The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-04-16

"we have only light enough left for
the stored glass which alone of all the
richness of the old church outlived its
dissertation, and, as bv miracle, was
preserved TO tell these later generations
of the higher art our fore. fathers sons
forgot
As we spoke. we stood within the
charmed light of the nine windows of
the apse,-windows which have per-
haps no remaining equals in the world,
and before which one can only bow
in admiration and regret for an art that
seems forever lost. Holding me fast
by the arm he went on:
''In restoration of the church, the
spandrels of the old windows were re-
built, and the frames were set with
plain glass, to the sad DETACHMENT of
the edifice; and so they stood for nigh
two hundred years, no art being equal
to their worthy replacement, and no
ancient store to the supplying of so
large demand.
"But listen, now how the hand of
Heaven sheltered its own, and how
true servants of the church are ever
guided to reclaim its lost splendor.
"a few years ago, a canon of the
cathedral, travelling in Flanders, wish
ing to contribute to the renewed work
of restoration, visited the dismantled
convent of Herkenrode in the ancient
bishopric of Liege. Here he sought
among the rubbish of the lumber-room
for wood. carvings which might be
used in the rebuilding of the prebendal
stalls. His search discovered many
boxes OF colored glass, the origin of
which no one knew, and whose exist
ence even had been forgotten. Think.
ing to embelish some of the curious
triangular windows above the triforium
he purchased the whole store for two
hund red pounds of our money, and
presented it to the dean and chapter as
a tribute OF affectionate devotion to the
cathedral. There was more than he
had supposed, and the large figures of
some of the fragments indicated a CO.
herent design.
"This chapel was fenced off from
the aisles, and here the canon's wife
and daughter, devoting themselves
to the solution of the puzzle. slowly
pieced out the varying connections.
They worked patiently for weeks, with
steady increasing excitement of sue,
cess until and here his grasp grew
tremulous aud close ], lying collated on
this pavement where we stand, only
a bit wanting here and there, making
the exact sizes of the varied openings
the grand old Lichfield windows. per-
feet as you see them now in this soft.
ened moonlight, had come back to en-
rich forevermore the dear old church
to whose glory they had shone in the
bygone centuries, and whose sore trials
their absence had so long recalled.
''Kind stranger" said he, 'this is
true tale. Sceptics have questioned it,
but it is true! true! And thank
Heaven that it has been permitted to
me, who have grown old in the love
of this sacred pile, to live to see, in
this crowning act of its restoration, the
higher help OF the hand of man has
had in performing its holy work.
His upturned blue eyes were moist
ened with tears, and his voice trembled
with emotion. l led him gently away
and to the doorstep of the hospital of
st. John the Baptist, where we parted
in silence for ever.
Supping at the Swan Inn, took the
late train for Liverpool and home,
bringing with me an idea of Lichfeld, to
which it would perhaps have been rash
to hold the light of Lichfeld day
From George f. warnings "JVhip
and Spur