Page:Anecdotescatechi00spiruoft.djvu/42



Virtue renders  man  fair  in  God’s  sight. A party of ladies  were  exhibiting  and  comparing  their  hands, questioning which  among  them  had  the  most  beautiful hand. They appealed  to  a gentleman  who  was sitting at  table  with  them,  to  decide  the  momentous point. He looked  at  the  hands  of  all  the  ladies in succession,  and  then  declared  himself  unable  to give  judgment. “I ought  to  ask  the  poor,  before giving preference  to  any,”  he  said. “The loveliest hand  is  the  one  which  dispenses  alms  most freely; the  most  bountiful  is  the  most  beautiful.” There is  no  real  beauty  without  virtue.

Q, What  must  we  do  to  save  our  souls?

A. To  save  our  souls,  we  must  worship  God  by  faith, hope,  and  charity; that  is,  we  must  believe  in  Him,  hope in  Him,  and  love  Him  with  all  our  hearts 

The inhabitants  of  a certain  city  in  Greece  had  — the legend  relates  — the  singular  custom  of  electing a new king  every  year,  and  not  one  of  their  fellow-countrymen,  but  a foreigner  who  was  unacquainted with their  manners  and  customs. The people  actually imagined that  it  would  be  to  their  advantage  to  have a fresh ruler  every  year. Almost all  the  kings  in turn  spent  their  year  of  rulership  in  riotous  living; but as  soon  as  the  twelve  months  were  ended,  they were seized  by  the  citizens  and  transferred  to  a barren island, where  there  was  neither  food  nor  shelter  to  be