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diff --git a/26130-h/26130-h.htm b/26130-h/26130-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d3644b8 --- /dev/null +++ b/26130-h/26130-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5534 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Stories of the Saints by Candle-Light, by Vera C. Barclay. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p {margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + text-indent: 1.25em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + img {border: 0;} + .tnote {border: dashed 1px; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em;} + ins {text-decoration:none; border-bottom: thin dotted gray;} + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%; text-align: justify;} + + .bbox {border: solid 2px; margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: + 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .unindent {margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + .right {text-align: right;} + .poem {margin-left: 30%; margin-right: 10%; text-align: left;} + .poem2 {margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 10%; text-align: left;} + .sig {margin-right: 10%; text-align: right;} + .hang1 {text-indent: -3em; margin-left: 3em;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's Stories of the Saints by Candle-Light, by Vera C. Barclay + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Stories of the Saints by Candle-Light + +Author: Vera C. Barclay + +Release Date: July 26, 2008 [EBook #26130] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES OF SAINTS BY CANDLE-LIGHT *** + + + + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Lindy Walsh, Emmy and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 326px;"> +<img src="images/icover.jpg" width="326" height="500" alt="Cover" title="Cover" /> +</div> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ii" id="Page_ii">[ii]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 280px;"> +<img src="images/i002.png" width="280" height="400" alt="BY CANDLE-LIGHT." title="BY CANDLE-LIGHT." /> +<span class="caption">BY CANDLE-LIGHT.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 12em;"><i>Frontispiece.</i></span> +</div> + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[iii]</a></span></p> + +<h1>STORIES OF THE SAINTS<br /> +BY CANDLE-LIGHT</h1> + + +<h3>BY</h3> + +<h2>VERA C. BARCLAY</h2> + +<div class='center'> +1922<br /> +<br /> +THE FAITH PRESS, LTD.<br /> +LONDON: THE FAITH HOUSE, 22, BUCKINGHAM ST.,<br /> +CHARING CROSS, W.C. 2<br /></div> + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[v]</a></span></p> + + + + +<div class='center'> +<b>TO</b><br /> +<br /> +THE MEMORY OF<br /> +<br /> +SIXER FRANK SPARKS<br /> +<br /> +<small>AND</small><br /> +<br /> +SECOND BOB SMITH<br /> +<br /> +<small>TWO FAITHFUL CUBS OF THE "CARDINAL'S OWN" PACK</small><br /> +<br /> +<small>THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED BY THEIR OLD WOLF.</small><br /> +<br /> +R.I.P.<br /></div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[vi]</a></span></p> + +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + + + +<h3>NINE DAYS IN CAMP, AND NINE STORIES BY +CANDLE-LIGHT</h3> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents and Book spine"> +<tr><td align='left'><img src="images/ispine.jpg" width="47" height="400" alt="Spine of Book" title="Spine of Book" /> +</td><td align='left'><div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> +<tr><td align='left'>ABOUT THIS BOOK</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE FIRST DAY: GETTING THERE. THE STORY OF ST. BENEDICT</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_2">2</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE SECOND DAY: THE STORY OF ST. GUTHLAC</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_17">17</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE THIRD DAY: THE STORY OF ST. MARTIN</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_27">27</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE FOURTH DAY: THE STORY OF ST. EDMUND, KING AND MARTYR </td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_42">42</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE FIFTH DAY (SUNDAY): THE STORY OF ST. FRANCIS (I.)</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_56">56</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE SIXTH DAY: THE STORY OF ST. FRANCIS (II.)</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_67">67</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE SEVENTH DAY: THE STORY OF ST. ANTONY</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_83">83</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE EIGHTH DAY: THE STORY OF ST. PATRICK</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_96">96</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE NINTH DAY: THE STORY OF ST. GEORGE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_107">107</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>GOOD-BYE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_118">118</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + +</td></tr> +</table></div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> + +<h2>STORIES OF THE SAINTS<br /> +BY CANDLE-LIGHT</h2> + +<h3>NINE DAYS IN CAMP, AND NINE STORIES +BY CANDLE-LIGHT</h3> + + +<h3><span class="smcap">About this Book</span></h3> + + +<div class='unindent'><span class="smcap">Once</span> upon a time there were fifteen Cubs who spent +nine wonderful days in camp. They were London +Cubs, and the camp was on a beautiful little green +island whose rocky shore ran down in green, tree-covered +points into the bluest sea you ever saw. +These nine days were the most splendid days in those +Cubs' lives. And so they often think of them, and +dream about them, and live them over again in +memory.</div> + +<p>So that they may more easily go over those days +their Old Wolf has written down all about them in this +book. Perhaps other Cubs will like to come away, in +imagination, to that fair, green island, and so have a +share in the nine days.</p> + +<p>Now, one of the very "special things" about those +days in camp were the candle-light stories which the +Cubs listened to every night, seated in a big, happy +pile, pyjama-clad, on their palliasses. All day they +used to look forward to those stories, and sometimes, +in the middle of a shrimping expedition, or a paddling +party, one or another would remark, "Story to-night, +boys!" and turn his thumbs up to show he was pleased +at the thought. And so you will find the candle-light +stories, too, in this book; and remember that all the +stories in this book are <i>true</i>—both those about the +Cubs and those about the Saints.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span></p> +<h2>THE FIRST DAY</h2> + + +<div class='unindent'><span class="smcap">The</span> train steamed slowly out of Victoria Station. +"Now we're off!" shouted a Cub, and he and all the +others began to jump for joy, which was not easy in a +railway compartment packed like a sardine-tin. Then +someone began to sing the Pack chorus, and everyone +joined in with all their strength:</div> + +<div class='poem'> +Let the great big world keep turning,<br /> +Now I've joined a Wolf Cub Pack;<br /> +And I only know<br /> +That I want to go<br /> +To camp—to <i>camp</i>—to <span class="smcap">camp</span>!<br /> +Oh, I long to set off marching<br /> +With my kit-bag on my back.<br /> +Let the great big world keep on turning round,<br /> +Now I've joined a Wolf Cub Pack!<br /> +</div> + +<p>Then someone yelled "Are we down-hearted?" and +the Cubs yelled "No!" so loudly that Akela thought +she would be deafened for life.</p> + +<p>Presently the train ran out into the country, and +plodded along between woods and fields. And the +early morning sun shone brightly, and the sky was +very blue. The country, the country! And, very +soon, the sea! There were some of them who had never +been to the country, and "Spongey," the youngest of +the party, had never even been in a real train.</p> + +<p>"Talk about <i>hot</i>!" said someone, panting, when the +train had thundered on for about an hour. And, my +word, it <i>was</i> hot! Besides, there were blacks and dust, +and everyone began to get very grimy—specially the +people who were eating bread-and-jam and sticky +fruit, and the people who had to crawl under the seat +to pick up things that had got lost.</p> + +<p>"Never mind," said Akela, "we shall be in the sea +this evening, and then we shall be cool."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span></p> + +<p>That started everyone jumping for joy again, of +course.</p> + +<p>Presently the train passed Arundel Castle—its white +towers and turrets and battlements rising up amidst +the dark green woods like an enchanted castle in +the days of knights and fairies—and the Cubs learnt +that there are castles in real life as well as in story-books.</p> + +<p>After that they began looking out of the window to +see who would be the first one to catch sight of the +sea. "Bunny" was the first to, and his friend Bert, +the Senior Sixer, came a close second.</p> + +<p>At last the train got to Portsmouth Harbour, and, +shouldering their kit-bags, the Cubs ran down on to the +steamer.</p> + +<p>The harbour was thrilling: battleships, cruisers, +torpedo-boats, the Royal yacht, the Admiralty yacht, +and, most interesting of all, Nelson's ship, the <i>Victory</i>. +As if the steamer knew that a crowd of eager Cubs +were longing to see all round the <i>Victory</i>, it went out +of its way to steam right round it, slowly and quite +near, and the Cubs had a splendid view.</p> + +<p>The boys all wanted to be the first to <i>touch</i> the sea, +but Bunny, who had <i>seen</i> it first, forestalled them again, +by letting down a ball of string over the edge of the +boat and pulling it up all wet.</p> + +<p>At last the ship reached the Isle of Wight, and the +Cubs and their great mountain of camp luggage went +down the long pier. I forgot to tell you that besides +Akela there was the Senior Sixer's father and mother, +who were coming to help look after the camp—they +became the "Father and Mother of Camp"; and +there was also a lady who was a very kind camp +Godmother. The grown-ups and the luggage were +soon packed into a large motor-car, and then, relieved +of their kit-bags, the Cubs set out to walk the two +miles along the sea-front to the village called Sea View. +The way lay along a thing called a "sea-wall"—a high<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> +stone wall about six feet broad running along above +the shore, with the sea lapping up against it at high +tide. Along this the Cubs walked (or rather ran and +jumped), their eyes big with wonder at the great +stretch of blue, blue sea, with here and there a distant +sailing-boat, and, above, the sky even bluer than the +sea. "I didn't know the sky <i>could</i> be so blue!" said +a Cub; and that was just how they all felt.</p> + +<p>It was very hot walking in the midday sun. There +was no hurry—nine days to do just as they liked in—so +halfway along the sea-wall the Cubs and Akela +scrambled down some steep stone steps on to a tiny +stretch of sand not yet covered by the incoming tide. +Boots and stockings were soon off, sleeves and shorts +tucked up, and everybody paddling deep in the cool +green water.</p> + +<p>When they had all got thoroughly cool they went on +their way, and at last arrived at the Stable.</p> + +<p>This was where they were to sleep. It consisted of +a courtyard, a couple of stalls, a coach-house, a shed, +and two tiny rooms. Akela occupied one of these, and +the Cubs were divided into two groups. The Stable +was in charge of Bert, the Senior Sixer, and in his stall +he had Bunny (a Second), Dick (a big Cub very nearly +ready to go up to the Scouts), and Patsy, a small +but lively Irishman. Sam, another Sixer, had in his +stall four young terrors—Terry, Wooler, Jack, and +"Spongey" Ward. Then there was the coach-house. +This was in charge of Bill, the last Senior Sixer, now +a Cub Instructor. The other occupants were Jim, +a Sixer (Bill's young brother), "Mac," a Second, two +brothers, "Big Andy" and "Little Andy," and a +rather new Cub called Bob.</p> + +<p>It took a good while to stuff the palliasses with +straw and unpack. But when this was finished everyone +had a good wash and changed into cool old clothes—shorts +and cotton shirts. Tea followed, in a jolly +old garden behind the bake-house. There was a seesaw<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> +in it, and the grass was long and soft, and the +shade of the apple-trees very cool. Then the party +ran up the hill to the camp field. Here there was a +lot to do: the bell tent to be pitched, the fireplace +made, wood to be chopped, water fetched, all the pots +and pans unpacked, a swing and a couple of hammocks +to be put up, the two great sacks of loaves to be fetched, +and, oh! a hundred other things. But all the Cubs +set to and did their best, and at last all was ready.</p> + +<p>"Now for the shore!" said Akela, and everyone +cheered and ran for their towels and bathing-drawers. +It was only a few minutes' walk down to the most +lovely shore you can imagine—stretches and stretches +of golden sand and little, lapping waves. On one side +you could see rocky points running down into the +greeny-blue sea, with trees growing right down to the +shore. An old, brown-sailed coal barge moved slowly +past on the gentle wind, the many browns of its patched +sails forming a rich splash of colour in the evening sun. +The Cubs soon turned into "water babies." Boots +and stockings had been left behind at the Stable, and +now they got rid of clothes as well. How cool the +sea was! That first bathe seemed to wash away all +the heat and smoke and grubbiness of dear old +London.</p> + +<p>After the bathe came a splendid paddle among +brown, sea-weedy rocks, and the Cubs caught their +first baby crabs and found their first shells, and got just +as wet as they liked.</p> + +<p>But the sun was sinking down behind the grey line +of sea, and the clock there is inside every Cub was +telling supper-time. So, with hands full of sea-weed +and shells, they made their way back to camp.</p> + +<p>The camp-fire was burning merrily. "Godmother," +in a large blue overall, was stirring a steaming dixie +of cocoa, and "Mother and Father" were cutting up +bread and cheese.</p> + +<p>After supper there was time for a little play in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> +field. Then, as it began to get dusk, a whistle-blast +called the Cubs in for night prayers. It was still quite +light enough to read, so each Cub had a little homemade +book of Morning and Night Camp Prayers. +Kneeling in a quiet corner of the field, with just the +evening sky overhead, with a pale star or two beginning +to appear, it was easy to feel God near and to +pray. The camp prayers started with "A prayer that +we may pray well." It was a very old prayer, really, +but it seemed just to fit the Cubs, and help them to +<i>do their best</i> in their prayers as in all other things. +The prayer was this: "Open Thou, O Lord, my mouth +to bless Thy Holy Name; cleanse also my heart from +wandering thoughts, so that I may worthily, devoutly, +and attentively recite these prayers, and deserve to +be heard in the sight of Thy Divine Majesty. Through +Christ Our Lord. Amen." Then followed the "Our +Father" and some short prayers. And after that the +Cubs said altogether: "I confess to Almighty God that +I have sinned against Him in thought, word, and deed." +Then Akela read out very slowly the following questions, +and each Cub answered them in his heart—not +out loud, but silently, for God only to hear:</p> + +<p>"Have I done my best to pray well when saying my +private prayers and at camp prayers?</p> + +<p>"Have I really meant to please God to-day?</p> + +<p>"Have I done my best in my orderly duties, and in +other things I have had to do?</p> + +<p>"Have I given in to other people quickly and cheerfully +when given an order?</p> + +<p>"Have I spoken as I should not?</p> + +<p>"Have I been disobedient?</p> + +<p>"Have I been unkind to another boy—selfish? +quarrelsome? unfair?</p> + +<p>"Have I told a lie?</p> + +<p>"Have I done anything else I am sorry for?"</p> + +<p>Then, after a pause, Akela said:</p> + +<p>"Tell God you are truly sorry, on your honour as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> +a Cub, that you have grieved Him by the sins of +to-day."</p> + +<p>Then there was perfect silence for a moment, and +after that, the Cubs said, all together:</p> + +<p>"May Almighty God have mercy upon us, and +forgive us our sins, and bring us to life everlasting."</p> + +<p>Then they said a short psalm, and the following +beautiful little hymn:</p> + +<div class='poem'> +Now with the fast departing light,<br /> +Maker of all, we ask of Thee,<br /> +Of Thy great mercy, through the night<br /> +Our guardian and defence to be.<br /> +<br /> +Far off let idle visions fly,<br /> +And dreams that might disturb our sleep;<br /> +Naught shall we fear if Thou art nigh,<br /> +Our souls and bodies safe to keep.<br /> +<br /> +Father of mercies, hear our cry;<br /> +Hear us, O sole-begotten Son!<br /> +Who with the Holy Ghost most high<br /> +Reignest while endless ages run. Amen.<br /> +</div> + +<p>Then came "A prayer that we may be forgiven any +wandering thoughts we have had while reciting these +prayers," and, to end up with, "Our Father" once +again, because it is the prayer that Christ Our Lord +specially told His friends to use.</p> + +<p>The nine o'clock gun booms out across the Solent +as the Cubs and Akela, having bidden good-night to +Father and Mother and Godmother, walk down the +hill to the Stable. The sea looks like a great piece of +shimmering grey silk. "Look at the little twinkle +lights!" says a Cub. It is the street lamps over on the +mainland, but they look like so many winking +diamonds. There is quite a cluster of them on the +grey ghost of a battleship, and the old, round fort has a +light which looks like the red end of a cigar. "Please, +<i>please</i> let us go down to the front and look at the little +twinkling lights," beg the Cubs. So, on condition +they get undressed in five minutes, Akela says "Yes."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span></p> + +<p>A few minutes later the Stable and the Coach-house +are having an undressing race. One of the two tiny +rooms has been made into a little chapel. In less than +two minutes the first Cub ready whisks once round +the yard in his night-shirt, like a white moth in the +dusk, and into the chapel to say his prayers. The door +stands open. In the red light of the tiny lamp you +can see the little white form kneeling on the floor, +very quiet and devout. Presently he is silently joined +by another—there is only room for two, it is such a +wee chapel. Several impatient people in pyjamas +think it would be fun to start jazzing in the courtyard, +till Akela warns them, "No story if you start ragging."</p> + +<p>Soon all prayers are said, and the people in the +Coach-house are in bed, and ready to "invite" the +Stable. The Stable having been duly invited, its eight +occupants come in, and each finds a place on a palliasse. +It is a warm, still night. The great doors of the +Coach-house stand wide open. The stars are out thick +by this time. Little black bats flit and swoop about +in the darkness. If you keep very still you can just +hear the gentle "hshshsh, hshshsh" of the sea. The +candle flickers as the night gives a little sigh. A few +Cubs are rolling about on their straw beds. "Shut up, +all!" commands an imperious Sixer. "Now, miss, +go ahead."</p> + +<p>Akela is sitting on a palliasse already occupied by +two people. Silence reigns, for these Cubs belong to +a story-telling Pack, and it is almost the only time +they are ever quite quiet. "Well," begins Akela, "many +hundreds of years ago there lived a boy——"</p> + + +<h3><br /><span class="smcap">The Story of St. Benedict.</span></h3> + +<p>Many hundreds of years ago there lived a boy called +Benedict. He lived in Italy. His father and mother +were rich people, and lived in a beautiful house on a +beautiful estate. St. Benedict and his twin sister must<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> +have been very happy playing among the olive-trees +and vines of sunny Italy, where the sky is nearly +always blue, and where there are all sorts of lovely +wild-flowers and fruits we don't get in England, and +lizards and butterflies and all sorts of things.</p> + +<p>St. Benedict was brought up a good Christian, though +lots of the people round were still pagans in those +days. There were terrible wars and troubles going on +in Italy and in all the countries round, like there have +been in our days. But the boy Benedict in his happy +home knew little of these. Little did he know that +the beautiful fields of Italy were being left to be overgrown +with weeds and over-run with wild beasts; +that the children had never heard of God; that the +poor were dying of starvation. To him the world was +a happy place, where one played and had a good +time, and where people loved Christ and obeyed His +words. But some day he was to learn the truth. +For God was going to use the boy Benedict to do +more than any <i>one</i> man has ever done to <i>civilize</i> the +world. This story I'm telling you is the story of how +St. Benedict discovered all God's great plan for him, +and worked it out, bit by bit.</p> + +<p>When St. Benedict had learnt all that his tutors +could teach him at home his father sent him to the +great city of Rome to learn there from the scholars +and learned men, and attend lectures and classes. +St. Benedict was a very clever boy, and he must have +got on very quickly and pleased his masters very much. +He could probably have carried off all sorts of prizes +and won great fame and praise for himself, but there +was something which stopped him caring for things +like that. In the great city of Rome he saw two things—one +of them was all sorts of wicked, selfish, horrible, +and ungodly pleasures in which men wasted their lives +and altogether forgot God; and the other was the +beautiful, holy lives of the Christians, many of whom +could tell wonderful stories of the martyrs who had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> +been killed in Rome not so very long before, and whose +bodies lay in the Catacombs. There were some beautiful +churches in the city, and St. Benedict loved to go +to the solemn services. As he knelt there in the holy +stillness, or listened to the chanting, he began to +<i>think</i>. And more and more he felt that all the glamour +and selfish pleasures and greediness of the people was +stupid and wrong, and that what was really worth +having was a good conscience, and peace, and the +friendship of God. And as he thought, he began to +care less and less for his learning and his chances of +glory, and he began to feel as if he wanted to get right +away from people and have the chance of thinking +about God.</p> + +<p>When St. Benedict had these feelings he knew they +came from God, and so, instead of not listening and +just letting himself get keen on his study and his +amusements, he made up his mind that he would +always <i>do his best</i> to follow God's will, and would keep +his heart <i>always listening</i>, so that if God <i>did</i> want to +call him away to some special kind of life he would be +ready to hear and to obey.</p> + +<p>Well, when anybody does this God does not fail to +tell him what to do, and so, when St. Benedict had +been seven years in Rome, and was still only a boy, +God made known to him that he must leave Rome, +and his friends and his masters, and go right away into +the mountains. His old nurse, Cyrilla, had always +stayed with him, faithfully; and now she decided to +go with him wherever it was that God was leading +him.</p> + +<p>So, one day, St. Benedict and Cyrilla set out secretly, +and made their way by hidden paths towards the +mountains. At last they reached a certain village, and +St. Benedict went into the church to pray God to +make known His will. When he came out the peasants +who lived near the church pressed him to stay with +them. St. Benedict took their kindness as a sign that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> +it was God's will, so he and his old nurse settled down +in the village.</p> + +<p>It was while the boy was living here that (so +the old books tell us) a miracle happened which made +people feel sure that God was specially pleased with +him. One day, as St. Benedict returned home from +the church where he had been praying, he found his +old nurse very unhappy; in fact, she was crying. +This distressed him very much, because he hated to +see other people miserable. At first he wondered why +Cyrilla was crying, and then he saw the cause. She +had accidentally broken an earthenware bowl that +one of the good villagers had lent her. Full of pity +for his old friend, St. Benedict took up the two pieces +and went outside the house with them, and knelt down. +Then he prayed very hard that the bowl might be +mended. And, as he opened his eyes and looked at it, +sure enough, it was whole! Very pleased, and thinking +how good God is to those who really trust Him, +he ran into the house and gave it to Cyrilla.</p> + +<p>St. Benedict had not thought of himself, but only of +God's wonderful power and kindness. But Cyrilla and +the village people to whom she told the miracle all +began to talk a lot about St. Benedict, and say he was +a young saint, since he could do miracles. People even +came in from the places round to stare at him. Do +you think this pleased him? No; he wasn't that sort +of boy. If he had been, God would never have done +anything for him. He was very distressed at the way +people went on; and more and more he felt that God +was calling him away, and had something very important +to say to him. And one day it came to him +that he must leave even his faithful old nurse and +go away. You can imagine how terribly sad he must +have been at that thought, not only because he loved +her and had always had her near him since he could +remember, but because he knew how very, very much +she loved him, and that if he left her she would be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> +sad and lonely, with no one to comfort her. But you +remember what I told you about how St. Benedict had +made up his mind to do his best always to carry out +God's will, and not give in to himself and pretend he +had not heard; so, because he knew that it is more +important to be faithful to God than to any person +on earth, he made up his mind to go away. He did not +tell his old nurse, but one day he set out, alone.</p> + +<p>He must have felt very strongly that it was God's +will, otherwise he would not have dared go out all +alone and unarmed into the mountains, and with no +money or food. Don't you think it was very brave +of him? Perhaps you think it was foolish? Well, +people have often been thought fools for doing God's +will faithfully, but in the end God proves that really +they were quite right. Anyway, something very +soon happened to St. Benedict to show that God was +with him.</p> + +<p>As he tramped on, along the mountain-sides, between +the flower-covered banks and thickets full of birds' +songs, he prayed to God to guide him in the right way. +And so when, after some hours of solitary tramping, +he saw a man coming towards him out of a lonely +mountain pass, he felt sure this was someone sent by +God to help him.</p> + +<p>The man's clothes showed that he was a monk. As +he drew near he looked curiously at St. Benedict, +wondering who this noble-looking boy could be walking +all alone among the wild mountains. He, himself, +had come out there to meditate and be alone with +God and his thoughts. Stopping St. Benedict, he +asked him kindly who he was and where he was going. +St. Benedict quite simply told him the truth: that he +had come out to seek God's will, and didn't know +where he was going, except that he was seeking some +place where he could live hidden from the whole world.</p> + +<p>At first the monk Romanus tried to argue with him +and show him that it was foolish to come out like that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> +alone. But St. Benedict spoke so wonderfully about +God's call that Romanus saw he was right, and made +up his mind to help him find somewhere where he +could live alone for a while. So he led him up a steep +winding path, and showed him a cave opening into +the rugged mountain-side. The cave was about seven +feet deep and four feet broad, and there was just room +on the rocky ledge outside to make a little garden. +St. Benedict stepped into the cave with his heart full +of joy, feeling sure that at last he had found the place +he was seeking. Before going away, Romanus gave +him a long garment made of sheep-skin, which was +what the monks of those days used to wear. He also +promised to supply him with food. His monastery +was far up, on the top of the great rock in which the +cave was. He said that every day he would let down +a basket with bread in it for St. Benedict, and he +promised faithfully to keep his secret. Then he went +away.</p> + +<p>What happened in the time that followed no one +knows—it is a secret between God and St. Benedict. +But we can guess that God made known many wonderful +things to His faithful young servant—things that +later he was to teach to thousands of men; and that +He filled him with grace and strength to do what he +would have to do, to make the world a better place. +Also, we can be sure that he was very, very happy, in +spite of the loneliness, and the dark, cold nights, and +the hard ground he had for his bed.</p> + +<p>Three years St. Benedict lived like this, and then +one sunny Easter morning God made known St. +Benedict's secret to a certain holy man who lived in +those parts, and told him to go to the cave and take +St. Benedict some of his Easter fare. St. Benedict +was very pleased to see him, but surprised to hear it +was Easter, for he had lost all count of time. So the +priest laid out the good things he had brought, and +they said grace, and then they had a meal together,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> +and then a talk. After the priest had gone some +shepherds and country-folk climbed up the steep little +path to see where he had been, and they found St. +Benedict. He welcomed them, and spoke so wonderfully +to them that they saw he was a man specially +taught by God. They felt he was their true friend +and loved them for God's sake, and so they often +climbed the steep path to visit him and ask his help +and advice. But very soon news of him spread +beyond the mountain shepherds, and people of all +sorts from far and near flocked to see the holy man +and ask his prayers and his advice. Sad, wicked +people went away with sorrow for their sins, and +became good. Cowards went away full of strength +and courage. And many people began to learn a new +way of serving God truly, always <i>doing their best</i> for +love of Him, and never "giving in to themselves."</p> + +<p>It was then that God allowed St. Benedict to have +a terrible temptation, to test him. Suddenly he felt +within him a great desire to give up all he was doing +for God and return to the wicked city he had left +and live a life of ease and pleasure. It was the Devil +who put this thought into his mind, but God's grace +in St. Benedict was stronger than the Devil. With all +his heart he vowed that he would <i>never</i> give up doing +God's will, and, to punish himself for the thoughts that +had entered his mind, he threw himself into a mass of +sharp, thorny briars and stinging-nettles, so that his +flesh was all torn and stung. After that he was so +strong that no temptation was ever able to conquer +him, and he was able to lead thousands of souls to +victory.</p> + +<p>The time had come when God wanted St. Benedict +to leave his cave. He had learnt what God had to +tell him in secret, and now his great work was to begin.</p> + +<p>A large number of men who wished to serve God +with all their hearts began to collect round St. Benedict. +Gradually they formed twelve monasteries, all<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> +within about two miles, and got St. Benedict to rule +over them all. This was the beginning of St. Benedict's +great work for God. He drew up a Rule which showed +men how they could live in the way most pleasing +to God. It was not so terribly hard as to be impossible +for ordinary men, like some of the holy hermits and +Saints in the past had taught. And so thousands and +thousands of men began to promise to keep this Rule +and to live together in monasteries, doing good. St. +Benedict had many wonderful adventures during the +rest of his life, but I must keep those stories to tell +you another time. The end of this one is that after +God had called St. Benedict to Heaven, his great work +went on. His followers began to travel all over the +world as missionaries, teaching the pagans about +Christ, and bringing peace and goodness to the poor, +sad, wicked world. They cultivated the land and +made it fruitful; and built churches and hospitals and +schools; and taught the children, and looked after the +poor, and <i>civilized</i> the world. It was they who brought +the Christian Faith to England, for St. Augustine was +one of St. Benedict's monks, and did more than anybody +else to make England the great country which +she became; for before St. Benedict's monks came the +country was all wild and the Saxons were heathen. +So, you see, by listening for God's voice, and doing +his best to obey faithfully, the boy Benedict became +one of the men who have done very great things +for the world.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>"Tell us some more," said the Cubs sleepily.</p> + +<p>"Tell us all the adventures St. Benedict had."</p> + +<p>"No, no," said Akela; "that was a long story. +Now you must go to sleep and dream about St. Benedict, +and then you will be ready to get up and have +a glorious day to-morrow."</p> + +<p>So the Stable boys stumbled sleepily back to their +own quarters, and Akela tucked each of them up in +his blankets.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span></p> + +<p>A quarter of an hour later everyone was asleep. +As Akela crept softly round she could only hear the +regular breathing of sound sleepers. True, at midnight +Patsy made some loud conversation, and +thought he could do without any blankets at all, but +he did not wake up even then, and was soon tucked +up quietly again.</p> + +<p>So ended the First Day.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span></p> +<h2>THE SECOND DAY</h2> + + +<div class='unindent'><span class="smcap">The</span> sun has already been up some time when the first +Cub wakes up and wonders where he is. Finding he +is in camp, he feels sure it would be a good turn if he +thumped the sleeping form next him and woke him +up, that he, too, may have the delight of remembering +that "to-morrow" has actually come—the first real +day in camp! These two make conversation to each +other, and become so cheery that soon everybody else +has woke up. It is 6.30, so Akela gives leave for +everyone to turn out.</div> + +<p>There is a tap in the Stable-yard. Soon everyone +is washing in a tin basin. The two cooks have dressed +quickly, said their prayers in the little chapel, and are +off up the hill to the camp field.</p> + +<p>At the Stable it is some time before everyone is +thoroughly washed and dressed, beds are tidied, and +everything spick and span. Then the crowd of happy +Cubs race off to the field.</p> + +<p>The fire is burning merrily, and a big dixie of porridge +bubbling for all it is worth. Away, between the trees, +you can see the blue sea glinting and sparkling. Overhead +the sea-gulls circle on silver wings, and cry good-morning +to each other as they pass with swoops and +dips, like so many tiny aeroplanes. The dew is thick +on the grass, the blackbirds sing, the sun shines, and +the camp-fire sends a steady column of blue smoke +into the fresh morning air. How different to early +morning in London! With a howl of joy the Cubs +scatter over the field.</p> + +<p>Here comes Godmother in a big blue overall and a +sun hat; and Father and Mother appear at the same +moment from the farther corner of the field. They +take over the cooking, and the two cooks run off for +a bit of sport after their labours.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then everyone collects in the council circle for +prayers. A short run wild again, and then a series of +whistle-blasts calls the Pack in for breakfast. In come +rushing the ravenous Cubs, and each squats down +where the cooks have placed their mugs in a circle. +Caps off, and all stand quiet for a moment, for grace, +and then porridge and mountains of bread-and-butter +begin to disappear at a great rate.</p> + +<p>Breakfast finished, the pots and the pans washed up, +the Pack invades the post office, and, armed with +picture postcards and pencils, the Cubs squat along +the sea-wall and write to their mothers. That duty +done, and spades, pails, boats, and shrimping-nets +bought, they lose no more time in getting down on to +the shore.</p> + +<p>It is a happy and hungry crowd with wet and +rumpled hair that turns up again at camp, all ready +for the splendid dinner Mother and Father have +cooked.</p> + +<p>After dinner a rest, while Godmother reads aloud.</p> + +<p>The day ends up with a wonderful shrimping-party. +Besides shrimps, the Cubs catch every kind of funny +little sea-creature—star-fishes, jelly-fishes, baby sea-anemones, +tiny, tiny crabs, a devil-fish, baby dabs, +and everything else you can think of. The tide is right +out, and there are mysterious green pools under the +pier, full of feathery red sea-weed and little darting +fishes. Of course, Sam falls into one in his clothes, and +comes out looking like a drowned rat. Akela wrings +him out and sends him home to get into dry clothes, +for the sun is beginning to sink.</p> + +<p>Supper, night prayers, a race down the hill, a few +minutes, to see the little twinkling lights, and the +happy family is getting undressed in double quick +time, for Akela has promised a good story to-night—a +"nexiting" one about a robber chief.</p> + +<p>Soon everyone in the coach-house is settled on his +palliasse, and has invited a Stable Cub to share it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> +with him. The candle has been lighted and stuck +with a dab of grease on the ledge.</p> + +<p>"Fire ahead, miss," commands a Sixer. Silence +reigns.</p> + +<p>"The story I told you yesterday," said Akela, "was +about a boy who started good, and went on being +good all his life. To-night I am going to tell you +about a boy who started good, but became bad, and +was very wicked until he grew up, when something +happened which sent him on the great adventure of +serving God."</p> + + +<h3><br /><span class="smcap">The Story of St. Guthlac.</span></h3> + +<p>Many hundreds of years ago, in the days when +England was ruled over by the Saxon Kings, there +lived a boy called Guthlac. He was a very intelligent +boy, not dull, like some children; he was obedient to +the grown-ups, and, as the old book says, "blithe in +countenance, pure and clean and innocent in his ways; +and in him was the lustre of Divine brightness so +shining that all men who saw him could perceive the +promise of what should hereafter happen to him."</p> + +<p>But when he got to be about fifteen he forgot all the +things he had been taught as a child. When he felt +a kind of restless longing for adventure rising up +inside him, and a desire to do wild things, and a cruel +feeling that he did not care what happened to other +people so long as he had a good time, he <i>gave in to +himself</i> and began the most wild and reckless life you +can imagine. He armed himself with a great ash-bow +and a sharp spear from his father's armoury. He +slung a shield on his back, and stuck his belt full of +knives and daggers and arrows. Then he went about +and collected a gang of all the wildest boys he could +find, and put himself at their head. Then, going +through all the country round, these wild boys attacked +anybody they thought was an enemy of theirs, paid<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> +off old grudges, killed and wounded innocent people, +set fire to their houses, and did all the damage they +could. Mad with excitement and lust for blood, they +soon became just a robber band, attacking friend and +foe alike, killing just for the pleasure of killing, or +sacking farms and houses to satisfy their greed. +They knew all the woods and by-ways so well that +no one could catch them. After a time they began +to build themselves huts where they could sleep, and +also hide the treasure they had plundered from rich +men. You can't imagine any wicked or horrible +thing they did not do. And, of course, they forgot +God entirely, though once they had been Christian +children and had been brought up to know and love +God. Nine years passed like this, and then something +happened.</p> + +<p>One night as Guthlac, the chief, lay on his bed of +rushes and soft, warm skins in the darkness of the +wooden cabin, thinking over the excitements of the +day and planning all the wicked things he would do +the next day, a wonderful thought flashed into his +mind, and it seemed to swallow up all the other +thoughts. He lay still, gazing into the darkness and +trying to understand what it was. Then, gradually, +he found that it was <i>God</i> he was thinking about—God, +Whom he had forgotten for nine long years.</p> + +<p>He did not turn away his mind, but went on thinking +about God until his heart was full of a kind of glow +that was <i>love</i>. He was surprised, for he knew he did +not really love God; for he was spending all his days +fighting against Him by every wicked thing he could +imagine. And then he began to understand that this +feeling inside him was sent by God—it was God's love +for him, and not his love for God. Could it really +be that God loved him? He was so very wicked +and cruel, and God—God was so good and just and +merciful.</p> + +<p>The robbers, sleeping on their rush beds, breathed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> +heavily; they were tired after a hard day. Guthlac +listened to their breathing. They were his men; they +obeyed him as their chief. He remembered the day, +nine years ago, when he had thought of the bold +robbers and sea-kings and brave men of the past, and +longed to show that he was as daring as they, and +could lead men to war. But as he lay, very wide +awake, with the strange feeling of God near, he began +to think of other great men he had heard of in his +childhood—men just as brave and daring as the sea-kings, +just as good leaders of men, more famous and +wonderful, and—lovers of God.</p> + +<p>God loved them, and they loved God and gave all +their strength and courage to serve Him. They were +His special friends. And now it seemed to Guthlac +that God was filling his heart with love and asking +him to be His special friend. A great feeling of shame +came over him. How could God forgive him and +want him for a friend after all the terrible things he +had done? But suddenly a great longing filled him +to be one of God's special friends, and obey Him, and +go on always loving Him. He longed for Christ to +become his Chief and Leader; and then he began to +understand that this would mean he must tell God +from the bottom of his heart that he was sorry for all +the wicked things he had ever done, and must promise +on his honour that he would never again do a single +one of them.</p> + +<p>Guthlac sat up in bed and thought hard. This +would mean that he must give up being a robber, give +up his free life in the woods, give up leading his daring +followers, give up all the unlawful pleasures of which +his life was made up. It would be a terribly big +giving up . . . but then, what a big, big thing he +would get in exchange! He would get the friendship +of God, and the knowledge that he had become very +pleasing to Him. Stretching wide his arms in the +darkness, he told God that he gave up <i>all</i>, <i>all</i>, <i>all</i> that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> +was wicked, and he begged to be forgiven and made +clean once more, like an innocent little child. Then, +very happy, he lay back on his bed of skins and fell +asleep.</p> + +<p>The sun was streaming into the long, low room +when Guthlac awoke. It was a glorious English +spring morning. The sleeping robbers were stirring, +one by one, beneath their warm deer-skins. They +little thought that their chief, sitting up in bed with +the morning sun in his eyes, was thinking about God, +and how wonderful it was that He had come to him +in the night and called him to become one of His +friends. It was rather difficult to believe, in the light +of day, with the coarse laughter and wild voices of the +robbers ringing out on the morning air, and yet Guthlac +knew it was true, and <i>knew that he had made a great +promise</i>. He was too brave a man to go back on a +promise, however hard to keep, so he stood up with +a strong purpose in his heart.</p> + +<p>The first step would be to tell his men. That would +be terribly hard. He suddenly felt very lonely, and +wished there was someone else there to back him up. +Then he remembered that the Lord Christ was his +Chief. Surely He would be near and help him in +his first adventure?</p> + +<p>So he stepped out into the dewy woods, where all +the birds were singing as if they, too, loved God with +all their hearts. And he called his men about him to +hear the important thing he had to say. They all +came crowding round, expecting to hear some splendid +new adventure that Guthlac, their chief, had planned +for them.</p> + +<p>Then he stood up, taller than any of them and more +splendid, and in his clear, ringing voice he told them +that a wonderful thing had happened—God had called +him to join the band of His brave friends. When God +calls there's no hanging back. And so he had given +up for ever the robber's life. He was no longer their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> +chief. He had found a new Chief for himself, and +was off, at once, on the adventure of God's service. +And so he bade them—good-bye.</p> + +<p>The robbers looked at each other in horror and +surprise. What had happened to their chief? Was +he mad? What would happen to them without their +brave leader? Falling down on their knees about +him, they begged him to stay; but Guthlac's eyes +were already looking away at the new adventure he +saw before him. The pleasures of his old life did not +seem worth anything now; he scarcely heard the +voices of his friends as they pleaded with him.</p> + +<p>At last they gave up all hope of persuading him, and +Guthlac walked away through the woods, leaving his +old life behind him for ever.</p> + +<p>He did not know where to go at first, but he felt +sure Christ, his new Chief, would help him; and, sure +enough, he presently remembered that not very far +away there was an abbey of St. Benedict's monks. +He knew those men were all Christ's friends, and he +was quite sure they would welcome him.</p> + +<p>So he walked through the woods until he came to +the abbey. There he knocked loudly on the great +door, and presently a brother opened it. He must +have been terrified when he saw the tall young chieftain +standing before him, for all the countryside feared +Guthlac. But very soon the brother saw the love of +God shining in Guthlac's eyes, and the gentle humility +in his voice showed that he was no longer the cruel +robber, but a servant of Christ.</p> + +<p>The monks took Guthlac in and made him welcome. +Soon he found that conquering himself and the Devil +was a harder fight than he had ever fought against his +enemies in the world, but he threw himself into the +battle with all his heart. He did not do things by +halves, but began to serve God with all his might, +because before he had fought so hard against Him. +Remembering how often he had got drunk with the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> +wine he had stolen, he now would not drink one single +drop even of the wine the monks were allowed to have. +At first the brothers did not like this, but soon they +began to understand the strong resolve of the young +robber, and, seeing how very pure his heart was and +how much he loved God, they all loved him. The +curious old book which tells all about him says: "He +was in figure tall, and pure in body, cheerful in mood, +and in countenance handsome; he was modest in his +discourse, and he was patient and humble, and ever in +his heart was Divine love hot and burning."</p> + +<p>For two years he lived in that monastery, and then +he began to long to live a harder life for Christ's sake. +He heard about the hermits of old days who used to +live apart from other men in wild places, and he got +leave from the Abbot to follow their example. So one +day he set out.</p> + +<p>He did not choose the beautiful green woods that +he had once roamed in, but turned towards a most +horrible place—a great marsh full of pools of slimy +black water, and reeds, and rough scrub and bushes. +It was the most lonely place you can imagine, and +people feared to go there because they said it was +haunted by evil spirits.</p> + +<p>On an island in this lonely fen St. Guthlac settled +down with two servants. It was a very hard life, and +the Devil sent him all sorts of horrible temptations +and haunted him and gave him no rest; but St. Guthlac +rejoiced in the chance of fighting under his Captain, +Christ, against the evil spirits.</p> + +<p>It would take too long now to tell you of all the +wonderful things that happened to St. Guthlac on +this island—we must keep them for another time. +For God rewarded his love and his courage by giving +him a wonderful gift of miracles and of great wisdom, +so that the news of him gradually spread all over the +country, and people began to understand that the +great robber had now become a great Saint. And so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> +from far and near, the people flocked to him. But +one thing more about him I will tell you.</p> + +<p>Though he had now no human companions, and +chose to set all his love on God, he had a wonderful +friendship with the wild animals that shared the island +with him. In those days there were many wild beasts +in England, such as wolves. These would come to +St. Guthlac and eat out of his hand. Even the fishes +would come to him; and as to the birds, they did not +fear him at all. The swallows, which are very timid +birds, would come and settle all about on him, and +there were some ravens which were a trouble because +they were so tame and would come and steal things +from his house. Once a holy man called Wilfrith, +who had come to see St. Guthlac, was surprised to +see the swallows settle on him, and (as the old book +says) asked him "wherefore the wild birds of the +waste sat so submissively upon him." St. Guthlac +explained to him in these words: "Hast thou never +learnt, Brother Wilfrith, in Holy Writ, that he who +hath led his life after God's will, the wild beasts and +wild birds have become the more intimate with him? +And the man who would pass his life apart from worldly +men, to him the angels approach nearer."</p> + +<p>So it was that the wild place called Croyland became +a place of God, and St. Guthlac, through God's power, +was able to do more good to his fellow-men than ever +he had done them harm in his wild days. But though +St. Guthlac was doing miracles as wonderful as those +of the Old Testament prophets, and preaching in his +wilderness as wonderfully as St. John the Baptist did +in his, God did not mean to leave him there very long, +for He wished to have His brave and true friend in +heaven. After fifteen years St. Guthlac, who was +still almost a young man, fell ill. Knowing that God +was calling him to Heaven, he gladly began to prepare. +His illness lasted only seven days, and he himself +knew that he would die on the eighth. But he had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> +nothing to fear, for he had so truly repented of his +sins that night when God spoke to him first that they +had been all washed away. So he lay in his little +house waiting. And when one of his faithful servants, +who was some way off, at his prayers, chanced to +look up, he saw the house with a kind of bright cloud +of glory round it. And this brightness stayed there +till day broke. And at dawn St. Guthlac called his +servant and gave him last messages for his friends. +"And after that," says the old book, "he raised his +eyes to heaven and stretched out his arms, and then +sent forth his spirit with joy and bliss to the eternal +happiness of the heavenly kingdom."</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>"That was a good one," said the Cubs. But they +were too sleepy to ask for another story, as usual, and +in less than five minutes every one was asleep, sailing +away through the dream-sea towards the golden, +sunlit country called "To-morrow."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span></p> +<h2>THE THIRD DAY</h2> + + +<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>Seven</span> o'clock and no one awake yet! Akela crept +softly out and roused the cooks. Sam woke quickly, +but Bill was just like a hermit crab—the more you +poked him, the more he drew back into his shell and +hid his head under his blanket. Presently, however, +he began to uncurl, opened his eyes very wide, sat +up, and discovered it was not his mother calling him, +but that he was at camp. He got up quickly, and +was the first ready.</div> + +<p>Gradually they all woke up, but no one was in such +a hurry to turn out this morning.</p> + +<p>They put on uniform and boots and stockings, for +it was not to be a shore day.</p> + +<p>Breakfast over, haversacks were packed with grub, +and the whole party tramped off along the sea-wall to +Ryde. The first thing that happened was a beautiful +service in a very beautiful little church, for on this +day (August 15th) the Pack always goes to church. +Then five of the younger ones who didn't fancy a long +tramp went home with Father and Mother, and the +rest set off on an adventure.</p> + +<p>Along the roads and lanes they went, but the way +did not seem long, for they talked of so many interesting +things. After about two miles, as they were +going along a narrow lane, they suddenly came on a +man sitting on the bank, who stood up and said, +"Hullo!" The Cubs gave a yell and fell upon him, +for, you see, he was their Scoutmaster.</p> + +<p>He led the way past an old ruin, under a ruined +archway, and along a little path, till they got to a +great building called Quarr Abbey, where he was +staying. There, under the shade of the trees, the +weary travellers sat and had an enormous lunch.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> +Three big jugs of cider had been provided for them. +It was the first time they had ever tasted cider, and +Akela began to be afraid they would never be able +to walk home straight if they drank any more; so it +was decided to pour the remainder into the water-bottles, +and take it back for the five boys in camp.</p> + +<p>After dinner the Scoutmaster took the Cubs for a +row in the creek, and afterwards they bathed. Then +they had a good tea, and were allowed to see over +the abbey and go down in the crypt under the church. +It interested them very much to see a wonderful +library of eighty thousand books! Some were +hundreds and hundreds of years old, and all done in +writing and painting, because there was no printing +in those days. Some were books done in the very +first days of printing. There was one enormous book +you could hardly carry, and by it a tiny wee little +book you could put in your waistcoat-pocket.</p> + +<p>At last it was time to go home, and they set out +once more to tramp along the lanes. The evening sun +shone down through the thick green leaves, and the +blackbirds sang as if they were saying all sorts of +important things to each other, if only you could +understand. The grey, broken arches of the ruined +abbey seemed to tell sad tales of long ago—seemed full +of secrets nobody will ever hear.</p> + +<p>"It's been a good adventure," said the Cubs, and +they tramped home contentedly, for their minds were +full of things to think about.</p> + +<p>Even at the end of a four-mile tramp they were +ready to run up the grassy hill into the camp, each +keen to be the first one to tell Father and Mother about +the eighty thousand books, and the ruin, and the cider, +and the crypt. The five Cubs enjoyed the cider, and +everyone talked at the same time round the camp-fire +that night, all telling different things.</p> + +<p>"Story to-night, miss?" said a Cub, suddenly.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Akela.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Good one?"</p> + +<p>"Yes—a very good one about a soldier-Saint."</p> + +<p>"Hooray! Buck up, boys, and let's get down to +the Stable for the story," cried the Cub, cramming the +last bit of bread-and-cheese into his mouth.</p> + +<p>The trampers were quite ready to lie down on their +beds that night.</p> + +<p>"It's been the best day we've had yet," they said; +"and now, please, tell the story."</p> + +<p>So Akela curled up on someone's palliasse, and +silence fell.</p> + + +<h3><br /><span class="smcap">The Story of St. Martin.</span></h3> + +<p>A little more than three hundred years after Our +Lord formed the Christian Church and then went back +to Heaven, having promised always to be in spirit +with His people, a boy called Martin was born in +Hungary. This boy God chose to be a very great +leader among His people, the Christians, and so He +began to arrange Martin's life in such a way that he +should be led, little by little, to the fulfilment of God's +plans. Now, part of God's plan was that Martin +should be given the chance of <i>conquering himself</i>, +and, with the addition of a lot of God's grace, be +made strong and able to bear bravely the terrible +dangers and hardships that were bound to go with +a high position in the Church of Christ in those days +of persecution. This story I am going to tell you is +the story of all the hard things and disappointments +and adventures God sent to the boy Martin, in order +to prepare him well, and bring him, at last, to the +position he was to fill in the Church.</p> + +<p>Well, the first thing that happened was that the +Holy Spirit put into the little boy's heart the idea of +praying to a wonderful, unknown being, Whom he +called "the God of the Christians." You see, his +father was a pagan, and Martin had never been taught<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> +anything about God, and must have picked up this +idea all on his own. He had no church to go to, or +anything, so he set to and built himself a little chapel +on the top of a hill near his home, and there he often +ran off and prayed to the God he knew so little about, +but Who, he felt sure, was a kind and loving friend of +little boys.</p> + +<p>Well, God was pleased to see that Martin had +answered so well to the idea He had sent into his +heart, so He rewarded him by making something +happen, which was the next bit of His plan, so to +speak.</p> + +<p>Martin's father was a soldier, and had risen from +the ranks to the position of Colonel in the Roman +Army. To repay him for his good services he was +given a farm in Italy. And so, when Martin was ten +years old, his father and mother moved to this farm, +and Martin found himself living in a country where the +Christian Faith was openly practised and people loved +and served "the God of the Christians," Whom Martin +had so much longed to know more about.</p> + +<p>You can imagine how pleased the boy was; and +before long he had discovered the house of the priests +who taught young pagans all about the Christian +faith, and had begun to go to them regularly to learn. +His father did not take much notice of this, and thought +his small son would soon forget all about it when he +got old enough to enter the life his father had decided +he should follow—the exciting life of a soldier.</p> + +<p>But Martin was not dreaming of battles and the +adventures of a soldier's life, for he had discovered +that among Christians there was such a thing as +specially giving yourself to God, and bravely breaking +away from all the things you love by nature—like +riches and fine clothes, and nice food, and friends, and +adventures in the world, so as to love Christ only, and +follow the adventures of the spirit to which He will +lead His loyal soldiers. While still a boy Martin<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> +decided that this was the life for him, and he began +to long to leave his comfortable home and go and join +the hermits who lived in caves. So you can imagine +that when his father began to talk about his starting +his military training he was very much dismayed. +Being a frank and honest kind of boy, he looked his +father bravely in the face, and told him straight out +that he wanted to be a Christian and give up his +whole life to it.</p> + +<p>Martin's father was very angry indeed. He stormed +at the boy, and when he found that was no good, he +thrashed him. But nothing could make Martin change +his mind, and at last he decided the only way was to +run away from home.</p> + +<p>But I told you God meant Martin to become a +leader. To have run away and lived with the hermits +would not have given him just the kind of training +he needed, and the chance of showing he could stick +to God through real difficulties. So God let the next +bit of His plan happen.</p> + +<p>Martin's father told the Roman officials that his son +had come to the age at which all boys had to undergo +their military training (though he hadn't, really). And +as Martin would not go and "join up," a kind of press-gang +lay in ambush one day and captured him, and +he was led away in chains and forced to take the oath +of military allegiance.</p> + +<p>His father being a Colonel, Martin was given a good +position in the army straight off, and had his own +horse and his own servant. Of course, nearly all his +companions were pagans, and the life of the army was +of a pretty low standard. But Martin stuck faithfully +to the kind of life he knew was pleasing to God, and +tried in his dealings with his fellow-men to do things +in the brave, kind, generous, unselfish way Christ +would have done them. Of course, this made all the +soldiers and his fellow-officers love him, and they must +often have wondered why he never got angry, or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> +cheated, or grumbled and swore at unpleasant things; +and why he was so very kind to his servant, and always +ready to give up his place or any little privilege to other +people. Though no one knew it, even his pay he +gave away to the poor. And yet he was not yet a +baptized Christian, for in those days people used to +wait a long time and prepare themselves very carefully +for the great honour of being made one of the children +of God; and during this time of waiting they were +called catechumens.</p> + +<p>It was at this time, while Martin's regiment was +stationed in France, that a very wonderful thing happened +to him—for God was still planning his life and +giving him chances; and, if he took them, rewarding +him with special graces which should turn him gradually +into a brave "soldier of Jesus Christ."</p> + +<p>One cold wintry day, as the wind whistled down the +narrow streets of Amiens, Martin's troop came clattering +through the old gateway, the soldiers wrapping +their great military cloaks close round them, for the +bitter French winter seemed to freeze their Southern +blood. By the gate of the city they noticed, as they +swung by, an old, ragged man. The wind fluttered his +tattered rags about, and he stretched out his thin +hands, all blue with cold, hoping for a few pence to +buy himself some food. The soldiers, however, passed +him by and gave him nothing. But when Martin +reached the corner and saw the piteous sight his heart +was touched, and he reined in his horse. He felt in +his pockets, but, alas! they were empty, for he had +given away all he had to some other poor person. He +was very sad, because he always felt the poor were +a kind of <i>chance</i> given him by God of showing his love +for the Lord Christ, Who had said that if you served +the poor and naked and hungry and unhappy you +really served <i>Him</i>. Well, Martin felt he simply +<i>couldn't</i> pass on and give the old man nothing. And +suddenly the idea came to him that he was warm in his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> +big cloak, and the old man very cold. What if he +gave his cloak? But it was his uniform, and he knew +that he must not ride out without it altogether, so he +took it off, drew his sword, slashed it in half, and then, +bending down with a smile, put the warm folds about +the old man's cowering shoulders.</p> + +<p>Of course, the soldiers and other officers laughed; +but Martin didn't care—he was willing to be what +St. Paul calls "a fool for Christ's sake."</p> + +<p>And now comes the wonderful thing. That night +as Martin lay in bed, asleep, a wonderful vision came +to him. Suddenly his room seemed full of angels, and +in the midst of them was Christ. <i>And</i>—on His +shoulders was Martin's half-cloak! Then Our Lord +spoke. "Martin," He said, "dost thou know this +mantle?" And then He turned to the angels, and +He said: "Martin, yet a catechumen, hath clothed +Me with this garment."</p> + +<p>You can imagine what St. Martin felt! But besides +the joy in him, there was a feeling that Our Lord was +a little disappointed because he was only a catechumen +still, and not yet baptized and made a real part of +His Church, a real child of God. And so, feeling that +God wished him to have the great honour of Baptism, +he went to the priests, and started on the long, hard +preparation that they used to have in those days. +No meat might he have, nor wine, and he must pray +a lot, and often watch in the church the whole night, +and in many other ways practise not giving in to +himself. Only at Easter and Whitsun were the +catechumens baptized; and then they were clothed +in white garments, which they wore for a week. These +were meant to show the perfect purity of their souls, +from which all stain of sin had been washed away by +the waters of Baptism.</p> + +<p>At last the great day came, and Martin received the +wonderful Sacrament with great love and humility. +But now he felt that he simply couldn't let his hands<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> +be stained with the blood of his fellow-men, and that +the soldier's life was not for him. And so, when the +Emperor came one day and inspected his regiment, +which was shortly to go into battle, he asked him if he +might leave the army. "Until now I have fought for +you," he said; "let me henceforth fight for God. . . . I +am a soldier of Christ, and it is not lawful for me to +take part in a bloody battle." The Emperor was +very angry. "Coward!" he cried. "It is not religion +that causes you to refuse to fight—you are <i>afraid</i>."</p> + +<p>So, to show them he was not afraid, Martin offered +to go into battle in the very front rank, but to go +unarmed (since he would not shed human blood). +And, to show that he trusted in Christ as his protector, +he said he would go without armour or helmet.</p> + +<p>His challenge was accepted, and he was put under +arrest, lest he might try to escape.</p> + +<p>Of course, he spent the night praying, and the next +day everyone was astonished by some strange news. +The enemy had sent a despatch to sue for peace, and +to say they would agree to the Emperor's terms. So +there was no battle; and not only was Martin's life +saved, but the lives of many other brave men. +Probably the Emperor saw God's hand in the unexpected +action of his powerful enemy, for he at once +gave Martin leave to go free.</p> + +<p>At last Martin found himself at liberty to follow the +life he had always felt called to; and once again God +sent him where things should happen to him which +would finally lead to the accomplishment of God's +great plan.</p> + +<p>After making a pilgrimage to Rome, which was now +not only the head of the worldwide Empire, but the +kind of headquarters of the Christians, he returned to +France, so as to put himself under the guidance of a +very holy man, called St. Hilary, the Bishop of Poitiers.</p> + +<p>St. Hilary soon saw that Martin was no ordinary +young soldier, but was a very promising "soldier of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> +Jesus Christ," and that his services would be very +valuable. He saw, also, that he had received a special +call from God, so he proposed to ordain him deacon. +But Martin was very humble, and he refused the +honour. In the end he let St. Hilary ordain him +exorcist. But directly after this he was ordered by +God in a dream to go back to his native land and visit +his relations and bring them into the Christian Faith. +St. Hilary was disappointed, but he let him go, making +him promise, however, that he would return to the +Diocese of Poitiers, to which he now belonged.</p> + +<p>After many adventures, including falling into the +hands of robbers and escaping in a marvellous way, +which must have been through God's help, Martin +reached his old home, and had the joy of seeing his +mother received into the Church, as well as seven of his +cousins and his two great-uncles.</p> + +<p>At this time the Church was being persecuted by a +very strong party called the Arians. They were +heretics, who taught that Our Lord was only a man +and not God, and as the Church turned them out on +account of their false teaching, they did nothing but +fight against her. Of course, Martin, the brave soldier +of Christ, stood up for what he believed, so that one +day he was seized by the Arians, beaten, and banished +from his own country. He began to make his way +back to St. Hilary, but when he reached Milan he +learned that his friend had been banished from Poitiers, +and that an Arian Bishop ruled in his place. So +Martin stayed at Milan; and this, too, was a part of +God's plan, because it was his stay here which started +him on an idea which in the end developed into one of +the most important things in his life.</p> + +<p>This idea was to form a kind of little monastery +outside the city, where he and a handful of other +young men lived, and tried to do good and to live in +a way specially pleasing to God, and more perfect than +they could do in the busy rush of the ordinary world.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> +But after a while the Arians got strong in Milan, and +drove out Martin and his followers. For a while +Martin and a friend of his lived as hermits on a wild +little island off the coast of Spain. But, hearing that +St. Hilary had been restored to his see, Martin went +to Poitiers so as to fulfil his solemn promise. But once +more St. Hilary was to be disappointed, for this time +Martin begged to be allowed to continue his hermit's +life. St. Hilary gave him leave, and Martin now +withdrew to a forest about eight miles from Poitiers. +Here he built himself a hut, and was soon surrounded +by men who wished to lead the same kind of holy life. +This was the beginning of all the wonderful monasteries +of France, which civilized the whole country in time +and taught it to be Christian.</p> + +<p>That Martin's new life was really pleasing to God +was soon shown, for God gave him the gift of doing +miracles, and twice he even raised the dead to life. +You will remember how Our Lord specially promised +that His faithful followers, in the years to come, should +do miracles like He had done, and even greater ones. +Well, St. Martin was one of the men who showed that +Our Lord's promise was fulfilled. All the men to whom +the Church has given the title "Saint" have done +wonderful miracles, that God's name might be glorified +and people see that "with God all things are possible." +St. Martin now lived in very close communion with +God, and his miracles showed that he was not just an +<i>ordinary</i> good man.</p> + +<p>Besides training his monks, St. Martin was working +very hard among the heathen Gauls. He would press +forward through the forests and preach in the little +villages, and do miracles, and, after instructing the +people in the true Faith, baptize them all, and leave +a happy Christian village where he had found a +miserable, frightened, heathen one.</p> + +<p>St. Martin's tender pity for all suffering things is +shown by this little story. One day, as he walked in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> +the country, he saw a poor, terrified hare dashing along +with starting eyes, and nearly exhausted, for a party +of huntsmen and their hounds were close upon it. +St. Martin saw that in a few minutes it must be torn +to bits by the hounds, for there was no cover for it. +His tender heart longed to help it to escape, because +it was weak and small and frightened. So he called +out to the hounds to stop! And, strange to say, they +pulled up short in their mad rush, and all stood still +as if frozen to the ground, and the poor little hare +scurried away into safety.</p> + +<p>Now, this kind of life was just what suited St. +Martin, and he was very happy. He lived apart with +God, and yet had work to do in training his monks in +the way of perfection and teaching the Faith to the +ignorant pagans. But he had not yet arrived at the +end of God's great plan for him. And if God now +called him away from the life he loved to a life he did +not want at all, we must not be surprised, for Christ +said that those who would be His disciples must <i>deny +themselves</i> and take up their <i>cross</i> and follow Him, +and that is what all good Christians must be ready +to do—that is, live according to <i>the way God wants</i> +instead of according to the way <i>they want</i> themselves.</p> + +<p>Well, the change came when St. Hilary died; for +of course the people wanted St. Martin to become +Bishop in his place. To be Bishop was a very great +honour, and one that many men would have been glad +to accept. But St. Martin was humble, like all Saints; +and he also felt that if he was to remain pure of heart +and close to God he must live in the quiet solitude and +silence of his monastery, so he refused to become +Bishop. But that he should be Bishop was God's will, +and also the people were quite determined to have him. +They got him by making him think there was a poor +sick woman who wanted him to come to her. He +came out of his monastery, all unsuspecting, and the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> +people carried him off by force to Poitiers, and he had +to consent to be consecrated Bishop.</p> + +<p>He did not look very like a Bishop as he was brought +into the city. He was clad in a poor, thin old habit, +and his head was closely shaved, as the monks were +accustomed to do, and he was thin and pale with +fasting and his hard life. But even his humble appearance +made the people cheer him all the more; and the +church was absolutely packed at the solemn service +of his consecration as Bishop.</p> + +<p>Now began a life in which his own will was altogether +given up to that of God. He lived in a poor little +hut adjoining the church—the poorness of it pleased +him; but all day he was at it, doing things for people—now +visiting a sick man to pray over him, now making +peace between quarrelsome people, now blessing oils, +that they might bring healing to the sick; preaching +sermons, talking to people, and explaining Holy +Scripture in the way he could do so wonderfully; +visiting his priests, or listening to the worries and +troubles they came to tell him; and when there was +nothing else, there was always a crowd of people +waiting just to see their beloved Bishop's holy face +and go away cheered with a patient smile from him.</p> + +<p>But just sometimes he slipped away for a little +peace alone with God, at a beautiful monastery called +Marmontier, which he formed near the city, and which +later became very famous, and kept the Rule of St. +Benedict I told you about before.</p> + +<p>There were many things that were serious worries +and very bitter sorrows and trials to St. Martin at +this time, but I can't tell you all about these now. +But there were also joys; and one of these I will tell +you about, because it was the companionship of a +little boy. He was nearly ten when St. Martin baptized +him and then adopted him. As they travelled +together soon after the boy's Baptism, and while he +still had on the beautiful white robe I told you about,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> +which showed outwardly the new purity of his soul, +they came to the River Loire. A little way ahead of +them they saw a poor blind beggar waiting for someone +to help him across.</p> + +<p>"Son," said St. Martin to the boy, Victorius, "go +to that man; wash his face and eyes with water from +the river; then bring him to me."</p> + +<p>So the boy went and did as St. Martin had told him; +and as soon as he had washed the poor man's eyes, the +man opened them and found he could see! With joy he +looked about at the blue sky and the river; and when +he heard that it was the holy Bishop who had sent the +white-robed boy to him, he praised God for what had +happened, and ran and fell down at St. Martin's feet. +The poor beggar was very excited about it all, and +didn't know how to thank St. Martin and the boy. +So St. Martin said:</p> + +<p>"Calm thyself, cease talking, and come; for with +me in this boat thou shalt cross the river."</p> + +<p>So the beggar stayed with them three days, and +Victorius was allowed to look after him, and, as the +old book says, "eagerly brought him everything to +eat that he liked best."</p> + +<p>Victorius stayed always with St. Martin, and went +about everywhere with him, scarcely ever leaving his +side. Even to the church he would go with him for +the night offices; or on his tours visiting the churches +or preaching to the heathen. St. Martin taught +Victorius, and in return the boy waited on him; also, +I think, he must have cheered up the old Bishop, and +often made him feel a boy again. But don't you think +Victorius was a very lucky boy? He saw a great +many wonderful miracles of the Saint, and was even +allowed to have a hand in the doing of some of them, +as in the case of the blind beggar. When Victorius +was old enough, St. Martin made him a priest, and +<i>himself</i> cut off the young man's hair in the way priests +used to have it cut.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span></p> + +<p>There are a great many more wonderful stories +about St. Martin which I haven't time to tell you now; +but gradually, gradually he was establishing the +Christian Faith very firmly in France. God's great +plan was being fully worked out, for, you see, St. +Martin had never resisted God's will in any point; +always he had done just what he felt God was gently +leading him to do, never mind what it cost him at the +time. And so he took each step that God arranged +for him, and each one led on to the next, and all led +on to the wonderful life of building up the Church of +Christ, and making it bigger, stronger, purer, more +healthy; and the great work, too, of turning a heathen +land into a powerful Christian country.</p> +<div class="figleft" style="width: 278px;"> +<img src="images/i049.png" width="278" height="400" alt="S. MARTIN, VICTORIUS AND THE BLIND BEGGAR." title="S. MARTIN, VICTORIUS AND THE BLIND BEGGAR." /> +<span class="caption">S. MARTIN, VICTORIUS AND THE BLIND BEGGAR.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 12em;"><a href="#Page_39"><i>See page 39.</i></a></span> +</div> + +<p>At last came the day when the tired old Bishop felt, +with unspeakable joy, that he was to go and receive +his reward at the hands of Christ, Whom he had loved +so faithfully and so long, and was to enter into his rest.</p> + +<p>One day, after a long journey, St. Martin was thinking +of returning to his beloved Marmontier, when a great +weakness came over him.</p> + +<p>"The moment of my deliverance is at hand," he +said.</p> + +<p>His monks and other faithful companions were nearly +broken-hearted.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Father, will you then leave us?" they cried. +"Ravening wolves will fall on your flock, and who will +protect it when the shepherd is struck? We know +your longing to depart and to be with Christ, but your +reward is assured and will be greater by delay. Have +pity on us who must remain."</p> + +<p>So St. Martin prayed a beautiful prayer, because he +loved his children more than himself, and he was even +willing to put off his reward and his longed-for rest +for love of them.</p> + +<p>"Lord," he said, "if indeed I still be necessary to +Thy people, I refuse not the labour. Let only Thy +will be done."</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span></p> + +<p>But it was not Our Lord's will that His faithful +soldier should fight any longer. Christ was waiting +for him, all ready to say, "Well done, good and faithful +servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."</p> + +<p>And so, lying humbly upon a bed of sackcloth, St. +Martin, Apostle of France, finished the work that God +had given him to do, and passed into the glory and +eternal rest of the Blessed.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span></p> +<h2>THE FOURTH DAY</h2> + + +<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>A gorgeous</span> day of steady, hot sun that made the sea +sparkle like a million diamonds scattered on a great +stretch of blue, blue satin. The tide was very far out, +leaving a golden stretch of sand that simply asked to +be tunnelled into and dug into holes and trenches +and castles. The Cubs all got into their bathing-costumes +(the Cubs' "costumes" were <i>mostly</i> bare +Cub!), and spent the whole morning burrowing like +moles into the sand, and getting cool in the sea when +they felt like it. Akela tried to write something "very +important," but the Cubs didn't seem to think it +nearly as important <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'at'">as</ins> Akela did, and not much +writing got done.</div> + +<p>After dinner and rest, when the tide had come up, +like a great green monster swallowing up the shore, +and clutching with foamy fingers at the rocks, Akela +hired a boat and took half the Cubs at a time for a +row, while the other half ran along the shore ready to +scramble in, when their turn came.</p> + +<p>The wind had got up, and out to sea there were no +end of "white horses" shaking their manes and +galloping after each other. Do you know what "white +horses" are? They are the white crests of the waves +that break out all over the sea on windy days. Some +of the "white horses" came galloping close in to shore, +and the Cubs had a very exciting time landing to give +the others a turn. This is how they did it. One large +Cub rolled up his shorts as far as they would go, and +stood ready in the bow. Akela then turned the boat +shorewards suddenly, and pulled at the oars for dear +life, and all the Cubs helped by cheering. "Crash—scrunch," +the boat went ashore; the Cub in the bow +leapt out, and held her nose steady while everyone<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> +else scrambled out. A few "white horses" jumped +over the stern and made things a bit wet, but nobody +minded. In scrambled the next boatful of Cubs, and, +with a good shove, the boat was out again.</p> + +<p>A very little make-believe and you were lifeboat-men +landing survivors from a wreck.</p> + +<p>There was to be a long and <i>very exciting</i> story +to-night, so the Cubs bustled down to the Stable extra +early, and were undressed before you could say "Jack +Robinson." In fact, Terry began to undress in the +street, and was out in the Stable-yard in his night-shirt +before Akela and the last Cub had got through +the gate.</p> + +<p>"Tell us a long, long, long one," begged the Cubs; +"we aren't a bit sleepy. Let it last till midnight."</p> + +<p>"I'll tell as long as the candle lasts," said Akela, +sticking a stump of candle on the ledge.</p> + +<p>The Cubs curled up, and the candle-light fell in a +golden flicker on their ruddy, sunburnt faces. Fifteen +pairs of eyes were fixed on Akela. You couldn't hear +a straw rustle. Only the faint "Swish-sh-sh—<i>Sha</i>-<i>a</i>-<i>a</i>-<i>ah</i>" +of the "white horses" breaking on the +shore broke the stillness.</p> + +<p>"Now we are going back, back, back into a thousand +years ago," began Akela, and the Cubs gave a wriggle +of satisfaction, and prepared to take that mighty +journey with the greatest ease.</p> + + +<h3><br /><span class="smcap">The Story of St. Edmund, King and Martyr.</span></h3> + +<p>Now we are going back, back, back into a thousand +years ago, and more. We shall stay in England, but +it is a strange, wild England, covered with deep, +mysterious green forests, where speckled deer roam +about, and on moonlight nights you can hear the +wolves howling. The Englishmen of these days are +nearly as fierce as the wolves. If you met one coming +down a forest path I believe you'd be a bit afraid of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> +him, with his fierce eyes and shaggy head of hair, his +round shield and sharp spear. A good many of these +Englishmen are still heathens. But St. Benedict's +monks have been hard at work for the last few hundred +years turning the wild country into the beautiful +England we know, and the fierce, cruel Saxons into +brave Christian knights, with kindly, noble hearts as +well as fearless spirits.</p> + +<p>Well, in a part of the country called East Anglia +there lived an old King called Offa. He was a Christian, +and descended from a line of brave and noble +Kings called the Uffings. Poor old Offa was very sad, +because he felt he was getting old, and he thought that +when he died the royal line of Uffings would end, for +he had no son to succeed him.</p> + +<p>As a matter of fact he <i>had</i> got a son, but many years +before God had called this boy to give up all thoughts +of worldly glory and become a holy hermit, giving up +his life to prayer. When God calls a man to serve +Him and Him alone, He does not let the world suffer +by his loss. God had a plan of His own for replacing +Offa's hermit son by one of the most glorious Kings +that ever reigned in England, and it is the wonderful +story of how he was found, and of his thrilling adventures +as the young King of East Anglia, that I'm +going to tell you to-night.</p> + +<p>Well, something—perhaps it was a whisper from the +Holy Spirit—made old King Offa feel that if he prayed +very hard he might in some wonderful way obtain an +heir to his throne.</p> + +<p>In those days, when people wanted to pray very +hard and show God they <i>really</i> wanted a thing, and +really believed He would give it them, they used to do +what was called "going on a pilgrimage." It was like +<i>doing</i> instead of only <i>saying</i> a great prayer, for the +whole, long, dangerous journey was one act of faith +and devotion or of thanksgiving.</p> + +<p>So old Offa set out on a pilgrimage to the very best<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> +place you could pilgrimage to—the land where Our +Blessed Lord lived and died, where there are still the +very same rocky paths His Blessed Feet touched, the +same mountains and lakes His Eyes rested on, the very +hill where His Precious Blood poured down from the +Cross, dyeing the grass and the little white daisies red. +Somehow the King felt that if he could go and pray +where Our Lord had prayed he would get some wonderful +answer. So he started off, crossed the blue sea +and landed on the opposite coast. Now, God is so +ready to grant the prayers of people who have so +much love and faith that He sometimes answers almost +before they have asked. That's what happened with +the old King. His way lay through Saxony, the +kingdom of his cousin Acmund. One day he rode up +with his men-at-arms to the Court, and decided to +spend a few days there. Acmund, of course, welcomed +his cousin, and received him joyfully to the palace.</p> + +<p>Well, as King Offa sat resting on one of the low +couches covered with the skins of wild beasts that +Acmund had killed in the chase, there was a light +footfall outside the chamber, the heavy curtain was +drawn back from the doorway, and there stood before +him a tall, slim boy of thirteen, with fair hair, truthful +blue eyes, and a face tanned with the sun and wind +of his open-air life. Something seemed to jump up +in the old King's sad heart. Oh, if only that noble +boy were his son, his heir! He was a true Uffing. +What a King he would make for East Anglia!</p> + +<p>In the next few days Offa and the King's son, +Edmund, became great friends. Edmund took upon +himself the job of looking after his old cousin, and +seeing that he had all he needed and enjoyed his visit +at the Court. And Offa watched Edmund with a +feeling of love and interest such as he would have had +for his own son. He saw that the boy was brave and +clever, a good shot with his bow, able to throw a spear +straight and ride a horse. He saw that he was loved<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> +by all, and always ready to do good turns and put +the wishes of others before his own. But he saw +something that pleased him more—that Edmund was +a true, loyal Christian. In all the excitement of the +chase and the gaiety of the Court, his first thought +was of God—to serve Him and please Him, to keep +from all sin for His sake.</p> + +<p>The more Offa saw of Edmund, the more sure he felt +that God had led him to this Court that he might find +his heir. Still, though it seemed as if his request was +already granted, he did not give up his pilgrimage, but +decided to press on, if only as an act of thanksgiving +to God.</p> + +<p>Before starting once more on his way, the King +called Edmund aside. Taking a gold ring from his +finger, he put it on Edmund's hand, and told him that +if it were God's will this might some day mean great +things for him. Then he said good-bye, and rode +away towards the East.</p> + +<p>Young Edmund must often have wondered what it +was that God held in store for him, and as he looked +at the gold ring on his finger I feel sure he used to +promise God that whatever it was he would <i>do his best</i> +to fulfil His Holy Will.</p> + +<p>Well, old Offa reached Palestine all right. His +heart thrilled with joy and love as he saw the very +village where Jesus was born, and where the shepherds +came that early Christmas morning to adore the little +new-born King. He remembered the three Kings of +the East, who came plodding along on their camels, +bearing gifts for Mary's little Son.</p> + +<p>Then he went on to Mount Calvary, and the tears +ran down his old face as he saw the hill where Our +Blessed Lord suffered such agony, with such glorious +courage, for our sakes. He prayed and gave thanks, +and then, with a confident heart, left all the future in +God's Hands and started homewards.</p> + +<p>But he had not got very far before he fell ill, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> +soon his men saw that he was dying. Calling them +about him, he told them that it was God's will that +young Edmund, Acmund's son, should be their King. +Taking from his finger the signet-ring that had been +placed upon it by the Bishop at his coronation, he +commanded that when he was dead it should be carried +as quickly as possible to the boy. Then, heaving a +last sigh of peace and gratitude, he closed his eyes on +the world, and his faithful soul went to God.</p> + + +<h3><br /><i>The Coming of St. Edmund.</i></h3> + +<p>Now we will go back to England. The people have +heard of the death of their King, and they are not at +all sure that they want a strange young Prince from +Saxony to come and rule over them. They have +collected in a great crowd on the shore, for the galleys +from across the sea have come in sight, bearing down +before the wind.</p> + +<p>The ships draw every moment nearer, and the people +wait. As long as most of them can remember they +have been ruled over by King Offa; and for many +generations their Kings have been Uffings—tall, fair, +blue-eyed men, with noble, fearless hearts. What will +this strange boy be like?</p> + +<p>And on the ship young Edmund pushed his way +forward to the prow. He could see the green, tree-covered +cliffs of his new kingdom, and the crowd of +people on the shore. His heart beat fast, and he +fingered the ring old Offa had put on his hand. Oh, +if only these people knew that he came to them ready +to <i>do his best</i> to be to them a good King—to <i>do his best</i> +for them, for the love of God!</p> + +<p>Splash, splash!—the big anchors go overboard and +the chains rattle as they run out over the bows. Soon +Edmund and his men are in small boats, being rowed +swiftly to the shore. Edmund's boat is the foremost +and he himself stands up on the prow, ready to leap<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> +ashore. As the men of England look at him they see +that he is no stranger, but one of themselves, a true +Uffing, and then and there a sense of loyalty springs +up in their rough hearts.</p> + +<p>The nose of the boat grates on the shore. With a +leap Edmund has cleared the water, and is standing +on the land of which he is to be King. His first act +is to fall on his knees and ask God's blessing on himself +and his people. His short prayer ended, he gets up +and turns to greet his new friends; but to his surprise +they are all falling on their knees, murmuring to one +another, "A miracle, a miracle!" For a spring of +clear water has bubbled up where Edmund's knees +touched the ground—a sign from Heaven that he is +the true King, a symbol of the power of the Holy +Ghost that will well up like a spring in his heart.</p> + + +<h3><br /><i>The Crowning of St. Edmund.</i></h3> + +<p>After a time of study and preparation under a holy +man, called Bishop Humbert, who became a true +father to the boy and his lifelong friend, the time of +St. Edmund's coronation drew near. It took place +on Christmas Day, and the old books tell us of the +gorgeous procession and the wonderful service. St. +Edmund had to make a solemn promise of loyalty to +God and his people, and after being anointed with +holy oil he was clothed in certain royal garments by +the Bishop, while a thane stepped forward and put +sandals on his feet, a purple cloak was put upon his +shoulders, and in his hand a sceptre of mercy and an +iron rod of justice. After that a naked sword was +presented to him, and a helmet put on his head. +Then, laying aside all these, St. Edmund stepped +forward, and standing before the altar declared +solemnly that by the grace of God he would fulfil all +the duties of a good King. The Bishop placed the +crown upon his head, saying, "Live the King for ever," +and the people all cried, "Amen, amen, amen."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span></p> + +<p>After that there was a solemn service of praise and +thanksgiving to God, and the new King received Holy +Communion. You can imagine how happy it made +the holy young King that this should be the very first +act of his reign, and what confidence it gave him that +Christ would stay with him through all the difficult +years to come.</p> + + +<h3><br /><i>War.</i></h3> + +<p>For a long time there was peace in St. Edmund's +kingdom, though the people in other parts of the +country were suffering terribly from their enemies, +the Danes, who came over in wild hordes from the +North in their low, black-sailed boats, and, landing on +the coast, went through the country burning and +plundering and killing.</p> + +<p>St. Edmund knew they would sooner or later invade +his kingdom too. So he set to work to prepare for +them. His chief way of doing this was to win the +loyalty of all his subjects, so that if there was war he +knew they would all rally round him. He made wise +laws, and he was so fair to all, and so ready to listen +to the poor and oppressed and help them, that soon +everyone in the kingdom loved the young King and +would do anything for him. They could see that God +was with him, and they could not help feeling that +in serving the humblest of his subjects he felt that it +was Christ Himself that he served.</p> + +<p>St. Edmund had, of course, prepared his army and +had thrown up defences to try and keep the enemy +out as long as possible. You can still see one of his +great earthworks running from Newmarket to the +Fen country. For hundreds of years it was called +"Edmund's Dyke." He placed scouts and outposts +all round his borders, and prepared in every way he +could.</p> + +<p>At last the day came when the country people came +running into the towns in terror. They had seen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> +along the borders huge, fierce men, with flashing eyes +and long red hair and beards. Their leather tunics +were stained dark with blood. Huge round shields +were slung across their backs; they were armed with +spears, bows, clubs, and knives, and they shouted to +one another in a strange language.</p> + +<p>St. Edmund's scouts came running in to say that +the Danes were collecting in great crowds on the +frontiers.</p> + +<p>Soon they began creeping in at every point, burning +houses and churches, and killing people, especially the +Christians. Though it was an almost hopeless job, +St. Edmund led his brave army forward, and whenever +it was possible he engaged the enemy in battles and +drove them out. The Danes had never before been +so powerfully resisted, and thousands of them were +killed. There's not time now to tell you all of the +thrilling adventures St. Edmund had at this time, and +of his wonderful escapes from the Danes. Anyhow, +the Danes were so much weakened that they asked +for peace, and after spending the winter in a great +camp at Thetford, they sailed away, full of rage and +hatred and desire for revenge.</p> + + +<h3><br /><i>A Cowardly Plot.</i></h3> + +<p>For a time there was peace, and then a sad thing +happened.</p> + +<p>One stormy day when the waves dashed and foamed +up the shingly beach, and the sea and sky were a +leaden grey, the fisher-folk who lived down by the shore +saw a small boat, with tattered sails and broken mast, +being driven before the wind. There seemed to be +a man in it, but he was evidently weak and exhausted, +and was doing nothing to help himself. Presently the +boat was thrown up on the shore, and the fishermen +ran down and collected in a little crowd round it. +Looking down at the helpless man, still clinging to a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> +spar and drenched with foam and sea-water, they soon +saw he was not one of their people. "A Dane, a +Dane!" they murmured with sullen hate. Then one +who had served in St. Edmund's army suddenly gave +a wild exclamation. "By Heaven," he said, "it's +Lothparch!" Lothparch was the leader of the Danish +army who had done such awful harm to East Anglia +only a few years before. "Kill him!" growled one +man. "Throw him back on the mercy of the sea!" +hissed another. But the man who had fought under +St. Edmund would have nothing of the kind. The +King never allowed a helpless man, even a cruel +enemy, to be killed. So Lothparch was carried up to +the royal palace.</p> + +<p>To the surprise of the fierce Angles, St. Edmund +not only made the stranger welcome, but showed him +every kindness. "Love your enemies," said Our +Lord, and sure enough St. Edmund seemed truly to +be obeying that command. Everything the King did +seemed right to his loyal subjects; but there was one +man—Berne, the King's huntsman—whose jealousy +was so bitter at St. Edmund's showing favour to a +Dane that he waited till he had an opportunity, and +then he murdered Lothparch.</p> + +<p>The King was very angry, of course; but he said +that, though Berne deserved to die for the crime, he +would give him a faint chance of escape; he should be +put in an open boat, and pushed out to sea and left +to the mercy of the waves.</p> + +<p>After tossing for many days, Berne was washed up +on a strange coast.</p> + +<p>During those lonely days of tossing on the waves, +instead of repenting of his crime, Berne's wicked heart +had been full of hatred for the King. So when he +heard that the land he had come to was Lothparch's +own kingdom, and that his two sons, Inguar and +Hubba, were reigning in his place, a horrible idea came +into his mind. Asking to be taken before the Princes,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> +he made up and told them an awful lie, saying that +when their father, Lothparch, had been washed up, +helpless, on the coast of England, Edmund the King +had caused him to be cruelly put to death.</p> + +<p>Of course, this enraged Inguar and Hubba, and they +at once collected a huge and fierce army, and set out +once more for East Anglia.</p> + + +<h3><br /><i>A Fight to the Death.</i></h3> + +<p>Landing in the North, and marching from York +southward, the Danes plundered every city they passed +through. They burned the monastery that had been +built at Croyland (St. Guthlac's isle), and also those +at Peterborough, Ramsey, Soham, and Ely. Meeting +St. Edmund's army, they defeated it completely, killed +the brave General who commanded it, and took +Thetford by storm. Then they sent St. Edmund a +message to say that he must give up half his kingdom +and pay heavy taxes, or they would do the most +terrible "frightfulness" throughout the land.</p> + +<p>But St. Edmund and his men decided to make one +great effort to keep their land in liberty and true to +the Christian Faith. At the head of his gallant army, +St. Edmund marched on Inguar's army, and a ghastly +battle began.</p> + +<p>Arrows flew thick; swords clashed on shields; great +spears tore men open and left them to bleed to death. +All day the battle raged, but at night the Danes fell +back exhausted, and St. Edmund held the field, +victorious. But as he stood in the moonlight and +looked upon the scene his heart sank.</p> + +<p>Before him stretched the great battlefield, its +trampled grass all soaked in blood; and around him, +silent for ever, lay his great army—an army of dead +men. With a heavy heart he led back his little handful +of tired and wounded soldiers to the camp.</p> + +<p>The next day came terrible news. Hubba, with ten +thousand men, had marched up and joined his brother.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span></p> + + +<h3><br /><i>The Martyr.</i></h3> + +<p>It was hopeless to try and resist any more—the King +knew it, and his people knew it, and they shuddered +to think of their fate. Then a great idea came to the +King.</p> + +<p>It was he himself the Danes hated so. If only they +had him in their power, perhaps they would leave his +beloved country in peace! The more he thought of +this, the more certain he felt that, by giving himself +up, he could buy the peace and happiness and safety +of his people. Christ, his Captain, had done this—He +had not feared to face the most cruel death to +save mankind, and St. Edmund's heart suddenly leapt +with the thought that he would follow Christ and do +the same!</p> + +<p>At first his old friend the Bishop, St. Humbert, tried +to hold him back. But after a while he saw that St. +Edmund was quite resolved. He spoke of it with +such courage and joy that the aged Bishop knew the +Holy Spirit must be in his heart leading him to this +glorious sacrifice of himself, this giving of his very life +for his God and his friends, this quest for the martyr's +crown. And so he gave him his blessing and bade him +do as his brave heart prompted him. So, calling +together his people, St. Edmund told them what he +was going to do. You can imagine what they felt—how +they begged him with tears not to do it. But +nothing would make him change his mind—he knew +it was God's Will.</p> + +<p>Bravely he gave his last order to his men. It was +that all the gates of the fortress should be thrown open, +all the defences left unguarded, nothing done to stop +the Danes entering it. Then he made his way to the +chapel. Unbuckling his faithful sword, he laid it on +the steps of the altar, and knelt down, with no protection +save God's mercy.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span></p> + +<p>The little chapel was very dim, and full of a holy +feeling. All was still. It seemed to the young King +as if he were far, far away from the rest of the world, +from all the horror of bloodshed and crashing battle-axes +that had filled the last few weeks like some +horrible dream. He let his mind just rest on the +thought of God and His love, and a wonderful peace +came over him.</p> + +<p>Near him knelt the old Bishop, and his heart was +near to breaking, for he loved St. Edmund very much. +The tears ran down his furrowed cheeks, and fell +silently on the steps of the altar, but he spoke no +word. Silently the moments passed, and then, suddenly, +a sound broke the stillness that sent a cold +shiver through St. Humbert. Wild shouts, coarse +laughter, the clash and clatter of armed men rushing +in wild triumph through the fortress. It was the King +they were seeking. Where was he? They cared for +nothing but to find him and wreak their revenge.</p> + +<p>The shouts came nearer . . . the tramp of feet . . . +the clang and scrape of spears against the wall. +Nearer, nearer, until the chapel door burst open and +a crowd of cruel faces peered in. Then a wild oath +rang through the quiet of the chapel. They had found +the King! Rushing in, they seized him and dragged +him out.</p> + + +<h3><br /><i>"Faithful unto Death."</i></h3> + +<p>In a field beyond the town the Danes tied St. Edmund +to a tree. They were determined to have a full +revenge. With long whips they began to scourge his +naked body. Each lash was like the touch of a red-hot +iron, and left a long, bleeding wound in the bare +flesh. But St. Edmund only rejoiced that, at last, he +could share truly what Christ had suffered from the +Roman soldiers. No cry escaped him, except now +and then the name of Jesus.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then, throwing down their whips, the Danes took +up their bows. The arrows fell thickly round St. +Edmund, piercing him in every part, until, as the old +book says, he was as covered with arrows as a porcupine +with quills.</p> + +<p>Inguar, the Danish Prince, looked on with a horrible +smile of cruel enjoyment. Hearing the Holy Name +break like a sob from the mouth of the martyr, he +began to taunt him, telling him to give up his faith +in Christ, since it had only brought him to this. But +St. Edmund was "faithful unto death." Soon, soon +he would receive the "crown of life," the welcome of +the King of kings.</p> + +<p>Seeing that nothing could make St. Edmund cry +for mercy or give up his faith in God, Inguar drew +his long sword, and, with a hoarse laugh of triumph, +cut the martyr's head from his body.</p> + +<p>Free and glorious the soul of King Edmund rose +from his bloodstained body into the sunlight of +heaven.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>St. Edmund had not sacrificed himself in vain. The +Danes, so greatly weakened by the bloody battles they +had fought, gave up the idea of ruling East Anglia, +and sailed away to their country, leaving St. Edmund's +people in peace, and free to practise the Christian +Faith.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span></p> +<h2>THE FIFTH DAY (SUNDAY)</h2> + + +<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>Everyone</span> dressed quickly and quietly, found his +Prayer-Book somewhere in the far depths of his kit-bag, +and ran down to sit on the sea wall and wait for +Akela and the last Cub or two (the ones whose boots +had got lost, or who were so fussy about parting their +hair, etc., that dressing took rather a long time).</div> + +<p>Very reverently they went into church, and very +quietly came out again and up to the field.</p> + +<p>Breakfast, a run round the field to let off steam, and +then down to the shore for a bathe.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon every Cub got hold of a piece of +paper and a pencil, and sat, lay, knelt, or squatted in +some corner, his tongue well out and his brow furrowed +with thought, to write home.</p> + +<p>Some wrote very private letters, all on their own, +and didn't give the show away even to ask how to +spell the hardest words, like "library" (which might +just as well be "lybary," or "librurry," or "lieberry"). +Of course, library, in some form or other, came into +all their letters, because they all wanted to tell about +the adventure of going to Quarr Abbey. Some Cubs, +sacrificing the privateness of their letters, decided that +if Akela or Godmother did the writing, while they did +the <i>saying what</i>, it would be much quicker, and much +more could be told to "mother and all at home." So +they brought their paper and pencils, and asked Akela +to do it in "proper, quick writing." They told <i>everything</i>—even +what they had had for dinner each day, +and one said his bed at camp was much "comfortabler" +than his bed at home.</p> + +<p>After tea there was a little cricket practice and some +tree-climbing, and then supper and, of course, night +prayers. And then, feeling as if they had lived in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> +camp all their lives, instead of only five days, the +Cubs walked contentedly down the hill to bed.</p> + +<p>Patsy, as usual, was having a free ride on Akela's +back, and he was certainly quite a lot heavier than the +first day.</p> + +<p>Before long everyone was established in the Coach-house +and the candle lighted.</p> + +<p>"To-night," said Akela, "I'm going to tell you +about a very Cubby Saint. I know he would have +loved Cubs, because he loved small boys and wild +animals; in fact, a certain wolf was a great friend of +his; and he thought it worth while, once, to preach +a beautiful sermon to a flock of birds. He was always +laughing or singing or doing something Cubby, and +he had ideas he used to teach his followers, very much +like our Cub Law and Motto. His name was St. +Francis of Assisi. Now listen, for I specially want +you to make friends with St. Francis, because I love +him very much."</p> + + +<h3><br /><span class="smcap">The Story of St. Francis—I.</span></h3> + +<p>There was once a boy called Francis, who lived in +a curious old town in the mountains of Italy. The +town was called Assisi. It was all funny little up-and-down +streets and flights of long, crooked stone steps; +and there was a wall all round (to keep enemies out), +and big gates in the wall that were closed at night. +The purple hills and mountains spread away as far as +you could see beneath a blue, blue sky, and all round +the city there were vineyards, and lovely little rocky +paths winding about among the silvery olive-trees.</p> + +<p>Francis was the son of a rich merchant called Peter +Bernardone. He was a regular Cubby boy—always +laughing and singing, ready for mischief, but still more +ready to do anyone a good turn. He was Peter +Bernardone's only son, and he had a jolly good time +of it, because his father had made up his mind that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> +young Francis should make a success of life, and end +by being a great man in the town. He used to smile +to himself and rub his hands together as he saw what +a clever, handsome boy Francis was growing up into, +and how everybody loved him, and how he was always +the ringleader in all the fun. As Francis grew to be +a young man his father would encourage him to give +lots of feasts to his friends, not minding how much +they cost, and it pleased him to see that it was always +Francis who was the life of these feasts, making jokes, +leading cheerful singsongs, enjoying himself no end, +and making everyone else enjoy themselves. But +while Peter Bernardone chuckled to see young Francis +so gay and popular, Francis' mother, Pica, used to +notice little things that made her happy too, only +in a different way. She noticed that Francis never +really gave in to himself, like his wild friends; never +overate himself in a greedy way or drank enough wine +to make him drunk; never thought it funny to tell +nasty stories or swear; and if ever God's name was +mentioned, it seemed to make him serious for a +moment. "One day," she said, "he will become a +son of God." But her friends thought it a silly remark +to make, for Francis seemed to be living just to please +himself and have a jolly time. But mothers are +generally right in what they prophesy about their +sons, and Pica's remark was really a very true one. +This story is all about how Francis gave up being a +rich merchant's son and became a poor man who found +all his joy and his riches in calling <i>God</i> his <i>Father</i>. +The change did not come easily, and a great many +wonderful adventures befell him, which I am going to +tell you now.</p> + +<p>It all began with a war between Assisi and another +city. Of course, Francis and his pals joined in the +fray and thought it great sport, till they got captured +and carried off prisoners. It was not sport at all +being shut up in stuffy old houses with only a little<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> +food and nothing to do. Francis used to cheer them +up with troubadour songs and stories. But although +he always seemed so cheerful, it was doing great harm +to his health, and when, after a year, the prisoners +were freed and returned to Assisi, Francis became +very ill indeed. So ill was he that he came near dying, +and this experience of nearly passing out into the next +life made him begin to think seriously. When he was +well enough to go out, walking slowly with a stick +because of his weakness, he felt that life could never +be quite the same; he must <i>do</i> something, take a man's +place in the world.</p> + +<p>Well, the chance soon came, for all the young +Christian men were called out to fight in a Crusade. A +certain nobleman of Assisi started getting up a party, +and Francis decided to join him. He soon had all his +kit—armour, a bright sword, a good horse, and all +complete; and with a gay heart, full of a thirst for +adventure and a determination to do great things, he +waited impatiently for the start. He had been rather +puzzled as to what to do with himself, and now he felt +he had hit on the right plan. So it was a bit of a +surprise when, his very first night away, something +happened which unsettled his mind altogether and +made him feel it was not God's will that he should go +to the Crusades.</p> + +<p>The night before the party set out Francis had had +a very curious dream, about a beautiful palace, all +hung round with knightly arms, which a mysterious +voice told him was for him and his followers. This +made him so happy that the next day, when someone +asked him what good fortune he had had, he replied +that now he knew for certain he was to be a great +prince and leader of men. But the next night, as he +lay in the hostelry on the first halt along the road, +something still more strange happened. He was not +asleep, and yet, through the still darkness, he heard +the mysterious voice of his dream, and it said: "Francis,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> +whom is it better to serve, the lord or the servant?" +"Surely it is better to serve the lord," replied Francis, +softly, into the dark. And the voice answered: "Why, +then, dost thou make a lord of the servant?" Then it +all seemed to flash on Francis, and he felt sure this was +a Voice from heaven, and he replied very humbly: +"Lord, what dost Thou wish me to do?" And the +Voice said: "Return to the land of thy birth, and there +it will be told thee what thou shalt do; for it may +behove thee to give another meaning to thy dream." +He felt so positive that the Voice was from heaven, +that he felt he simply could not disobey it. So, +although it cost him a lot to do it, he turned his horse's +head northwards and rode home.</p> + +<p>There was nothing to do now but wait for God to +show him His Will. He tried to settle down again to +his old life of feasting and gaiety, but somehow he +couldn't throw himself into it. There was something +he was feeling after, but he didn't know what.</p> + +<p>One day something happened which was the beginning +of great things.</p> + +<p>Francis had been out for a ride beyond the city. +As he turned his horse's head homewards and rode +slowly back towards the golden sunset, he suddenly +saw, a little way ahead, something that made him +shudder and almost turn aside on to another path. It +was a poor leper, his filthy rags only half covering his +wretched body, with its horrible running sores. His +face was swollen and disfigured, and his eyes full of +the frightened misery of a hunted animal. Now, seeing +lepers always made Francis feel quite sick. He hated +horrible sights. But somehow, to-night, a new feeling +woke up in him—a sudden feeling of brotherhood with +this poor man, almost of love for him. It was such +terribly bad luck that he had caught leprosy and become +a ghastly sight, so that he could not earn any money +nor come near the town. Francis felt in his wallet for +a silver piece to give him, and then he thought how<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> +sad it must be to have money flung at you by strangers, +who passed by with head turned away because they +loathed the very sight of you. How the lepers must +long for just a friendly look, a smile! A great idea +suddenly leapt up in Francis's mind, and it took all his +courage not to give in to himself. As he came up with +the leper, he jumped off his horse, took a silver piece from +his pocket, and held it out to the man. The leper, full +of surprise, held out his poor swollen stump of a hand, +with several fingers already rotted away, to take the +coin. But meeting the man's eyes, and seeing in them +the look of hunger for friendship, Francis took the poor +hand in his, as he would the hand of his friend, pressed +the coin into it, and then, stooping, pressed his lips +upon it in a kiss. Then, with his heart full of joy, he +remounted his horse and rode home.</p> + +<p>With that kiss a wonderful new idea had sprung up +in Francis's heart—a sense of love for the poor, of +longing not only to help them, but to share their very +lives, to be one of them. At first he tried to satisfy his +longing to help them by making great feasts and serving +his poor guests with his own hands. One day he went +on a pilgrimage to Rome, and as he saw the crowd of +beggars clustering round a certain shrine in hope that +the pilgrims would give them money, he longed to +become just one of them. So, taking one of them aside, +he exchanged his fine clothes with the beggar for his +dirty rags, and spent the whole day with his poor +brothers in the dust and the scorching sun, enjoying +the sense of being a mere outcast to whom rich men +threw ha'pence.</p> + +<p>Still, when he returned to his home he was as puzzled +as ever as to what he should do. He took to spending +long hours at prayer in a certain cave begging God to +make known His Will; and at last God answered his +prayer, and I will tell you how.</p> + +<p>Francis had been for a long walk outside the city, +and as he returned along the stony little mountain<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> +paths, the evening sunlight dazzling his eyes, and the +olive-trees whispering to each other in the soft evening +air, he noticed a tumble-down little wayside church. +Something made him stop and turn in.</p> + +<p>It was very dim and cool and quiet. There was no +one there—except God. A lamp burned with a feeble +flicker in the sanctuary. Francis knelt down and +began to pray. Then, out of the stillness a strange, +wonderful Voice spoke his name—"<i>Francis</i>." He +knew directly Whose Voice it was—Our Blessed Lord's. +"Yes, Lord," he answered, his heart beating rather +fast, though he felt very happy. "Francis, go and +repair My church, which thou seest falling," said the +Voice. Then all was still.</p> + +<p>The tones of that Voice seemed to vibrate through +and through Francis. He was filled with a great +desire to obey—to do anything, anything Our Lord +wanted. "Repair My church," He had said. He must +mean this poor little tumble-down house of His, that +was certainly on the point of falling. So Francis +jumped up from his knees and went out into the sunlight +very happy. He found the old priest, who lived in a +poor little house near by, and, telling him the wonderful +thing that had happened, gave him all the money +he had, and promised to return soon with enough to +rebuild the church. Then he hurried home.</p> + +<p>His father was away on a journey. So Francis +went down to the warehouse and picked out the most +costly bale of rich stuff he could find. Then he took +a good horse, and, putting the bale of stuff on his +back, set out for the town of Foligno. Here he sold +both the stuff and the horse, and returned with a good +sum of money. Full of joy, he hurried along the little +mountain path to the old priest's house, and held out +the heavy purse of gold to him. But the priest was +afraid to accept it, for he was not at all sure that +Francis's father would be pleased about it. Francis +was disappointed. He had got the money for the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> +church, and certainly wasn't going to carry it home +again; so he threw it into the deep recess of one of the +windows of the little church, and left it there. Then +he told the priest he meant to stay, for here Our Lord +had spoken to him, and he must stay and see to the +building of the church.</p> + +<p>The old priest was very kind, and let Francis share +his little house and his poor fare, and Francis began to +feel like a kind of hermit, living a life of prayer.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile Peter Bernardone returned from his +journey. When he heard what Francis had done, and +his new, mad idea of living like a hermit on the mountain-side, +he was furiously angry. Taking a stick in +his hand, he set out, saying he would teach the young +fool a good lesson and bring him home. But one of +the servants ran ahead by a short cut and warned +Francis. Francis had no wish to meet his angry +father armed with a stout stick, so he fled and hid +himself in a cave, and Peter Bernardone had to go +home again, even angrier than he set out. For about +ten days Francis stayed in hiding, the servant bringing +him food. He spent this time in prayer. This made +him braver, and he began to think that he had been +a "funk" to run away and hide and not face the music, +so he decided to make up for it by being braver.</p> + +<p>His time of hiding in the dark, dirty cave, with little +food, had made him look thin, untidy, and a bit of a +scarecrow. The people of Assisi had heard what he +had done, and they decided he must have gone mad. +So when he appeared in the city the boys began throwing +stones and rubbish at him, and calling after him. +Francis bore it all patiently, and felt rather a hero. +But presently Peter Bernardone discovered that his +son was being insulted in the streets. It filled him with +rage, and he rushed out, dragged Francis indoors, gave +him a good flogging and shut him up in a little cell. +Here he had to stay for some time, until his father +went on another journey and his mother let him out.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> +Of course, he went straight back to the little church +on the hill-side, and here, when his father came back, +he found him. Peter Bernardone stormed at him and +demanded the money back, but Francis would not +give it, saying he had given it to God. So Peter +Bernardone went to the Bishop about it. The matter +came up at the Bishop's Court, and the Bishop had to +tell Francis to give back the money. Bernardone was +so angry with his son that he then and there disinherited +him, and said he would not own him as his +son any more. So Francis took off his very clothes +and gave them back to his father, saying, "Now will +I say no more Peter Bernardone is my father, but only +'Our Father Who art in heaven.'" So, taking the +bundle of clothes, old Bernardone stalked out of the +Court.</p> + +<p>Someone fetched Francis a rough habit, such as +was worn by the farm-hands. On this Francis chalked +a big cross, and, putting it on, stepped out joyfully, +feeling that at last he was free to serve God, in whatever +way He wanted him to, and share the life of the +poor.</p> + +<p>He felt somehow that he must get right away, alone; +so he started walking up over the mountains, not caring +where he went. Soon he was right up among the pines, +and as night fell he found it was pretty cold, for the +winter's snow still lay in the deep shade of the trees. +But he was so happy that he did not care for anything, +and as he went he sang aloud for joy.</p> + +<p>Then, suddenly, out of the dark wood a band of +robbers pounced on him. "Who are you?" they +cried. "I am the herald of the great King!" +answered Francis. So they stripped him of his habit, +and threw him in a ditch full of snow.</p> + +<p>Luckily, the next day he found a friend in a town +the other side of the mountains, who gave him a +pilgrim's cloak, a pair of shoes, and a staff. Then, after +a bit more wandering, St. Francis returned to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> +little church and settled down with the old priest, +meaning now in good earnest to build up the church.</p> + +<p>Since he had no money to buy what was needed, the +only thing was to beg. So he went out in the streets +begging for stones to build up the little church. The +poor people were very kind, and gave him stones, and +some of them came and helped, and soon they and +Francis together had begun rebuilding the walls. +Every day Francis went begging, and sometimes +it was very hard not to <i>give in to himself</i> and go +skulking down a side-street when he saw a group of his +old friends ahead. But he went bravely on, and +faced their stares and laughter.</p> + +<p>One day it struck Francis that he ought not to be +eating the old priest's scanty store of food, which he +noticed his kind old friend used to cook and try and +prepare as nicely as possible for him. This was not +what a true lover of poverty should do. "Rise up, +thou lazy one," he said to himself, "and go begging +from door to door the leavings of the table." So, +taking a big dish, he went round the houses of the +townspeople asking for scraps. They gave him broken +bits of messy old food, and he returned with his dish +full. But when he sat down to supper he didn't feel +at all like eating from that pile of scraps—the very +thought made him feel quite sick. But he was learning +to conquer himself, and by the time the meal was +done he felt he had really accomplished something, +and was at last really a poor man and ready to live on +what God's mercy would give him from day to day.</p> + +<p>All this time he had been praying a great deal, and +learning to know God very much better. More and +more he felt that God meant to use him for something +special—<i>what</i> he did not know.</p> + +<p>At last the little grey church was all built up new +and strong, and Francis felt the job Our Lord had given +him was done. But as God had not shown him anything +else to do, he set out and found another tumble-down<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> +little church to build up, and started on that. +When that, too, was finished, he started on a third +one. The third one had been restored, and a service +was being held in it for the first time since its restoration, +and Francis was assisting at this service, when +something happened which sent him on a new adventure, +and which proved to be the beginning of the +great adventure which filled all the rest of his life.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>"That's a good stop," said Akela. "If we started +on St. Francis's next adventure, we could not finish it +before you all fell asleep. So we will keep it for to-morrow +night. To-morrow you will hear how the boy +Francis turns into the man St. Francis, and what a +wonderful life of service and suffering for God he +begins to have, and how he ends in becoming a great +Saint, and one of the greatest leaders of men."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span></p> +<h2>THE SIXTH DAY</h2> + + +<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>The</span> splashing sound of Cubs making good use of soap +and water; snatches of cheerful song; the lamentation +of someone who had lost the "relation" of his left +sand-shoe; the sound of a Sixer trying to make a sleepy-head +turn out—all these sounds filled the sunny +morning. Presently there fell on the ears of Akela +(who was still in her "den") the sound of an argument.</div> + +<p>"I say it's <i>dirt</i>," cried one; "he's a dirty-neck, who +doesn't know how to wash himself. . . ."</p> + +<p>"'Taint!" squealed a small Cub; "it's the sun what's +made my neck <i>brown</i>."</p> + +<p>"Garn! it's not using soap what's made your neck +that colour, dirty little. . . ."</p> + +<p><i>Splosh!</i> Somebody got a wet flannel in the eye +that time.</p> + +<p>"Now, then, what's up?" cries a Sixer, coming up +to the group. Quite a little crowd collects.</p> + +<p>"He says my neck's <i>dirty</i>," wails the small Cub, "and +really it's the sun. . . ."</p> + +<p>Someone has a bright idea: "Let's ask Miss."</p> + +<p>So Akela comes out, and scrubs the neck in question +with soap and flannel. It turns out to be nearly all +sunburn, with just a <i>little</i> dirt.</p> + +<p>The sun is shining, and the sky is full of "flocks of +sheep"—those tiny, steady white clouds that stretch +in close rows across the sky in fine weather. The dew +on the grass is nearly dry already when the Cubs get +to the field.</p> + +<p>"Prayers!" calls Akela, and the Cubs come up +quietly and form a kneeling circle.</p> + +<p>I haven't told you what the morning prayers of the +Cubs were, so I will tell you now.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span></p> + + +<h3><br /><span class="smcap">A Prayer that We may Pray well</span> (<small><a href="#Page_6"><i>see page 6</i></a></small>).</h3> + + +<h3><br /><span class="smcap">Our Father.</span></h3> + +<div class='poem'> +<i>V.</i> Incline unto mine aid, O God.<br /> +<i>R.</i> O Lord, make haste to help me.<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">Glory be to the Father, etc.</span><br /> +</div> + + +<h3><br /><span class="smcap">Hymn.</span></h3> + +<div class='poem'> +The star of morn to night succeeds,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">We therefore meekly pray:</span><br /> +May God in all our words and deeds<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Keep us from harm this day.</span><br /> +<br /> +May He in love restrain us still<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">From tones of strife and words of ill;</span><br /> +And may earth's beauties that we see<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Remind us always, Lord, of Thee. <i>Amen.</i></span><br /> +</div> + + +<h3><br /><span class="smcap">Confession.</span></h3> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>I confess to Almighty God that I have sinned against Him +in thought, word, and deed. (<i>Pause a moment and think of +your sins.</i>) May Almighty God have mercy upon us, and +forgive us our sins, and bring us to life everlasting.</p></div> + + +<h3><br /><i>Let us pray.</i></h3> + +<div class='center'><span class="smcap">A Prayer that this Day may be Pleasing to God.</span></div> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>O Lord God Almighty, Who hast brought us to the beginning +of this day, defend us in the same by Thy power, that we may +not fall this day into any sin, but that all our thoughts, words, +and works may be directed to the fulfilment of <span class="smcap">Thy Will</span>. +Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son. <i>Amen.</i></p></div> + + +<h3><br /><span class="smcap">Our Father.</span></h3> + +<div class="hang1"><span class="smcap">A Prayer that we may be Forgiven any Wandering +Thoughts we have had while Reciting these +Prayers</span>.</div> + +<p>Breakfast over, and orderly jobs finished, the Pack +went down to the shore and had a splendid bathe. +Several of the Cubs had really begun to swim; while +Bill, Dick, and Mac, who could swim already, were +getting good practice. Mac meant to get his Swimmer's +Badge as soon as he got back to London, so he practised +floating and duck's diving and the other things +you have to do.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span></p> + +<p>After dinner and rest Father took some cricket practice, +because to-morrow there was to be a match.</p> + +<p>"No one must talk to me," said Akela, settling down +in a sunny corner with some papers; "I'm doing something +very important." Cubs always want to know +everything, so of course they said, <i>What was the important +thing?</i></p> + +<p>"Reading proof," said Akela.</p> + +<p>"What's 'proof'?" said the Cubs.</p> + +<p>"This is proof," said Akela, holding out a long +narrow strip of printed paper. "It's the way they +print stories at first, and it has mistakes in it. I have +to read it through and correct the mistakes. Now, +if you don't shut up and go away, the next instalment +in the <i>Wolf Cub</i> will have mistakes in it—see?"</p> + +<p>"Is it the next bit of the 'Mysterious Tramp'?" +cried the Cubs.</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>That did it. A Cub sat down each side of Akela +and read over her shoulder, and one jumped up and +down in front, saying: "Miss, is it good?"</p> + +<p>Every now and then Akela made strange little +squiggles in the margin—secret signs only the printer-man +could understand.</p> + +<p>"<i>Coo!</i> what silly mistakes he makes!" said one of +the Cubs in derision. "I wouldn't have done that in +dictation even when I was in Standard I.!"</p> + +<p>"<i>I</i> think he makes very few mistakes," said Akela; +"other printer-men make lots more. You see, this +one is printing the <i>Wolf Cub</i>, so he has to <i>do his best</i>."</p> + +<p>The cricket people had been "doing <i>their</i> best" at +cricket to such good purpose that they had succeeded +in splitting one of the bats.</p> + +<p>So after tea Akela and some of them went down to +the man who sells bats and golf-balls, down by the +tennis-courts. The road where his shop is runs +between the seashore and a big stretch of grassy land, +called the Dover.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That," said Akela, "is the very place where Billy +got carried up by the giant kite."</p> + +<p>It was a favourite story of the Cubs, so they were +pleased to see the place.</p> + +<p>"Is that the fierce bull?" said one.</p> + +<p>"No," said Akela, "that's a sleepy old cow."</p> + +<p>The man said he would mend the bat in time for +to-morrow's match.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><span class="smcap">The Story of St. Francis</span>.—II.</h2> + + +<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>The</span> little church St. Francis had last restored was +very wee, but it had a very long name. It was called +the Portiuncola, which meant "the little portion." +It was built all among the trees and long grass, and +mossy, fern-covered rocks; and the birds sang around +it. St. Francis loved the spot very much—it was like +home to him—and he spent a lot of time there. Besides, +it was not far from the leper settlement, and he had +now taken on himself the rather horrible job of serving +the poor lepers—a job that was very pleasing to Our +Lord, specially as He saw St. Francis did it all for love +of Him, and served each wretched man as if he was +Jesus Christ. Then, too, the Portiuncola was not very +far from the town where Francis begged his food.</div> + +<p>Well, early one morning, while the sun shone outside +on the dewy world, and the birds sang their morning +hymns of praise, a priest said Mass in the little chapel, +and St. Francis knelt praying with all his heart. Presently +the priest read out the Gospel, and, as usual, St. +Francis listened with great attention. And suddenly, +as he listened, he felt that those words of Our Lord +which the priest was reading out were a message from +heaven for <i>him</i>—<i>the very "orders" he had been waiting +for</i>! These were the words:</p> + +<p>"Going forth, preach, saying: The kingdom of +heaven is at hand. . . . Possess not gold, nor silver,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> +nor money in your houses, nor scrip for your journey, +nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff; for the workman +is worthy of his meat. And into whatsoever city or +town you shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and +there abide till you go hence. And when you come +into a house, salute it, saying: Peace be to this house. . . . +Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of +wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents, but simple +as doves. . . . But when they shall deliver you up, +take no thought how or what to speak: for it shall be +given you in that hour what to speak" (Matt. x. 7-19).</p> + +<p>Here were clear orders. Something in St. Francis +answered to that call, and this something was the Holy +Spirit of God speaking in his heart, as He always does +in those who really wait and listen and <i>mean</i> to obey +should God speak.</p> + +<p>When the Mass was finished, St. Francis got the +priest to read the words over to him again. And then, +feeling quite sure he had discovered God's Holy Will, +he began to obey it <i>at once</i>. He took off his shoes; he +laid aside his second garment, making himself a rough +brown habit; he put down his staff, and he exchanged +his belt for a bit of rope. Then, feeling full of joy, he +set out along the stony road on his bare feet, towards +the town—not to beg this time, but to give the greeting +of "Peace," and to tell the people to make up their +quarrels and forgive each other, and turn with all their +hearts to the Lord Christ.</p> + +<p>The people of the town did not laugh now, and jeer; +they saw that St. Francis was speaking to them from +the bottom of his pure heart—a heart on fire with the +love of God—and that the grace of Jesus Christ, his +Master, was upon him. And before long two men of +Assisi had joined him as the first of the great company +who were to follow him—for you remember how he +was to be a leader, and that the palace of his dream +had been promised to him and his followers.</p> + +<p>This is the story of St. Francis's first recruit. His<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> +name was Bernard de Quintavalle, and he was a rich +merchant, serious and God-fearing, and not a bit like +the gay, eager St. Francis. But seeing how unselfish +and hard-working a life St. Francis led, and that +God's Holy Spirit was with him, he began to visit the +young preacher, and to receive him in his house. St. +Francis willingly gave his friendship to such a good man.</p> + +<p>Bernard used to like St. Francis to sleep on a bed +in his own room. Often at night he would lie awake, +thinking; and he would notice that after a short sleep +St. Francis got out of bed and knelt down, and spent +the rest of the night praying to God. The only words +Bernard could hear were just "My God and my All, +my God and my All," which St. Francis repeated over +and over again, as if his soul was really seeing God, +and his heart was so full of love for Him that he could +say nothing else. And Bernard understood the secret +of St. Francis's holiness and purity, for to one who +prays like that God pours out very much grace, so that +he can begin to be all that he knows he ought to be +if he is really to please the Lord Christ, his Master.</p> + +<p>So one day Bernard told St. Francis that he wanted +to give back to God all his riches and become his poor +brother. So St. Francis said what they ought to do +would be to go to the church and read in the Gospel, +where the words of Jesus Christ would show them what +to do.</p> + +<p>Before going to the church, however, they called for +another friend of theirs—a learned man called Peter +Cathanii, who also wanted to serve God perfectly, and +had been trying humbly to learn how from St. Francis.</p> + +<p>But St. Francis, though holy, and Bernard, though +rich, and Peter, though clever at his books, did not +any of them know their way about in the big Bible +that was kept open in the church for all to read (for +there were no printed books in those days, and a +Bible was very costly, so that few people had a copy +of their own).<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span></p> + +<p>So St. Francis prayed that he might come on the +right place, and then he opened the book. This was +what he read out: "If thou wouldst be perfect, go, +sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt +have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" +(Matt. xix. 21).</p> + +<p>That seemed just right! But perhaps Our Lord +had still another message. So he shut the big book, +and opened it again, just anywhere, and it said: +"Take nothing for your journey, neither staff, nor +scrip, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats" +(Luke ix. 3).</p> + +<p>Splendid! "Just <i>one</i> more, please, Lord," he said +in his heart, as he opened the book for the third time. +And Our Lord told him something very wonderful +and hard to follow, which was really the explanation +of all the others:</p> + +<p>"If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, +and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matt. xvi. 24).</p> + +<p>So the three friends left the church very happy. +And Bernard sold all his rich stuffs and his house and +his land; and Peter sold all his precious books; and +they carried all the gold to a square in front of the +old church of St. George, and St. Francis sat on the +steps with his lap full of money, and gave away great +glittering handfuls to all the poor people who crowded +round.</p> + +<p>When none was left, the three poor brothers, smiling +with delight at being really poor and true followers +of Christ, went off to the dear little chapel in the woods +and began the life of the Friars.</p> + +<p>Not long after, a third recruit turned up, and I <i>must</i> +tell you about him. He was a simple working-man +called Giles. When he heard about St. Francis and +his two Friars, and of this new way of learning to +serve God perfectly, he laid down his tools, and left +the vineyards and tramped into the town. He went +to an early Mass at St. George's Church, hoping to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> +find St. Francis there, as it was St. George's Day; but +not doing so, he set out for the Portiuncola. He didn't +know where that was, so when he came to the crossroads +he stopped and began to ask God somehow to +show him the way. And just then St. Francis came +out of the wood. Giles was delighted that God +answered his prayer so quickly, and, kneeling down +at St. Francis's feet, "Brother Francis," he said, "I +want to be with you for the love of God."</p> + +<p>St. Francis saw at once that this was a true brother, +so he said: "Knowest thou how great a favour the +Lord has given thee? If, my brother, the Emperor +came to Assisi and wished to choose one of the citizens +to be his knight or chamberlain, many are they who +would come forward to claim the honour. How much +more highly, then, shouldest thou esteem it to be +chosen by the Lord from out of so many, and to be +called to His Court!"</p> + +<p>Then St. Francis took him back and showed him to +Bernard and Peter, and said: "See what a good +brother the Lord hath sent us!"</p> + +<p>Soon after this the four Friars set out, St. Francis +and Brother Giles going together, and Bernard and +Peter, to tramp the roads from place to place, and +preach to the little knots of country or town people +who collected round them in the market-places. So +strange did they look, and so full of joy and love did +they seem to be, that the people wondered at them +very much, and though some believed them to be +servants of God, others thought them mad.</p> + +<p>When they returned to the Portiuncola three more +men joined them. It was then that the townspeople +began to get angry, and say that St. Francis was +turning rich men into <i>beggars</i>. Even the Bishop spoke +seriously to him. Now, if St. Francis had not been so +<i>sure</i> that what he was doing was <i>God's plan</i>, and not +his own, he might have got discouraged and given up +trying to carry it out; but, relying on God's grace, he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> +listened humbly while people spoke angrily, or scoffed, +or argued, or pleaded, and then he bravely "carried on."</p> + +<p>For the first few months the brothers lived in their +little hut at the Portiuncola, and prepared themselves +(by prayer and the studying of the perfect way of life +and the correction of their faults) for the great work +God held for them. Part of the day was spent serving +the lepers and doing simple work in the fields. One +more journey they went, and then, four more brethren +having joined them, and St. Francis having had a +wonderful vision which showed him that hundreds +would soon be flocking to join his Order from France +and Germany and England and all the countries, he +set out for Rome, to get the Pope's approval of his +work. At first the Pope would not listen to this poor, +unknown beggar-man, full of eager new ideas, but in +the end he received him kindly and, after hearing all +he had to tell, said: "My son, go and pray to Jesus +Christ that He may show us His will; and when we +know His will more certainly, we shall the more safely +sanction your pious purpose."</p> + +<p>So the brethren all prayed hard.</p> + +<p>When St. Francis went again, the Pope was even +more kind, for he recognized St. Francis as the man he +had seen in a dream. In his dream he saw a church +nearly falling and being held up by a small man in a +poor habit, and he knew it meant the Church of Christ +was in trouble, and that this man was going to make +it strong again through all the earth.</p> + +<p>So the Pope gave the Friars his blessing, saying: +"Go forth in the Lord, brothers." And he gave them +leave to preach penance, and told them to come back +to him later and he would do even more for them.</p> + +<p>So the Friars went back to Assisi full of joy. For +a time they lived in a kind of wayside shelter called +Rivo Torto; but later on the monks on whose land +was the Portiuncola gave the little chapel and the bit +of land to St. Francis (or rather rented it to him, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> +payment being one basket of fish per year, caught in +the river—for St. Francis did not wish the Friars to +<i>own</i> anything).</p> + +<p>Some more men joined the brothers, and now they +lived as a very happy family in their little huts, built +of branches, around their beloved chapel. St. Francis +was like the loving Father of this family, always kind, +patient, cheery, ready to comfort the sad or nurse the +sick, or explain things to those who felt worried and +did not understand how to get rid of their faults and +serve Christ in perfect purity of heart. You Cubs +would have loved St. Francis, for he was just like a +boy himself. I wish I had time to tell you all the +lovely little stories about him and the Friars at this +time while his family was still small, but we must keep +them for another time, and go on now to the time +when the Order had grown so large that the Friars +could no longer all live at the Portiuncola, and began +to have their poor, simple houses all over the place, +while hundreds of brothers set forth, tramping the +world over, preaching the Gospel of Christ, not only +to the poor, but to the heathen in barbarous countries. +Some of the brothers were cruelly martyred, and all +had to suffer a lot of hardships, for often people would +drive them away, so that they had to go hungry and +cold, with nowhere to lay their heads for the night.</p> + +<p>We cannot follow all the brothers and hear all their +adventures, so I will just tell you one or two which +show what kind of men St. Francis and his Friars were. +Here is one which shows you their obedience and +humility. I daresay it will make you laugh!</p> + +<p>The Friars had by now become quite noted for their +preaching, and would often go up into the pulpits of +the churches, where large crowds gathered to hear +them, the Bishop even inviting St. Francis to preach +in the cathedral. Now, among the brethren there was +one called Ruffino, who was very shy and nervous and +felt he simply <i>couldn't</i> preach and face a great crowd<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> +of people, all staring at him and waiting for his words. +Now, St. Francis hated that any of his Friars should +<i>give in to themselves</i> about <i>anything</i>. He also loved +them to <i>obey quickly</i>, and do everything they were told +at once, without a murmur. So one day he told +Brother Ruffino to go to a big church in the city and +preach. But Brother Ruffino, instead of obeying at +once, begged St. Francis not to command him this, as he +had not the gift of preaching. St. Francis was not +pleased at this, and he said that, as Brother Ruffino +had not obeyed quickly, he must now take off his habit +and go to the city and preach, clad only in his breeches, +and otherwise naked! So Brother Ruffino stripped, +and went off humble and obedient. But, of course, +when he went into the church and up into the pulpit +dressed like that the men and children of Assisi began +to laugh and say the Friars had gone mad. Meanwhile +St. Francis presently began to be sorry he had +sent off poor Brother Ruffino clad only in breeches, +especially considering he had once been one of the +noblest men in Assisi. He began to call himself names +for having been so hard on him; and, saying he would +do himself what he had told his poor brother to do, +he stripped himself of his habit and also set out, half +naked, for the town! When he got to the church, of +course everyone laughed all the more to see <i>another</i> +Friar in his breeches. Poor Brother Ruffino was in +the pulpit struggling bravely to preach in simple words. +Then St. Francis mounted the pulpit, and, standing +by Brother Ruffino, preached a most wonderful sermon, +so that all the people of Assisi were touched to the +heart, and many wept to think of their sins and of the +Passion of Christ. Then St. Francis gave Brother +Ruffino his habit and put on his own (for Brother Leo +had brought them to the church), and they returned +home rejoicing.</p> + +<p>Once when St. Francis was walking along the road +he saw a great crowd of birds in a field, and saying he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> +<i>must</i> go and preach to his "little sisters, the birds," +he went among them and preached a wonderful sermon +to them, telling them how they ought to praise God +for all he had given them. And the birds didn't fly +away, but all crowded round to listen. At the end +St. Francis gave them his blessing and told them to +fly away, and they rose up in the air and flew away in +the form of a great cross, to north, south, east, and +west. St. Francis loved all animals, even earthworms, +which he would pick up tenderly from the +path and put into safety. And he would never allow +people to cut trees quite down, but made them leave +the roots, so that they might grow up all green and +beautiful once more. Little children he loved, too. +Some day I will tell you the story of a little boy who +joined his Order and became a little Friar, and had +the great joy of seeing St. Francis at prayer one night +out on the mountain-side, with a wonderful gold light +all round him, and heavenly visions comforting him. +But the little boy had to promise St. Francis he +would never tell anyone what he had seen as long +as St. Francis was living.</p> + +<p>I must leave, too, the story of how St. Francis tamed +a huge, fierce wolf; and of how he went right into the +Saracen camp during a Crusade and preached to the +Sultan of Turkey, and told him to be a Christian; and +how he called a great gathering of the Friars at the +Portiuncola, to which <i>five thousand brothers</i> came, and +how the people of the cities round came with carts full +of food and fed the Friars for more than a week's time, +freely. All these stories and many more I must leave, +and go on now to tell you of the wonderful, beautiful, +and holy end of St. Francis's life, and of the mysterious +thing that happened to him. I want you to +remember that this mysterious thing is <i>perfectly true</i>, +and really did happen to St. Francis, and is a sign of +how very closely his soul had become united to Jesus +Christ and His Passion on the Cross—for he had never<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> +forgotten the heavenly message he had found in the +book of the Gospels: "He that will come after Me, let +him deny himself, <i>and take up his cross</i>, and follow Me."</p> + +<p>St. Francis's Order was now established, and his +Friars were renewing the life of the Church by their +wonderful preaching, their holy example, and their +pure lives. St. Francis himself, though not really old +at all, was almost worn out. His life of hardships; his +great worries (for his enormous family gave him much +trouble as well as joy); his burning zeal and passionate +love of God and his fellow-men—all this had nearly +used up his strength, and now he was in constant pain, +and very nearly blind. He was always patient and +happy—even merry, as of old. But at last came a +day when he felt he must go away and be alone a little +with God. So, taking a few chosen brothers with him, +he retired to the top of a beautiful mountain, called +Mount Alverna, which belonged to a nobleman who +was a friend of St. Francis.</p> + +<p>On this mountain, with only the sky and the rocks +and the trees for company, with the lovely peaks of +other mountains stretching away as far as eye could +see, the six Friars made themselves a little camp of +huts; but St. Francis had his hut right away from the +other Friars, and across a little rocky ravine which +was crossed by a plank. Here he could feel <i>quite alone</i> +with God. Looking up, there was just the blue, blue +sky and the steady clouds; and looking down, there +was a steep rock falling away below him to a great +depth, with little ferns and flowers clinging to it. In +this rocky solitude lived a falcon who became a very +dear friend of St. Francis, and for whom he had a +great love. It knew the time he liked to rise and pray +in the night, and it would come and flap against his +hut and wake him at the right time, and then stay +near him while he prayed.</p> + +<p>The Friars were not allowed to come near the spot; +only Brother Leo came with a little bread and water<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> +each day, and to join at midnight with St. Francis in +the Divine Office.</p> + +<p>At times St. Francis was very happy, and the joy +that fills the Blessed in heaven seemed to glow in his +heart, so that he understood the secrets of God; and +wonderful visions he had too. But sometimes he was +filled with sorrow and pain and temptation, for the +Devil would torment him and try in every way he +could to separate the heart of St. Francis from God.</p> + +<p>One day, after he had had a very wonderful vision, +he went with Brother Leo to the little chapel the +Friars had made, and, casting himself on the ground +before the Altar, he prayed to God to make known to +him the mystery which He would teach him—for he +felt there was some mysterious reason why God had +made him come up this mountain and dwell apart. +Then he told Leo to open the book of the Gospels three +times, and see what it said. And each place Leo +opened on was about Christ's Passion.</p> + +<p>Then St. Francis felt quite sure that it was God's +will that somehow he should share his Lord's pain, +and reach the kingdom of God through suffering. And +he longed very much for this, and also to have in his +heart the love which made Christ so willing to suffer +for men.</p> + +<p>It was a few days after this that the strange and +wonderful thing happened. St. Francis was kneeling, +absorbed in prayer, when suddenly a wonderful Form +came towards him, and stood on a stone a little above +him. Bright and shining was the Form, with the most +beautiful, beautiful face; and His arms were stretched +out upon a cross, and feet joined together. And He +had two great wings with which He flew, and two +stretched up above His head, and two covered His +body. And as St. Francis gazed upon this crucified +Seraph with the beautiful face full of pain, a great +throb of intense agony shot through his soul and his +body, so that he had never felt such pain or sorrow<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> +before. And then the Seraph spoke to him as to a +friend and revealed many mysteries. When He had +gone St. Francis rose from his knees and wondered +what it could mean; and then he saw what it meant. +For in his own hands and feet had come the marks of +the crucified Christ: his hands and his feet were pierced +right through with red wounds, and in the palms of +the hands and on the instep of his feet were the round +black heads of the nails, and their points came out the +other side, bent back. And in his side was a big wound, +as if made by a spear. And the pain of them all was +very great. And St. Francis understood that he had +been allowed by God to share in Our Lord's Passion.</p> + +<p>At first he said nothing to the Friars; but after a +while he told them, but he did not show them the +wounds, but kept his hands hidden in his big sleeves. +Only to Leo did he show them, so that he might wash +and bandage them because of the pain and the bleeding.</p> + +<p>Then, leaving the Friars on the holy mountain, St. +Francis went down with Leo; but he rode on a donkey, +because of the nails in his feet.</p> + +<p>He scarcely noticed the places he passed through +or the people he saw, though he did several wonderful +miracles. And at last he came home to his beloved +Portiuncola.</p> + +<p>St. Francis's body was almost worn out, and greatly +weakened, too, by the bleeding from his wounds, but +his soul seemed full of new life and joy and energy. So, +riding upon a donkey, he set out for a last journey +through the country he had loved so much, and along +the familiar roads he had so often tramped. I cannot +now tell you of all that happened on this journey and +of the miracles that St. Francis performed; but it was +a wonderful last journey, and already the people had +begun to speak of him as "the Saint."</p> + +<p>But towards the end of his journey St. Francis +became so ill that he had to be carried in a litter; and +so it was that at last he came back to the little Portiuncola<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> +chapel to die. As you can imagine, he was not +only brave in the face of death, but gay and cheerful. +Many Friars had gathered round their beloved +Father, and he spoke comforting words to them and +blessed them; but he gave a very special blessing to +Bernard, who had been the first man to come and +join him in those early days when he was still alone. +And he made the brothers sing, joyful and loud, the +song he had himself made up on his last journey, called +"The Canticle of Brother Sun"—a beautiful song all +about Brother Sun and Sister Moon, and the stars, and +flowers, and birds, and grass, and Brother Wind, and +how they must all praise God Who made them. And +when he knew he must very soon die, he cried, "Welcome, +Sister Death!" And he made them lay him on +the ground, without even his habit, and spread sackcloth +over him and sprinkle ashes upon him, and read +to him the story of Our Blessed Lord's Passion and +Death from the Gospel of St. John.</p> + +<p>All was still, and outside in the twilight the larks +had gathered, and were soaring up into the evening +sky, singing with all their hearts, as if rejoicing that +in a few minutes the soul of their brother Francis +would be free to soar up with them, and away beyond +even the reach of their swift wings, to the beautiful +garden of God.</p> + +<p>And in the house all was of a sudden marvellously +still. And the brothers, bending down over the form +on the floor, saw, through their tears, that their friend +and father had gone. Only for themselves they wept, +for they knew that St. Francis, beautiful and young +and strong and gay once more, was already with his +Friend and Master, the Lord Christ, Who with smile +and outstretched hand would welcome him to his +glorious reward. And the Divine Hand outstretched, +and the hand of St. Francis, would bear the same +print of nails, and St. Francis would understand the +great and wonderful thing that God had granted him.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span></p> +<h2>THE SEVENTH DAY</h2> + + +<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>When</span> Akela woke up she could hear the roar of the +sea dashing up on the rocks. There was a regular gale +blowing, and every now and then the wind brought a +lash of rain out of the grey sky. So she decided to +let the Cubs sleep as late as possible.</div> + +<p>It was 8.30 before the first one woke up.</p> + +<p>Arriving at the field, they found that Father and +Mother and the two orderlies had succeeded in getting +the fire to burn (though the rain was coming down +pretty fast now), and hot porridge and tea were all +ready. Prayers and breakfast both had to be in the +store tent—a bit of a squash, but everyone was as +cheery as usual.</p> + +<p>After breakfast it cleared up—luckily, for a party of +choirboys from Portsmouth were coming over for the +day.</p> + +<p>They arrived about 1.0, and were quite ready for +dinner, after the tossing they had had on the boat. +Dinner consisted of large beef and ham sandwiches, +and "spuds," and jam roly-poly. There was a real +hurricane blowing; the beef and ham and bread got +blown off the plates as the orderlies handed it round!</p> + +<p>When everyone had eaten as much as they could +hold, the Cubs collected in the lee of the tent for their +rest, and the choirboys, not being Cubs, thought it a +suitable moment to go in the swings and hammocks.</p> + +<p>After that there was a cricket match, and then the +Cubs and some of the choirboys bathed.</p> + +<p>A big London scout, who had met the Cubs in the +street and claimed brotherhood, also spent the day +in camp. No one knew his name, and he was just +called "Kangaroo," because that was his patrol. +When the choirboys had gone, Kangaroo and the +Cubs had a good rag.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span></p> + +<p>That night in the Coach-house the big doors had to +be shut, or the candle would never have kept alight. +You could hear the wind whipping up the white horses +all over the great black sea, and laughing to see the +way they jumped up over the rocks.</p> + +<p>But it was nice and cosy in the Coach-house. The +Cubs had got out some extra blankets, and sat wrapped +up in them like so many Indian chiefs.</p> + +<p>"You promised to tell us St. Antony to-night," +said Sam.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Akela; "I know you will like the story +of his life. Well, he was one of St. Francis's Friars—the +most famous one of all. But when you have heard +his story you will see that with the Saints it was possible +for a man to be a "wonder-worker," as St. Antony was +called, and yet think nothing of himself at all, and +expect no one else to pay him honour and respect. So +much did St. Antony hate swank and love humility +that he let no one know what wonderful powers he had, +until one day God made an adventure happen which +showed everybody what he really was."</p> + +<p>"Tell us—tell us," said the Cubs.</p> + +<p>So Akela squatted down in the middle of the listening +Cubs, and began.</p> + + +<h3><br /><span class="smcap">The Story of St. Antony.</span></h3> + +<p>To understand the story of St. Antony you must +picture yourselves in the beautiful, sunny land of +Portugal. Oranges and purple grapes and all kinds +of lovely fruits ripen in the old gardens. Galleys full +of rich merchandise come sailing across the blue, blue +sea and touch at the port of Lisbon. All along the +banks of the River Tagus are the big houses of the +nobility. It is in one of these houses that there lives +a boy called Fernando.</p> + +<p>Fernando is one of those boys who will always have +a good time. He is very clever and quick, handsome,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> +and full of life. He gets on wonderfully well at school, +and he has a fine time in the holidays, for his people +lead a gay life—feasts, sports, the chase, grand parties +of every sort. Fernando has the chance of seeing a +good deal of life, for he is the kind of boy the grown-ups +are always ready to take out. He gets a lot of +admiration, and he enjoys everything to the full.</p> + +<p>But, do you know, when he is alone there is a certain +idea that often comes to him, and he sits on his window-sill +and gazes away across the purple hills, and thinks +and thinks and thinks. The idea is this: that, after +all, this pleasure and gaiety is not worth much; it's +all rather selfish and greedy and stupid. There must +be something more worth while in life. For one thing, +there's <i>God</i>. How little we know of God! And yet +there is a lot to be learnt and understood about Him if +only there was time and quiet and books, and not all +this bustle of parties and grand people. Surely God +wants men to get to know Him, and not be so busy +pleasing themselves that they quite forget all about +Him. Then, again, how rotten it would be to die and +feel you had <i>done</i> nothing in life but please yourself! +After all, there's no end of things to be done to make +the world a better, holier, wiser place. Fancy going +out of the world knowing you were leaving it no better +than when you came—or perhaps a little worse. Surely +a man must feel rather nervous about dying, and +about the Judgment Day, when he knows he hasn't +ever done anything useful or kind. Why should God +give such men the reward of heaven? <i>Rewards</i> are +for people who have <i>worked hard</i>; and so is <i>rest</i>. And +then, again, when God came to earth and lived among +men, He didn't just spend His time seeking for pleasures; +in fact, He seemed never to think of Himself +at all, but always of other people. That thought +held the boy Fernando more than all the others—the +thought of Christ, Who could have made Himself a King +if He had liked, spending His days for others, preaching<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> +and doing miracles, and the whole long night out under +the stars, under the whispering olive-trees talking to God.</p> + +<p>These thoughts used to come to Fernando when he +was quite a little chap, and he had a kind of idea that +when he was a man he would give himself to God. But +when he began to grow up a bit, and got about thirteen +or fourteen, he found that if he didn't look out he +would get so keen on the life of pleasure that he would +become like the gay young men about him, and quite +forget all about God. He began to see that if he meant +to stick to his good ideas he must <i>do something</i> about +it before it was too late. So, after a very hard struggle, +he promised God the whole of himself, with all his +love and all the keen, strong desire within him to do +great things. He knew it would mean giving up all +the pleasures that filled his life, and all the riches and +glory that would some day be his. But somehow +nothing mattered so long as he obeyed this sense that +God was calling.</p> + +<p>Of course, his people told him he was a young fool, +and did all they could to stop him; but he stuck to +his idea, and at the age of fifteen he was admitted to +a monastery of Canons, just outside the city, and +exchanged his rich clothes for the white habit.</p> + +<p>It was a beautiful monastery, full of holy men and +hundreds of wonderful books, and in the quiet and +peace young Fernando was very happy. He felt he +had really got near to God. He worked so hard at +his studies that by the time he had become a young +man he was admired by all the Canons, who thought +him very clever and gifted, and told each other that +some day he would be a famous scholar and do great +things. Fernando himself felt that God had given +him the gift of preaching; and that if he went out and +preached he would be able to attract great crowds to +listen, and win souls for God; so he worked and worked +to learn all he could, so as to be ready to stand up +and defend the Christian Faith against heretics.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span></p> + +<p>Fernando had gone to another great monastery at +Coimbra, and had been there eight years, when something +happened which was the beginning of a great +change in his life—the beginning of a great adventure.</p> + +<p>One day five dusty wayfarers tramped into the town +and stopped at the little house of the Franciscans, not +far from the monastery of the White Canons. The +five strangers were really five heroes, for they were five +of St. Francis's Friars, bound on a quest so thrilling +and so dangerous that they felt quite sure they would +never come back. They were going to Morocco, in +Africa, to preach to the heathen, and with shining eyes +they spoke of dying there, for the love of Christ, and +winning the martyr's crown! Full of joy they went +on their way; but without knowing it they had set +on fire the heart of the young Canon, Fernando. In +the quiet of his peaceful monastery he could think of +nothing but Africa, the heathen, the chance of sharing +Christ's suffering, and dying for His sake. It was +really the Holy Spirit Who was stirring up those +thoughts in Fernando's heart.</p> + +<p>Well, some months later news came that the five +brave Friars had been put to a most horrible death by +the Saracens. They were first scourged till the whiplashes +had almost cut their bodies to pieces. Boiling +oil and vinegar was then poured over them, and they +were rolled on the ground, over fragments of broken +glass and pottery. They were then promised their +lives if they would give up Christ; but as, of course, +they wouldn't, they were beheaded. These were the +first martyrs of St. Francis's Order.</p> + +<p>Can you imagine what Fernando felt when one day +a solemn procession stopped outside the church of his +own monastery, and the coffins containing the bodies +of the martyrs were laid within it for a while on their +way to Spain?</p> + +<p>Fernando now felt more sure than ever that God +was calling him to be a poor Friar, and to set out barefoot<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> +for some hot, dusty land away beyond the seas, +where cruel hands would torture him to death. Once +again he offered himself to God, but this time it took +an even harder struggle than it had before, for he +loved his quiet life of prayer and study in the beautiful +monastery even more than he had loved the gay life +of his boyhood. Still, he did not <i>give in to himself</i>.</p> + +<p>Next time the poor Friars came, in their old, patched +habits, to beg at the rich monastery, can you imagine +their surprise when one of the most learned and famous +young Canons came out to them, in his stately white +habit, his beautiful face lighted up with a great resolve, +and asked them if they would give him a brown habit, +and make him a Friar, and send him to the Saracen +country to win a martyr's crown?</p> + +<p>Of course, they were delighted, and promised to +bring him a habit the very next day.</p> + +<p>Fernando had a hard job to persuade the Canons +to let him go. But at last they did; and once more +he turned his back on a happy home and set out on +an unknown adventure. As he left the monastery, +one of the Canons, a great friend of his, called after +him: "Go—go! You will doubtless become a Saint!" +And Fernando called back to him: "When you hear +that I am a Saint give glory to God!" for he knew +very well that it is only God Who can make a man +into a Saint, and that the man's own efforts can never +do it.</p> + +<p>It must have been a great change for Fernando to +find himself in the poor little huts belonging to the +Friars, and obliged to go barefoot, dressed in a rough +habit and cord, with only scraps of food to eat, begged +from the houses of the rich. These Friars were only +poor, ignorant men—very holy, but with no learning +or refinement. They did not know Fernando was a +very clever man, a scholar. Of course, he did not tell +them, but humbly took his place as the newest and +least important of the brothers, never letting them see<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> +that he missed the wonderful library, or the beautiful +music of the monastery, or the quiet cell where he had +been able to pray and work in peace. So as to start +life quite fresh, he even gave up his noble name, +Fernando, and took the name of "Antony." So now +we will begin to call him St. Antony.</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 280px;"> +<img src="images/i099.png" width="280" height="400" alt="S. FRANCIS RECEIVES THE MARKS OF THE PASSION." title="S. FRANCIS RECEIVES THE MARKS OF THE PASSION." /> +<span class="caption">S. FRANCIS RECEIVES THE MARKS OF THE PASSION.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 12em;"><a href="#Page_81"><i>See page 81.</i></a></span> +</div> + + + +<p>Of course, the one thing he kept thinking about was +the quest of the martyr's crown, and at last he got his +Superiors to send him, with one companion, to the +Saracen country. But now came the greatest disappointment +of his life, for no sooner had he got there +than he fell ill. All the winter he lay between life and +death, with a terrible fever, so ill that he could do +nothing. He knew that he was now so weak that he +would never be able to go and preach to the Saracens +and be martyred. He would have to go home again, +a failure. This was much harder to him than any +danger or suffering, and the way he bore it, cheerfully +and patiently for the love of Christ, made him much +more pleasing to God than anything else. For God +loves humble people, who are willing to do His Will, +instead of choosing for themselves.</p> + +<p>Seeing that God wanted his life rather than his +death, St. Antony decided to go back to his own +country and become as strong and well as possible. +So he set sail. But when God sees that a man has +altogether given up his own will, He takes full control +of his journey through life, and makes things happen +to show the man what to do. In this case God made +St. Antony's ship get driven ashore on the island of +Sicily. Here there happened to be a small house +belonging to the Franciscans. It was while St. Antony +was resting there that he heard that there was going +to be a great chapter (or general meeting) of the Friars, +at Assisi, and that St. Francis would be there; so he +asked leave to go, and then set forth. This was to be +the beginning of a new adventure.</p> + +<p>When he got to Assisi he found two thousand Friars<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> +collected there for the chapter. The country people +were providing all their food free.</p> + +<p>You can imagine what St. Antony felt when he saw +St. Francis! But when St. Francis called for volunteers +to go on a dangerous mission to the fierce Germans, +it must have cost him an awful lot to keep quiet. +But he had learnt his lesson—God did not want of +him a glorious death, only a patient life.</p> + +<p>When the chapter came to an end all the Friars +dispersed, some going gladly off on their dangerous +quests, others collecting in little bands under their +"ministers," as the head ones were called, and starting +to tramp back to their friaries.</p> + +<p>But St. Antony stood all alone. He had no brave +quest to follow; no minister looked for him to go +home with a party of cheerful Friars; no one cared +what became of the young Portuguese stranger.</p> + +<p>So St. Antony asked one of the ministers to take +him and "form him in the practice of religious discipline." +The minister little knew the wonderful gifts +of this pale young stranger, with the beautiful, sad +face, and sent him to a humble friary on the top of a +steep, rocky mountain. There were only a few simple +Friars there. One of them had hewed out a little cave +in the rock. This he gave to St. Antony, who made +it his cell. There he spent most of his day in prayer. +But one job he specially made his own. What do you +think it was? Why, washing up the plates and +greasy dishes.</p> + +<p>He didn't tell the Friars anything about himself, +and of course they never guessed that their new +brother, who always chose the meanest jobs, was a +nobleman's son and a famous scholar of one of the +greatest monasteries in Portugal.</p> + +<p>For a whole year St. Antony lived like this. Do +you think he wished himself back in the beautiful +monastery in Portugal, with his books and his +clever, interesting friends? No; for he loved what<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> +was God's Will for him above all things. People +should not pine for the past, nor be impatient for the +future; they should live heart and soul in the present, +because the present is always what has just been +provided by God, and so it is the best possible thing.</p> + +<p>But God meant His faithful servant to be made +known, and I will tell you, now, the wonderful way in +which He made it happen.</p> + +<p>In the town, not far from St. Antony's little friary, +there was one day a meeting of Franciscan and +Dominican Friars for an important ceremony. After +the service the Superior asked the Dominicans, who +were clever men and good preachers, to preach a +sermon. But they all said they were not prepared; +and so did the Franciscans. So the Superior turned +to St. Antony, who had come as a companion of his +Minister, and ordered him to preach. St. Antony tried +to get out of it, but, finding he must obey, he walked +slowly up into the pulpit.</p> + +<p>The Friars did not expect much of a sermon. This +was only poor Brother Antony, whose chief job was +washing dishes.</p> + +<p>St. Antony, ready to <i>do his best</i> for God, did not +think of himself a bit. He just turned over in his +mind what would be the best thing to preach on so +as to help his brothers and bring honour and glory to +his God. By the time he was in the pulpit the Holy +Spirit had put a text into his mind. He gave it out +in his clear, ringing voice: "For us Christ became +obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." +Then he began to preach.</p> + +<p>The Friars sat up and stared. The young, unknown +Friar was pouring forth a wonderful flood of eloquence, +full of the deepest thought, and showing such learning +as none of them possessed. Only a scholar could +preach like that; and only a scholar who was full of +the fire of the Holy Ghost could move the hearts of his +hearers as this man did!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span></p> + +<p>The Friars and their Superiors sat spellbound. +They quite forgot the preacher, and were carried away +by his words into a greater love of God. When at +last he ceased, and walked quietly down from the +pulpit, his eyes on the ground, deep humility in his +heart, his hearers turned to each other in wonder and +delight, and all said they had never heard such a +preacher in their lives.</p> + +<p>Of course, the Superiors hurried off and told St. +Francis all about it, and you can imagine how delighted +St. Francis was to hear he had such a wonderful man +among his Friars. It ended in St. Francis sending +St. Antony to do what many years ago he had longed +to do—that is, preach to the heretics who were teaching +wrong things about the Christian Faith.</p> + +<p>Still as humble as ever, St. Antony set out to tramp +along the roads to the places at which he was to +preach. Through Italy he went, and then France, and +then Spain, and back to Italy, and on these journeys +the most wonderful things happened. Not only did +God give him the power of preaching such marvellous +sermons that the people crowded in thousands to hear +him, but He gave him the power to do miracles, like +He once gave to His Apostles. As to the heretics, +they simply couldn't stand up against St. Antony, and +thousands of them either had to stop their false teaching +and keep quiet, or else were converted and came +over to St. Antony's side. Because of this he got the +name, "Hammer of Heretics."</p> + +<p>But it wasn't only to the heretics he preached. +The ordinary people used to come in such crowds that +there simply wasn't room in the churches for them, +and St. Antony had to preach out in the fields and +plains. Rich and poor used to come, clergy and +ignorant peasants. The shopkeepers used to shut up +their shops. The people were so much moved by his +sermons that enemies forgave each other, men paid +their debts, or creditors forgave their debtors; wicked<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> +people gave up their sinful life, and started trying to +<i>do their best</i> to become pleasing to God.</p> + +<p>One day a band of twelve brigands who lived in the +forest and robbed passers-by heard about the famous +preacher. So they disguised themselves, and went to +see if what was said of him was true. When he began +to preach he completely won their hearts, and they +repented of their sinful life. After the sermon they +spoke to St. Antony, and confessed what wicked men +they had been. He told them they must never go +back to their robber life, and he said that those who +gave it up would go some day to heaven, but that if +any went back to it they would have miserable ends. +And, sure enough, some who went back soon died +horrible deaths. St. Antony told them to try and do +something to make up for having been so wicked. +One of them, he said, was to go twelve times in pilgrimage +to the tomb of St. Peter and St. Paul at +Rome. Years and years after, when this robber was +an old, old man, he met a Friar on the road, and he +told him how when he was young he had heard +St. Antony preach, and how he had told him to go +to Rome twelve times. "And now I am on my way +back from Rome for the twelfth time," he said. That +shows you what power St. Antony had.</p> + +<p>There's no time now to tell you of all the miracles +he did; but they were so wonderful that he came to +be called the "Wonder-worker," and it showed everyone +that God was with him.</p> + +<p>And do you think all this honour and glory, and big +crowds running after him, and great men praising him, +made St. Antony proud or even the least bit pleased +with himself? No; he stayed just as humble and +retiring as he was in the days when he used to wash +dishes in the mountain friary.</p> + +<p>But St. Antony's hard life was beginning to tell on +his health. For a long time he had secretly suffered +from a very painful disease. It was now about nine<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> +years since the day he preached his first sermon and +was sent forth by St. Francis on his great mission. +As the summer drew on St. Antony ceased to preach, +so as not to hinder the people's work in the vineyards. +Also, he knew the end of his life was near. He longed +for a little peace and solitude and silence; he longed +to be alone with God to prepare for his great journey +into the next world.</p> + +<p>There was a nobleman called Count Tiso, who had +a beautiful estate not far from Padua, a city St. Antony +loved very much. Here St. Antony went for a time +of rest. There was no rocky hill-side to make a cave +which he might use as his cell, so he got Count Tiso +to make him a cell in the great branches of a walnut-tree. +These branches spread out not far above the +ground, and between them Count Tiso wove reeds and +willow twigs, and made a lovely little house for St. +Antony. The thick, leafy branches above sheltered +him from the hot sun; a few rough steps led up to it; +and here St. Antony could spend his days in complete +solitude.</p> + +<p>But one evening when he had come down to have +his evening meal with his companions, in the little +friary near by, he was taken very ill, and his pain was +so great that he could no longer sit upright.</p> + +<p>He knew he was soon to die, and he longed to die +at his beloved city, Padua. He was really much too +ill to be moved, but when his companions saw how +much he wanted this, they fetched a rough ox-cart +and laid St. Antony in it.</p> + +<p>I told you how St. Antony had longed to share +Christ's sufferings and die a martyr's death—well, +now was his chance. He was in such frightful pain +that any tiny movement hurt him, and now he had +to go mile after mile in a rough cart with no springs, +jolting over the stony roads, the broiling Italian sun +beating down upon him, the thick white dust choking +his parched throat, the flies tormenting him. You<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> +can't imagine the agony he must have suffered. And +yet he never grumbled—he was <i>glad</i> of this chance of +suffering; he felt he was really taking up his cross and +following his beloved Master along the painful way +to Calvary.</p> + +<p>When the cart had nearly reached Padua, a Friar +who had been sent to inquire after St. Antony met +the little procession. He saw at once that St. Antony +would not live to reach the city, so he made the Friars +lift him from the cart and carry him to a little house +of the Friars near by. It had been St. Antony's last +great wish to die at Padua; but even this he gave up +patiently and gladly and without a murmur.</p> + +<p>In the little cell he lay, his pain getting worse and +worse, and his weakness greater and greater. The +Friars gave him the last rites of religion. "Then, +raising his eyes," the old book says, "he looked fixedly +on high. As he continued to gaze steadfastly towards +heaven, the Friars asked him what he saw. He +answered: 'I see my Lord.'"</p> + +<p>Not long after, like one falling quietly asleep, he +breathed out his last breath. "His loving, holy soul +quitted the body, and, conducted by the good Jesus, +entered into the joy of his Lord."</p> + +<p>The little cell where St. Antony died still stands, and +people can go in and look on the very walls his eyes +looked on, the very floor on which his body lay. It +is such a holy spot that a church has been built over +it, and the little square cell stands inside the church.</p> + +<p>That is the story of one of the holiest and humblest +men who ever lived.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Very quietly the Cubs lay down on their palliasses, +and fell asleep thinking of their new friend, St. Antony.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span></p> +<h2>THE EIGHTH DAY</h2> + + +<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>A pouring</span> day! Luckily the Cubs remained in the +sunny land of dreams till eight.</div> + +<p>Meals had to be in the bell-tent. This was great fun! +There was just room for a council circle, only you had +to be careful not to put your feet in other people's +porridge, or let your head rub against the tent. If +you did, a stream of water soon began to run down +your neck, and Akela said it <i>served you right</i>.</p> + +<p>Every now and then the rain <i>nearly</i> stopped, and +everybody dashed out for a few minutes; but no +sooner were you out, than the weather-fairy seemed +to say, "Yah! Sold again!" and down came another +sheet of rain that sent everyone scuttling for shelter.</p> + +<p>The Cubs decided that it would be a good day to +have a concert, and that there might be a rehearsal in +the morning and the grand performance later on. So +they sat round and made a lovely row; and some +people sang some very pretty solos—but I will tell +you about them when I tell you about the grand +performance.</p> + +<p>It cleared up for a little while before dinner, and the +Cubs went out for a search for dry wood. Some of +them went down to the shore, and there they found +some boys with donkeys and ponies for hire, so they +had some lovely rides up and down the sand, and no +one fell off. Just as they got home the rain started +again in torrents.</p> + +<p>In the tent they found two visitors—old friends who +had once known them in London. This made them +think how lucky it was they had had a rehearsal, for +now they would be able to give the visitors a concert, +and then they would not be disappointed because of +the rain. So after dinner the concert began.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span></p> + +<p>First the whole Pack shouted the camp chorus—the +same one which I told you they sang in the train. +They then sang "John Peel." Then Bunny sang a +solo called "Hush thee, my Baby." This was followed +by a very pretty duet by Patsy and Mac—"'Tis the +Last Rose of Summer" (Mac sang the alto very well). +Then the whole Pack sang a song called "Robin +Hood," which Akela had once made up for them. +After that Bunny recited Brutus' speech from Shakespeare's +play, "Julius Cæsar"—he made you feel he +really <i>was</i> Brutus, and everyone clapped him. Then +four Cubs sang "Annie Laurie," in parts. Then they +all made Spongey sing a song. Spongey was very +shy, and said he couldn't. But in the end he sang a +very short song, in a very deep voice, called, "Oh-oh-oh, +it's a Loverly War." Of course, everyone cheered +themselves hoarse.</p> + +<p>Then the Pack sang "The Golden Vanity" right +through all its many verses. This was followed by +a solo from Mac—a sad little Irish song—and another +duet by Mac and Patsy, "When Irish Eyes are +Smiling," followed by "Oh Wert Thou in the Cauld +Blast," sung in parts by Jack, Patsy, and Mac. Then +everyone sang choruses.</p> + +<p>The visitors enjoyed it very much.</p> + +<p>By the end of the programme it was quite impossible +for the Cubs to sit still for another moment. You can't +get much exercise in a wet bell-tent. So Akela had +a bright idea. If you were <i>in</i> the sea the rain couldn't +wet you—what about a bathe? Everyone cheered, +and got into their coats and macs, and ran down to +the Stable, where they changed into their bathing +things. The sea felt awfully warm, and everyone +shrieked and splashed and made such a row that the +visitors, all shut up stuffy and cross in their lodgings, +looked out of their windows and wondered who <i>could</i> +be so cheerful on such a day.</p> + +<p>Coming back to tea, the Cubs were delighted to find<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> +their Scoutmaster sitting on the floor of the bell-tent, +a large bun in one hand and a mug of tea in the other. +He had tramped all the way over from Quarr to see +how far the whole camp had been drowned. In case +there were any survivors, he brought two enormous +bags of sweets.</p> + +<p>That night all the Cubs prayed very hard for a real, +proper, hot day for their last in camp. It certainly +did not look possible. But Spongey put the matter +in a nutshell when he stood in his long night-shirt, one +eye shut as usual, and remarked: "I think it'll sunshine +to-morrer, 'cos I've prayed very hard it will."</p> + +<p>The Cubs had turned in early, to get out of the wet +world into their dry, cosy beds. There was plenty of +time for a good long story, and they settled down with +wriggles of satisfaction and waited for Akela to begin.</p> + + +<h3><br /><span class="smcap">The Story of St. Patrick.</span></h3> + +<p>Nearly four hundred years after Our Lord had gone +up to heaven, and left His disciples and their followers +to carry on, a boy was born who was destined to be +one of God's greatest Saints, and to bring thousands +and thousands of pagans into the Christian Faith. +This boy was St. Patrick, called the Apostle of Ireland, +because he turned the whole of Ireland Christian. +For many hundreds of years after St. Patrick had died, +Ireland was like a fruitful garden in which sprang up +hundreds of Saints and holy and learned men, who +helped to spread the knowledge and love of Christ all +over the world. So St. Patrick was truly an Apostle, +and, like St. John and St. Andrew and the others, one +of the foundation-stones of Christ's great Church.</p> + +<p>But though he <i>ended</i> in being so very important, and +doing things that made a great difference to the whole +world, he <i>began</i> as an ordinary boy—and rather a +naughty one, as he tells us himself. We know a great +deal about St. Patrick, and we know it is quite true,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> +because when he was over one hundred years old he +wrote it all down himself. He called the book his +"Confession," and though he told us such a lot about +himself, beginning with the adventures of his boyhood, +there is one thing he did not put down in the +book. Can you guess what? Well, he did not put +down how good he was. For, you see, the Saints +never thought themselves good, because, instead of +comparing themselves with people <i>less good than themselves</i>, +as we are all so fond of doing, they kept on +comparing themselves with Our Blessed Lord, and of +course, that made them seem very, very far from +perfect.</p> + +<p>When St. Patrick was a boy he did not love God or +believe all his Christian teachers told him, nor was +he obedient or ready to <i>do his best</i>. One day some +fierce pirates raided the land where he lived with his +father and mother, and carried him off captive with +lots of other boys. Sailing across the sea to Ireland, +the pirates sold the boys as slaves.</p> + +<p>St. Patrick was bought by a great chief called +Milcho, and sent out on to the hill-sides to watch the +sheep. Do you think he was lonely and afraid? No. +For, when torn away from his home, from the friends +who loved him, he had discovered that there is one +Friend that you can't be dragged away from, and Who +can be with you even in the midst of the tossing green +sea, on a pirate ship. For, though Patrick had forgotten +God, God had not forgotten Patrick. "The +Lord," he says, "showed me my unbelief, and had +pity on my youth and ignorance."</p> + +<p>So when he trudged out on to the mountain-side, he +was not sad and alone, but glad in the knowledge that +his unseen Friend was with him.</p> + +<div class='poem'> +"Christ with me, Christ before me,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">Christ behind me, Christ in me,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">Christ above me, Christ beneath me,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">Christ in the chariot, Christ in the fort, Christ in the ship."</span><br /> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span></p> + +<p>That is a prayer St. Patrick made up himself. There, +on the rough mountain-side, the boy St. Patrick spent +all his lonely days talking to God, so that, he says, +"more and more the love of God and His faith and +fear grew in me, and my spirit was stirred." He tells +us that he would recite one hundred prayers in one +day, and nearly as many in the night.</p> + +<p>He had to sleep out with the sheep in some rough +cave or hut. "Before the dawn," he says, "I was +called to pray by the snow, the ice, and the rain." But +he did not mind this outward cold, because of the +burning heart within him.</p> + +<p>St. Patrick had learnt his lesson—the lesson of where +to find the only comfort and friendship and help +worth having. God wanted him, now, for the great +work he was to do. One night a mysterious voice told +him that if he went to a certain place he would find a +ship ready to take him home. The place was about +two hundred miles away, and St. Patrick had never +been there. However, trusting in God's help, he +started off. At last, after a long tramp, he reached +the town, and, sure enough, there was a ship at the +quay about to set sail. St. Patrick asked to be taken +on board, but when the sailors heard he had no money +they refused him a passage. St. Patrick went sadly +away, but as he went he prayed. Before long he +heard someone coming after him. Turning round, he +found it was one of the sailors, who said after all they +would take him.</p> + +<p>I can't tell you now of the adventures St. Patrick +had on his way home, but after being shipwrecked and +nearly starved, and each time wonderfully saved by +God, he reached his father's house. But though he +was home again with those he loved, he did not forget +the Friend Who had been his all in those cold, hard +days in Ireland. He thought of Him all day, and of +how best to please Him. He had already begun +studying for a life in God's service, when he had a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> +wonderful vision of the people of Ireland calling him +to come to their help, and he knew it was a sign from +God that this was the work he was to do. You can +imagine how impatient he must have been to get a +ship and go sailing back to Ireland to tell the people +about the true God, and how Christ had died on the +Cross for them, and all the rest; but for such a difficult +and dangerous job he needed a lot of training—not +only in learning, but in the strength and holiness and +obedience to God which should make him able to face +the task before him. How long do you think God +kept him at his training? Thirty-eight years!</p> + +<p>At the end of this time a holy man who was his +friend and guide was sent to preach in Britain. St. +Patrick went with him. This was the first step, and +it ended in his being made a Bishop and sent—at last—to +the lifework he had so long waited for, the conversion +of Ireland.</p> + +<p>When St. Patrick's ship came to shore, the wild men +of Leinster would not let him land. So, trusting as +usual to God, he sailed out again to sea, and landed +a little farther to the south. There seemed to be +nobody about, to stop him; and, tired out, I suppose, +with a day of exploring in the strange land, St. Patrick +lay down and fell asleep. A little Irish boy chanced to +come along, and, seeing a stranger asleep, crept up +on tip-toe to look at him. What a lovely, kind face +he had! The boy thought to himself that he had +never before seen anybody who looked so nice, and +he longed to do him some good turn. He couldn't +think of anything to do for someone who was asleep, +but at last he got an idea. Picking all the best flowers +he could find, he put them round St. Patrick for a +surprise for him.</p> + +<p>When St. Patrick woke up you can imagine how +pleased he was with the flowers, and still more pleased +to see a little Irish boy smiling at him shyly from +among the bushes. Before long St. Patrick and the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> +boy had become great friends, and the boy simply +wouldn't go away, but stuck to St. Patrick. Then +God made known a secret of the future to St. Patrick, +and he said: "Some day he will be the heir to my +kingdom." And, sure enough, the boy, whose name +was Benignus, succeeded St. Patrick as Bishop of +Armagh. Don't you wish you were that boy, always +to stay with St. Patrick?</p> + +<p>After this the most wonderful adventures began to +befall St. Patrick; but even more wonderful than the +adventures were the miracles by which he managed to +escape out of them, not only alive, but victorious.</p> + +<p>Getting into his ship again, St. Patrick landed +farther north. Once more the fierce Irish set on him +and his little band, and their chief, Dichu, raised his +sword to bring it crashing down on St. Patrick's head. +But, somehow, his arm stayed stiff in mid-air, and he +could not strike the blow. Dichu was an honest man, +and soon understood that such a miracle must be a +sign from the true God. If once you believe in God—well, +the only possible thing is to serve Him. So +Dichu became a Christian, and humbly learned from +St. Patrick how he should serve God.</p> + +<p>Then St. Patrick went to the house of the very chief +who had kept him as a slave, and converted his children +to the true Faith. But it was at Easter that something +very thrilling happened, and was the beginning +of St. Patrick's real triumphs.</p> + +<p>The Chief-King of Erin (as Ireland was called) was +just going to hold his solemn festival at Tara. All the +Irish princes and all the priests of the pagan religion +had collected together. One of their ceremonies was +the lighting of fire at dawn, with magic rites and ceremonies. +It happened to be Holy Saturday, and on +that day the Christians used to light a beacon. St. +Patrick lit his holy fire, as usual. The King saw it +blazing on a hill-top, and was very angry. One of his +priests (or Druids, as they were called) said: "If that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> +fire is not put out before morning, it never will be put +out," and he meant the Christian Faith. So the King +sent for St. Patrick.</p> + +<p>Surrounded by his Druids and bards, and all the +Irish princes, the King sat, fierce and proud, and +awaited the strangers. It was Easter morning, so, as +St. Patrick and his little band advanced, they chanted +the Easter litanies. So noble and holy did St. Patrick +look that one of the bards rose as he drew near. This +little act of politeness on the part of the bard brought +him special grace from heaven, and he accepted the +Christian Faith.</p> + +<p>Standing quietly in the midst of the circle of priests +and princes, St. Patrick looked around him. He met +countless pairs of fierce eyes fixed upon him, as the +princes sat in silence, "with the rims of their shields +against their chins"; and as he looked at them he +longed to win them all for God, and he prayed for +grace and power to do what was needed. Then he +told them why he had come to Ireland.</p> + +<p>The King left his Druids to reply. They did so by +doing all sorts of horrible magic. And certainly they +made things happen, much as people called "spiritists" +do nowadays; but it was not by God's power, so it +must have been the Devil who helped them. Whatever +the Druids did, St. Patrick undid, and then did something +more wonderful. The Druids were furious, and +no one knows what might have happened had not +St. Patrick caused an earthquake to happen, by God's +power. So terrified were the Irish that they went half +mad and began killing each other, and St. Patrick and +his men escaped.</p> + +<p>But the next day St. Patrick boldly came back, +though he knew the King meant to kill him. He was +given a cup of poisoned wine to drink. Well, what of +that? Did not Our Lord say to His disciples, when +He sent them out to convert the world, "If you drink +any deadly thing it shall not hurt you"? St. Patrick<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> +made the sign of the cross over the cup and drank it, +and nothing happened.</p> + +<p>Then the Druids arranged a horrible test. They +laid two great fires, one of dry faggots and the other +of wet, green wood. On the dry wood they laid the +boy Benignus, dressed in a Druid's white robe. On +the green they put a Druid, clad in St. Patrick's +cloak. Then they said they would set fire to both piles. +St. Patrick accepted the challenge. (If you had been +the boy, would you have "got the wind up," do you +think, or would you have trusted St. Patrick?)</p> + +<p>Well, they set fire to the two piles of wood. Strange +to say, the green wood blazed up, with many sizzlings +and cracklings and much smoke, but the dry wood +simply wouldn't light. There was, however, a sudden +flame, and the Druid's robe on the boy flared up and +was soon burnt to ashes, leaving Benignus quite all +right, and, I expect, very pleased with himself! +Meanwhile, horrible noises had been coming from the +other pile, and when the smoke and flames died down +there were only charred cinders where there had once +been a Druid. But St. Patrick's cloak had not been +burnt at all.</p> + +<p>As the King still would not believe, St. Patrick had +to make another earthquake happen, which swallowed +up so many of the King's subjects that he gave in, +and said St. Patrick might preach, though he himself +never accepted the Faith.</p> + +<p>So, on the green plains of Tara, St. Patrick preached +a wonderful sermon to the Irish, who by this time had +come crowding round to see the stranger who could +beat the Druids at their own game. During this +sermon St. Patrick stooped down and picked a leaf +of shamrock, and, holding it up, showed the people +how the little green leaf was <i>three</i> and yet <i>one</i>. He +said that would help them to understand how the +Blessed Trinity is three—God the Father, God the Son, +and God the Holy Ghost—and yet is really only<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> +<i>one God</i>. That is why the Irish wear shamrock on +St. Patrick's Day (March 17th).</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 277px;"> +<img src="images/i118.png" width="277" height="400" alt="S. PATRICK AND THE LITTLE BOY BENIGNUS." title="S. PATRICK AND THE LITTLE BOY BENIGNUS." /> +<span class="caption">S. PATRICK AND THE LITTLE BOY BENIGNUS.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 9em;"><a href="#Page_101"><i>See page 101.</i></a></span> +</div> + + +<p>Many more miracles did St. Patrick which I can't +tell you about now; and he went from place to place, +winning thousands of men for Christ, and giving +spiritual life to their souls by baptizing them.</p> + +<p>One Shrove Tuesday St. Patrick went up on to the +top of a lonely, rugged mountain above the sea, and +there he stayed without any food all through Lent till +Easter. And all the time he prayed and prayed and +prayed for the men of Ireland and their fate on the +Judgment Day. At the end of his long and painful +time of prayer God sent an angel to tell him his request +was granted. So, with his heart full of joy, St. Patrick +knelt and blessed Ireland, and as he gave his blessing +hundreds of poisonous snakes came out of their holes +and went slithering away into the sea, where they +were all drowned. (That is why you see pictures of +St. Patrick with snakes.) And now, every year, +thousands of Irish people go on pilgrimage up that +mountain.</p> + +<p>Before I end I must just tell you one little story +about a young Irish Prince who <i>didn't give in to himself</i>. +This Prince and his followers, after hearing +St. Patrick preach, decided to become followers of Christ +and be baptized. St. Patrick, being a Bishop, carried +a thing called a crozier—a kind of long staff, like +a shepherd's crook, because <i>Bishop</i> means <i>shepherd</i>. +St. Patrick's crozier had rather a sharp point at the end, +and during the ceremony of Baptism, somehow, by +accident, he pierced the Prince's bare foot with it, but +did not notice what he had done. The Prince said +nothing, and did not wince or seem surprised. Afterwards, +when St. Patrick found out what he had done, +and asked the Prince why he had said nothing, the +Prince replied: "I thought it was the rule of faith." +A bit of poetry has been written about it, which puts +it rather nicely. The Prince says, in it:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span></p> + +<div class='poem'> +"I thought, thus called to follow Him Whose Feet<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">Were pierced with nails, haply the blissful rite</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">Some little pain included."</span><br /> +</div> + +<p>Everywhere St. Patrick went he was loved, and soon +the fame of him had spread through the whole country. +The superstitious religion of the Druids altogether died +down, and Ireland became a Christian country. +St. Patrick made a set of wise laws, and by these the +Irish were governed for a thousand years.</p> + +<p>At last came the time when his great work was +finished. The little boy, Benignus, had grown up and +taken over St. Patrick's work. St. Patrick had written +his "Confession." And now, at one hundred and +twenty, he was quite ready for the rest and the reward +of heaven. He was very happy; his great work had +been accomplished. God had been very good to him. +And so, satisfied, he lay down to die, knowing that all +the men of Ireland were praying for their beloved +father.</p> + +<p>So, on March 17th, in the year 493, St. Patrick +passed from this world into the glory of Heaven.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span></p> +<h2>THE NINTH DAY</h2> + + +<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>As</span> the Cubs one by one opened their eyes on the last +day at camp, the first thing they saw was that their +prayers of last night had been fully, <i>wonderfully</i> +answered. The sun shone with that clear golden +radiance of early morning sun. The sky was a misty +blue, with just a few small "flocks of sheep." The +wind had dropped, and the world, washed clean by +the rain, was going to enjoy itself to-day.</div> + +<p>Quickly the Cubs washed themselves and scrambled +into their old clothes, and were away up to the field +in record time. The smell of wood smoke; the cry of +the sea-gulls; the <i>bigness</i> of God's beautiful world—only +one more day of it all!</p> + +<p>Porridge out in the sunshine, and lots and lots of +bread-and-jam. Then down to the shore.</p> + +<p>On the way shorewards the Cubs met a kind lady +who lived in the little house at the end of the sea-wall. +She had often seen them run past, and now she stopped +and asked Akela what they were. When she heard it +was their last day she said they might have her boat +for the whole morning!</p> + +<p>So the Cubs and Akela all got into their bathing +things, and the boat was rowed round from where it +was anchored to the bit of the shore where they always +played. When everyone had been out and had +learnt to row, first with one oar and then with two; +and when the tide had gone down, down, down, as far +as it could, Akela anchored the boat in shallow water, +and took away all the oars but one. Then the Cubs +had a gorgeous time, rowing by themselves, as far as +the long rope would allow. I don't know what that +boat turned into—pirate vessels, the <i>Golden Hind</i>, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> +everything else you can imagine, while the gallant crew +had many an adventure.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, <i>another</i> kind lady had appeared on the +scene. She lived in a nice house, with a very sloping +lawn in front, and her garden steps came right down +on to the bit of sand where the Cubs always played. +She came down and offered a prize for the best little +house or model village or garden the Cubs could make. +Four couples set to work, and by dinner-time there +were some splendid models ready. Then "Big Andy +and Little Andy," clad only in their bathing-drawers, +walked demurely up to the front-door of the house, and +asked the lady to come and see. She came out carrying +two lovely spades, two splendid shrimping-nets, and +two very nice rubber balls.</p> + +<p>She decided the "Andies" had got first prize; they +had made a model of Quarr Abbey; Sam and Dick +were second, with a church; while Bert and Bunny +came in a good third, with a very nice house standing +in a large and luxurious garden. After giving the +prizes, this fairy godmother invited the whole Pack +to tea in her garden, at four o'clock, after the afternoon +bathe!</p> + +<p>So, after dinner, they went to the Stable and made +themselves a little bit respectable, and then down to +the shore and bathed, and afterwards went up the +smooth, steep lawn to the fairy godmother's house.</p> + +<p>Soon a maid brought out tea; and it was <i>some</i> +tea—cake of all sorts, and real bread-and-butter +(not "marg."), and little jam-sandwiches (but, as +one Cub remarked, "it didn't <i>fill you up</i>, like camp-tea").</p> + +<p>After tea, during which the Cubs were wonderfully +quiet and well-behaved, they entertained their hostess +with various kinds of somersaults and cart-wheels, and +then went through a large part of the famous concert +for her benefit. Before going they gave her a Grand +Howl, and then all shook hands with her.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span></p> + +<p>After that they played on the shore, and then ended +up with a last bathe, about seven.</p> + +<p>Back to supper. Camp prayers for the last time in +the soft evening light. Good-night to Father and +Mother and Godmother; and then to the Stable, for +the last story.</p> + +<p>But as they squatted round waiting for the story, +someone made a remark that was the beginning of +quite a long pow-wow. "Miss," he said, "shall we +be Cubs in <i>Heaven</i>, and will you be our Cubmaster?"</p> + +<p>Everyone had questions to ask about Heaven—more +than Akela knew how to answer! And then they +grew serious as someone mentioned two Cubs who +had died a year before. "Do you think Frank and +Bob have found each other in heaven?" "Yes," said +Akela, "I'm sure they have; and I expect they've +found those two Cubs from two other Westminster +Packs, who died of 'flu, last winter."</p> + +<p>And that is why this book is dedicated to Frank and +Bob, for they were two of the most faithful Cubs who +ever lived. They died brave and unselfish—Bob after +a long and very painful illness, in which he never <i>gave +in to himself</i>, but was always thinking of other people +and his "little 'uns." At last, as he lay delirious, he +used to think he was in camp again, and say: "Oh, +mother, look at the green fields—aren't they lovely?" +And as Akela knelt by his bed, holding his poor little +hot hand, she felt sure that soon he would be playing +in the green fields of Heaven—the best camp of all, +where the Good Shepherd was already waiting to carry +him in His strong, kind arms.</p> + +<p>And now someone else had a splendid idea: "Perhaps +they've talked to the Saints!"</p> + +<p>"<i>We</i> shall know a lot of the Saints when <i>we</i> go to +Heaven," said another Cub; "<i>I</i> shall look out for +St. Antony first."</p> + +<p>And so they decided to try and get to know as many +Saints as possible before they died, <i>and to try and copy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> +them</i>, so that some day they would find lots of friends +in Heaven, who would not be ashamed to receive the +salutes of their little brothers, and to return them +with kind smiles of welcome.</p> + +<p>Then the Cubs settled down for a last story.</p> + + +<h3><br /><span class="smcap">The Story of St. George.</span></h3> + +<p>"And now," said the Cubs, "a last story! Go on, +Miss—make it an <i>extra</i> good one, exciting and full of +adventures, and the best of all, because it's the last +night."</p> + +<p>"Very well," said Akela, "I'll tell you the story of +the Patron Saint of all Cubs and Scouts, and of England. +Who's that?"</p> + +<p>"St. George!" cried the Cubs in chorus. And +although many of them knew the story very well, they +snuggled down in their blankets and prepared to enjoy +themselves.</p> + +<p>Well (said Akela), I'm going to tell you the story of +the Saint who was more thought about and honoured +in the old days than, perhaps, any other Saint who +ever lived. He was from the very earliest times—in +fact, from directly after his death—called "the Great +Martyr." He became the patron of many countries +and orders of knighthood, but specially in England +was he loved, and his feast was kept as a great holiday, +equal to Christmas. Already, before William the +Conqueror came to England, our forefathers had begun +to build churches in honour of St. George. But it was +King Richard Cœur de Lion who specially spread +devotion to St. George in England, because he took +him as his own patron, and used his name as his +battle-cry. "For God and St. George!" he would +shout, as he swung his mighty battle-axe in the air +and charged at the head of his knights toward the +Saracen lines.</p> + +<p>St. George several times appeared on a white horse,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> +and led the Crusaders to victory when it seemed as +if the enemy were going to put them to flight and come +off victorious.</p> + +<p>Many people think of St. George as a knight on a +prancing horse, who killed a dragon and rescued a +maiden in distress. But this is only a kind of parable +or picture of the real St. George and what he did. The +dragon is a picture of the wicked, heathen religion that +tried to kill the beautiful young Church that Our Lord +had made. St. George fought this dragon, and gave +his life in the battle, but he rescued the maiden (who +represents the Church); for his death seems to have +rallied the Christians and filled them with new courage +to fight bravely and stick to it, until at last the heathen +dragon was overcome, and the Church of Christ was +able to fill all the world with joy and truth and light.</p> + +<p>Well, now I will tell you what the old books say +about St. George; but we have not many details about +his life, as we have about St. Francis's.</p> + +<p>St. George lived a bit more than three hundred +years after Christ. He was the son of a Roman +soldier, a Christian, stationed in Palestine, which was +a Roman colony. St. George was one of those brave, +straightforward boys who are afraid of nothing—neither +of themselves and their weakness, nor of other +people and their unkindness. He practised "not +giving in to himself," like a good Cub; and he thought +a great deal of his <i>honour</i>, like a good Scout. And he +knew that everything brave or good that he ever did +was by the grace of his Captain, Christ, and not because +he was any better himself than anybody else. He +could ride well, shoot an arrow straight, and use a +spear or a broadsword as well as any Roman boy. +But it was not so much this as his way of obeying +quickly, and keeping his word, and never giving in to +himself, which made him rise from promotion to +promotion when he joined the Roman army.</p> + +<p>He was still very young when he was made what<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> +we should now call a Colonel, and given a great deal +of responsibility. In fact, the Emperor thought no end +of him, and people whispered that some day he would +be head of the army and one of the most important +men in the Roman Empire. This was rather wonderful, +because the Emperor, Diocletian, was a heathen +and hated Christians, and, as I told you, St. George +was a very good Christian.</p> + +<p>In those days the Christian Church was no longer +hiding in the Catacombs, but had come out into the +open, and nearly half Diocletian's Empire was Christian. +But something—probably pride—made Diocletian hate +the Christians, and he decided to do all he could to +destroy the Church of Christ, and force the people back +into the old religion, and worship a god that was really +not very different from Cæsar, the Emperor, himself.</p> + +<p>So he first tried burning down the churches, and +then imprisoning the priests and bishops. But one +day he suddenly got mad, and gave an order that if +the people would not worship the Roman gods and +offer incense to them, and swear that they no longer +believed in Christ, his soldiers would kill them like +beasts and leave them in the streets, as a ghastly +warning to any other fools who refused to obey.</p> + +<p>So the soldiers went forth, sword in hand, and every +man, woman, and child who refused to give up Christ +was killed, or wounded and left to bleed to death.</p> + +<p>Now, no one had thought that Diocletian would +ever go as far as this, and when the horrible news was +brought to St. George he was filled with rage. The +Emperor was, of course, his master, but there and then +he vowed that he would not stay in the service of a +vile murderer, a coward who could stain his sword +with the blood of women and little children; and he +prepared at once to go to the Emperor, and say straight +out all that was burning in his heart.</p> + +<p>Now, his friends knew that nothing would more +enrage the Emperor than this, because he thought a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> +lot of St. George, and yet he was proud and obstinate, +and nothing would make him stop persecuting the +Christians. If St. George spoke as he said he would, +it would certainly mean <i>no chance of promotion</i>, no +becoming head of the army; perhaps, even, it would +mean imprisonment; possibly death. So they simply +<i>begged</i> St. George not to go. But do you think he +was that sort? Not much! The last thing he wanted +was promotion in the army of a man who was the +cruel enemy of Christ and the murderer of his fellow-Christians. +So he set spurs to his horse, and rode off +for the Emperor's Court.</p> + +<p>Diocletian was surprised to see him arrive suddenly, +travel-stained and apparently in a great hurry; and +still more was he surprised when, instead of speaking +with reverence and respect, he let the words almost +burst forth from his full heart, and told the Emperor +that it would be better if he paid honour to the God +from Whom he had received his sceptre, instead of +murdering the faithful servants of that God.</p> + +<p>Diocletian was first surprised and then angry. But +he tried to laugh it off, because he was really fond of +St. George. Then he tried reasoning with the young +soldier, and explaining that he had to keep the +Christians in good discipline in case they might revolt +or get proud and rebellious. But St. George would listen +to no reasons or excuses, and, unbuckling his sword, +he laid it down, resigning his commission in the army +of a man who could act so dishonourably.</p> + +<p>Then Diocletian got very angry indeed. He gave +orders that St. George should be put in a dark dungeon, +and loaded with chains until his pride should be broken, +and he should be willing to humble himself before the +Emperor. So angry was he that he made up his cruel +mind that now he would even force St. George to give +up the Christian religion himself, and that no pains +should be spared to make him do this.</p> + +<p>Alone in the dark, dank, icy-cold dungeon, St. George<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> +lay in his heavy chains, and wondered what was going +to happen next. It was very horrible, down there, and +he ached in every limb, and he was very hungry; but +somehow he felt kind of glad inside, because he knew +he was suffering all this for Christ's sake.</p> + +<p>One day, when his gaoler brought him his ration of +hard bread, he told him that he had heard a rumour +that the executioner was coming to the dungeon, and +that if St. George did not give a satisfactory answer +he would be put to torture. The gaoler said it would, +he thought, be a very painful kind of torture, and St. +George had better be reasonable.</p> + +<p>When he had gone St. George sat in the darkness +with his heart beating rather fast. He wondered what +sort of torture it would be, and if he would be able +to stick it. Then he remembered that Our Lord had +suffered awful tortures, and had foretold that His +friends would have to, as well. So he asked Our Lord +to give him grace to be able to stick <i>anything</i> the +Emperor should do, and then he felt quite happy again.</p> + +<p>Well, the hours dragged by, and at last St. George +heard the tramp of feet on the stone stairs. Then there +was a creak as the great key was turned in the lock, +and bolts were shot back. The door opened, and there +stood the executioner and two soldiers, one carrying +a lantern.</p> + +<p>The executioner, who had known St. George as a +Colonel in the army, spoke respectfully. He gave St. +George a message from the Emperor, saying that if he +would come back and offer incense to the gods, and +apologize for his proud words, he would get his liberty +and be given back his commission. St. George laughed, +and said he certainly wouldn't. Then the executioner +said that in that case the Emperor had commanded +that he should be tortured till he agreed to do all he +was told.</p> + +<p>The soldiers loosened his chains, and he was led out +and up the stairs. The blazing, blinding sun dazzled<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> +his eyes after the dimness of the dungeon. The pavement +of the courtyard seemed burning to his cold, bare +feet. Soldiers looked curiously at him as he passed, +but of course didn't salute, now. He was taken away +to the horrible place of execution, and there a new form +of torture was applied to him—a great wheel full of +spikes into which he was thrust. When he was dragged +out his body was one mass of wounds, and his blood +dripped down on to the floor. He was carried on a +stretcher back to the dungeon; and the executioner felt +quite sure that when he was well enough to answer he +would agree to do anything the Emperor wanted.</p> + +<p>St. George was dazed with pain and loss of blood. +His body seemed to burn all over. The darkness made +his eyes ache, and he lay hour after hour, wondering +how soon he would die. He had got to the point when +he thought he simply couldn't bear another moment, +when he heard a Voice in the darkness, and It said: +"Fear not, George, for I am with thee."</p> + +<p>His heart seemed to leap up, for he knew for certain +that it was Our Lord's Voice—he could not possibly +mistake it. And suddenly all the pain seemed a +thousand times worth while, and he was glad he had +had it; and he didn't feel lonely any more; and he just +lay in the darkness and talked to Our Lord, knowing +that He was near. And he forgot his pain.</p> + +<p>Well, when a Roman officer came to receive his +message to the Emperor St. George was able to laugh—rather +weakly this time—and say he had no message +for the Emperor, except that he had better stop +murdering Christians, and beg God's mercy before it +was too late.</p> + +<p>The officer thought St. George was rather a fool, and +a very brave man, and he went back to the Emperor.</p> + +<p>A few days later the executioner arrived once more, +and again led St. George across the sunny courtyard. +St. George remembered the Voice of Christ saying, "I +am with thee," and he was not afraid. This time they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> +rolled a great heavy stone over his body, so that his +bones were crushed and bruised, and then they carried +him back to the dungeon.</p> + +<p>When the officer came for his answer he could hardly +believe that St. George dared still to refuse. He told +the Emperor what St. George had said. The Emperor +was surprised and sorry, for he saw that St. George +must be a very brave man. He also saw that it was +no good waiting any longer, or trying to force him, so +he sent the executioner once again.</p> + +<p>This time the executioner told St. George that his +last chance had come. Either he must give up Christ, +or he must face death. The words sent a kind of thrill +through St. George—a thrill of horror at the thought +of death, which turned into a thrill of joy at the +thought of going into the presence of Christ, and +hearing His wonderful Voice again, only this time +seeing Him, too. And he rejoiced, also, to think he +would really be a <i>martyr</i>. So he whispered faintly—for +he could hardly speak now—that nothing in all +the world would make him give up Christ.</p> + +<p>So the soldiers took off his chains and dragged him +up to his feet, and he walked slowly, with weak, +swaying steps, into the sun.</p> + +<p>"Fear not." He said the words over to himself. +No, he wouldn't fear! "I am with thee." How +wonderful! "And soon," he said in his heart, "<i>I</i> +shall be with <i>Thee</i>!" And so he knelt down and +waited.</p> + +<p>And the executioner's great axe flashed in the sun +as he swung it aloft, and the next instant the blood of +"the Great Martyr" was streaming across the white +pavement, as St. George's Cross streams scarlet across +the white ground of his flag.</p> + +<p>The soul of "the Great Martyr" had entered Heaven, +where the angels rejoiced at his coming, when the +Christians picked up his poor, broken body and carried +it away. It was buried in a beautiful tomb, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> +before long a great church had been built over it. +On every hand people talked of "the Great Martyr," +and the Christians rejoiced at his courage, and cheered +each other on to resist bravely. Many of the heathen, +seeing that St. George could suffer tortures and die for +his faith, began to believe in the Christ he loved, and +were baptized. Diocletian himself began to fear a +little, and the butchering stopped.</p> + +<p>And so it was that the maiden in distress, the persecuted +Church of Christ, was saved by her brave +knight, St. George.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span></p> +<h2>GOOD-BYE</h2> + + +<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>A grey</span> morning, but quite fine. Some of the Cubs +went off to bathe after breakfast, others to do final +shopping and buying of presents to take home, while +some stayed in the field to help with the packing. +The tent was struck and rolled up, swings and hammocks +taken down, palliasses emptied and done up in +bales, and by twelve o'clock all was finished, and the +time came to change out of the comfy old camp clothes +into full uniform. How tight and hot boots and +stockings seemed!</div> + +<p>After dinner the Cubs gathered round into the +council circle. Everyone was feeling rather quiet. +Akela had a short pow-wow, and then the Cubs +squatted and let off a mighty Grand Howl, as a "thank +you" to everyone concerned for the glorious time +they had had, and as a sign that they were going back +to London meaning to <i>do their best</i> as never before.</p> + +<p>Then they fell in, two deep, and, with a last look at +the field, marched away.</p> + +<p>There was plenty of time before the boat was due +to sail from Ryde, so, after marching smartly through +the village, they fell out and strolled along the wall +or the seashore. On reaching Ryde they fell in again, +and halted near the fountain, two at a time falling out +for drinks. At Smith's bookstall Akela bought a +supply of "comics" to read in the train.</p> + +<p>On board the ship an adventure happened. Big +Andy <i>of course</i> dropped his cap overboard. The sea was +rather rough and it seemed as if the cap must be lost, +two stars and all. It was too far down to reach with +the ship's mop or any stick. But luckily some thoughtful +Cub had brought a long piece of string with an +open safety-pin on the end, in hopes of catching a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span> +fish on the crossing. With this the cap was fished +for, while the people on the pier and the first-class +passengers on the upper deck looked on with eager +interest. Akela thought there was no hope of ever +seeing the cap again on Andy's head. She little knew +that two pious Cubs were busy <i>praying</i>! Presently +the cap was triumphantly pulled up, amidst cheers +from the pier and the upper deck.</p> + +<p>"I prayed he'd get it!" cried a Cub.</p> + +<p>"And so did I!" exclaimed another.</p> + +<p>At Portsmouth there was a terrible crush for the +train, but, as usual, the Cubs did well, for the kind +guard gave them two first-class compartments and +locked them in.</p> + +<p>And so they travelled back to dear, smoky old +London, very much browner and a good deal fatter +than when they set out.</p> + + +<h3>THE END</h3> + + +<div class='center'> +PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY<br /> +BILLING AND SONS, LTD., GUILDFORD AND ESHER<br /> +</div> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class='tnote'><h3>Transcriber's Notes:</h3> +<p>Obvious punctuation errors repaired.</p> + +<p>The remaining correction made is indicated by a dotted line under the correction. Scroll the mouse over the word and the original text will <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'apprear'">appear</ins>.</p></div> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Stories of the Saints by Candle-Light, by +Vera C. Barclay + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES OF SAINTS BY CANDLE-LIGHT *** + +***** This file should be named 26130-h.htm or 26130-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/6/1/3/26130/ + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Lindy Walsh, Emmy and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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