The Gavelyte, December 1912

l'El.JA.R\ lLLE COLLEGE 11 on the left her Gregor. grandson, Prince "Hail, y,e sons of the forest! A stranger claims the v armtb of yu c11 Gregor was a handsome youth, just returned from high c:chool. It was bis turn to read this evening, and the passage was from Ephesians, where St. Paul describes the preparation of fire in the winter night." Every one of that throng were clothed 'in white and t'he flames cast a faint tinge of blood on all. Humad, the old p,.·est the Christian as the arming of a war- and inquired who tbey wer r Erm rior for glorious battle. His manner whence they had come and what they of reading was excellent and when wanted. finished Winfri€d asked if he under- Winfried made an,swer: "Your kins– stood what he read. Of course he man am I, from En'!'land. come to knew well €Very word in it, but of the bring a mes"ae-e from the AE-Father, spiritual meaning he knew litt1e, so wbose servant I am." Winfried willingly explained. The Humad bade them welrom~ and to boy bad expres· ed his desire for fight- be s,ilent, explaining that tb;s ni,e-ht ing. Then ViTinfr,ied explained how tney must appease the war ?;Od '1'bor, the whole of the Christian's life was by feeding the roots of his holy tree a combat and conc1uded by an ur- with blood. Thc-n arose a chant to gent invitation to join wHh him in Thor, 'in which tbe voi,ces of the men his conquests for the Lord. and women b:ended 'like the shrill After overcoming the remonstrances wind in the pine tre",S abov 0 tbe of his grandmother Gregor accepts. rumbling t hund ·r of a water~alI. rof'e Just two years after thi,s incident and fell in rude cadencE's. a band, headed by Winfried and his W·ben they had ended Humad comrade, Gregor, are marching spoke: "None of these things w;ll through snow in the forest. It is please the god. Thor claims your bitter cold, the snow is banked high dearest and your noble·t gi t." Where– and darkness has settled over all. upon be moved to a crowd of cb.il- Gregor proposed resting for the dren, and laid his hand on tbe s·hould– night, but VVinfried urges th em on, Pr of a 1'lithe, brown-eyed boy, the son saying there is much to be done that of Gundhar, the chieftain, and askPd, night. After some di.stance they came "Bernhard, wilt thou go to ra J .all a, to a huge oak. Here Winfried lifted to bear a messa~e to Thor?" The his heavy staff and cried: "Here, boy answered, "Yes, if father bids here i,s the thunder-oak; and here the me." Cross of Christ shall break the ham- Gundhar leaned on bis spear till mer of the false god Thor. the wood cracked; bis wife, Inna, An imm'ense fire had been kindled dragged -at the ,silver chain about her under the oak. Around it wac: a neck until the rough 1,ink,s pierced f'C: mi-circl t of people. One of the for- her flesh, and the red drops fell on el'tPrs evplained that the worshippers her bosom and a sigh pas~ed through or tie godR llad gathered there to the crowd like the murmur of the f:la< J'i fir•c, a steed to the god of war forest before the storm breaks. Hu– tli " 1 hP migU lie app ., ased. \VinfriPd approached and shouted mad spoke: "In darkness thou must