ed, Heaven grew plainer and he
saw that the stars were all shining together in a soft radiance, like
the halos of many saints. And the wisdom of the world began to slip from
Dante, and he stood there in Heaven as a little child.

Beatrice led him on and on, and whenever she wished him to see Heaven
more plainly she talked of the world he lived in and the men he hated.
Now when one who lives with God speaks of hate, it is nothing. And as he
listened, Dante began to see that Man was in Heaven. When he had learned
this, they went with a great flight up to God. And behold! it seemed to
Dante that the higher he went in Heaven the nearer home he came, for all
around him there were faces that he knew.

And they went on and on to the very highest Heaven, where God and man
live together, and the angels cannot tell God from man or man from God.
And Beatrice showed Dante this great mystery. And he stood still,
looking, with the great light shining into his eyes.

Although he does not tell us what he saw, we know it was Florence, where
he lived, and that he was looking at all the people with loving eyes,
and seeing them just as those who live with God see men.

Heaven is here, little children. Let us love one another.

FROM "PARSIFAL."

[Music: By pity 'lightened, the guileless Fool;]

--_Richard Wagner._

[Illustration: _By George Frederick Watts_

ASPIRATION]

PARSIFAL.

Long, long ago, when the old nations were child-nations, they had the
most wonderful dreams and stories in their hearts; and they told them
over so many, many times, with love and wonder, that they grew into
Art,--poems and songs and pictures. And there is one beautiful story
which you will find in many songs and poems, for almost every nation has
told it in its own way. And this is it:

Long, long ago--so long that no one can tell whether it really happened
or whether the old German folk only dreamed it--there was a band of
knights who went away and lived together on a beautiful high mountain,
far above the world, where no evil might ever come to them; and there
they thought of nothing but pure and holy things. The purest knight was
chosen king among them, and led them in all high things; and they lived
so for many years, keeping themselves from wrong and beholding blessed
wonders that the world had never seen,--miracles of light that sometimes
passed above them.

But once there came an evil thought to the very king; nothing could p