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Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21819, 23 November 1940, Page 11

* DEAREST LITTLE PEOPLE, | X To-day I am going to tell you a legend about one of Eng- X X land's oldest historical buildings—Westminster Abbey. X T Many long years ago, when London was no bigger than a X X country village, there reigned in England a king named Sebert. X X Just outside the walls of London, on the island of Thorney (so A X called from the number of thorn thickets that covered it) he built a * X church for the monks who had converted him to Christianity. X X The Sunday night before the day appointed for the ceremony X of consecration, was wild and stormy. The River Thames which J* X flowed round the island was in flood, and a poor fisherman went X X out in his boat to fish. X X He toiled patiently, but caught nothing, and was about to X X give up in despair, when he heard a voice calling from the bank * of the river. X X Rowing to the shore, he found a man in a strange dress. “If X X thou wilt row me across to the Isle of Thorney, I will give thee a X X rich reward,” said the stranger. Wondering greatly, the fisherman X X did as he was asked. <s> X “Wail here till I return,” said the stranger, and again the £ ••• fisherman obeyed. X X Rut while he waited, a wonderful thing happened. The X windows of the church were suddenly lighted with a great light; X X and, as the fisherman gazed with dazzled eyes, he saw a vision of ••• X angels ascending and. descending on a long ladder which stretched X X from heaven to earth. X X Again the stranger appeared, and around him shone a X ❖ wonderful light. X X “I am Peter,” said he, “and 1 am come to consecrate this X X church. Thou hast toiled all night, and caught nothing—now cast thy net into the waters.” X X Speechless, the fisherman obeyed, and immediately his net X X was filled with a rich haul of salmon. X X Then the Saint spoke again. “Now 1 charge thee when the ❖ X bishop comes to consecrate this church to-morrow, thou shall go X X before him with a salmon in thine hand. And thou shall tell him, X X that St. Peter, Keeper of the Keys of Heaven, hath already con- X X secrated this church and dedicated it to himself.” •> X // you were to go to the place that was once the Isle of X X Thorney you would have some difficulty in recognising it. The X X ground where once the thorn bushes grew, is now covered with X X great buildings. X X The little streams have disappeared and in their place are X X great thoroughfares full of busy traffic; on the spot where the little X X Saxon church once stood, is now a stately abbey, that lifts it tall X X grey spires against the smoke veiled sky of London. The only X X thing that has not altered is the River Thames which runs by its X walls. X X Rut in the chronicles, kept by the monks, through the. cen- X X furies that have passed, there is still the record of the old legend, X X which tells how Westminster Abbey came to be dedicated to St. X X Peter. X X Monday is the birthday of our present sovereign, His Majesty X King George VI. God grant that he may reign for many years over X X an England whose splendid people and historical buildings are no X X longer menaced by the tragedy of war. X X Happy days, and lots of love to everyone, X X X

* | FROM | YOUR OWN * $