Year: 1879

Squire because he had been so taken
in.n


Later In the afternoon came the Mas
ter Thief, and wanted to have the
'Squire's daughter, as he had given his
word. But the Squire began to talk
him over, and said:


"Oh, you must prove your skill lit
tie more I" for what you did to-day was
no great thing after all. Couldn't you
now play off good trick Y''


We'll, as for that,it wouldn't be hard,'
said the Master Thief. So he dressed
himself up like bird, threw great
white sheet over his body, took the
wings of goose and tied them to his
back, and SO climbed UP into great
maple which stood in the Priests gar
den. And when the Priest came home
in the evening, the youth began to bawl
out:


Father LaurenceY Father Laurencel'
for that was the Priests name.


Who is that calling me 20 said the
Priest.


"I am an angel" said the Master
Thief, "sent from God to let you know
that you shall be taken up alive into
heavens for your piety's sake. Next
Monday you must hold yourself ready
for the journey, for shall come then to
fetch you in a sack; and all your gold
and silver, and all that you have of this
worlds goods, you must lay together in
q hon N i'm votr diniuO-room -
Well, Father Laurence fell on his
knees before the angel, and thanked
him and the very next day he preach
ed farewell sermon, and expounded
how there had come down an angel into
the big maple in bis garden, who told
him that he was to he taken up alive
into heaven for his piety's sake; and he
preached and made such a touching dis
course, that all who were at church
wept, both young and old.


So the Monday after came the Master
Thief like an angel again, and the Priest
fell on his knees and thanked him before
he was put into the sack; but when he
had got him well in, the Master Thief
drew and dragged him over stocks and
stones.


COW ow 20 groaned the Priest in
side the sack, wherever are we 60
ing p


"This is the narrow way which lead
eth unto the kingdom of heaven" said
the Master Thief, who went on drag
ging him along until he had nearly
broken every bone in his body. At last
he tumbled him into a goose-house that
belonged to the Squire, and the geese
began pecking and pinching him with
their bills, so that he was more dead
than alive.


Now you are in the flames of purga-
tory, to be cleansed and purified for life
everlasting" said the Master Thief; and
with that he went his way, and took all
the gold and silver, and all the fine
things which the Priest had laid togeth-
er in his dining room. The next morn
ing, when the goose girl came to LEI
the geese out, she heard how the Priest
lay in the sack and bemoaned himself
In the goose-house.


Sin heavens name, who's there, and
what ails you !" she cried.


"Oh ~ said the Priest, '' If you are an
angel from heaven, do let me out, and
let me return again to earth, for 1t Ii
worse here than in hell. The little
fiends keep on pinching me with
tongs."


"God help us, am no angel at all, ,
~


said the girl, as she helped the Priest out
of the sack; :" I am only after the
'Squire's geese, and like enough they
are the little fiends, which have pinched
your reverence.


"Ohl" groaned the the Priest, "this
all that Master Thief's doing. All my
gold and my silver and my fine clothes. ,
And he beat his breast and hobbies
home at such rate that the girl thought
he had lost his wits all at once.


Now when the Squire came to heal
how it had gone with the Priest and how
he had been along the narrow way, anC
into purgatory, he laughed until he wei
nigh split his sides. But when the
Master Thief came and asked for hii
daughter as he had promised, the 'Squir,
put him off again, and said:


"You must do one masterpiece better
still, that may see plainly what yol
are fit for. Now have twelve horse,
in my stable, and on them will pu
twelve grooms, one on each. If yo,