The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-05-22

somewhere in the heavens. The solo was echoes out of the skies. It seemed that seraph had caught the music and was singing it back to earth.
 I presently learned that musician had been placed In the faraway heights of the CampaniIe, or, possibly, in one of the nearby palaces, to render the echo-illu- sion. It was perfect, and when 1t was finished, the applause was tumultuous.
 An, who that has ever trod the square of San Marco can possibly forget it's transcendent charm and beauty? And who that revers sacred things can forget that this square is associated with a very
 religious side of history. Here have gath
 cred pilgrims of many lands on pious
 missions bent; here were seen in the days of the Crusades, princes and peasants. with red cross upon their backs. and from
 Venice many of them for love of Christ
 to rescue the sacred Sepulcher from the
 Turks. But with another scene do l associate the piazza of San Marco. I re-
 fer not to the bringing of the body of St. Mark hither but to this:
 In the year 1239 a ship put into the har- Dor of Venice, ship from the east, bring ing what seemed to be chest of golden treasure. The King of Greece had heard of the sailing of this strange ship out of q. IL. vessels of his navy to intercept it; but this purpose failed, and the ship with it's precious chest reached Venice. With profoundest reverence and prayers, and self-crossings, the chest was removed from the ship, thence to the Square of San Marco and to the cathedral Sol diers were placed on duty to guard the chest all through the night hours in the dim shadows of the great church (of which I shall have something to say in my next paper), while outside of the church, in the square, might have been seen sailors and soldiers pacing to and fro, the latter in glittering armor. while men and women spent the night in the square upon their knees in prayers and thanksgiving. In the course of short time the chest was borne across the square again, with much pomp and re- ligious ceremony. and amid the prayers of the faithful 1t was taken from Venice. The Emperor of Germany gave a guard of honor to protect the strange chest as 1t passed through his realm to the border of France. It was said that God watched over the chest and not once did the rain fall upon it, nor did any accident befall 1t. When 1t reached a point outside of Paris the King and the royal family. together with his court of lords and ladies, went out to meet it.
 When this august throng from Paris saw the cavalcade in the distance, to whose care had been committed the sacred chest solemnly and reverently they fell upon their knees in the dust. Paris was prepared to receive the chest. Every store and shop was closed. The streets were thronged. Many of the thorough fares were carpeted. In the procession there was every ecclesiastic in Paris. The King and his brother, the Duke of Artois, were both barefooted and clad in coarse woolen. Upon their shoulders they bore the mysterious chest, while the bells of the city tolled most solerlnly. The chest was borne into the great church of Notre Dame. The archbishop humbly approached it. He removed the wooden lid; then he took forth a silver casket. which he opened; then lifting an urn of geld from the casket of silver. he opened it, and took therefrom, and held it aloft before the awe-struck thousands, a wreath of withered thorns, thorns that the Christ once wore and whose spear like points brought forth His blood from His brow.
 Does one say, Ut is only story that you tell, and I do not believe it. Very well; be it only story to you; but to millions 1t is a very sacred story and a very true one. Let us learn to check the prompting of nippant speech in the pres ence of things that are sacred and holy to other people.
 Whether or not the chest contained the veritable crown of thorns which once pierced the brow of the Savior of the world, matters not SO far as the point have made is concerned. In San Marcos Square, breathing an atmosphere filled