n like these last people of whom
the voices tell such sad, unhappy things. How I long with all my heart
to be freed from this hateful thing called _Envy_!"

Then he prayed to God to help him to rejoice over the happiness of
others, to be willing to help others, and to realize that others were
helping him; and as he thought these thoughts and prayed this prayer,
another burden seemed lifted from off him, and he put his hand to his
forehead and found that another of the terrible letters was gone. He had
but five remaining on his forehead now, and already the climbing seemed
easier.

They soon came to another very difficult passage in the road, and so
rough and sharp were the rocks which stood in the pathway that Dante's
heart failed him, and he must have stopped in his onward journey up the
mountain had not another loving angel of God come from some unseen
point, and, lifting him with strong arms, carried him over the hard
place, setting him again upon his feet. I think Dante must have thanked
God for thus sending him help in his moment of discouragement; at any
rate he felt that he had been slothful and not eager enough to reach
the top of the mountain.

On and on he traveled, sometimes with voices in the air singing to
encourage him, sometimes with warnings coming from unknown quarters. The
very trees laden with fruit on the roadside seemed to say, "Take enough
of us, but do not eat too much; a glutton cannot see GOD."

As they mounted higher and higher the landscape grew broader and
broader, and more filled with a strange, new sunshine. The huge boulders
and angry-looking rocks below, which had so frightened Dante as he began
his journey, seemed now scarcely larger than pebbles and little stones.
He smiled to think that he had never cared for them at all. Weariness
was now gone, the last of the mysterious letters had vanished from his
forehead, and the one longing of Dante's heart was to meet again his
beautiful and beloved Beatrice, and be led by her into the presence of
the Great GOD of the Universe, who had so wonderfully and so
mysteriously sent His angels to help him on the way.

At last they reached the spot called the Terrestrial Paradise, and
there, as Virgil had told him, stood his loving Beatrice, who took him
by the hand and led him up into Heaven itself, beyond the clouds, beyond
the stars, beyond planets and worlds, even to the foot of the Throne of
GOD!

Of this I cannot tell you. No words of mine