. "Why are you ringing the church bells?" "Because my
mother is dead." "When did she die?" "Only now." "If you stop ringing
the bells she shall have a fine funeral and you shall live with me
and be as my son," said the priest. "Very well, sir, if you will let
me stay in the church all I wish." To this the priest assented. The
dead woman was buried with all the pomp of music, candles, and bells,
and the boy went to live in the convent. Always after his school was
done he would be in the church. The father did everything that was
possible for him, for he knew that he was not a natural child.

After a time the padre sent for him to get his dinner, but he would
not leave the church, so the priest had a good dinner cooked and
sent it down to the church, but he told the sacristan to watch the
church and see what happened. The sacristan watched and soon saw the
statue of Jesus eating with the boy. This he told the padre, and the
child's dinner was always sent to the church after that. One day not
long after he went to the priest and said, "Master, my friend down at
the church wants me to go away with him." "Where are you going?" "My
friend wants me to go to heaven with him."

The priest consented and the little boy and the Lord Jesus went
away together. As they walked the little boy saw that two roads ran
along together, one thorny and the other smooth. Asked the boy of
his companion, "Friend, why is this road where we walk so thorny,
and that other yonder so smooth?" Said the Lord, "Hush, child, it
is not fitting to disturb the peace of this place, but I will tell
you. This is the path of the sinless and is thorny, but that smooth
way yonder is the way of the sinners and never reaches heaven."

Again they came to a great house filled with young men and women who
were all working hammering iron. Said the little boy, "Who are those
who labor with the hammer?" "Hush, child, they are the souls of those
who died unmarried."

They journeyed on, and on one side were bush pastures filled with poor
cattle while on the opposite side of the road were pastures dry and
bare where the cattle were very fat. The child inquired the meaning
of the mystery. The Lord answered him, "Hush, child! These lean cattle
in the rich pastures are the souls of sinners, while those fat cattle
on dry and sunburnt ground are the souls of sinless ones."

After a while they crossed a river, one part of which was ruby red and
the other spotless white. "Frie