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diff --git a/26130-8.txt b/26130-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c326f5e --- /dev/null +++ b/26130-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4370 @@ +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 + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: BY CANDLE-LIGHT. + +_Frontispiece._] + + + + +STORIES OF THE SAINTS BY CANDLE-LIGHT + + +BY + +VERA C. BARCLAY + + 1922 + + THE FAITH PRESS, LTD. + LONDON: THE FAITH HOUSE, 22, BUCKINGHAM ST., + CHARING CROSS, W.C. 2 + + + + + =TO= + + THE MEMORY OF + + SIXER FRANK SPARKS + + AND + + SECOND BOB SMITH + + TWO FAITHFUL CUBS OF THE "CARDINAL'S OWN" PACK + + THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED BY THEIR OLD WOLF. + + R.I.P. + + + + +CONTENTS + + +NINE DAYS IN CAMP, AND NINE STORIES BY CANDLE-LIGHT + + ABOUT THIS BOOK 1 + + THE FIRST DAY: GETTING THERE. THE STORY OF ST. BENEDICT 2 + + THE SECOND DAY: THE STORY OF ST. GUTHLAC 17 + + THE THIRD DAY: THE STORY OF ST. MARTIN 27 + + THE FOURTH DAY: THE STORY OF ST. EDMUND, KING AND MARTYR 42 + + THE FIFTH DAY (SUNDAY): THE STORY OF ST. FRANCIS (I.) 56 + + THE SIXTH DAY: THE STORY OF ST. FRANCIS (II.) 67 + + THE SEVENTH DAY: THE STORY OF ST. ANTONY 83 + + THE EIGHTH DAY: THE STORY OF ST. PATRICK 96 + + THE NINTH DAY: THE STORY OF ST. GEORGE 107 + + GOOD-BYE 118 + + + + +STORIES OF THE SAINTS BY CANDLE-LIGHT + +NINE DAYS IN CAMP, AND NINE STORIES BY CANDLE-LIGHT + + + + +ABOUT THIS BOOK + + +Once 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. + +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. + +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 _true_--both +those about the Cubs and those about the Saints. + + + + +THE FIRST DAY + + +The 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: + + Let the great big world keep turning, + Now I've joined a Wolf Cub Pack; + And I only know + That I want to go + To camp--to _camp_--to CAMP! + Oh, I long to set off marching + With my kit-bag on my back. + Let the great big world keep on turning round, + Now I've joined a Wolf Cub Pack! + +Then someone yelled "Are we down-hearted?" and the Cubs yelled "No!" so +loudly that Akela thought she would be deafened for life. + +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. + +"Talk about _hot_!" said someone, panting, when the train had thundered +on for about an hour. And, my word, it _was_ 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. + +"Never mind," said Akela, "we shall be in the sea this evening, and then +we shall be cool." + +That started everyone jumping for joy again, of course. + +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. + +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. + +At last the train got to Portsmouth Harbour, and, shouldering their +kit-bags, the Cubs ran down on to the steamer. + +The harbour was thrilling: battleships, cruisers, torpedo-boats, the +Royal yacht, the Admiralty yacht, and, most interesting of all, Nelson's +ship, the _Victory_. As if the steamer knew that a crowd of eager Cubs +were longing to see all round the _Victory_, it went out of its way to +steam right round it, slowly and quite near, and the Cubs had a splendid +view. + +The boys all wanted to be the first to _touch_ the sea, but Bunny, who +had _seen_ it first, forestalled them again, by letting down a ball of +string over the edge of the boat and pulling it up all wet. + +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 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 _could_ be so blue!" +said a Cub; and that was just how they all felt. + +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. + +When they had all got thoroughly cool they went on their way, and at +last arrived at the Stable. + +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. + +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 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. + +"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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +After supper there was time for a little play in the 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 _do their best_ 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: + +"Have I done my best to pray well when saying my private prayers and at +camp prayers? + +"Have I really meant to please God to-day? + +"Have I done my best in my orderly duties, and in other things I have +had to do? + +"Have I given in to other people quickly and cheerfully when given an +order? + +"Have I spoken as I should not? + +"Have I been disobedient? + +"Have I been unkind to another boy--selfish? quarrelsome? unfair? + +"Have I told a lie? + +"Have I done anything else I am sorry for?" + +Then, after a pause, Akela said: + +"Tell God you are truly sorry, on your honour as a Cub, that you have +grieved Him by the sins of to-day." + +Then there was perfect silence for a moment, and after that, the Cubs +said, all together: + +"May Almighty God have mercy upon us, and forgive us our sins, and bring +us to life everlasting." + +Then they said a short psalm, and the following beautiful little hymn: + + Now with the fast departing light, + Maker of all, we ask of Thee, + Of Thy great mercy, through the night + Our guardian and defence to be. + + Far off let idle visions fly, + And dreams that might disturb our sleep; + Naught shall we fear if Thou art nigh, + Our souls and bodies safe to keep. + + Father of mercies, hear our cry; + Hear us, O sole-begotten Son! + Who with the Holy Ghost most high + Reignest while endless ages run. Amen. + +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. + +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, _please_ 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." + +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." + +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." + +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----" + + +THE STORY OF ST. BENEDICT. + +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 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. + +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 _one_ man has ever done to +_civilize_ 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. + +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 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 +_think_. 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. + +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 _do his +best_ to follow God's will, and would keep his heart _always listening_, +so that if God _did_ want to call him away to some special kind of life +he would be ready to hear and to obey. + +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. + +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 it was God's will, so he and his old nurse settled down +in the village. + +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. + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +At first the monk Romanus tried to argue with him and show him that it +was foolish to come out like that 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. + +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. + +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, 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 _doing their best_ for love +of Him, and never "giving in to themselves." + +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 _never_ 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. + +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. + +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 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 _civilized_ 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. + + * * * * * + +"Tell us some more," said the Cubs sleepily. + +"Tell us all the adventures St. Benedict had." + +"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." + +So the Stable boys stumbled sleepily back to their own quarters, and +Akela tucked each of them up in his blankets. + +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. + +So ended the First Day. + + + + +THE SECOND DAY + + +The 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +After dinner a rest, while Godmother reads aloud. + +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. + +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. + +Soon everyone in the coach-house is settled on his palliasse, and has +invited a Stable Cub to share it with him. The candle has been lighted +and stuck with a dab of grease on the ledge. + +"Fire ahead, miss," commands a Sixer. Silence reigns. + +"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." + + +THE STORY OF ST. GUTHLAC. + +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." + +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 _gave in to himself_ 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 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. + +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 +_God_ he was thinking about--God, Whom he had forgotten for nine long +years. + +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 _love_. 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. + +The robbers, sleeping on their rush beds, breathed 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. + +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. + +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 _all_, _all_, _all_ that 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. + +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 _knew that he had made a great promise_. +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. + +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? + +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. + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 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." + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 from far and +near, the people flocked to him. But one thing more about him I will +tell you. + +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." + +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 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." + + * * * * * + +"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." + + + + +THE THIRD DAY + + +Seven 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. + +Gradually they all woke up, but no one was in such a hurry to turn out +this morning. + +They put on uniform and boots and stockings, for it was not to be a +shore day. + +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. + +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. + +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. 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. + +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. + +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. + +"It's been a good adventure," said the Cubs, and they tramped home +contentedly, for their minds were full of things to think about. + +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. + +"Story to-night, miss?" said a Cub, suddenly. + +"Yes," said Akela. + +"Good one?" + +"Yes--a very good one about a soldier-Saint." + +"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. + +The trampers were quite ready to lie down on their beds that night. + +"It's been the best day we've had yet," they said; "and now, please, +tell the story." + +So Akela curled up on someone's palliasse, and silence fell. + + +THE STORY OF ST. MARTIN. + +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 +_conquering himself_, 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. + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 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. + +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." + +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 _chance_ +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 _Him_. Well, Martin felt he simply _couldn't_ pass on and give +the old man nothing. And suddenly the idea came to him that he was warm +in his 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. + +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." + +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. _And_--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." + +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. + +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 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 _afraid_." + +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. + +His challenge was accepted, and he was put under arrest, lest he might +try to escape. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +St. Hilary soon saw that Martin was no ordinary young soldier, but was a +very promising "soldier of 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. 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. + +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 _ordinary_ good man. + +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. + +St. Martin's tender pity for all suffering things is shown by this +little story. One day, as he walked in 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. + +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 _deny themselves_ and take up +their _cross_ and follow Him, and that is what all good Christians must +be ready to do--that is, live according to _the way God wants_ instead +of according to the way _they want_ themselves. + +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 people carried him off by force to +Poitiers, and he had to consent to be consecrated Bishop. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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, 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. + +"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." + +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: + +"Calm thyself, cease talking, and come; for with me in this boat thou +shalt cross the river." + +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." + +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 _himself_ cut off the young +man's hair in the way priests used to have it cut. + +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. + +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. + +One day, after a long journey, St. Martin was thinking of returning to +his beloved Marmontier, when a great weakness came over him. + +"The moment of my deliverance is at hand," he said. + +His monks and other faithful companions were nearly broken-hearted. + +"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." + +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. + +"Lord," he said, "if indeed I still be necessary to Thy people, I refuse +not the labour. Let only Thy will be done." + +[Illustration: S. MARTIN, VICTORIUS AND THE BLIND BEGGAR. + +_See page 39._ ] + +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." + +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. + + + + +THE FOURTH DAY + + +A gorgeous 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 +_mostly_ 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 as Akela did, and not much writing got +done. + +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. + +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 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. + +A very little make-believe and you were lifeboat-men landing survivors +from a wreck. + +There was to be a long and _very exciting_ 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. + +"Tell us a long, long, long one," begged the Cubs; "we aren't a bit +sleepy. Let it last till midnight." + +"I'll tell as long as the candle lasts," said Akela, sticking a stump of +candle on the ledge. + +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--_Sha-a-a-ah_" +of the "white horses" breaking on the shore broke the stillness. + +"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. + + +THE STORY OF ST. EDMUND, KING AND MARTYR. + +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 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. + +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. + +As a matter of fact he _had_ 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. + +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. + +In those days, when people wanted to pray very hard and show God they +_really_ 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 _doing_ +instead of only _saying_ a great prayer, for the whole, long, dangerous +journey was one act of faith and devotion or of thanksgiving. + +So old Offa set out on a pilgrimage to the very best 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. + +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! + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +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 _do his best_ to +fulfil His Holy Will. + +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. + +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. + +But he had not got very far before he fell ill, and 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. + + +_The Coming of St. Edmund._ + +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. + +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? + +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 _do his best_ to be to them a good King--to _do +his best_ for them, for the love of God! + +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 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. + +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. + + +_The Crowning of St. Edmund._ + +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." + +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. + + +_War._ + +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. + +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. + +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. + +At last the day came when the country people came running into the towns +in terror. They had seen 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. + +St. Edmund's scouts came running in to say that the Danes were +collecting in great crowds on the frontiers. + +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. + + +_A Cowardly Plot._ + +For a time there was peace, and then a sad thing happened. + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +After tossing for many days, Berne was washed up on a strange coast. + +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, 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. + +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. + + +_A Fight to the Death._ + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +The next day came terrible news. Hubba, with ten thousand men, had +marched up and joined his brother. + + +_The Martyr._ + +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. + +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! + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + +_"Faithful unto Death."_ + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +Free and glorious the soul of King Edmund rose from his bloodstained +body into the sunlight of heaven. + + * * * * * + +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. + + + + +THE FIFTH DAY (SUNDAY) + + +Everyone 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). + +Very reverently they went into church, and very quietly came out again +and up to the field. + +Breakfast, a run round the field to let off steam, and then down to the +shore for a bathe. + +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. + +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 _saying +what_, 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 _everything_--even +what they had had for dinner each day, and one said his bed at camp was +much "comfortabler" than his bed at home. + +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 camp all their lives, instead of only five days, the +Cubs walked contentedly down the hill to bed. + +Patsy, as usual, was having a free ride on Akela's back, and he was +certainly quite a lot heavier than the first day. + +Before long everyone was established in the Coach-house and the candle +lighted. + +"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." + + +THE STORY OF ST. FRANCIS--I. + +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. + +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 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 _God_ his _Father_. The change did not come easily, +and a great many wonderful adventures befell him, which I am going to +tell you now. + +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 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 _do_ something, take a +man's place in the world. + +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. + +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, 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. + +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. + +One day something happened which was the beginning of great things. + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +Francis had been for a long walk outside the city, and as he returned +along the stony little mountain 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. + +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--"_Francis_." 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. + +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. + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 little +church and settled down with the old priest, meaning now in good earnest +to build up the church. + +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 _give in to himself_ 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. + +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. + +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--_what_ he did not know. + +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 +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. + + * * * * * + +"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." + + + + +THE SIXTH DAY + + +The 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. + +"I say it's _dirt_," cried one; "he's a dirty-neck, who doesn't know how +to wash himself. . . ." + +"'Taint!" squealed a small Cub; "it's the sun what's made my neck +_brown_." + +"Garn! it's not using soap what's made your neck that colour, dirty +little. . . ." + +_Splosh!_ Somebody got a wet flannel in the eye that time. + +"Now, then, what's up?" cries a Sixer, coming up to the group. Quite a +little crowd collects. + +"He says my neck's _dirty_," wails the small Cub, "and really it's the +sun. . . ." + +Someone has a bright idea: "Let's ask Miss." + +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 _little_ +dirt. + +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. + +"Prayers!" calls Akela, and the Cubs come up quietly and form a kneeling +circle. + +I haven't told you what the morning prayers of the Cubs were, so I will +tell you now. + + +A PRAYER THAT WE MAY PRAY WELL (_see page 6_). + + +OUR FATHER. + + _V._ Incline unto mine aid, O God. + _R._ O Lord, make haste to help me. + Glory be to the Father, etc. + + +HYMN. + + The star of morn to night succeeds, + We therefore meekly pray: + May God in all our words and deeds + Keep us from harm this day. + + May He in love restrain us still + From tones of strife and words of ill; + And may earth's beauties that we see + Remind us always, Lord, of Thee. _Amen._ + + +CONFESSION. + + I confess to Almighty God that I have sinned + against Him in thought, word, and deed. (_Pause a + moment and think of your sins._) May Almighty God + have mercy upon us, and forgive us our sins, and + bring us to life everlasting. + + +_Let us pray_ + +A PRAYER THAT THIS DAY MAY BE PLEASING TO GOD. + + 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 THY WILL. + Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son. _Amen._ + + +OUR FATHER. + + A PRAYER THAT WE MAY BE FORGIVEN ANY WANDERING + THOUGHTS WE HAVE HAD WHILE RECITING THESE PRAYERS. + +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. + +After dinner and rest Father took some cricket practice, because +to-morrow there was to be a match. + +"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, _What was the important +thing?_ + +"Reading proof," said Akela. + +"What's 'proof'?" said the Cubs. + +"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 _Wolf Cub_ will +have mistakes in it--see?" + +"Is it the next bit of the 'Mysterious Tramp'?" cried the Cubs. + +"Yes." + +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?" + +Every now and then Akela made strange little squiggles in the +margin--secret signs only the printer-man could understand. + +"_Coo!_ 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.!" + +"_I_ think he makes very few mistakes," said Akela; "other printer-men +make lots more. You see, this one is printing the _Wolf Cub_, so he has +to _do his best_." + +The cricket people had been "doing _their_ best" at cricket to such good +purpose that they had succeeded in splitting one of the bats. + +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. + +"That," said Akela, "is the very place where Billy got carried up by the +giant kite." + +It was a favourite story of the Cubs, so they were pleased to see the +place. + +"Is that the fierce bull?" said one. + +"No," said Akela, "that's a sleepy old cow." + +The man said he would mend the bat in time for to-morrow's match. + + +THE STORY OF ST. FRANCIS.--II. + +The 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. + +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 _him_--_the very "orders" he had been waiting +for_! These were the words: + +"Going forth, preach, saying: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. . . . +Possess not gold, nor silver, 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). + +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 _mean_ to obey +should God speak. + +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 _at once_. 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. + +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. + +This is the story of St. Francis's first recruit. His 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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). + +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). + +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). + +Splendid! "Just _one_ 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: + +"If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his +cross, and follow Me" (Matt. xvi. 24). + +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. + +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. + +Not long after, a third recruit turned up, and I _must_ 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 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." + +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!" + +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!" + +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. + +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 _beggars_. Even the Bishop spoke seriously to +him. Now, if St. Francis had not been so _sure_ that what he was doing +was _God's plan_, and not his own, he might have got discouraged and +given up trying to carry it out; but, relying on God's grace, he +listened humbly while people spoke angrily, or scoffed, or argued, or +pleaded, and then he bravely "carried on." + +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." + +So the brethren all prayed hard. + +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. + +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. + +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 payment being one +basket of fish per year, caught in the river--for St. Francis did not +wish the Friars to _own_ anything). + +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. + +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! + +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 _couldn't_ preach and face a +great crowd of people, all staring at him and waiting for his words. +Now, St. Francis hated that any of his Friars should _give in to +themselves_ about _anything_. He also loved them to _obey quickly_, 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 _another_ 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. + +Once when St. Francis was walking along the road he saw a great crowd of +birds in a field, and saying he _must_ 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. + +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 _five thousand brothers_ 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 _perfectly true_, 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 forgotten the heavenly message he had found in the book of +the Gospels: "He that will come after Me, let him deny himself, _and +take up his cross_, and follow Me." + +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. + +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 +_quite alone_ 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. + +The Friars were not allowed to come near the spot; only Brother Leo came +with a little bread and water each day, and to join at midnight with +St. Francis in the Divine Office. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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." + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + + + + +THE SEVENTH DAY + + +When 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. + +It was 8.30 before the first one woke up. + +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. + +After breakfast it cleared up--luckily, for a party of choirboys from +Portsmouth were coming over for the day. + +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! + +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. + +After that there was a cricket match, and then the Cubs and some of the +choirboys bathed. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +"You promised to tell us St. Antony to-night," said Sam. + +"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." + +"Tell us--tell us," said the Cubs. + +So Akela squatted down in the middle of the listening Cubs, and began. + + +THE STORY OF ST. ANTONY. + +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. + +Fernando is one of those boys who will always have a good time. He is +very clever and quick, handsome, 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. + +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 _God_. 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 _done_ 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? _Rewards_ are for people who have _worked hard_; and so is +_rest_. 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 and doing miracles, and the whole long night +out under the stars, under the whispering olive-trees talking to God. + +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 _do something_ 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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? + +Fernando now felt more sure than ever that God was calling him to be a +poor Friar, and to set out barefoot 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 _give in to himself_. + +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? + +Of course, they were delighted, and promised to bring him a habit the +very next day. + +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. + +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 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. + +[Illustration: S. FRANCIS RECEIVES THE MARKS OF THE PASSION. + +_See page 81._] + +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. + +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. + +When he got to Assisi he found two thousand Friars collected there for +the chapter. The country people were providing all their food free. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +The Friars did not expect much of a sermon. This was only poor Brother +Antony, whose chief job was washing dishes. + +St. Antony, ready to _do his best_ 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. + +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! + +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. + +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. + +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." + +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 people gave up their sinful +life, and started trying to _do their best_ to become pleasing to God. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 can't imagine the +agony he must have suffered. And yet he never grumbled--he was _glad_ 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. + +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. + +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.'" + +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." + +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. + +That is the story of one of the holiest and humblest men who ever lived. + + * * * * * + +Very quietly the Cubs lay down on their palliasses, and fell asleep +thinking of their new friend, St. Antony. + + + + +THE EIGHTH DAY + + +A pouring day! Luckily the Cubs remained in the sunny land of dreams +till eight. + +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 _served you right_. + +Every now and then the rain _nearly_ 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 +_was_ 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. + +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. + +The visitors enjoyed it very much. + +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 _in_ 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 _could_ be so cheerful on such a day. + +Coming back to tea, the Cubs were delighted to find 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. + +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." + +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. + + +THE STORY OF ST. PATRICK. + +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. + +But though he _ended_ in being so very important, and doing things that +made a great difference to the whole world, he _began_ 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, 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 +_less good than themselves_, 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. + +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 _do his +best_. 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. + +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." + +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. + + "Christ with me, Christ before me, + Christ behind me, Christ in me, + Christ above me, Christ beneath me, + Christ in the chariot, Christ in the fort, Christ in the ship." + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 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! + +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. + +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. + +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 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? + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 made the sign of the cross over the cup and +drank it, and nothing happened. + +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?) + +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. + +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. + +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 _three_ and yet +_one_. 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 _one God_. That is why the Irish wear +shamrock on St. Patrick's Day (March 17th). + +[Illustration: S. PATRICK AND THE LITTLE BOY BENIGNUS. + +_See page 101._] + +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. + +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. + +Before I end I must just tell you one little story about a young Irish +Prince who _didn't give in to himself_. 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 _Bishop_ +means _shepherd_. 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: + + "I thought, thus called to follow Him Whose Feet + Were pierced with nails, haply the blissful rite + Some little pain included." + +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. + +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. + +So, on March 17th, in the year 493, St. Patrick passed from this world +into the glory of Heaven. + + + + +THE NINTH DAY + + +As 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, _wonderfully_ 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. + +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 _bigness_ of God's beautiful world--only +one more day of it all! + +Porridge out in the sunshine, and lots and lots of bread-and-jam. Then +down to the shore. + +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! + +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 _Golden Hind_, and +everything else you can imagine, while the gallant crew had many an +adventure. + +Meanwhile, _another_ 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. + +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! + +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. + +Soon a maid brought out tea; and it was _some_ tea--cake of all sorts, +and real bread-and-butter (not "marg."), and little jam-sandwiches (but, +as one Cub remarked, "it didn't _fill you up_, like camp-tea"). + +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. + +After that they played on the shore, and then ended up with a last +bathe, about seven. + +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. + +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 _Heaven_, and will you be our Cubmaster?" + +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." + +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 +_gave in to himself_, 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. + +And now someone else had a splendid idea: "Perhaps they've talked to the +Saints!" + +"_We_ shall know a lot of the Saints when _we_ go to Heaven," said +another Cub; "_I_ shall look out for St. Antony first." + +And so they decided to try and get to know as many Saints as possible +before they died, _and to try and copy them_, 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. + +Then the Cubs settled down for a last story. + + +THE STORY OF ST. GEORGE. + +"And now," said the Cubs, "a last story! Go on, Miss--make it an _extra_ +good one, exciting and full of adventures, and the best of all, because +it's the last night." + +"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?" + +"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. + +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 Coeur 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. + +St. George several times appeared on a white horse, and led the +Crusaders to victory when it seemed as if the enemy were going to put +them to flight and come off victorious. + +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. + +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. + +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 _honour_, 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. + +He was still very young when he was made what 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +Now, his friends knew that nothing would more enrage the Emperor than +this, because he thought a 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 _no +chance of promotion_, no becoming head of the army; perhaps, even, it +would mean imprisonment; possibly death. So they simply _begged_ 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +Alone in the dark, dank, icy-cold dungeon, St. George 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. + +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. + +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 +_anything_ the Emperor should do, and then he felt quite happy again. + +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. + +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. + +The soldiers loosened his chains, and he was led out and up the stairs. +The blazing, blinding sun dazzled 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. + +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." + +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. + +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. + +The officer thought St. George was rather a fool, and a very brave man, +and he went back to the Emperor. + +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 +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. + +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. + +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 _martyr_. So he whispered faintly--for he could hardly speak now--that +nothing in all the world would make him give up Christ. + +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. + +"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_ +shall be with _Thee_!" And so he knelt down and waited. + +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. + +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 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. + +And so it was that the maiden in distress, the persecuted Church of +Christ, was saved by her brave knight, St. George. + + + + +GOOD-BYE + + +A grey 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! + +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 _do their best_ as never before. + +Then they fell in, two deep, and, with a last look at the field, marched +away. + +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. + +On board the ship an adventure happened. Big Andy _of course_ 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 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 _praying_! Presently the cap was triumphantly pulled up, +amidst cheers from the pier and the upper deck. + +"I prayed he'd get it!" cried a Cub. + +"And so did I!" exclaimed another. + +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. + +And so they travelled back to dear, smoky old London, very much browner +and a good deal fatter than when they set out. + + +THE END + + + PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY + BILLING AND SONS, LTD., GUILDFORD AND ESHER + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Obvious punctuation errors repaired. + +Page 42, "at" changed to "as" (important as Akela) + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Stories of the Saints by Candle-Light, by +Vera C. 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