WHEN SOUL HELPS FLESH 63 



centuries from that strange age of riotous living and the 

 making of saints than the sermon of St. Francis to the 

 winged creatures that came to the convent gate. 



Here under the trees, with the robins overhead making 

 melody, the thrush calling from the shrubbery, the twit- 

 ter of the nestlings of wrens sounding like distant flutes, 

 may we read in the old book that, as the saint had 

 admonished them and lifted his hand in blessing, "those 

 birds began all of them to open their beaks, and stretch 

 their necks, and spread their wings, and reverently bend 

 their heads down to the ground, and by their acts and by 

 their songs to show that the holy Father gave them joy 

 exceeding great. And S. Francis rejoiced with them, and 

 was glad, and marveled much at so great a company of 

 birds and their most beautiful diversity and their good 

 heed and sweet friendliness, for the which cause he de- 

 voutly praised their Creator in them. 



"At the last, having ended the preaching, S. Francis 

 made over them the sign of the cross, and gave them leave 

 to go away; and thereby all the birds with wondrous sing- 

 ing rose up in the air ; and then, in the fashion of the cross 

 that S. Francis had made over them, divided themselves 

 into four parts ; and the one part flew toward the East and 

 the other toward the West, and the other toward the 

 South and the fourth toward the North, and each flight 

 went on its way singing wondrous songs." 



There is room for me and for thee, bird neighbor, 



