e of all the
gods, to the Virgin and all the saints and martyrs. Pope Gregory
III dedicated a chapel in St. Peter's to the same, and that day was
made compulsory in 835 by Pope Gregory IV, as All Saints'. The day
was changed from May to November so that the crowds that thronged
to Rome for the services might be fed from the harvest bounty. It
is celebrated with a special service in the Greek and Roman
churches and by Episcopalians.

In the tenth century St. Odilo, Bishop of Cluny, instituted a day
of prayer and special masses for the souls of the dead. He had been
told that a hermit dwelling near a cave

"heard the voices and howlings of devils, which complained
strongly because that the souls of them that were dead were taken
away from their hands by alms and by prayers."

DE VORAGINE: _Golden Legend._

This day became All Souls', and was set for November 2d.

It is very appropriate that the Celtic festival when the spirits of
the dead and the supernatural powers held a carnival of triumph
over the god of light, should be followed by All Saints' and All
Souls'. The church holy-days were celebrated by bonfires to light
souls through Purgatory to Paradise, as they had lighted the sun to
his death on Samhain. On both occasions there were prayers: the
pagan petitions to the lord of death for a pleasant dwelling-place
for the souls of departed friends; and the Christian for their
speedy deliverance from torture. They have in common the
celebrating of death: the one, of the sun; the other, of mortals:
of harvest: the one, of crops; the other, of sacred memories. They
are kept by revelry and joy: first, to cheer men and make them
forget the malign influences abroad; second, because as the saints
in heaven rejoice over one repentant sinner, we should rejoice over
those who, after struggles and sufferings past, have entered into
everlasting glory.

"Mother, my Mother, Mother-Country,
Yet were the fields in bud.
And the harvest,--when shall it rise again
Up through the fire and flood?

* * * * *

"Mother, my Mother, Mother-Country,
Was it not all to save
Harvest of bread?--Harvest of men?
And the bright years, wave on wave?

_"Search not, search not, my way-worn;
Search neither weald nor wave.
One is their heavy reaping-time
To the earth, that is one wide grave."_