subject of a story with a moral, contained
in Schneller, p. 6.

LIV. ST. PETER AND HIS SISTERS.

St. Peter had two sisters--one large, the other small. The little one
entered a convent and became a nun. St. Peter was delighted at this and
tried to persuade his big sister to become a nun also. She would not
listen to him, however, and said: "I would rather marry." After St.
Peter had suffered martyrdom, he became, as is well known, Porter of
Heaven. One day the Lord said to him: "Peter, open the gate of heaven
to-day as wide as you can, and get out all the heavenly ornaments and
decorations, for to-day a very deserving soul is going to arrive here."
St. Peter did as he was told with great joy, and thought: "Certainly my
little sister is dead, and is coming to heaven to-day." When everything
was ready, there came the soul of ---- his big sister, who had died and
left many children, who bitterly lamented her loss. The Lord gave her an
exalted place in heaven, much to the astonishment of St. Peter, who
thought: "I never should have imagined this; what shall I have to do
when the soul of my little sister comes?"

Not long after, the Lord said to him: "Peter, open the gate of heaven
to-day a little way, but a very little,--do you hear?" St. Peter did so
and wondered: "Who is coming to-day?" Then came the soul of his little
sister, and had so much trouble to squeeze through the gate that she
hurt herself; and she received a much lower place in heaven than the big
sister. At first St. Peter was amazed; afterwards he said: "It has
happened differently from what I imagined; but I see now that every
profession has its merits, and every one, if he only wishes, can enter
heaven."

* * * * *

The cycle of stories referring to our Lord would not be complete without
legends of Pilate, Judas, and the Wandering Jew. A powerful story is
told of the first in Pitre, No. 119, which is as follows:

LV. PILATE.

It is said that the following once took place at Rome: A wagon loaded
with stones was crossing a solitary spot in the country when one of the
wheels sank into the ground and it was impossible to extricate it for
some time. Finally they got it out, but there remained a large hole that
opened into a dark room under ground. "Who wishes to descend into this
hole?" "I," said the carter. They soon procured a rope and lowered the
carter into the dark room. We will suppose that this carter's name was