John Ward, Preacher

mountains on horseback. The sweet June weather, the crystal freshness of the air, and the melodious st

able to turn away from the gladness of living in her presence to think of what had been, during all their engagement, an anxiety

to what was the most important thing in the whole world to him,-spiritual knowledge. He listened to what she said of her uncle's little Episcopal church in A

am was her federal head and representative, and that she, therefore, was born in sin. "I'm a sinner," she said, smiling; "we

e surprise in her calm brown eyes. "How can you think such a thi

usly; "surely we must acknowledge the righ

to me unrighteous and unjust. Truly, I can think of no greater heresy, Mr. Ward, than to deny t

s"-he began, when

The Bible was the history, and poetry, and politics of the Jews, as well as their code of ethics and their liturgy; so that

e in its verbal inspir

answered, "I

downcast eyes, he wondered what Dr. Howe's belief could be, and how it had been possible for her soul to have been so neglected. This woman,

to himself, when he knelt and prayed for her soul's salvation: she was an unbeliever; she had never come to Christ, or she would have known the truth. His duty to his people confronte

to a creed, in which he rested in complete satisfaction. It was not that he did not desire more light; it was simply that he could not conceive that there might be more light. A

home, on the death of her parents, when she was a little child. "Be a good girl, my dear," Dr. Howe would say. So she learned her catechism, and was confirmed just before she went to boarding-school, as was the custom with Ashurst young wome

old upon religion. But she did not talk about her frame of mind, nor dignify the questions which began to come by calling them do

not feel that a soul must wait for death before it was overtaken by hell. It was very simple and very short, this creed of hers; yet it was the

ssible to Mr. Ward. But at this time he knew nothing of the mental processes that were leading her out of the calm, unreasoning content of childhood into a mist of do

s sin; and sin was punishable by eternal death. Here was his escape from conscience. Should this sweet soul, that he loved more than his own, be lost? No; surely, it was a sacr

with this purpose always before him to hide a shadow, which whis

aid, looking up into his eyes; and John was so happy that every thought o

ought of asking Dr. Howe's permission to address his niece. It seemed to John as though there were only t

ou," he said, with no preface,

and beside, his letters were so full of love, there was no room for theology. But he justified silence by saying when they were in their own home he would show her the beauty of r

four square, shining windows, divided into twenty-four small panes of glass, so full of bubbles and dimples th

nd some of Dr. Samuel Hopkins' sermons, and pamphlets by Dr. Emmons, he could spare all but one or two volumes of Hod

re he used to stand absorbed in reading, or where he walked back and forth, thinking out his dar

Saturday morning after their return. "It's odd that I've nev

down his pen, and turned to look up into her face. "Perhaps you will not l

alike, don't you think? I know some of uncle Archie's almost by heart. Really

e between eternal life and eternal death should sound i

inking of the beauty of holiness." And then she added, wi

th is terrible, de

e would put this sermon away for some future Sunday, when the truth would be less of a shock to her. "She must come to the knowledge of God slowly," he

of his lurid text from Hebrews, "Ye shall be m

doctrines. John filled her mind, and she had no room for wondering about h

y garden at the back of the house. She had an armful of fresh white tea-towels, which had been put out to dry on the row of gooseberry bushes at the e

on awful su

on and

s seize the

he dyi

ss crowds of

ss makes t

h keen despa

for fierc

look in her good-natured blue eyes. The incongruity of this rosy-faced, happy girl, standing in the sunshine, with all the scents and sounds of a July day about h

irl, plainly hurt at the reproof, "I

ossoms, upon her well-scoured dresser, and then turned and looked at her mistress

sing that in church?" cri

till injured Alfaretta,-"to Mr. Ward's

remonstrated Helen. "I'm sure Mr

ll like tha

such awful words were written." Then she stopped abruptly, feeling her

which gave her a certain ease in speaking to her m

" said Alfaretta, rather relieved, sin

is the words. Don't you s

"I hadn't ever thought of 'em," she said. "Yes, ma'am. I suppose they are awful bad," and

and dreadfu

the fier

bominable

s Tom Davis: he drinks most of the time, but he has sung once or twice in the choir (though he ain't been ever converted yet, and he is really terrible wicked; don't do nothin' but swear and

he scratching of her husband's pen. She turned away, for she had lived in a minister's household, and had been br

d, standing at the foot of the stairs, his pen

you," she answered, smilin

t me. Come into the study

y," Helen said. "Of course there is some mistake about it, but Alfaretta

mber what it

ered, "but it began something

en he added, slowly, "Why

tonishment. "Why, it's

oments, and then he sighed:

such things, but I had no idea anybody thought of hell in that literal way to-day, or that hell itself was a

s it always has been and must be; and it is believed by C

oh, John, what sublime faith, to be able to believe God ca

city of assurance. But when he went back again to his sermon, he was convinced that he had been wise to

blaze of truth at once would blind her to the perfection of jus

Welcome, sweet day of rest," which, after