V. THE DREAM OF SYLVESTER 



% WHEN the learned and saintly Sylvester 

 not the famous monk of KiefT, whose name 

 is recorded in history, but a distant and much 

 younger cousin of the same name, who had 

 dedicated many years of a long life to the 

 service of the poor and the distressed amongst 

 whom it was his pleasure to live when, as I 

 say, Sylvester, broken with toil and w r orn out 

 with sickness, lay a-dying, he had a dream 

 which is thus related in the ancient chronicles : 

 ^fe It seemed to Sylvester that he was drawing 

 near to the end of a journey. As he turned 

 his head he could see the dark and gloomy 

 mountain region through which he had passed. 

 The crags, he remembered, had been hard to 

 climb ; the paths, winding along the edges of 

 terrific precipices, were slippery and narrow, 

 and, footsore and weary though he was, he 

 thanked God humbly for keeping him safe 

 and sound in the midst of these manifold dan- 

 gers. The road on which he was now walk- 

 49 % ing 



