Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1859-01-29
Translated by Mrs. Jameson.
The Hermit and the Minstrel,

The following legend is from st. Je-
rome. 1t carries our minds back to
the herrnits Of the Trebiad. In those
days, before the art Of printing, story
telling was the means by which many
beautiful and holy lessons were taught
under the veil of fiction! The monas-
teries were the only places that cult
waited letters then, and the monks be-
came the chief of story tellers. AS
they walked in their cloisters or par
took Of their simple meals in their re-
Factories, they entertained one another
by tales of the old saints. In these
fact and fiction blended. Probably no
one cared to distinguish between them
so long as the tale pleased the fancy
and mended the heart.
We are very much afraid that the
monks of those days were "higher law
men,"
"a certain holy anchorite had pass
ed a long life in cave of the Thebiad,
remote from all communion of men !;
and eschewing as he would the gates
of hell, the very presence Of woman;
and he tasted and prayed and perform
cd many and severe penances; and his
whole thought was how he should make
himself of account in the sight of God,
that he might enter into his paradise.
"And having lived this life for three
score years and ten, he was puffed up
with the notion of his great virtue and
sanctity, and like to St. Anthony he be-
sought the Lord to show him what
saint he should emulate, thinking per-
haps in his heart, that the Lord would
answer that none was greater or holier.
And the same night the angel of the
Lord appeared to him and said, eff
thou wouldst excel all others in sancti-
ty and virtue, thou must strive to be
like certain minstrel who goes beg
cling and singing from door to door,"
"And the holy man was in great as
tonishment. He arose and took his
staff and ran forth in search of this
minstrel; and when he had found him,
he questioned him earnestly, saying,
"Tell me, l pray thee, my brother,
what good works thou hast performed
in thy lifetime, and by what prayers
and penances thou hast made thyself
acceptable to God?"
"And the man greatly wondering
and ashamed to be thus questioned,
hung down his head as he replied; 81
beseech thee, holy father, mock me
not! have performed no good works,
and as to praying, alas! sinner that
am, am not worthy to pray. I do
nothing but go about from door to
door, amusing the people with my viol
and flute.
"And the holy man insisted and
said, "Nay, but peradventure, in the
midst of this, thy evil life, thou hast
done some good works?" And the
hermet wondering more and more, said
show hast thou become beggar? hast
thou wasted thy substance in riotous
living, like most others of thy calling?"
And the man answering said, "Nay,
but there was poor woman whom I
found running hither and thither in dis
traction, for her husband and children
had been sold into slavery to pay q
debt. And the woman being very fair,
certain sons of Belial pursued after
her; SO took her home to my hut and
protected her from them, and gave all
possessed to redeem her family, and
conducted her in safety to the city,
where she was reunited to her hus-
band and children. But what of that,
my father, is there a man who would
not have done the same?"
And the hermit hearing the minstrel
speak these words, wept bitterly. saw
ing, for my part have not done 80
much good in all my life; and vet thew
call me man of God, and thou only !
poor minstrel