THE

GRUMPY SAINT 5 THEHOUSEKEEPER 9 BROTHERBARNABAS 12 THE FATES 14 THESTEPS 16 THE GLASS 19 IN THESHADED ROOM 21 HELL GATE 24THE THORN 25 THE SERPENT 27IF THIS SHOULD BE. I 28 IF THISSHOULD BE. II 30 THE FEAST 32THE SPIRIT 35 THE ROOTS 37ALONG THE WAY 39 THE GRAVEDIGGERS 42 THE SICK CHILD 44AT LONG LAST 48 GILLYFLOWERGENTLEMAN 50 THE JUDGMENT52 THE BLIND CHILD 54 THECAKE 56 THE SERMON 59 THETANGLED SKEIN 61 THENURSLING 64 WORMWOOD 67THE PIT 69 HOSPITALITY 73 THE

POT 75 THE BODY 76 THE RULER79 THE TORCH-BEARER 81 THESTONE BLOCKS 83 THE POTTER85 THE NEIGHBOUR 87 THEWOUND 88 THE WHITE FIRE. I 90THE WHITE FIRE. II 94 FOR YOUAND ME 96 THE PICTURE BOOK98 THE FLOWER OF JOY 100 THEBURNING HOUSE 102 THEPLANT 104

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THE SILVER CROWN

A BOOK OF FABLES

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THE SILVER CROWN

"And shall I be a king?" asked thechild, "and shall I wear a crown?"

"You shall surely wear a crown," saidthe Angel, "and a kingdom is waitingfor you."

"Oh, joy!" said the child. "But tell me,how will it come about? for now I amonly a little child, and the crown wouldhardly stay on my curls."

"Nay! that I may not tell," said the

Angel. "Only ride and run your best,for the way is long to your kingdom,and the time short."

So the child rode and ran his best,crossing hills and valleys, broad streamsand foaming torrents. Here and therehe saw people at work or at play, andon these he looked eagerly.

"Perhaps, when they see me," he said,"they will run to meet me, and willcrown me with a golden crown, andlead me to their palace and throne methere as king!"

But the folk were all busy with theirtasks or their sport, and none heeded

him, or left their business for him; andstill he must fare forward alone, for theWay called him.

Also, he came upon many travellers likehimself, some coming toward him,others passing him by. On these, too, helooked earnestly, and would stop nowone, now another, and question him.

"Do you know," he asked, "of anykingdom in these parts where thecrown is ready and the folk wait for aking?"

Then one would laugh, and anotherweep, and another jeer, but all alikeshook their heads.

"I am seeking crown and kingdom formyself," cried one; "is it likely that I canbe finding one for you, too? Each onefor himself, and the Way for all!"

Another said: "You seek in vain. Thereare no crowns, only fools' caps withasses' ears and bells that jingle in them."

But others, and these they who hadbeen longest on the way, only lookedon him, some sadly, some kindly, andmade no answer; and still he faredonward, for the Way called him.

Now and then he stopped to help somepoor soul who had fallen into trouble,

and when he did that the way lightenedbefore him, and he felt the heart lightwithin him; but at other times the hurrywas strong on him, so that he wouldturn away his face, and shut his ears tothe cries that rang in them; and whenhe did that, the way darkened, andoftentimes he stumbled himself, andfell into pits and quagmires, and mustcry for help, sometimes on those towhom he had refused it.

By and by he forgot about the crownand the kingdom; or if he thought ofthem, it was but as a far-off dream ofdim gold, such as one sees at morningwhen the sun breaks through the mist.But still he knew that the way was long

and the time short, and still he rodeand ran his best.

At the last he was very weary, and hisfeet could carry him no further, when,looking up, he saw that the way came toan end before him, and there was agate, and one in white sitting by it, whobeckoned to him. Trembling, yet glad,the child drew near, and knew theAngel who had spoken to him at thebeginning.

"Welcome!" said the Angel, "you comein good time. And what of the Way?"

"I came as fast as I could," said thechild, "but many things hindered me,

and now I am weary, and can go nofurther."

"But what did you find on the way?"asked the Angel.

"Oh! I found joy and sorrow," said thechild, "good measure of both; butnever a crown, such as you promisedme, and never a kingdom."

"Oh, dear, foolish child," said theAngel. "You are wearing your crown. Itis of purest silver, and shines like whitefrost; and as for your kingdom, thename of it is Rest, and here theentrance to it."

THE GRUMPY SAINT

Once upon a time there was a GrumpySaint, who thought that all the worldwere sinners, himself included. Helived in a little cabin by the roadside,and his life was a burden to him onaccount of the passers-by.

They gave him no peace. Now it was apoor man asking for food.

"Go along with you!" said the GrumpySaint. "It is an abomination to feedsturdy beggars like you."

And he gave the man his dinner, andwent hungry.

Again, it was an old woman, creepingalong the road, bent double under aheavy burden.

"Shame on you!" said the GrumpySaint. "Why are you not at home,tending your fire, instead of gaddingalong the road in this fashion?"

And he took the burden, and carried itall the way to the woman's house, andcame back grumbling.

Still again it was a child, who had lostits way and came crying to his door.

"Please take me home!" said the child.

"You should not have come out!" saidthe Saint. "Where is your home?"

"Miles away!" said the child. "And I amtired; please carry me!"

"Stuff and nonsense!" said the Saint."Don't talk to me!"

And he wrapped the child in his owncoat (for it was winter), and carried himmiles through the snow to his home;and then trudged back again, butwithout the coat, for the folk werepoor.

And so it went on.

One day the Grumpy Saint died, andwent to Heaven, a place in which hehad never believed. As he entered thatcountry, the first person he met was anAngel, with a bright gold aureole roundher head, and in her hand a staff oflilies.

"Welcome!" said the Angel. "Welcome,dear and great saint! I am sent to greetyou, and lead you to the feast that ismaking in your honor."

"Some mistake!" said the GrumpySaint. "I don't know what you are

talking about, and I don't like play-acting. What place is this?"

"This is Heaven!" said the Angel.

"Nonsense!" said the Saint. "I don'tbelieve in Heaven."

"Yes, but you are in it," said the Angel,"which is of more consequence."

"And who may you be?" asked theSaint. "I seem to know your face."

"Yes!" said the Angel. "I am the oldwoman you helped with the burden;don't you remember? the rest arewaiting inside, all the people whom you

loved and helped. Come with me!"

"I don't know what you are talkingabout!" said the Saint. "But if I am togo with you, first take off thatridiculous object on your head! I don'tlike play-acting, I tell you, and I havenever believed in this kind of thing."

The Angel smiled; and leading him to aclear pool that lay beside the road, badehim look in. He looked, and saw twowhite-clad figures bending over thewater, and round the head of each theshining circle.

"Bless my soul!" cried the GrumpySaint. "I've got one too!"

"To be sure!" said the Angel.

"Preposterous!" said the Grumpy Saint.

THE HOUSEKEEPER

One day Love went to and fro in hishouse, looked from door and window,and had no rest.

"I am weary," he said, "of this littlehouse. Strait are the walls of it, andnarrow the windows, and from themalways the same things to see. I must befree; I must fly, or of what use are my

wings?"

So he took his red robe about him andflew out, leaving door and windowstreaming wide to the cold wind.

But when he was gone came one in alittle gown of green, (green for hope,Sweetheart; green for hope!) andentered the house, and shut door andwindow; swept the hearth clean andmended the fire, and then set herselfdown and sang, and minded her seam.Ever when the flame burned low shebuilt it up, and now and then shelooked out of window to see if anyone were coming; but mostly she satand sang, and kept the house tidy and

warm.

Now by and by Love was weary withflying hither and yon; cold he was, too,and night coming on; and as the duskfell, he saw a light shining bright on theedge of the wold.

"Where there is light there will bewarmth!" said Love; and he flew near,and saw that it was his own little house.

"Oh! who keeps my house alight?"cried Love.

He opened the door, and the air camewarm to greet him.

"Oh! who keeps my house warm?"cried Love. And he looked, and sawone in a little gown of green, (green forhope, Sweetheart; oh! green for hope!)mending the fire, and singing as sheworked.

"Who are you, who keep my house?"asked Love.

"Kindness is my name!" said the littlehousekeeper.

"Outside it is cold and empty," saidLove, "and the wind blows over thewaste; may I come in and warm me bythe fire?"

"Oh! and welcome!" said Kindness. "Itwas for you I kept it."

"My red robe is torn and draggled,"said Love. "May I wrap me in the gownyou are making?"

"Oh! and welcome," said Kindness. "Itis for you it was making, and now it isfinished."

Love bent over the fire and warmed hispoor cold hands.

"Oh!" he cried; "now that I am back inmy house I would never leave it again.But what of my wings, lest they put theflight in me once more?"

"Suppose I clip them," said Kindness,"with my little scissors!"

"How are your scissors called, dear?"

"Peace-and-Comfort is their name!"said Kindness.

So Kindness clipped the wings ofLove; and this one swept the hearth,and that one mended the fire, and allwent well while they kept the housetogether.

BROTHER BARNABAS

One came to Brother Barnabas seekingconsolation.

"Ah!" said the good Brother. "My heartbleeds for you. You are in affliction,bereft of some one dearer, it may be,than life itself. My sympathy"

"No!" said the man. "My friends, suchas they are, are all living."

"I see!" said Brother Barnabas. "Bodilypain has set its sharp tooth in you; thatis indeed hard to bear. Let me"

"No!" said the man. "I am in goodhealth, so far as that goes."

"Alas!" said Brother Barnabas. "Mypoor brother, then it is sin that weighsupon you, the cruellest burden of all.Truly, I grieve for you."

"What do you mean?" said the man. "Ihave never broken a commandment inmy life."

"Ah!" said Brother Barnabas. "I beginto perceive"

"I was sure you would!" said the man."I am misunderstood "

"Not by me!" said Brother Barnabas."Begone!" and he shut the door on

him.

THE FATES

The high Fates sat weaving, weaving attheir loom, and I, poor soul, camecrying at the door, asking a boon attheir hands.

Those great ladies did not turn theirheads, nor stint the flying shuttle; butone of them spoke, and she theyoungest, and her voice was like thewind over the sea.

"What would you?" she said.

And I said, "That which you had of meyesterday."

"Is it your sin, that turned your cupblood red?"

"Nay; for I drained the cup, andwashed it clean with my tears."

"Is it your sorrow, that changed thegreen world to black about you?"

"Nay; for I wrapped me in it as in amantle, and now I should go coldwithout it."

"What then?" she asked; and ever as she

spoke, back and forth, back and forth,the shuttle flew.

"Oh, what but my blunder! when Iwould make a path for my Love's whitefeet, and set instead a snare for them, toher hurt?"

Then those high ladies spoke alltogether; cold, sweet, steadfast were thevoices of them, and the shuttlehumming through.

"Even now the shuttle is threaded withyour fault, and naught may stay its way.Go, poor soul, empty and crying as youcame; yet take one comfort with you.Even of this, even of this, the Web had

need!"

THE STEPS

"When you come to the city, seek outthe House of Wisdom, for it is the besthouse, and there you shall do well."

That was what the old people said tothe boy when he started on his journey,and he kept the saying well in mind.

"How shall I know the house?" he hadasked them; and they answered, "By thelook of the steps before the door, andby the number of people who go in

and out. More we may not tell you."

The boy pondered these sayings as hejourneyed.

"It will be a fine house, no doubt," hesaid. "I shall know it by its size andsplendor; but as for what they said ofthe steps, I make little of that part."

By and by he came to the city, andlooked about him eagerly for theHouse of Wisdom. Presently, on hisright, he saw a house of plain yet statelyaspect. Clear were its windows andhigh, and from one a face looked athim of a reverend man, calm and kind.

"Might that be Wisdom?" thought theboy. Then he looked at the steps, andsaw them high and steep, and shiningwhite, as if they had little use. The doorstood open wide, but few came or wentthrough it.

"This cannot be the House ofWisdom!" said the boy. "I must seekfarther."

So he went farther. And presently hesaw on his left a house rich and gay ofaspect, shining with gold, and all thewindows flung up to the air; and fromone window a face of a fair womanlaughed on him, and beckoned, andwaved a tinsel scarf with bells that

tinkled sweetly on his ear.

"Oh," said the boy, "if this might butbe the House of Wisdom! but what ofthe steps before the door?"

He looked at the steps; and they werewide and shallow, and trodden intoholes and valleys by many feet; and upthose steps, and through the open door,a throng was constantly passing,laughing and singing, and pelting oneanother with flowers and spangles.

"Ah," said the boy, "this is, indeed, theHouse of Wisdom! for true it is that Ican tell by the steps, and by the peoplewho go in and out."

And he entered the House of Folly.

THE GLASS

"This is extremely interesting!" said theman. "You say that I am not one beingbut many, and that your glass will showme my component parts as separateentities?"

"Precisely!" said the WanderingMagician.

The man looked in the glass.

"Here I see several beings!" he said."Some of them are distinguished-looking, that one on horseback, forexample, and the one with the lyre. Butothers have a frivolous air, and there isone with positively a low expression;and yet he is attractive too, when I lookcloser, and I seem to know him. Whatare these creatures?"

"These are your tastes!" said theWandering Magician.

"Oh!" said the man. "Well, some ofthem are certainly elegant and refined.But whom have we here? what strangepigmies are these?"

"Your virtues!" said the Magician.

"Dear me!" said the man. "Yes, to besure, I recognize them. But what makesthem so small?"

"This is not a magnifying glass!" saidthe Magician.

"But they are pretty!" said the man."Beautiful, I may say. That little fellowwith the twinkle in his eye and his coatout at elbows; he is charming, if I dosay it. But what is going on now? herecomes a crowd of big, hulking,ruffianly fellows, jostling the littlepeople and driving them to the wall.What a villainous-looking set! Their

faces are wholly strange to me; what arethey?"

"Your vices!" said the WanderingMagician.

But when the man would have fallenupon him, he was gone.

IN THE SHADED ROOM

The shaded room was still; the doctorand the nurse sat watching by thebedside; the firelight crept into thecorners and whispered to the shadows:there was no other sound.

"You think you are ready to go?" askedthe Angel-who-attends-to-things.

"Yes!" said the man. "I have drained theCup from brim to bitter lees; I haveread the Book from cover to cover. Iam ready."

"Humph!" said the Angel-who-attends-to-things. "Well, come along!" and heled the man out, but did not shut thedoor after him.

The man had lived in state andsplendor, and he had thought thatsome ceremony would attend hisdeparture, but there was nothing of the

sort. The only change was, that as hewent along the Angel seemed to begrowing very tall, and he very little, sothat he had to reach up to hold thestrong white hand, and his feet werewell-nigh taken from under him by thesweep of the great white robes; also hefelt afraid and foolish, he knew notwhy.

So they came at last to a gate, throughwhich many children were passing withglad faces, carrying tablets of amberand pearl; and beside the gate satanother Angel, writing in a book; andwhen a child passed in, this Angelnodded and smiled to him, and wrote aword in his book.

Now the Angel of the Gate looked up,and saw the Angel-who-attends-to-things, and beside him the man,holding fast to his hand, and feelingafraid and foolish.

"From the Primary Department?" askedthe Angel of the Gate.

"Yes!" said the other, who never wastedwords.

The Angel of the Gate looked the manover carefully. "His hands are dirty!" hesaid at length.

"Yes!" said the Angel-who-attends-to-

things; "he has not learned to keepthem clean."

"And there is mud on his feet!"

"Yes, he will walk in the mire."

"And his clothes are torn, and stainedwith blood."

"Yes, he has been quarrelling with hisbrother and beating him."

At this the man found his voice andcried out, though he felt more afraidand foolish than ever, and his voicesounded high and thin, like that of atiny child.

"I have no brother!" said the man.

The two Angels looked at each other.

"You see!" said the Angel-who-attends-to-things. "I knew how it would be."

Then he turned to the man. "Run alongback," he said, "and try to do betternext time. I left the door open for you."

And in the shaded room, while thefirelight whispered to the shadows inthe corners, the doctor rose from thebedside, and spoke softly to the nurse.

"The crisis is past," he said, "he will

live."

HELL GATE

Hell Gate clanged behind the youth,and those without stood and lookedone upon another.

First came his friend, and said to thekeeper of the gate:

"Let him out! he is young, and his workstill to do. Who knows but he mayamend, and do it yet?"

Next came his Love, and clasped the

bars, and wept upon them.

"Let him out!" she cried. "We are tooyoung to die, and without him I cannotlive."

Last came his mother, for she had along way to come.

"What is all this ado?" she said. "Let mein to him!" and she broke the bars andentered.

THE THORN

When the youth started, he passed

through the Forbidden Wood, andwandered there, plucking and tastingthe fruit, smelling the flowers, evil andsweet; and as he plucked and smelled, itchanced that a thorn entered his breast,for it lay open. He took little heed, forhe was young, and the life strong inhim; so the thorn made its way in, andpresently was buried in the flesh; andhe forgot it, for it gave him no hurt.

By and by he came out of that wood,and shook the dust of it from his feet,and set his face toward the mountains,for a voice told him that there heshould find his life and his Love. Andso it fell, for as he fared on, his Lovecame to meet him, and he knew her,

and she him. Then each held out armsof longing, and embraced the othertenderly, speaking fond words; butwhen the maiden pressed her armsabout the man, a pang shot through hisbreast, bitter as death; and he trembled,for he knew it for the piercing of thethorn.

The man set his teeth, that he mightmake no outcry, and then he looked athis Love: and see! she was snow-pale,and held her heart with both hands, asif in pain.

"What is it?" cried the man. "Whathurts my Love?" and she answered, "Iknow not; a pang shot through my

heart, bitter as death."

"Oh, Love, what like was the pang?"cried the man; and heard her wordsbefore she spoke; for she said, "Like thepiercing of a thorn!"

THE SERPENT

Three boys were playing together in afield; and as they played, one passing bycalled to them: "Beware! in the cornerof that field is a poisonous serpent,whose bite is death."

"Alas!" said one child. "How terrible, to

think that anything evil should be in aplace so lovely. Let me flee from it!"and he wept, and ran from the place.

"Why," said the second child, "shouldsuch a thing be here? what is the reasonof it?" and he found him a safe place,and sat down to ponder on the matter.

The third child picked up a stone."Show it to me!" he said.

IF THIS SHOULD BE

I

In the Place of Spirits, where manycome seeking a home, and all who earnshall find one, a band of child-spiritsplayed about their door, singing, andcrowning one another with flowers.And as they played, there drifted by agray Shape, and stayed beside the gate,and wrung its shadowy hands.

Said the eldest child to the Angel whowas their guardian; "Dear, there is oneseeking a home; shall we call her in?"

"Oh, hush! oh, hush!" said the Angel."You may not speak to her."

"But," said the second child, "she stopsat our gate, and gazes at us with

mournful eyes. Let us call her in!"

"Oh, hush! oh, hush!" said the Angel."You may not look at her."

"Nay!" cried the youngest; "but sheholds out her arms, and makes a moanlike the wind at night. Why may we notcall her in?"

Then the Angel wept, for she had beena woman.

"Must I tell you?" she cried. "It is shewho should have been your mother,and she would not."

The children gazed, with calm, bright

eyes. "What is a mother?" they asked.

"Alas! alas!" said the Angel; and hertears fell down like rain.

"Alas! alas!" moaned the gray Shape atthe gate, and beat the shadow that washer breast, and trailed away in thegathering dusk.

IF THIS SHOULD BE

II

When the Little Sister went away, it wasin such haste that she left her convent

robes behind; and this troubled her sothat she spoke of it to the Angel at theGate. "You see," she said, "I had noidea that I was coming; I fell asleep inmy cell, and woke up in this beautifulhomelike place. But these whitegarments are not suitable for me; couldI find a black robe, do you think?"

"Oh no!" said the Angel; "we all wearwhite here, and it is so much prettierand more becoming. Besides, you mustmake haste, for they have been waitinglong for you."

"Who have been waiting?" asked theLittle Sister in wonder.

"The children, to be sure!" said theAngel. "See! there they come, runningto meet you."

The Little Sister looked, and there camehastening toward her a lovely band,little children and older ones, withfloating locks and starry eyes, and allthe eyes fixed on her with looks oflove, and all the arms stretched out toher with gestures of longing.

"Oh, the darling, darling children!"cried the Little Sister. "Oh, the littleangels! Now I know that this is heavenindeed."

She fell on her knees, and the children

clustered round her, caressing her, andmurmuring sweet words in her ear; andall in a moment the hunger that hadbeen at her heart through the years wasstilled, and she opened her arms andgathered the children to her breast andwept; happy tears were those!

"Sweethearts," cried the Little Sister;"dear loves, tell me, whose light and joyand blessing are you?"

"Yours, of course!" answered thechildren.

THE FEAST

The little Prince was coming; and in thedim, rich house that was his, somechildren were making ready a feast forhim. They strewed sweet flowers, andlighted the candles, and made ready thetable, white and fair, with the gold andsilver service.

"It should stand here!" said one.

"Nay!" said another; "this is the placefor it; and the candles must be overyonder." And he moved them.

"That I will never consent to!" said thefirst. "Let me do things properly, whileyou go and change your dress for a

suitable one."

"I shall not change my dress!" said thesecond child.

"Oh, shame!" said the first.

While they wrangled, the children ofthe wood peeped in at the door, raggedand rosy and bright-eyed, and laughed,and ran away.

"Let us make a feast too," they said,"even if we have no fine things."

They set them down under a great oaktree that grew beside the way, and onegathered acorn cups, and another

pulled burdock leaves and laid them fora cloth, and a third plucked the wildstrawberries that shone like rubies inthe grass.

"Here is a fine feast!" cried the woodchildren.

Just then along came the little Prince,and they called to him, "Come and playwith us, and share our feast!"

"With all my heart!" said the littlePrince. "But are there not otherchildren in the house yonder whowould like to join us?"

"Nay, they are busy quarrelling!" said

the wood children.

"Then we do not want them!" said thelittle Prince. He sat down with themunder the oak tree, and they all ate anddrank and were right merry.

But the children in the dim, rich housepulled the table this way and that, andmoved the lights hither and yon, andlooked at their delicate robes andsighed: "The little Prince is long incoming!" they said.

THE SPIRIT

A man was toiling, seeking, toiling, byhot sun and cold moon, with pickaxeand with spade; and as he toiled therecame a bright Spirit, and looked him inthe face, and smiled.

"Who are you, fair Spirit?" asked theman. And the other answered, "Myname is Truth!"

Then the man threw down his pick andspade, and ran, and brought costlyrobes and wrapped the Spirit in them;and set him on a throne, and boundhim fast with chains of gold, andcovered his face with a veil of preciousweb, and fell down and worshippedhim. Happy man was he!

Now by and by as he worshipped atraveller came by that way, and stoppedto look.

"Fair answer to your prayers, brother!"said the traveller. "What God do youworship?"

And the man said, "The Spirit ofTruth."

"Nay!" said the other; "how can thatbe? I met that spirit but now upon theroad. Gipsying along he was, light-foot,light-clad, and over his shoulderpickaxe and spade."

Then the man cried out in terror, andran to the throne, and pulled the veilaway, and tore the robes apart: and lo!the veil holding empty air, and the greatrobes folded in upon themselves, andthe gold chains binding them.

THE ROOTS

A child found in its garden a plant. Fairand stately it was, full of rosy buds,with green leaves strong and luminous.The child admired it greatly.

"How fair it is!" he said. "How full oflight and fragrance! but how does it

grow? One should know that."

He looked down, and saw that theplant came up out of the ground.

"This is strange!" he said. "How shouldso fair a thing come up out of thisblack and dirty soil? I must look tothis!"

He dug away the soil, and found theroots of the plant, bare and twisted,clinging to the soil and dark with thetouch of it.

"Ah!" said the child, "this is terrible.Has that fair crown of rose and greendrawn its life from so foul a source as

this? Oh, sorrow and shame!" and hewept, and wrung his hands.

As he sorrowed, the Angel of theGarden passed by, with her arms full offlowers and fruit.

"Little one," she said, "have youanything for me?"

"Alas!" said the child. "Look! I had thisfair plant, the sweetest in the world, butI find that its life grows out of theblack and ugly mould; its roots areblack with it. Look! the flower beginsto droop!"

"Yes," said the Angel. "Oh, the pity! you

have killed it."

ALONG THE WAY

In the early morning, when the dewwas bright on the grass, a child passedalong the highway, and sang as he went.It was spring, and the ferns wereunrolling their green bundles, and thehepatica showed purple under her grayfur. The child looked about him witheager, happy eyes, rejoicing in all he saw,and answering the birds' songs withnotes as gay as their own. Now andthen he dropped a seed here or there,for he had a handful of them;

sometimes he threw one to the birds;again he dropped one for the squirrels;and still again he would toss one intothe air for very play, for that was whathe loved best.

Now it chanced that he passed by aspot where the earth lay bare, with notree or plant to cover its brown breast.

"Oh!" said the child. "Poor place, willnothing grow in you? here is a seed foryou, and now I will plant it properly."

So he planted the seed properly, andsmoothed the earth over it, and wenthis way singing, and looking at thewhite clouds in the sky and at the green

things unfolding around him.

It was a long, long journey the childhad to go. Many perils beset his path,many toils he had to overpass, manywounds and bruises he got on the way.When he returned, one would hardlyhave known, to look at him, that hewas still a child. The day had beencruelly hot, and still the afternoon sunbeat fiercely down on the white road.His clothes were torn and dusty; hetoiled on, and sighed as he went,longing for some spot of shade wherehe might sit down to rest.

Presently he saw in the distance awaving of green, and a cool shadow

stretching across the white glowingroad: and he drew near, and it was atree, young and vigorous, spreading itsarms abroad, mantled in green leavesthat whispered and rustled.

Thankfully the child threw himselfdown in the pleasant shade, and restedfrom his weary journey; and as herested, he raised his eyes to the greenwhispering curtain above him, andblessed the hand that planted the tree.

The little green leaves nodded andrustled, and whispered to one another:

"Yes! yes! it is himself he is blessing.But he does not know, and that is the

best of all!"

THE GRAVE DIGGERS

A youth stood in the doorway of hishouse and looked out upon the roadhe was to travel.

"Alas!" he said. "It is a rough and stonyroad, and I am far from strong: also myfeet are tender, and I cannot bear pain.How shall I take this hard journey?"

Then, as he sighed and looked, he wasware of two coming towards him withpick and mattock on their shoulders.

Swiftly they came, and soon they wereat his side, fawning on him, andspeaking in soft, wheedling voices.Their faces were eager and servile, theireyes bright as flame.

"Dear youth," they said, "we are cometo smooth the road for you. It is ourtrade; look, we have our tools with us!Give us but leave and we will work foryou gladly, and ask no pay."

"What men are ye?" asked the youth.

"We are called Temptation andOpportunity," they answered; "butwhat matters this name or that? we seekbut to serve you. Rest you still, and

soon the way shall be clear before you."

So the youth went back into his houseand set him down, and watched how allday long the two toiled apart withmattock and pick, smoothing andlevelling, lifting stones out of the way,and hewing down brambles andtangled trees. But at night he laid himdown and slept: and then those two ranspeedily together, and with fierce looksand eager hands they dug and howkeda grave in the earth. Deep it was, andlay straight across the road; yet socunningly placed that it could not beseen till one was close upon it.

Morning came, and the youth stood at

his door again, and saw the way clearand smooth before him, and the twobowing low, with smiling faces andfawning hands stretched out.

"Come, good Master!" they cried."Come, dear youth, and let us bringyou on your way!"

THE SICK CHILD

The sick child sat at his window andlooked out on the summer world. Hewas sad at heart, for pain racked him,and weakness held him still; but yet hesmiled, because that pleased his mother.

"I am of no use in the world," said thechild to himself; "I am of less worththan yonder broken bough that lies onthe ground, for that at least givestrouble to no one, and by and by it willmake a fire to warm some poor soul.But still I must smile, lest my mothershould be sad."

Presently the old field mouse who livedover the way came out of her house,with a tiny brown velvet bundle in hermouth. It was one of her eight youngones, and she was taking it to a newplace, for the mole who was theirlandlord had turned them out. She hadtaken five of the little ones to the new

house, but now she was weary, and herjaws ached sadly with holding theheavy little creatures.

"I cannot carry them all!" she said. "Therest must die, since it cannot behelped."

Just then she looked up, and saw thechild smiling at the window.

"Look!" she said to herself. "That childhas been watching me. He smiles withpleasure at the beauty of my youngones, but he has not seen the prettiestone yet. It will never do to give up now;I must try again, and let him see thatthere are eight, all the handsomest of

their family."

So she tried again, and brought all theeight in safety to their new home.

By and by a horse came along the road,dragging a heavy load. He was old, andhis bones ached, and the collar hurt hisneck.

"Why should I not give up," he said tohimself, "and refuse to go on? mymaster could only beat me, and he doesthat as it is. If I were dead, I should notfeel the blows; why should I strugglefurther with this burden?"

Just then he happened to lift his eyes,

and saw the child smiling at thewindow.

"Ah!" he said, "that child is smiling atme. He sees that I was once a fineanimal; he knows good blood when hesees it. Ah! if he had seen me in myyouth! But I can still show himsomething." And he arched his neckproudly, and stepped out bravely,tossing his head, and the load camemore easily after him.

By and by a man passed by, walkingslowly, with bent head and sorrowfullook. He had lost the treasure of hisheart, and the whole world was blackabout him. "Why should I live longer?"

he said to himself. "I have nothing tolive for in this world of misery. Let melie down and die; in death I can at leastforget my pain and the pain of others."

As he spoke, he lifted his eyes bychance, and saw the child smiling at thewindow.

"Come!" said the man. "There at least isone happy heart; and he smiles, as if hewere glad to see me pass. He is a sickchild, too, pale and thin; I must not casta shadow on his cheerful day. Andindeed, the sun is bright and warm,even if my joy be cold."

He smiled and nodded to the child, and

the child nodded to him, and waved hishand, and the man went on, carryingthe smile warm at his heart, and tookup the burden of life again.

Now it was evening. The child wasweary. His head drooped on his bosom,and his eyes closed. Then his mothercame, and lifted him from his chair, andlaid him in his little bed.

"God bless him!" she said softly. "Hehas had a happy day, for he is smilingeven in his sleep."

AT LONG LAST

"Heart-of-mine, are you come at last?"

"At long, long last, Beloved!"

"Was it so long?"

"Long as grief, cold as the stone aboveyour grave, empty as the noonday sky!"

"Oh! how was it empty, when I left thecup brimming over for you? Heart-of-mine, whom met you by the way?"

"Only a man, crippled in the mire,cursing as he struggled. I shut my earsagainst his foul speech and passed on."

"Oh! if it were my brother, whom youshould have helped! whom else?"

"Only a woman, bowed under aburden; my own was more than I couldbear, and I let her be."

"Alas! if it were my sister, and in herpack the balm that should have healedyou! Whom else again?"

"None else, save children: they criedabout my path, but how could I stayfor them while you waited?"

"Alas! if among the children were thoseI might not bear to you! And fare youwell, Heart-of-mine, for I must be

gone, and now the time is long indeed."

"Oh! whither, Beloved of my soul,from my arms that clasp yet cannothold you?"

"Heart-of-mine, where but back toearth, to do the work you left undone,to gather up, with patience and withtoil, the sheaves you left behind!"

GILLYFLOWER GENTLEMAN

"Why do you play alone, dear," askedthe Play Angel, "and look so sadly overyour shoulder at the other children?"

"Because they are so selfish!" said thechild. "They will not play with me."

"Oh, the pity!" said the Angel. "Tell meall about it."

"I want to play one game, and they allwant to play another!" said the child. "Itis very unkind of them."

"Did you ever play GillyflowerGentleman?" asked the Angel.

"No!" said the child. "What is it?"

"You shall see!" said the Angel. "Let usask the others if they know it."

The other children did not know it, butthey were eager to learn, and soon theywere all playing Gillyflower Gentleman;they played till all their breath wasgone, and they had to sit down on thehaycocks to rest.

"That was a great game!" said the firstchild. "I will play yours now, if youwish me to."

"We were just going to tell you that wewould play yours!" said the otherchildren. So they played both, and thePlay Angel went back to her work.

THE JUDGMENT

"Of judgment, because the Prince of thisWorld is judged."

Now came the day when the Princeshould be brought to judgment. Slowlyhe came, under the weight of hisfetters, that clanged about his wristsand feet. His head was low on hisbreast, and his eyes heavy; so he stoodbefore the judgment seat, and spokenot, nor raised his eyes.

The little Judge looked on him, andsighed, and spoke.

"It was you who saw me hungry andnaked and cold, and drew your fursround you and passed by."

"Yea!" said the Prince.

"It was you who set me cruel tasks, andsmote me when I fainted under them."

"Yea!" said the Prince.

"It was you who cast me into prison,into darkness and bitterness as ofdeath."

"Yea!" said the Prince.

"Alas!" said the little Judge. "Poor soul,

did you know no better?"

When the Prince heard that a great sobburst from him, and he fell on his facebefore the judgment seat, and his fettersclanged loud on the stone.

Oh! then came little feet pattering downthe steps, and little hands lifted him,and he rose to his feet; but the chainslay where they fell.

"Come, Brother!" said the little Judge."We will go back, and begin againtogether!"

THE BLIND CHILD

"Mother," said the blind child, "what apity it is that everybody in this village,except you, is so ugly!"

"Bless your heart, my darling," said themother; "why do you say that?"

"I was sitting by the fountain," said theblind child, "listening to the fallingwater, and the neighbors came to filltheir pitchers, and I heard them talking.It was terrible! it seems that every onein the whole village is either bald orcross-eyed, wrinkled or misshapen. Allsave you, mother!"

"Bless your heart," said the mother; andshe looked at her gray, worn face in thelittle glass that hung on the wall.

"They did not like to praise your beautybefore me!" cried the blind child. "Theyspoke your name, and then said, 'Oh!hush, there is the child!' Was it notfoolish of them, mother? as if I didnot know!"

"Bless your heart!" said the mother.

THE CAKE

Once a Cake would go seek his fortune

in the world, and he took his leave ofthe Pan he was baked in.

"I know my destiny," said the Cake. "Imust be eaten, since to that end I wasmade; but I am a good cake, if I say itwho should not, and I would fainchoose the persons I am to benefit."

"I don't see what difference it makes toyou!" said the Pan.

"But imagination is hardly your strongpoint!" said the Cake.

"Huh!" said the Pan.

The Cake went on his way, and soon he

passed by a cottage door where sat awoman spinning, and her ten childrenplaying about her.

"Oh!" said the woman, "what abeautiful cake!" and she put out herhand to take him.

"Be so good as to wait a moment!" saidthe Cake. "Will you kindly tell me whatyou would do with me if I should yieldmyself up to you?"

"I shall break you into ten pieces," saidthe woman, "and give one to each ofmy ten children. So you will give tenpleasures, and that is a good thing."

"Oh, that would be very nice, I amsure," said the Cake; "but if you willexcuse me for mentioning it, yourchildren seem rather dirty, especiallytheir hands, and I confess I should liketo keep my frosting unsullied, so Ithink I will go a little further."

"As you will!" said the woman. "Afterall, the brown loaf is better for thechildren."

So the Cake went further, and met a fairchild, richly dressed, with coral lips andeyes like sunlit water. When the childsaw the Cake, he said like the woman,"Oh, what a beautiful Cake!" and putout his hand to take it.

"I am sure I should be most happy!"said the Cake. "And you will not take itamiss, I am confident, if I ask withwhom you will share me."

"I shall not share you with any one!"said the child. "I shall eat you myself,every crumb. What do you take mefor?"

"Good gracious!" cried the Cake. "Thiswill never do. Consider my size,andyours! You would be very ill!"

"I don't care!" said the child. "I'd ratherbe ill than give any away." And he fixedgreedy eyes on the Cake, and stretched

forth his hand again.

"This is really terrible!" cried the Cake."What is one's frosting to this? I will goback to the woman with the tenchildren."

He turned and ran back, leaving thechild screaming with rage anddisappointed greed. But as he ran, ahungry Puppy met him, and swallowedhim at a gulp, and went on licking hischops and wagging his tail.

"Huh!" said the Pan.

THE SERMON

The minister had just finished his greatsermon. The air still quivered with hisburning words, and the people sat erect,disturbed, embarrassed; yet still helingered a moment in his place.

"Is there," he asked, "one here in whosebreast these words strike like a barbedarrow, for the truth that is in them?"and he sat down.

"That was hard on John," said oldJames; "but he deserves it, every word."

"A blow from the shoulder for James!"said old John; "time he got one too, if

it is not too late."

"I wonder if either of those two oldsinners will take his medicine and behelped by it," said old William.

But the little saint, the little saint,hurried home, and knelt by her littlebed, and cried aloud in her anguish:"My God, my God, have mercy on me,and give me for this stone a heart offlesh!"

THE TANGLED SKEIN

"My dear child," said the Angel-who-

attends-to-things, "why are you cryingso very hard?"

"Oh dear! oh dear!" said the child. "Noone ever had such a dreadful timebefore, I do believe, and it all comes oftrying to be good. Oh dear! Oh dear! Iwish I was bad; then I should not haveall this trouble."

"Yes, you would," said the Angel; "agreat deal worse. Now tell me what isthe matter!"

"Look!" said the child. "Mother gaveme this skein to wind, and I promisedto do it. But then father sent me on anerrand, and it was almost school-time,

and I was studying my lesson andgoing on the errand and winding theskein, all at the same time, and now Ihave got all tangled up in the wool, andI cannot walk either forward or back,and oh! dear me, what ever shall I do?"

"Sit down!" said the Angel.

"But it is school-time!" said the child.

"Sit down!" said the Angel.

"But father sent me on an errand!" saidthe child.

"SIT DOWN!" said the Angel; and hetook the child by her shoulders and set

her down.

"Now sit still!" he said, and he beganpatiently to wind up the skein. It waswofully tangled, and knotted about thechild's hands and feet; it was a wondershe could move at all; but at last it wasall clear, and the Angel handed her theball.

"I thank you so very much!" said thechild. "I was not naughty, was I?"

"Not naughty, only foolish; but thatdoes just as much harm sometimes."

"But I was doing right things!" said thechild.

"But you were doing them in the wrongway!" said the Angel. "It is good to doan errand, and it is good to go toschool, but when you have a skein towind you must sit still."

THE NURSLING

Yesterday, the kind nurse, Yesterday, thewise old woman, sat by the fire with hernursling on her knee.

"Still, my babe, be still!" she said."Listen now, till I sing you a song!"

"Oh! I know all your songs," said thechild. "I know them by heart, the sleepybed-time songs. But the lovely ladyyonder, who smiles at me from thedoorway, sings a new song, new andstrange, and sweet, sweet. If I listen toher, may be I shall learn it."

"Nay! listen not to her, the gipsy!" saidYesterday. "Bide here by the fire withme, my babe, and I will tell you a storyshall do you good to hear."

"Oh! I know all your stories," said thechild, "know them every word, andsome of them are false, and all are dull.But the lovely lady who beckons mefrom the doorway murmurs strange

words, in a new tongue, yet clear aslight; if I go with her, may be I shalllearn it."

"Child, child," said the old nurse,"listen not to her gipsy talk; it is full ofperil, and these new words have wickedmeanings. Come with me, my darling,and I will show you my garden, full ofsweet flowers and delicate fruits andprecious herbs. See! they have grownfrom all time, and I gathered them fromthe four ways of the world, and all foryou."

The child laughed, and his laugh rangcruel clear, as when a bird sings loudand merry over a new-made grave.

"Your flowers are faded," he said. "Ihave tasted your fruits, every one, andyour precious herbs are but a handfulof dry leaves and stalks. But the lovelylady who holds out her hands to mefrom the doorway tells me of thingsunknown, dim lands of furthest dawn,seas that no bark has ever sailed. I willgo with her and see them, and live mylife."

"Nay now, my child, my darling; staywith me by the fire, in the warmsheltered room;" said Yesterday thenurse, the wise old woman.

But the child was already gone, with

To-morrow, the lovely lady with sunrisein her eyes, laughter on her lips, and theknife hidden in her hand.

WORMWOOD

All the morning the child ran about hisfield, smelling the sweet, tasting thesweet, plucking the bright and gay; andas he plucked and smelled and tasted,he found among the strawberries adusky leaf that was bitter in his mouth."What is this?" he asked of the Angelbeside him; and the Angel said, "It iswormwood!"

"Pluck it all up!" cried the child. "It isbitter and hateful; I will have nought inmy field but strawberries and roses."

And the Angel smiled, with foldedhands.

Noon came, and afternoon, with longrays sloping westward; and the childwalked in his field with slow andthoughtful steps. There were noflowers now in the grass, buteverywhere a dusky leaf with duskyberries; and the air was full of thefragrance of them, sweet and yet bitter;bitter, yet oh, how sweet!

"What is this," the child asked, "that is

bitter, and yet sweeter than aught else inthe world?"

And the Angel said, "It is wormwood!"

THE PIT

"Though I make my bed in Hell...."

It was dark in the Pit. The air was heavywith poisonous vapors; the walls werefoul with the slime of uncountedgenerations; under foot was the horrorof the ages; yet still the man slept, forhe was used to the place, and his brainsodden with the fumes of it. But by

and by, as he slept, a sound crept intohis ears, a weary, crying voice that wenton and on and would not still; till theman stirred uneasily in his sleep, andawoke with the sound in his ears.

"Who is this," he said, "that breaks myslumber?"

He hearkened, and the voice wentcrying on:

"Oh! the blackness and the horror! oh!the dreadful, dreadful place! will nonehelp me out?"

"What ails you at the place?" asked theman. "One sleeps well enough, if folk

would but be quiet."

And the voice went clamoring on; thepiteousness of it might have stirred thedead things under foot.

"Oh! for one breath of God's pure air!for one glimpse of God's goodsunshine! Oh! the horror of it, to die inthe foul dark! will none help me out?"

Then the man looked, for his eyes wereused to the mirk of the Pit, and sawbeside him the face of a youth,glimmering white as the dead moon atmidday, and shining with tears andsweat of agony; and the lad was tearingat the walls, trying to make a way out;

but his hands slipped on the slimystones, and he fell back moaning andcrying.

"Here is a great ado!" said the man."But if it goes so ill with you, I willfind a way out, if way there be."

He rose from the wallow where he lay,and with his strong hands felt along thewalls, and found a crack between twogreat stones, and set his strength torend them apart; but they clungtogether like the lips of Death. Long hestruggled, yet could not stir them; andever the doleful voice beat like a bell inhis ears, till it seemed to him that hemust give his life, so but that lad might

go free.

Suddenly he felt a touch upon him, andin that same moment the stonesmoving under his hand: and looking,he was ware through the glimmeringdark of another hand laid on the stone,and of one toiling beside him, strivingeven as he strove. Then the man set allthe strength that was in him, and thegreat stones crumbled apart, andthrough the opening the fresh windblew and the sun shone.

Then those two, the man and he whohad toiled beside him, lifted the youthbetween them and brought him outinto the open day; and the lad cried out

once more, sobbing now for pure joy,and kissed their hands that had broughthim out, and went singing on his way.

But the man stayed, and looked on thatone who had toiled beside him. "Oh!"he said, "it was you!"

"Who else?" said the other.

"But how came you there?" asked theman.

And the other answered, "I went inwith you!"

HOSPITALITY

"I hear," said the hospitable man, "thatmy friend has come from over seas.Now therefore let us do thus and so,for he is the man of all men whom Idelight to honor."

So the hospitable man hurried to andfro all day, gathering this that was rich,and that that was costly, and the otherthat was delicate; and bidding hisacquaintance come and help him dohonor to his friend.

Next day he met another friend, whowas a physician.

"Whither away so fast?" asked thehospitable man.

"Do not stay me!" said the physician."The case is urgent. I am going to So-and-So." And he named the friendfrom over seas.

"You distress me infinitely!" cried thehospitable man. "Is So-and-So ill?"

"Some rascal poisoned him last night,"said the physician. "A bad business. Idoubt if he recovers."

"Good God!" cried the hospitable man."He dined with me last night."

"Oh! was it you?" said the physician.

THE POT

The great Pot boiled and bubbled overthe crackling flames. Fat and lean, sweetand bitter, had gone to fill it, and allseethed merrily together. "Hubblebubble!" said the Pot.

Now it came to pass after a time that acertain part of what was within rose tothe top, and mantled there, frothingand eddying.

"I am the cream!" it said. "This is my

proper place, the top of the Pot. Underme the mass seethes darkling, and fromit I rise to light and air. My gloryrejoices; this is as it should be!"

Now came the Cook, and lifted the lidof the Pot and looked in. "Ah!" he said."The scum has risen, and must be takenoff, lest the meat be spoiled." And hetook it off.

"Hubble bubble!" said the Pot.

THE BODY

"But you don't understand!" said the

Soul. "It is my body that makes all thetrouble. Its nerves are all atwist, itsbrain does not work properly, its heartis too small. I am all right: if I couldhave another chance, in a decentlyfurnished body, you would see what adifferent creature I should be."

"Very well!" said the Angel-who-attends-to-things. "I know several othersouls who are wishing for a change;you may try their bodies, and see if youcan suit yourself."

The Soul thanked the Angel joyfully,and flew in the direction he pointedout. Presently he came to the body of afair woman, clad in white, with roses in

its hands.

"This is beautiful!" said the Soul. "Thisis exactly what I want." He crept in, andflowed through the white body, and itmoved and rose up with him, and wentto and fro.

But soon the Soul cried out: "Oh! thisbody pinches me; it is too tight.Besides, it has the habit of fasting, andmortification, and I am used to a bodythat smokes. This will never do!" Andhe crept out again, and went further.

Presently he came to a stalwart body ofa man, with bones and sinews knit ofiron.

"Ah!" said the Soul. "Beauty is after alla slight thing. Strength is what oneneeds; this is the body for me." And heslipped in, and flowed through thebody, and it moved, and rose up withhim, and walked with swift andpowerful strides.

"Good heavens!" cried the Soul. "Thiswill never do. This body is far too bigfor me; I feel it all loose, and full ofcold draughts. I shall certainly get therheumatism. And I don't care aboutthese things it is doing, hewing woodand carrying water for other people. Ihave made a mistake; let me correct itbefore it is too late!" and he crept out.

Going further, he came upon a bodysunk in an easy-chair, clad in loose andeasy garb of a man, and by it a tablewith glasses and bottles: and the Soulyearned toward it. "Ah!" cried the Soul."After all, there is nothing like one'sown!" And he crept into the body, andflowed through and through it; and thebody stretched itself with a long, longsigh, and put its hand out to the bottle,and drank, and chuckled to itself.

"But how about those others whowanted a change?" asked the Soul ofthe Angel-who-attends-to-things. "Itrust I am not disappointing any ofthem in taking up this dear old

comfortable body again?"

"Oh no!" said the Angel. "They did notlike its looks at all, and decided to goon to another world."

THE RULER.

When it was time for the Child to havelessons, the Teacher-Angel gave him asheet of paper, smooth and white, anda pencil, and a ruler.

"Write as well as you can," he said; "andmind you keep the lines straight!"

The Child admired the ruler greatly; "Iwill put it up on the wall," he said,"where I can see it always." So he put itup on the wall, and the sunbeams,hardly brighter than itself, sparkled onit.

"It must be pure gold," said the Child;"there is nothing else so beautiful in theworld." And then he began his task.

By and by the lesson time was over, andthe Teacher-Angel came to see whathad been done. The Child showed himthe paper on which he had written histask. Up and down went the lines, hereand there, from side to side of thesheet, which was covered with

sprawling, straggling letters. There weresmudges, too, where he had tried to rubsomething out; it was not a pretty page.

"What is this?" asked the Teacher-Angel. "Where is your ruler?"

"There it is," said the Child. "Up on thewall. It was so beautiful, I put it upthere where I could see it always. Seewhere it hangs! But methinks it is notso bright as it was."

"No!" said the Teacher-Angel. "Itwould have been brighter if you hadused it."

"But I admired it greatly," said the

Child.

"But your lines are crooked!" said theAngel.

THE TORCH-BEARER

A voice came ringing down the way:"Room! room for the Torch-bearer!room for the keeper of the gates ofTo-morrow! room!"

"Ah! yes," I said. "It is he, the greatsage, who has lightened the world-shadows this many a year. Who shouldbear the torch but he?"

I looked, and the sage passed, his armsfolded on his breast, his calm eyes bentforward, seeing many things: but notorch was in his hand.

And still the cry came ringing down theworld's way: "Room for the Torch-bearer! make way! make way for thekeeper of the gates of To-morrow!"

"Ah!" I said. "It will be the mightyleader, then; he who so long hasmarshalled our hearts, and led uswhithersoever he would with a wave ofhis hand. Hail to him, hail to the Masterof Armies!"

But as I looked, the Master passed, andhis truncheon hung low by his side,and his eyes looked downward,remembering; and no torch was in hishand.

Yet still, as I marvelled, came that greatcry ringing down the world's way, andnow it sounded loud in my ears.

"Room! room! make way, give place! theTorch-bearer comes. Make way for thekeeper of the gates of God!"

And once more I looked.

Ah! bare and dusty were her feet, thelittle woman; and she went bowed, and

stumbled on the rough stones, for thegreat torch hung heavy in her hand,and heavy the babe on her arm: but hesat there as on a throne, and laughedand leaped as he sat, and clutched theliving torch and shook it, flinging theblaze abroad, and the world-waylightened before him.

THE STONE BLOCKS

"Why is your little sister crying, dear?"asked the Play Angel. "I thought youwere taking care of her."

"So I am, taking beautiful care of her,"

said the child. "But the more beautifulcare I take, the more she cries. She doesnot like care to be taken of her."

"Let me see!" said the Play Angel; andshe sat down on the nursery floor."Now show me what you have done."

"Look!" said the child. "First I showedher all my dolls, and then all my newdresses; and now I have given her mynew stone blocks to play with, but shewill not play, only puts them in hermouth and cries."

"Perhaps she is hungry!" said the PlayAngel. She took a piece of bread fromthe folds of her robe and gave it to the

baby; and the baby stopped crying, andate the bread, and laughed and crowed.

"See!" said the Angel. "Now she ishappy. Remember, dear, that whenbabies are hungry, stone blocks dothem no good."

"You are a very clever angel to knowthat!" said the child.

"You are a rather foolish child," saidthe Angel, "or you would have found itout for yourself."

THE POTTER

A potter wrought at his wheel, singingas he wrought, turning out crocks andpipkins of red clay. They were clumsyof shape and rude in the making, yetthey served to hold meal and milk, andthe poor folk bought of him. But ever,as he shaped the clay, the potter said tohimself: "Some day, some day, I willmake a cup of gold for the Prince'sdrinking!"

Now and again, when he was well paidfor his pots, he would get a bit of goldand put it by. This small hoard wasprecious to him as sunlight, and bit bybit, little coin by little coin, it grew, tillone day he had enough. Then he left

his clay, and with care and loving pains,his lathe turning to the beat of hisheart, he fashioned a little cup of gold.

"It is small," he said, "but it will holdwine for a single draught." And he set itin the sun among his pots, where itcould be seen of the passers-by.

Presently rode by the Prince and hiscourt, and saw the pots, and on one thesun shining.

"Look!" said one of the courtiers, "ifthe potter have not gilded one of hisclay pipkins!"

THE NEIGHBOUR

"What can you tell me of yourneighbour?" asked the Angel-who-looks-into-things.

"Oh, an excellent person!" said the BusyMan. "Full of wisdom and virtue;merry, too, withal; in short, a delightfulcompanion."

"You have been much together, then?"said the Angel-who-looks-into-things.

"Well, scarcely that," replied the BusyMan; "in fact, I have been so excessivelybusy that I have seen nothing of him

for a long time. But now I have everyintention of doing so; indeed, I think Iwill ask him to dine with me to-night."

"You can hardly do that!" said theAngel.

"Why not?"

"Because he died this morning."

THE WOUND

Once an Angel found a child cryingbitterly, and stopped to comfort him.

"What is the matter, dear?" asked theAngel.

"Oh, I have hurt myself dreadfully!"said the child. "Dreadfully! see!" and heshowed his wound.

"Yes, that must have hurt very much, Iknow," said the Angel; "but cheer up! Iknew another child who was woundedin the same place, and he got over it ingood time."

"Ah! but it was not so bad a wound asmine!" said the child.

"Yes, it was," said the Angel; "every bitas bad."

"But it did not hurt him so much!" saidthe child.

"How do you know that?" asked theAngel.

"Because he wasn't me!" said the child.

THE WHITE FIRE

I

Three men came to Love the Lord,asking a gift of his white fire, and thegift was not denied. "Take it, keep it,

use it!" said Love the Lord; and theyanswered joyfully, "Yea, Lord, this willwe do!"

Then the three fared forth on their way,the old way, and the new way, and theonly way; yet they went not together,but each by himself alone.

Presently one came to a dark valley, fullof men who groped with their hands,seeking the way, and finding it not, forthey had no light; and they moaned,and cried, "Oh! that we had light, toshow us the way!"

Then that man answered aloud, "Yea,and there shall be light!"

And he took the fire that was given himof Love the Lord, and made of it atorch, and held it aloft, and it flashedthrough the darkness like a sword, andshowed the way; and he leading, theyfollowing, they came safe through thatplace into the light of day.

The second man went by another pathof the way, and it led him over a bleakmoor, where the wind blew bitter keen,and the rocks stood like frozen iron;and here were men shivering with cold,huddling together for warmth, yetfinding none, for they had no fire. Andthey moaned, and cried, "Ah! if we hadbut fire to keep the life in us, for we

perish!"

And the man said, "Yea, there shall befire!"

And he took the fire that he had ofLove the Lord, and spread it out, andset faggots to it, and it blazed up broadand bright; and the folk gathered roundit, and held out their hands andwarmed themselves at it, and forgot thebitter wind.

Now the third man went his way also;and as he went he said to himself,"How shall I keep my fire safe, that nofierce wind blow it out, and no foulvapor stifle it? I know what I will do; I

will hide it in my heart, and so no harmcan come to it." And he hid the fire inhis heart, and carried it so, and wenton.

Now by and by those three came to theend of the way, and there waited forthem one in white, and his face veiled.He said to the first man, "What of yourfire?"

And the man said, "I found folkstruggling in darkness, and I made atorch of my fire, and showed them theway; now is it well-nigh wasted, yet stillit burns."

And he in white said, "It is well; this

fire shall never die."

Then came the second, and of him,too, that one asked, "What of yourfire?"

And he said, "I found men shivering,with nought to warm them, and I gavemy fire, that they might live, and notdie."

And he in white answered again, "It iswell; this fire too shall never die."

Then came the third, and answeredboldly, and said, "I have brought myfire safe, through peril and throughstrife; lo, see it here in my heart!"

Then that one in white put aside hisveil; and it was Love the Lord himself."Alas!" he said; "what is this you havedone?"

And he opened the man's heart; andinside it was a black char, and whiteashes lying in it.

THE WHITE FIRE

II

This one Love the Lord called to him,and waited no asking, but put the gift

in her hands, the white gift of fire.

"What shall I do with it, Lord?" sheasked: and he said, "Lighten thedarkness!"

"Yea, Lord," she answered, "as I may!"and took the gift meekly and went. Butas she went, she met one strong andsilent, who took her in his arms, andbore her to a high tower, and kept herthere in ward. The name of that strongone was Pain, and he was faithful asNight and Death, and they two dwelttogether.

But she in the tower tended ever thewhite fire, and wept over it, saying,

"How, in this tower, shall I do the willof Love the Lord, seeing here are onlymy fellow Pain and I? and the tower isfull of seams and cracks, so that thewind blows cold upon my fire, andwould fain quench it; and in no casecan I lighten any darkness save myown."

But still she tended the fire and kept italive; pure and white was the flame ofit, and she and her fellow Pain satbeside it and kept them warm.

But Love the Lord looked from theclearness where he dwelt, and smiled;well pleased was he. For he sawthrough the seams and rents in that

doleful tower the light stream clear andradiant: and in the darkness towardwhich his high heart yearned he sawmen struggling forward, and heardthem cry to one another joyfully, "Lookup! take heart! yonder shines a light toguide us on the way."

FOR YOU AND ME

"I have come to speak to you aboutyour work," said the Angel-who-attends-to-things. "It appears to beunsatisfactory."

"Indeed!" said the man. "I hardly see

how that can be. Perhaps you willexplain."

"I will!" said the Angel. "To begin with,the work is slovenly."

"I was born heedless," said the man. "Itis a family failing which I have alwaysregretted."

"It is ill put together, too;" said theAngel. "The parts do not fit."

"I never had any eye for proportion,"said the man; "I admit it isunfortunate."

"The whole thing is a botch," said the

Angel. "You have put neither brainsnor heart into it, and the result isridiculous failure. What do youpropose to do about it?"

"I credited you with morecomprehension," said the man. "Myfaults, such as they are, were born withme. I am sorry that you do not approveof me, but this is the way I was made;do you see?"

"I see!" said the Angel. He put out astrong white hand, and taking the manby the collar, tumbled him neck andcrop into the ditch.

"What is the meaning of this?" cried

the man, as he scrambled out breathlessand dripping. "I never saw suchbehavior. Do you see what you havedone? you have ruined my clothes, andnearly drowned me beside."

"Oh yes!" said the Angel: "this is theway I was made."

THE PICTURE BOOK

"Brother," said the little boy, "show mea pretty picture book!"

"Nay!" said the brother. "I would rathershow you this book with the ugly

pictures, so that when you come to seeugly things you may know what theyare. Look! see this, how hateful it is; andthis, how hideous; and here again, this,enough to turn one cold with horror."

"Oh!" said the child; and he shuddered."They are horrible indeed; show memore!"

Next day the brother found the childbefore a mirror, twisting his face thisway and that, squinting, and making athousand horrible grimaces.

"My dear little boy," cried the brother,"why are you making yourself sohideous?"

"I want to see if I can look like thepictures in the book!" said the child.

THE FLOWER OF JOY

The white frost struck my garden, andblighted my flower of joy. Oh! it wasfair, and all the sweetness of the springbreathed from its cup; but now it layblackened and withered, and my heartwith it.

Then, as I stood mourning, I heardanother crying voice; and looking up Isaw my neighbour in her garden,

bending over her stricken plants andweeping sore. I hastened to her. "Takecourage!" I said. "It may be they are notquite dead: for, look! here lingers a littlegreen along the leaves. Look here again,the sap flows. Take heart, and we willwork together, you and I."

So I labored, and she with me, bindingup, tending and watering, night andday; till at last life came back to herplants, first faltering, then flowing free,and they held up their heads and drankthe sunshine, and opened fair andsweet to the day.

Then, with her blessing warm at myheart, I turned me homeward: and oh!

and oh! in the ruined garden where alllay black and prone, a thread of greencreeping, a tiny bud peeping, a breathof spring upon the air. Glad woman, Ifell upon my knees, and stretched outtrembling hands to where, faint andfeeble, yet alive, bloomed once moremy flower of joy.

THE BURNING HOUSE

Some neighbours were walkingtogether in the cool of the day,watching the fall of the twilight, andtalking of this and that; and as theywalked, they saw at a little distance a

light, as it were a house on fire.

"From the direction, that must be ourneighbour William's house," said one."Ought we not to warn him of thedanger?"

"I see only a little flame," said another;"perchance it may go out of itself, andno harm done."

"I should be loth to carry ill news," saida third; "it is always a painful thing todo."

"William is not a man who welcomesinterference," said a fourth. "I shouldnot like to be the one to intrude upon

his privacy; probably he knows aboutthe fire, and is managing it in his ownway."

While they were talking, the houseburned up.

THE PLANT

A plant grew up in the spring, andspread its leaves and looked abroad,rejoicing in its life.

"To grow!" said the plant. "To bebeautiful, and gladden the eyes ofthose who look on me: this is life. The

Giver of it be praised!"

Now the plant budded and blossomed:lovely the blossoms were, and sweet,and men plucked them joyfully.

"This is well!" said the plant. "To sendbeauty and fragrance hither and thither,to sweeten the world even a little, this islife: the Giver of it be praised!"

Autumn came, and the plant stoodlonely, yet at peace. "One cannot alwaysbe in blossom!" it said. "One has donewhat one could, and a little is part ofthe whole."

By and by came a gatherer of herbs,

and cut the green leaves from the plant."They are good for bruises," he said;"or distilled, their juice may heal aninward wound."

The plant heard and rejoiced. "To heal!"it said. "That is even better than togladden the eyes. The Giver of this toobe praised!"

Now it was winter. The dry stalk stoodin the field, and crackled with the frost,its few remaining leaves clinging blackand shrivelled about it.

"All is over now," said the plant. "Theremust be an end to everything."

But now came a poor soul shiveringwith the cold, and took the dry plantand carried it to his home; and breakingit in pieces, laid the fragments on hisnaked hearth and set fire to them. Puff!the dry stalks crackled into flame andblazed up merrily, filling the room withlight and warmth.

"And is this death?" said the plant."The Giver of all be praised!"

THE END