could make you see that
glorious vision as Dante then beheld it. Your own little hearts must be
freed from all wrong thoughts, from all evil motives, from all selfish
desires, must be filled with a love of others, and with generous
willingness to do for others, and then may come to you, too, some day,
this Great Vision that came to Dante.
And you will then learn that God is with you all the time, but only the
pure in heart can see Him.
STORIES OF HEROES.
_HOW LITTLE CEDRIC BECAME A KNIGHT._
A long time ago there lived a little boy whose name was Cedric. At the
foot of a high hill, on the top of which stood a grand old castle, was
the stone hut in which he lived. The little boy had many a time watched
the strong, iron gate rise slowly from the ground, as out of the
courtyard of the castle would ride Sir Rollin DuBois and his faithful
soldiers. There were sometimes two, or three visiting knights and their
followers and they were a gay sight as the sun shone on their glittering
armor of steel and glanced from their bright helmets. They looked so
strong and resolute as they sat, calm and erect, in their saddles. A
glance into their fine faces would have assured you that they were noble
and brave and could be trusted by everybody, from the King to the
poorest peasant in the land. Their very horses seemed proud to carry
them as they galloped along. Little Cedric thought there never was
anything more beautiful than these knights as they came down the hill
on some quest of adventure, or errand of mercy.
One day Cedric had been playing with his pet kitten. After a good romp
with her, he had thrown himself down on the soft green grass to rest,
and the queer little kitten had gone out into the middle of the dusty
road and curled herself up for a nice nap. Suddenly Cedric looked up,
and saw five knights with all their squires and pages galloping down the
road! In a moment more his eye fell upon the kitten lying fast asleep in
the middle of the highway. Fearing that the horsemen would not see her,
he sprang to his feet, ran quickly forward and gathered the soft little
thing up in his arms, just in time to save it from the horses' feet.
As the riders passed, one of the tall knights slackened his horse and
smiling down upon Cedric said, "My little fellow, you are almost brave
enough to be a knight some day." He then galloped on to join his party
and soon the yellow dust which they had raised from the ground,
|