ef corner-stone." Yet it was even so.
That day when, in obedience to the heavenly command, he stripped off
his shoes and mantle, he laid the first stone. From that hour his
spiritual building proceeded, and he who had fancied his work
completed, found that it was but barely begun! Dead souls, in whom the
Story of the Cross could no longer arouse even the most transient
emotion, were awakened and convicted when they saw it lived out before
them--a living epistle. We have seen how souls quickened by Divine
power, and led only by God, came and joined themselves to Francis,
choosing him as their leader, and accepting as their rule of life the
revelation made to him, through the gospel, for that memorable
February day. To those that followed Francis, God made no more
definite manifestation of His will other than that they were to join
themselves to him and lead his life. Manifestly, he was their
God-appointed leader, and as simply and obediently as he had pulled
off his mantle and shoes, he accepted the human trust bestowed upon
him. And well he fulfilled that trust!

To the very last hour of his life, Francis was true to his first
principles. Never for one moment did he wander out of the narrow path
in which God had set his feet at the beginning of his career as a
leader and teacher of men. As literally as it was possible he modelled
his life on that of our Lord Jesus Christ. One of the most noted
Atheist writers of the present century says that in no age has there
been so close a copy of the life of Christ as that portrayed by
Francis and his followers.

[Sidenote: _Alms._]

The most well-known of all the Franciscan characteristics is their
poverty. Though at times they asked alms for Christ's sake from their
neighbours, that was not the ideal Francis had before him as their
regular mode of life. It was that all should work with their hands at
whatever they could best do, and in return receive an equivalent for
their labour in food or clothes. "All the brothers who have learnt a
trade," Francis said, "will exercise it, those who have not must learn
one, and keep to the exercise of it without changing. All will receive
everything necessary for the support of life, except money, in
remuneration of their work." "When the brothers are in want of the
necessaries of life, they shall go and ask for alms like any other
poor man," was another of his directions. This was a great trial to
some who would have gladly learned the mo