DANTE
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The Vision of Dante
A STORY FOR LITTLE CHILDREN AND A TALK TO
THEIR MOTHERS
BY
ELIZABETH HARRISON
SECOND EDITION
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ILLUSTRATED BY WALTER CRANE
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PUBLISHED BY THE CHICAGO KINDERGARTEN COLLEGE
ART INSTITUTE BUILDING, CHICAGO, ILL.
1894
COPYRIGHTED
By ELIZABETH HARRISON
1892
The Lakeside Press
R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS CO., CHICAGO
PREFACE.
Is not the reason why the Divine Comedy is called a “world poem” to befound in these significant facts: it portrays the sudden awakening of ahuman soul to the consciousness of having gone astray; it shows theloathsome nature of sin; it pictures the struggle necessary to be freedfrom sin; it emphasizes that God is ready to help as soon as the soul isready to be helped; and at last it declares that the Vision of God willcome to the soul which perseveres in the struggle? These are theessential truths which make the great poem of Dante one of themasterpieces of the world of art. May not it—as well as all other trulygreat things—be given to little children in a simple way?
THE VISION OF DANTE.
WANT to tell a wonderful story to you, dear children. It has been toldover and over again for six hundred years, yet people keep reading it,and re-reading it, and wise men never tire of studying it. Many greatartists have painted pictures, and sculptors have made statues, andmusicians have composed operas, and clergymen have written sermons fromthoughts inspired by it. A great poet first gave it to the world in theform of a grand poem which some day you may read, but I will try to tellit to you to-day as a short story. I am afraid that you would go tosleep if I should undertake to read the poem to you. You do not yet knowenough about life to understand it.
Once upon a time, very long ago, there was a man whose name was Dante.He had done wrong and had wandered a long way from his home. He does nottell us how or why. He begins by saying that he had gone to sleep in agreat forest. Suddenly he awoke, and tried to find his way out of it,first by one path and then another; but all in vain.
Through an opening where the tall trees had not grown quite so thick, hesaw in the distance a great mountain, on the top of which the sun wasshining brightly. “Ah!” thought he to himself, “if I can but reach thetop of that mountain I am sure I can see a long way in every direction.No woods can grow tall enough to keep me from finding my path then!” Sowith fine courage he started toward the mountain, but he had not walkedfar when a beautiful, spotted panther stood with glaring eyes in hispathway. He trembled, for he knew that going forward meant that he wouldbe destroyed. He turned hastily aside into another path, but he had goneonly a