w what was
revealed unto babes. But no man ever knew why for the rest of his days
(for he died as a porter) Cerda slept only in his chair, and never lay
down upon his bed; or why, before he closed the little gate, he always
knelt for a moment to pray where the feet of the child had stood upon
the brink of the moat.

LINUS

In the old days there was a rich city of Asia, Cibyra by name, a
prosperous place of wealthy merchants, full of large stone houses,
with towers to catch the breeze, cloisters full of shadow and
coolness, looking upon garden-closes set with little branching trees,
very musical with clear fountains. The land was not yet wholly
Christian, but persecution had long ceased, and those in high places
called themselves by the Saviour's name; but still there were many who
were heathen in all but name, and did not follow the Way, but spoke or
thought of the faith as a heavy burden bound on the backs of men. And
there was much wickedness in such cities as Cibyra, men and women
following the desires of their hearts, and only when sick or tired, or
sometimes ashamed, looking fearfully to judgment.

In Cibyra lived a young man called Linus; he was an orphan; his
father had been a Greek merchant, struck down in youth by a mysterious
disease, already a dying man when his little son was born; he had
named him Linus, thinking in his heart of an old sad song, sung by
reapers, about a young shepherd who had to suffer death, and had been
unwilling to leave the beautiful free life, the woods and hills that
he loved. And his mother had approved the name, partly to please the
dying man, and partly because the name had been borne by holy men;
soon afterwards she, too, had died, leaving her son to the care of her
brother, a strict and stern Christian, but with a loving heart; so
that Linus had been brought up in simple and faithful ways; and the
only thing that had given anxious thoughts to his uncle was that the
child's great inheritance had become yearly greater, many streets and
houses having been built on the land which belonged to him. But the
boy was simple and pure, very docile and dutiful, apt to learn, loving
beauty in all things, fond of manly exercise, hating riot and evil
talk, generous and noble in body and mind.

Now just when Linus came of age, his uncle had fallen sick and found
himself near his end; he had accustomed Linus to the knowledge of his
riches, and had made h