The Fallen Leaves

an expression of surprise, which did not escape the

m," was the answer, given with a

rt of man is he? Do you think he will be prejudiced

nd Tadmor before I can answer your question. Suppose you t

le boy, Mr. Hethco

mories. Is there any objection to yo

while I was at school, my mother died. I was sent for, to follow her funeral with my father. When we got back, and were alone together, he took me on his knee and kissed me. 'Which will you do, Amelius,' he said; 'stay in England with your uncle and aunt? or come with me all the way to America, and never go back to England again? Take time to think of it.' I wanted no time to think of it; I said, 'Go with you, papa.' He frightened me by bursting out crying; it was the first time I had ever

in Mr. Hethcote's smile. "And how did you get on with this benevolent gentleman

e waited till we were in sight of the American land - and then he pr

repeated. "Very little re

n that I think I can remember every word of it now. 'My dear little boy, the Christian religion, as Christ taught it, has long ceased to be the religion of the Christian world. A selfish and cruel Pretence is set up in its place. Your own father is one example of the truth of this saying of mine. He has fulfilled the first and foremost duty of a true Christian - the duty of forgiving an injury. For this, he stands disgraced in the est

appearance again. "A barren sort of p

ill, the buildings of the Community, some of brick and some of wood, so covered with creepers and so encircled with verandahs that I can't tell you to this day what style of architecture they were built in. More trees behind the houses - and, on the other

the people who live in this earthly Paradis

cord and thrashing their own backs. Saints! They all ran out together to bid us welcome like a lot of school-children; the first thing they did was to kiss us, and the next thing was to give us a mug of wine of their own making. Saints! Oh, Mr. Hethcote, what wil

u have discovered me," he said, "travelling in a coloured crav

table, and join in our amusements, and get as pleasant and friendly with us as can be. The time comes to say goodbye - and then we find them out. If a guest who has been laughing and enjoying himself all day, suddenly becomes serious when he takes his leave, and shows that little lurking devil

ou're the queerest fellow I have m

r, and what it looks like, and what sort of people live in the place. If I am to get on beyo

and wh

, some of the Rules

ry

hirdly, because there is plain internal evidence (to say nothing of discoveries actually made in the present day) of interpolations and corruptions, introduced into the manuscript copies as they succeeded each other in ancient times. These drawbacks are of no importance, however, in our estimation. We find, in the spirit of the book, the most simple and most perfect system of religion and morality that humanity has ever received - and with that we are content. To reverence God; and to love our neighbour as ourselves: if we had only those two commandments to guide us, we should have enough. The whole collection of Doctrines (as they are called) we reject at once, without even stopping to discuss them. We apply to them the test suggested by Christ himself: by thei

ope - the Community is infallible. We won't dwell on that. You have stated your principles

e comfort, and have their equal share in the same profits - deducting the sum in reverse for sudden calls and bad times. If they leave us, the man who has brought money with him has his undisputed right to take it away again; and the man who has brought none bids us good-bye, all the richer for his equal share in the profits which he has personally earned. The only fuss at our place about money that I can remember was the fuss about my five hundred a year. I wanted to hand it over to the fund. It was my own, mind - inhe

hout a moment's hesitation

one, Sir, he goes b

n from behind. Amelius and Mr. Hethcote, looking round, discovered a long, lean, grave stranger - with his fac

nd my home is at Coolspring, Mass. You do not bet? I express my regret, and have the pleasure of taking a seat alongside of you. What is your name, Sir? Hethcote? We have one of that name at Coolspring. He is much

Amelius

art) reminds one unexpectedly of The Pilgrim's Progress-

"By reputation?" he said

d the withdrawal of Miss Mellicent from your Community has produced a species of social commotion at Coolspring. Among our ladies, the tone of sentiment, Sir, is univer

no such thing as keeping a secret in America," he said, irritably. "Some spy must have got among us; none of our people would have exposed the

r argument hits me, notwithstanding - hits me hard, I tell you." He looked at Mr. Hethcote, who sat silently and stiffly disapproving of all this familiarity, and applied himself in perfect innocence and good faith to making things pleasant in that quarter. "You are a stranger, Sir," said Rufus;

s interposed in his own headlong way. "

t myself, sir; but that don't prevent me from admiring heat in others. Short of boiling point - mind

mself a little haughtily. "I beg you will both of you understand that I de

was reading the newspaper extract, and placid Rufus was watching him. In another moment, he crumpled u

all find the English papers have copied it, when we get to Liverpool. If you will take my

d indignantly. "It's the poor woman I am think

ulated through the ship, announcing a lecture on the subject (weather permittin

resumed, "that this unfortunate affair is an example of some of the Rules of our Community, which I had not had time to speak of, when Mr. Dingwell here joined us. It will be a relief to me to contradict these abominable false

jocosely described in the newspaper heading as "Miss Me