, 1872-12-22

psalm-tune, and every tone has brought its word
to me, and spoken to me- Us il direct from God,
and filled my heart with trust and peace Your
least sprink1es of sweet sound are precious to
me Ifancy they are like the waters of time
falling musically from stone to stone on their
echoes Of the footsteps Of Him who is drawing
nearer and nearer to me; and they draw my
heart nearer to Him. Sweet bells your COM
monest tones are sacred; for what is the world
but that which becomes the Church when it
learns how God has loved it, and turns
from self to Him? and what is earth but the
floor OF heaven, which heavenly feet once trod?
and what is time but the little fragment Of eter-
nifty in which ne live on earth? Sweet bells
make not my sleepless night lonely and silent,
but sing to me, sing to us all, as of old. Make
Ill our life sacred By linking every fragment Of
our life to God"
But still no responsive sound came from the
cathedral tower, and the people waited on in the
silence znd the darkness. At last young
priest, an Aqgustlniaa friar, ventured ? bold
suggeation; "A1e n! not the devils proud, and
meath lin to spy to Elijah: 7Arise and eat t. =
Did Gabriel hesitate to descend from tho
presence Of God to bear to IN aged
priest the tidings Of tho birth Of a
child? Did that other angel deem it
and bind on thy sandals, and cast thy garment
about thee,' before he led him over the stony
streets through the cold night air7 And should
our cathedral bells scorn to bid US rise and est
OF to chime at our birth, or to summon us to
gird and clothe' ourselves for every days work
Brethren, proud thoughts, and ecorn OF daily
service, and voices which call our everyday life
common and unclecn, are not from heaven.
Iha bells arepossessed By proud and evil spirit.
Let us exercise them
The suggestion at first startled the people as
daring, and nrererent to the church bells, but in
their despair they at length agreed to try it. A
solemn procession OF priests and holy men and
women mounted the cathedral tower, and, in
ancient formulas, with prayer and incense, and
the music Of holy hymns, they exercised the
fend.
Then at once q tide Of pent-up music flowed
from the liberated bells! They conscientiously
rang out all at once every hour and half-hour
they had omitted, and then mcekly and steadily
resumed their wonted chimea, and continued
lowly angels calling men to wnke and pray, to
Il rise and eat" to pray and rest; cheering tie
workman to his daily labor, and welcoming him
from it chanting to tho mother as she lulled
her babe; and in the sick chamber soothing the
lonely hours with melodious sounds, and waking
in the lonely heart sweet echoes Of the psalms Of
praise.
Here the legend ended. heard, however,
afterward that the young priest, the Augustinian
friar, lived to spread glad tidings through tho
city but that he was at last burned in the cathe-
dral square for preaching to men what he had
said about the church-bel1s. Yet in the flames.
it was said, he looked up to the cathedral tower.
and sang the words Of psalm Of praise the old
bells we're Ginning, till his voice was silenced in
death. And ever since the chimes have taken
up his message, and chant to those who will
listen, hour by hour.
"Whether, therefore, ye eat or drink, or what
soeger 70 do, do all to the glory Of God"