e was
filled with amazement. He immediately suspected that this must be a holy
man and powerful. So he invited Berach into the palace hall, and there
listened to his story.

Now when all was done the rich man was bundled away in disgrace, for
daring to meddle with the good works of so wonderful a Saint. But Berach
was honored and admired.

Before he went back to his monastery they begged him to restore the
naughty boys to life and motion. Now Berach had wanted only to teach
them a lesson, not to punish them too severely; for he was too
kind-hearted to injure any living creature. So going out into the
courtyard he blew upon the snow figures, and once more they became live
boys. You can imagine how glad they were when they found they were able
to move their legs and arms again.

Now Berach went back to his monastery in one of the King's chariots,
with a robe of fur and a gold chain about his neck. And you may be sure
he carried with him many other gifts and precious things from the King,
who never thereafter suffered him to be troubled in his far-off
retreat.

SAINT PRISCA, THE CHILD MARTYR

SAINT PRISCA'S name has always been dearly loved, especially in England.
January eighteenth is the day which is sacred to her, and she lived over
seventeen hundred years ago. She is one of the few child-martyrs whose
names have come down to us from those early days, although there were
many other brave children who suffered and were strong, and who, at
last, gave their lives to prove their faith.

Saint Prisca was a little Roman girl whose parents were Christians of a
noble family. Claudius was the Emperor at that time, and though during
his reign the Christians were not persecuted in such numbers as they had
been before that, still many cruel things were done here and there, and
it was a dangerous thing to be a Christian.

It was in the evil times when one did not always dare to say what he
really thought, nor publicly to worship as he believed was right. Many
of the Christians were not ashamed to conceal their real belief from
the heathen Romans, who were everywhere seeking with hatred for the
followers of Christ, to torture and slay them.

Prisca's father and mother had managed to keep their secret, and were
not suspected of being Christians. They probably went to church in the
secret chapels which the Christians had dug deep in the ground under the
city. In these dark, gloomy catacombs, as they were called, the