he great cathedral was destroyed. But
it stands to-day, majestic, regal, and beautiful, its spire piercing
the sky.

[Illustration: PLATFORM OF STRASBURG CATHEDRAL.]

"We visited the cathedral in the afternoon. We were at once filled
with wonder at the windows. They burned with color, and seemed to hang
in air amid the shadows of the lofty walls. They represented
scriptural subjects.

"I was standing in awe, gazing upon a gorgeous circular window that
seemed to blaze in the air like a planet, when Charlie touched my arm.

"'The clock?'

"'What?'

"'Can we not go up and see the fixings, and how it is all done?'

"'I am not thinking of that _toy_,' said I; 'you stand in a monument
of art that it has taken a thousand years to build.'

"'Yes; I hope we shall be here to-morrow when the Twelve Apostles come
out and the cock crows _at_ Peter.'"

A MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS.

The soldiers of Aurelian, the Roman emperor, used to sing,--

"We have slain a thousand Franks."

* * * * *

"We have cut off the heads of a thousand, thousand, thousand,
thousand.
One man hath cut off the heads of a thousand, thousand, thousand,
thousand, thousand;
May he live a thousand years."

The Franks came out of the North, and established themselves in Gaul
and Germania during the period of the early Roman emperors. Their
most renowned king was Clovis, with whom began the empire of France.
He was a savage and passionate man, born to command and to conquer.
He was a heathen. It is related of him that once, when he had
enriched himself with spoils from some of the early Christian
churches, the Bishop of Rheims desired that he would return a valued
vase that had been taken from the cathedral.

"Follow us to Soissons," said Clovis; "there the booty will be
divided."

In the division of the booty, a high-spirited and selfish Frankish
chieftain objected to the bishop's claim, and, to show his contempt
for him and the Church, struck the vase with his battle-axe. Clovis
was offended. He gave the bishop the vase, and soon after avenged
the insult by striking the chieftain dead with his own battle-axe,
saying,--

"Thus didst thou to the vase at Soissons."

His wife, Clotilde, was a Christian, and she often tried to persuade
him to embrace the Christian faith.

In 496 the Allemannians, a German confederation, who had been
assailing the