No More Learning

But the same answer came from one
and all: 'We believe only what you have taught us,' for his doctrines
had spread far and wide through the county.

Then he grew half mad with fear, for the hours were passing. And he
flung himself down on the ground in a lonesome spot, and wept and
groaned in terror, for the time was coming fast when he must die.

Just then a little child came by.

'God save you kindly,' said the child to him.

The priest started up.

'Child, do you believe in God? ' he asked.

'I have come from a far country to learn about Him,' said the child.
'Will your honour direct me to the best school that they have in these
parts? '

'The best school and the best teacher is close by,' said the priest,
and he named himself.

'Oh, not to that man,' answered the child, 'for I am told he denies God
and Heaven and Hell, and even that man has a soul, because we can't see
it; but I would soon put him down. '

The priest looked at him earnestly. 'How? ' he inquired.
'Why,' said the child, 'I would ask him if he believed he had life to
show me his life. '

'But he could not do that, my child,' said the priest. 'Life cannot be
seen; we have it, but it is invisible. '

'Then, if we have life, though we cannot see it, we may also have a
soul, though it is invisible,' answered the child.

When the priest heard him speak these words he fell down on his knees
before him, weeping for joy, for now he knew his soul was safe; he had
met at last one that believed. And he told the child his whole story:
all his wickedness, and pride, and blasphemy against the great God; and
how the angel had come to him and told him of the only way in which he
could be saved, through the faith and prayers of some one that believed.

'Now, then,' he said to the child, 'take this penknife and strike it
into my breast, and go on stabbing the flesh until you see the paleness
of death on my face. Then watch--for a living thing will soar up from
my body as I die, and you will then know that my soul has ascended to
the presence of God. And when you see this thing, make haste and run
to my school and call on all my scholars to come and see that the soul
of their master has left the body, and that all he taught them was a
lie, for that there is a God who punishes sin, and a Heaven and a Hell,
and that man has an immortal soul, destined for eternal happiness or
misery. '

'I will pray,' said the child, 'to have courage to do this work. '

And he kneeled down and prayed. Then when he rose up he took the
penknife and struck it into the priest's heart, and struck and
struck again till all the flesh was lacerated; but still the priest
lived, though the agony was horrible, for he could not die until the
twenty-four hours had expired. At last the agony seemed to cease, and
the stillness of death settled on his face. Then the child, who was
watching, saw a beautiful living creature, with four snow-white wings,
mount from the dead man's body into the air and go fluttering round his
head.

So he ran to bring the scholars; and when they saw it they all knew
it was the soul of their master, and they watched with wonder and awe
until it passed from sight into the clouds.

And this was the first butterfly that was ever seen in Ireland; and now
all men know that the butterflies are the souls of the dead waiting for
the moment when they may enter Purgatory, and so pass through torture
to purification and peace.