Stories of the Olden Time Part 2

14. Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

16. So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

(_St. Matthew, xx. 1-16._)

_VIII.--PARABLE OF THE SOWER AND THE SEED._

1. The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

2. And great mult.i.tudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a s.h.i.+p, and sat; and the whole mult.i.tude stood on the sh.o.r.e.

3. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4. And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way-side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5. Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6. And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8. But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold.

9. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10. And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

11. He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _A Sower went forth to Sow._]

12. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

(_St. Matthew xiii, 1-13._)

_IX.--PAIRING-TIME ANTIc.i.p.aTED._

1. I shall not ask Jean Jacques Rousseau If birds confabulate or no; 'Tis clear that they were always able To hold discourse,--at least in fable; And even the child, who knows no better Than to interpret by the letter A story of a c.o.c.k and bull, Must have a most uncommon skull.

2. It chanced then on a winter's day, But warm and bright and calm as May, The birds, conceiving a design To forestall sweet Saint Valentine, In many an orchard, copse, and grove, a.s.sembled on affairs of love, And with much twitter and much chatter, Began to agitate the matter.

3. At length a bull-finch, who could boast More years and wisdom than the most, Entreated, opening wide his beak A moment's liberty to speak, And silence publicly enjoined, Briefly delivered thus his mind: "My friends! be cautious how ye treat The subject upon which we meet; I fear we shall have winter yet."

4. A finch, whose tongue knew no control, With golden wings and satin poll, A last year's bird, who ne'er had tried What marriage means, thus pert, replied: "Methinks the gentleman," quoth she, "Opposite in the apple-tree, By his good will, would keep us single 'Till yonder heaven and earth shall mingle, Or, what is likelier to befall, 'Till death exterminate us all.

I marry without more ado!

My dear d.i.c.k Redcap, what say you?"

5. d.i.c.k heard, and tweedling, ogling, bridling, Turning short round, strutting and sidling, Attested glad his approbation Of an immediate conjugation.

Their sentiments so well expressed, Mightily influenced all the rest.

All paired and each pair built a nest.

6. But though the birds were thus in haste, The leaves came out not quite so fast, And destiny, that sometimes bears An aspect stern on men's affairs, Not altogether smiled on their's.

The wing of late breathed gently forth, Now s.h.i.+fted east and east by north.

Bare trees and shrubs, but ill, you know Could shelter them from rain or snow.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

7. Stepping into their nests they paddled; Themselves were chilled, their eggs were addled; Soon every father bird and mother, Grew quarrelsome and pecked each other, Parted without the least regret-- Except that they had ever met-- And learned in future to be wiser Than to neglect a good adviser.

8. Moral: Misses, the tale that I relate, This moral seems to carry-- Choose not alone a proper mate, But proper time to marry.

_Cowper._

LEGENDS.

_X.--THE GIFT OF TRITEMIUS._

1. Tritemius, of Herbipolis, one day, While kneeling at the altar's foot to pray, Alone with G.o.d, as was his pious choice, Heard from without a miserable voice, A sound which seemed of all sad things to tell, As of a lost soul crying out of h.e.l.l.

2. Thereat the abbot paused; the chain whereby His thoughts went upward broken by that cry; And, looking from the cas.e.m.e.nt, saw below A wretched woman, with gray hair a-flow, And withered hands held up to him, who cried For alms as one who might not be denied.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _The gift of Tritemius._]

3. She cried, "For the dear love of Him who gave His life for ours, my child from bondage save,-- My beautiful, brave first-born, chained with slaves In the Moor's galley, where the sun-smit waves Lap the white walls of Tunis!" "What I can I give," Tritemius said: "my prayers." "O man Of G.o.d," she cried, for grief had made her bold, "Mock me not thus; I ask not prayers, but gold.

Words will not serve me, alms alone suffice; Even while I speak, perchance, my first-born dies."

4. "Woman," Tritemius answered, "from our door None go unfed; hence are we always poor; A single soldo is our only store.

Thou hast our prayers; what can we give thee more?"