Middletown transcript., 1875-01-16

time tells Us only that be was . shep'
herd bey.i that be was about sixteen
years old. and that he tended flock
on the hills Of the Loire, which flows
through the town. His family name
is not recorded; be is known in histo.
ry only as Stephen Of Cloyes.
Stephen had heard the passionate
appesls Of the priests. and had seer
the tears Of returning pilgrims ~ they
reeouuted the psrils Of the way to the
Holy Land and pictured the saffsrings
which Our Lord had endured through
his disciples at j erusalem. His heart
had been stirred within him as be saw
that there was not one to help the dis
tressed Church and her faithful cross
bearers. II
There to him appeared. one day,
strange man. who commended his seal
and pioas tears To the wonder
stricken. rapt youth he announced
himself - Jesus Christ. He gave him
! commission to preach crusade to
the children, promising that be should
lead to the Palestine an army that
should occupy the land and restore the
Holy Sepulchsr. Into his hand be de-
livered a letter to the king Of France,
commanding the monarch to aid the
Heaven-appointed apostle Of the new
crusade. Filled With rapture, Stephs
en- flew to his parents, told his marve-
lous story. and exhibited bis celestial
letter to the king. The simple listsn-
ed with amssement and perplexity -
They asked for the heavenly visitant !
but be had disappeared as mysterious-
" as be came We can only guess
who and what he was. Propably, be
was . priest Of the neighborhood. who.
hearing Of Stephens kipdling enthusi-
asn,i bad disguised himself in pilgrim
garb, and had thus visited and mislsd
the simple boy.
Stephen soon proved how apt pu-
pill he was. Fired with strange ardor
and gifted with great natural powers
Of orstory. the lad kindled innumera-
ble hearts with burning zeal. Leav-
ing Cloyes, he went 70 the city Of st.
Denys. then famous as the burial
place Of the martyr Dionysius. Plae-
ing himself before the shrine Of this
sasly victim 70 the rage Of the heath
On. be addressed the multitudes who
eame thither to worship. M 's ,
The people heard with ave. not nm
mixed with doubt. The religion Of
he time was overlaid with much ride
4 q lei =
alous snperstition. Legends Of hea-
lhsn deities- were interminslsd with
tsles and lies. Divine ap-t
pesrsnces and angelic .visitatiens we're
believed to be common; and not few
we're ready to accept Stephen as a di-I
vinely-appointsd prophet. He is said
70 have healed the sick by his touch );
ind the fame Of his youth. piety. and
high mission spread far and wide. New
there Was no movement Of
he people toward his banner. Men
we're disturbed BY the civil wars that
hen rent France. There we're many
rulers, and the fertile provinces Of that
land we're trampled BY hostile
Iorces. But the children we're esught
lp W this strange enthusiasm, Like
j contagion. the erusading spirit spread
tcn Brlsnsgso the Rhine Stephen
the country. speeding from
,ity to city. and everywhere calling on
he children to hear the voice of God
commanding them to save the Holy
City from the deflemsnt Of the Mos
ems -
The yeung apostle mus. have been
!. youth Of rare power. His appear
lncs was in all places hailed with wild
'n,hpsissm. He fascinated the children
md youth. Inspired BY his words.
hese young people seemed to be trans
used with "a unsccoutable zeal They
passed into ! ! state Of spiritual exalta-
ion rot now easily to be understood.
Boys and girls, Of ten or twelve years
# age. left their games and toys, or
heir tasks and homes. and joined the
hres- pointed. blood-red banner, Of the
7oung crusader. Here and there, mi
,er prophets sprang up. preaching the
lacred mission Of Stephen and avowing
lin as their leader. Like . fame the
spread, sweeping children Of
ender years. and even matussr youths.
nto the ranks ofthe augmenting army.
Children escaped from the confinement
o which parents thought it necessary
0 put them; they were deaf to the
'oice Of authority and the call Of affec-
ion They Aew. they ran, they pour
ID, they tumultuously stresmsd to the
,anner Of the Children's Crusade. re-
'ehoipg once resthe cry which bad
ollowed the fiery cross Of Peter the
''God wills it! God wills it"