New Orleans Republican., 1875-01-24
SAINT AND SINNER.
BY r, H. sToDDARD.

certain holy anehorite
Who fOT himself cave had made,
Com fortress, in the waste Theoald,
Where, like wild beast in lis den,
II e pagsed a long life far from men,
UntIOubled by the hateful sight
OF woman-this old man austere
TASTED and seourGed himself, and prayed,
ReuOHncing all the world holds dear;
His sole thought being day and night,
How TO find favor in Gods eyes,
And thereby enter Paradise.
He ed this life three score and ten
Star we'd years, puff up with salctity;
Who more a saintln he thought, and then
Prayed God 10 show him what saint he
Should emulate to bOlier be;
Thinking, ne doubt, like many now
Who kIeel self-r1ghteOuEly, and pray,
That God would stoop from Heaven, and say;
There is none hOlier Khan thou
Thasnight Gods Angel came to him
(Ihe sun at MONDAY would oe dlIn
By the great light that hlled the plscel
And said: q" If thou IN 3anctltyi
And in the growth of heavenly grace,
Would st all surpass thou must do more
Than fast, and scourge thyseli, and pray.
Thou must be Ike or strive 20 be,
A certain man poet he,
For he upon pipe doth pay,
And sing and beg from door to dsoT,'
He heard in great aston sbment.
Arose and took his staff, and went
Wandering the neighboring country round
10 md this pO6Ii WnOnt Nneu iOuDQy
(He sat a piping in the sun,
And sang what songs came in his head),
he questioned earnestly, and said:
81 pray thee. brSther, tell me now
What good and great work thou hast donel
What path that holy men have trOd,
What fsst, what penance, or what vow
Makes thee acceptable TO God g
Ashamed to be so questioned, he
Hung down his head as he replied:
on, father do not scot at me-
l know no good work have done,
And, as for praying, well.a-day,
/ go unworthy am TO pray,
That sinner have never tried
RgO from door TO door and play
(fOu caught me piping IN the sum,
Cheering the simple people there,
Who something for my hunger spare
The holy man insisted: Nay,
But in the midst of thy i'll life
(FOr it is IL, as thou dOst say,
Pes haps some good work tnou hast done
The singer then: " know OF none"
Within the hermit's mind a strife
Now Tose-the Augel-whO could tel
Whether it were from Heaven or HeNl
How hast thou" to the poet then,
Become the beggar that thou art
Hast JhOn thy worldly substance spent
In riOtOus hving-wOmen, vine,
Like most that idle craft Of thine
Who follow Hellward-sintul menp
10 NLbm lnt OtutIs pdlhSu az heart
But not a whit ashamed: 1T went
Another way. Twas thus: found
A poor. pale woman, running round
Hither and thither, sick, distrRught
Ut pains me to recall it yeti;
Her husband, children had been sold
In slavery 10 pay a debt.
But she was cOmelv to behold;
So certain sons OF Belial sought
Her ruin, whom may God cOndemni
Her, weeping, % my hut 1 brought,
and there protected her frsm them.
gave her all that possessed
Went with her 10 the city where
Her wIetched husband had been sold,
And her Young children; found them there
And brought them back. You guess the rest,
For they are happy as of old.
But what of that In Heavens name,
What man wculd not have done the same p
The hermit, smitten to the heart
At the sad tale of that poor wife,
Wept bitterly, saying: For my part,
have not done. IN al my life
] thOught so holy 80 much good.
And thou art so misunderstood,
And vet thou makest no complaint;
And men, because fast and pray,
" nile thOu upon thy pipe dOst play,
They call thee Sinner, and me Saint
-Scubner for January.