Norwich bulletin., 1918-05-18

Once upon a time there lived near. sighted and obscure clock maker in an ancient town in Flanders. It was in fourteen hundred and something, at about the time when new continents were being discovered and old cont nents were being ransacl1ed for whatever might serve to enrich the riod Of the Renaissance, and this Is, the story of the renaissance of Ali ton. the Flemish clock maker.
 Anton was apprenticed to an old craftsman who made clocks to hel. very rich people to know the time e day No one but the rich could af- ford to buy clocks in those jays. so the clock maker needed but one as sistant. They were crude clocks with but one hand, but they serged the purpose. Anton, however, had a soul in his body. and he became very tired of bending etefnally over his work bench, making enchanted clocks for people he didn't know. His was Il, restless sort of soul, but a starved one, and it didn't know how to snoe' Anton the way to better things.
 So Anton decided to find put for himself. As he went about the streets of Sunday he heard of the good gray monks that lived beyond the hill. He was tol;i that they were wise and kind, and that they made sure their en- trance into heaven by many prayers and much fasting. They were So good that they had time enough left | from their prayers to engage in schol- arly pursuits. In short they lived an Geai kind of existence and ore | that Anton thought would satisfy the cravings of his soul.
 So one day Anton left the old clock maker and journeyed over the hil | to the monastery of the good gray monks They took him in as la5
 brother and set him to wedding the garden but soon they learned that he was skilled with tools, and they
 gave ], m the task of building the new altar in the chapel. When the altal
 was !.carly finished the abbot of tn; l monastery came to Anton and said | much cunning. Cans't thou carve {
 legend for the front Of the altar ?" l T can, Father" said Anton, | So the abbott sought for a legenl
 that would fit the space on the iron | of the altar, and after much search I ing he brought to Anton this:
 Where there is no Vision. the peo pie perish"
 l Anton accordingly sought piece 0 I hard close grained oak, and began t
 carve the legend. Now Anton possess
 ed enough of the eraftsman's soul t
 make him strive to carve the legen
 well. and he spent many days an ] took infinite pains. And as he work
 ed he said the words over and over |
 ed he said the words over and over t
 hinse.t:
 Where there is no Vision, the reo pie perish"
 He found himself wondering wha thesa words meant, and as ha carve
 his peFplexity grew upon him. At las he C.euid contain himself no lon4el and he went to the abbot. Holy Path CT" said he, T am much troubled know the meaning of the words tEo hast given me to carVe.''
 Now the abbot had selected tl.e le gend without great thought. It sound ed well, and it was the right l-ngtl So he made answer lightly. "Tios I my sop, are the words of the Wis l Man Of old. They refer to that alvin
 guidance which saves mems sou and which comes only through l.aay : CT and fasting"
 , Bat Anten had prayed and faste' and no vision had come to him. : He asked his brother monks to ey
 plain the words to him, but they coal
 not satisfy him, and Anton ncarl
 went mad in the endeavor to under
 stand.
 When the carving was comp!et
 and the altar finished, Anton four e no more work that interested him. + : looked about him and saw the monl T feasting and fasting, praying ar y working, but he could not liseoyt t to what purpose.
 If it hf true that without Vision U r people perish he said to himself d shall we all not perish? Not even Il a good gray monks, and their tireson . know not what Vision is." g So gradually he became dissatis '. fled with the monotonous lie of u $ good gray monks, and their tireson s prayers and fastings to save he n souls, until at last he could stand = no longer, and, never having takt the vows, he left the monastery.
 was then that he bethought himse l. the old clock-maker for whom he h; d worked in the town. He rerntmber d how wise he was aud he souehy f r. familiar shop.