it, it would bear them up at many a pinch, and ever grow
with their growth, and strengthen with their strength. "Church-truth" he
called these staffs; and they were made after a marvellous fashion, for
they were as if many wands had been woven together to make one; and as I
looked, I could see "example," and "experience," and "discipline," and
"creeds," written upon some of these wands, which grew together into
"Church-truth."

Then I longed greatly to follow forth some of these whom I had seen under
the porch; and as I gazed, I saw the man look earnestly into the face of
a fair boy, who stood before him: he gave him the name of "Gottlieb,"
{45a} and entered it in the book, and put the staff in his hand, and
washed him with living water, and hung the vial at his side, and put the
banded staff into his hands; and, bidding him God-speed, set him out upon
his journey.

Then he looked steadily into the face of another, and it, too, was fair
to look upon; but it had not the quiet happy peace of the last. The man
wrote it down as "Irrgeist;" {45b} and I thought a shade of sadness swept
over his brow as he gave to him the King's goodly gifts.

Then he sent forth a third, whose timid eye seemed hardly firm enough for
so long a journey; and I heard the name that was given him, and it was
"Furchtsam." {45c} Close to him went another, with a firm step, and an
eye of steady gentleness; and I saw, by the King's book, that he bore the
name of "Gehulfe." {46}

So these four set out upon their journey; and I followed them to see how
they should fare. Now, I saw that at first, when they started, they were
so small that they could not read in the goodly book, neither could they
use the golden vials; and their little banded sticks would have fallen
from their hands, if they had not been small and thin, like the first
green shoots of the spring. Their lamps, too, cast no light outwardly,
yet still they made some way upon the path; and whilst I wondered how
this might be, I saw that a loving hand was stretched out of the darkness
round them, which held them up and guided them on their way.

But, anon, in a while they were grown larger; and I could see Gottlieb
walking on the first, and his book of light was open in his hand, and his
lamp burned bright, for he often refreshed it with oil, and he leant upon
his good staff, and strode along the road.

Then, as he walked on, I saw that there stood upon his path a shadowy
figure, as o