d finding himself a little lonely on that
new landscape, he cast about for some object of comparison. Thus his
mind was led to the richest of all near-by objects.

"If I were worth a hundred million," he said, with a satisfied twinkle
in his eyes, "I would be as rich as the cathedral."

A significant silence followed. The man broke it with a grave surprised
inquiry:

"How did you happen to think of the cathedral?"

"I didn't happen to think of it; I couldn't help thinking of it."

"Have you ever been in the cathedral?" inquired the man more gravely
still.

"Been in it! We go there all the time. It's our church. Why, good Lord!
Mister, we are descended from a bishop!"

The man laughed outright long and heartily.

"Thank you for telling me," he said as one who suddenly feels himself to
have become a very small object through being in the neighborhood of
such hereditary beatitudes and ecclesiastical sanctities. "Are you,
indeed? I am glad to know. Indeed, I am!"

"Why, Mister, we have been watching the cathedral from our windows for
years. We can see the workmen away up in the air as they finish one
part and then another part. I can count the Apostles on the roof. You
begin with James the Less and keep straight on around until you come out
at Simon. Big Jim and Pete are in the middle of the row." He laughed.

"Surely you are not going to speak of an apostle as Pete! Do you think
that is showing proper respect to an apostle?"

"But he was Pete when he was little. He wasn't an apostle then and
didn't have any respect."

"And you mustn't call an apostle Big Jim! It sounds dreadful!"

"Then why did he try to call himself James the Greater? That sounds
dreadful too. As far as size is concerned he is no bigger than the
others: they are all nine and a half feet. The Archangel Gabriel on the
roof, he's nine and a half. Everybody standing around on the outside of
the roof is nine and a half. If Gabriel had been turned a little to one
side, he would blow his trumpet straight over our flat. He didn't blow
anywhere one night, for a big wind came up behind him and blew him down
and he blew his trumpet at the gutter. But he didn't stay down," boasted
the lad.

Throughout his talk he was making it clear that the cathedral was a
neighborhood affair; that its haps and mishaps possessed for him the
flesh and blood interest of a living person. Love takes mental
possession of its object and by virtue of his affection the cath