FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  
Where'er he faced, The people round him pressed--the sick, the blind, Young mothers sad because a babe was pale; Likewise the wives of fishers, praying loud Their husbands' safe return. Rejoiced he was To see them, hear them, touch them; wearied never: Whate'er they said delighted still he heard: The rise and fall of empires touched him less, The book rich-blazoned, or the high-towered church: 'We have,' he said, 'God's children, and their God: The rest is fancy's work.' Him too they loved; Loved him the more because, so great and wise, He stumbled oft in trifles. Once he said, 'How well those pine-trees shield the lamb from wind!' A smile ran round; at last the boldest spake, 'Father, these are not pine-trees--these are oaks.' And Cuthbert answered, 'Oaks, good sooth, they are! In youth I knew the twain apart: the pine Wears on his head the Cross.' Instruction next He gave them, how the Cross had vanquished sin: Then first abstruse to some appeared his words. 'Father,' they answered, 'speak in parables! For pleasant is the tale, and, onward passed, Keeps in our hearts thy lesson.' While they spake, A youth rich-vested tossed his head and cried: 'Father, why thus converse with untaught hinds? Their life is but the life of gnats and flies: They think but of the hour. Behold yon church! I reared it both for reverence of thy Christ, And likewise that through ages yet to come My name might live in honour!' At that word Cuthbert made answer: 'Hear the parable! My people craved for such. A monk there lived Holiest of men reputed. He was first On winter mornings in the freezing stall; Meekest when chidden; fervent most in prayer: And, late in life, when heresies arose, That book he wrote, like tempest winged from God, Drave them to darkness back. Grey-haired he died; With honour was interred. The years went by; His grave they opened. Peacefully he slept, Unchanged, the smile of death upon his lips: O'er the right hand alone, for so it seemed, Had Death retained his power: five little lines, White ashes, showed where once the fingers lay. All saw it--simple, learned, rich and poor: None might divine the cause. That night, behold! A Saintly Shape beside the ab
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Father
 

church

 

Cuthbert

 

answered

 

honour

 
people
 
Holiest
 

freezing

 
Meekest
 

winter


mornings

 

reputed

 
reared
 

reverence

 
Christ
 

likewise

 
Behold
 
parable
 

craved

 

answer


chidden

 

winged

 

showed

 

retained

 

fingers

 

behold

 

Saintly

 

divine

 

simple

 

learned


darkness

 
haired
 

tempest

 

prayer

 

heresies

 
interred
 

Unchanged

 
Peacefully
 

opened

 
fervent

blazoned
 

towered

 
touched
 
empires
 

children

 

stumbled

 
delighted
 

Likewise

 
mothers
 

pressed