The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-11-01

earth.
Il never saw such beautiful bird!'
exclaimed Brother Felix, "and / never
heard such sweet singing. 1t sounds
as though a thousand harp strings
were ringing out heavenly anthem. :
The monk Felix closed his book
and as the bird flew through the forest
he followed it from place to place.
"And long, long
With rapturous look,
He listened to the song,
And hardly breathed or stirred;
Until he saw, as in vision,
The land Elysian,
And in the heavenly city heard an.
gelic feet
Fall on the golden tagging of the
street.
And he would fain
Have caught the wondrous bird
But strove in vain;
For it flew away, away
Far over hill and dell,
And instead of it's sweet singing
He heard the convent bell
Suddenly in the silence ringing
For the service of MONDAY,
And he retraced
His pathway homeward sadly and in
haste"
AS he tried to hurry along he said:
Il wonder why | feel so stiff and
tired l must have walked farther
than l knew, and now I must hasten
home" He put his hand to his beard,
led and his beard was snow white,
like that of an old, old man. The
trees in the forest looked larger to
him, and he wondered where he was
and if his eyes were deceiving him.
When he reached the village he did
not see any one who looked familiar
to him, and the people stared at him
as, bending low upon his staff he went
on toward the convent.
1T is strange, most strange he
murmured. 81 thought I knew every
one in town, but l never saw these
people before. They stare at me as
though l were wild man from the
woods, and no one stops to ask my
blessing. l do not understand"
At last he reached the monastery
but at the gateway he stopped per-
picked
Where is the porter?" he asked.
81 am the porter and have guarded
this gate for forty years, but | have
never seen you before answered the
good brother, standing aside to let
him pass.
Il cannot understand" murmured
the poor, bewildered Brother Felix.
"Why has everything changed? l
went out in the early morning to walk
in the forest, and now on my return
cannot find my old friends. see no
one whom l have ever known"
Then an old monk answered: Il
have dwelt in this convent for nearly
half a century, but have never seen
your face before"
ct was only this morning" an
swered Brother Felix, that I went
into the forest to read and to pray,
and in the good book l read these
words:
GA thousand years in Thy sight are
but as yesterday when it is past, and
as watch in the night!'"
"The words did not seem clear to
me and suddenly l heard the song OF
snow white bird. Such marvellous
music it sang that l followed it on
and on through the forest, and then
it was gone from my sight, and
heard the ringing of these convent
bells, and then | came home. 1t seem
ed as though I must have dreamed
for moments must have been hours.
mo, not hours, but years." said a
voice close by, and there on bench
sat an aged brother, the oldest monk
in the convent. 81 believe I heard a
story" he said in faltering voice.
"a story such as yours, of a young
monk named Felix, who went out into
the forest alone. Yes, you must be
the very man; but bring forth our old
book of records and we will read OF
our worthy brother:
The monks brought out an old, old
book, and in it was written the
names of all the brothers who had
died. They read story of young
monk named Felix who had lived a
hundred years before and who went
one day into the forest all alone to
read and pray. and as he never re.
turned and no trace had ever been
found of him, although they had
searched and searched the monks felt
that like the Prophet Elijah, he had
been carried in chariot of fire to his
just reward in heaven.
How long ago was that?" asked
Felix.
Zone hundred years. was the an
swer.
God gave me such happiness that
one hundred years have passed as one
day." said Brother Felix reverently
as he fell upon his knees and prayed
to God. RetoEd from The Golden
Legend, " By II. w L0nofeilOD