Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

DRYTHELM'S STORY. 79
Bede's third supernatural feature is characterised
by his account of the man who came back from the
dead, and was allowed to remember what he had
seen in the
*
other world. He was a married man
in Northumbria, who was leading a virtuous life
with all his household. He fell sick, and growing
rapidly worse, expired one evening in the first hours
of the night. At dawn the dead man sat up and
began to speak. The wratchers by his bedside all
fled in terror except his wife. Her love, which was
stronger than death, kept her pale and trembling at
her post.
"Do not fear," he said to her, "for I am really
raised from the dead and allowed to live once more
*
amongst men. My life will no " longer be what it
was, but something very different." He proceeded
at once to carry out his intentions. After spending
some time in prayer, he divided all his substance
into three portions : one for his wife, one for his
children, and one for himself. He distributed his
own portion to the poor, and obeying what seems
to have been an irresistible call to the higher life,
left his wife and children to become a monk at
Mailros. Previously he had been a good man, but
now he embraced holiness with all his soul, and
began to practise the austerities of the saints. One
of his penances, a favourite one in those days, was
to stand in frozen water up to his neck. His answer
was invariably the same when those about him expressed
wonder at his being able to bear cold so