songs he was for ever singing in his heart with
his inward voice--they were songs which worldly people would never
hear--only God and the angels heard them. Only God and the holy
angels!--for as to Kitty, though she was Josiah's best earthly friend,
though she knew he was such an excellent man, though she believed that
there was not a better man than he in all the world, though year by year
he had been growing lovelier and lovelier in her eyes--yes! though his
hair, of course, became rougher and greyer, and his figure more bent,
and his hands harder, and his teeth were nearly all gone!--growing
lovelier because of his excellence, which increased with age as good
wine does--still even she, who knew him better than any person on earth,
even she knew him so little that she never so much as dreamed that this
wonderful voice of Tiny's was but the echo of what had been going on in
Josiah's heart and mind ever since he was himself a child!

It was because he understood all this so very well that Josiah was
troubled when he thought about his son.

But to go back to the singer in the chimney-corner. Tiny sat alone on
his side of the fire-place, in the little chair fashioned out of knotted
twigs of oak which his father had made for him long ago. Opposite him
were the old folks--the father with his arms folded on his broad chest,
the mother knitting beside him, now and then casting a sidelong glance
at the old man to see how it went with him.

Wonderful was that song which Tiny sung!

Even the winter wind seemed hushing its voice to hear it, and through
the little windows looked the astonished moon.

Josiah lifted up his eyes in great amazement as he heard it, as if he
had altogether lost himself. It was nothing like his dream that Tiny
sang, though to be sure it was all about a Beautiful Gate.

Altogether about the Beautiful Gate! and of the young poet, who, passing
through it, went his way into the great Temple of the World, singing his
great songs, borne like a conqueror with a golden canopy carried over
him, and a golden crown upon his head! Riding upon a white horse
splendidly caparisoned, and crowds of people strewing multitudes of
flowers before him! And of the lady who placed the victor's crown upon
his head! She was by his side, more beautiful than any dream, rejoicing
in his triumph, and leading him on towards her father's palace, the
Beautiful Pearl Gates of which were thrown wide open, and the king
himsel