ng preserved the life
of the youth they all loved.

"Thou hast yet great things for him to do on earth ere it come to
his turn to rest," he murmured. "To Thee be all the glory."

Then he returned and gave the young novice his communion. Martin
received it, and said, "I have found Him whom my soul loveth. I
will hold Him and will not let Him go."

From that time the patient was able to take solid nourishment, and
grew rapidly better, until at last he could leave his room and sit
in the sunny cloisters:

Restored to life, and power, and thought.

And one day he sat there, dreamily watching old Father Thames, as
he murmured and bubbled along, outside the stone boundary.

"Onward till he lose himself in the ocean, so do flow our lives
till they merge into eternity," said the prior. "Now with impetuous
flow, now in gentler ripple, but ever onward as God hath ordained;
so may our souls, when the work of life is accomplished, lose
themselves in God."

Martin moved his lips in silent acquiescence.

It was intense, the enjoyment of that sweet spring day, a day when
all the birds seemed singing songs of gladness, and the air was
balmy beyond description. Life seemed worth living.

"My son, when thou art better thou must travel for change of air."

"Whither?" said Martin.

"Where wouldst thou like to go?"

"Oh, may I go to my kindred and teach them the holy truths of the
Gospel?"

"Thou shalt. Brother Ginepro shall go with thee, and ere thou
startest thou shalt be admitted to the privileges and duties of the
second order, and be Brother Martin."

"And when shall I be ordained?"

"That may not be, yet. Thou art not twenty years of age. Thou mayst
win many souls to Christ while a lay brother, as did Francis
himself, our great master. He did not seek the priesthood also, too
great a burden for a humble soul like his, and certes, if men
understood what a priest is and what he should be, there would be
fewer but perchance holier priests than there are now."

The reader must remember that nearly all the friars were laymen;
lay preachers, as we would say; preaching was not then considered a
special clerical function.

Martin could not speak for joy, but soon tears were seen to start
down his cheeks.

"I was thinking of my poor mother. Oh, that she had lived to see
this day," he exclaimed, as he saw the prior observe his emotion.

The reader will remember that news of her death had reached Martin
soon after his