A id x v hi bcliive it is as cruel as burning him up
n a railway « reck, or — "
"Perhaps the moment of falling, when you shook
him off your .skirt was ages long ;■' his experience of
time. Perhaps the instant that the shadow of your
fool hung over him was lifelong "
"Oh, perhaps, and [x-rhaps il is all perhapses!"
"Well, it isn't 'perhaps' thai it is an al«urdity
for us with our finii ■ ! " attempt to measure
the purix>ses of an infinite intelligence."
"But that is an empty shiblioleth- finite and
infinite."
"Say great beyond conception then. The Maker
of the universe must have been that. And it seems
to me that if we can'l tell Ihe reason for the suffering
we see. it is only rational, in view "t" the innumerable
blessings ive see, to take it for granted thai then- is a
reason, and a « ISC oni
•■There may U- a reason for death Ii puts an end
to things," said Mrs. Flanders, pulling t" pieces the
r <se that had been in a fold of her lace; "bui tell me,
it you can, the reason for all thi> sin -i'<>\ evil."
1 oh. I can't. No one can I ran only say thai
death is so universal that it can't l>e regarded i>y the
great Dispenser as an evil; and thai pain and suffering
ma) be such concentrated purification as to !>e most
merciful and full ■>! love; >\t>\ thai even sin may
be .. casting off "t the old serpent', -kin "
'•That's all so fan iful. We can't govern our Ii es
liry stories. I■■ ■• in pain and stiffening? As it I
would hurt my • instance 1 "
■ \'.,u v ould, i in order to be oi sen i> c
t" him
"I would have ted I ty of being
i< ■■ it [had '
■■ And so have mi ■ ■ -d om reatest jitysof life."
"Dear me, it's past midnight 1 mi keeping you
1 A ■ : to talk 1
prejudiced. I i i I a partii le
And it all am »vi For if
. ■ | ■ •.• \ ! 1 :-;ale\ o
lent; and if He
If I did not ki I t H ijjhi yin l'-ve
I ; ■ . I hear you
i ■ : this moment,
H . ■ t I thing, Mary
: is I an
Be , •. • 1 ■ all about
me. Il '
ii .v it :"i' eption."
Isn't it Am 1i • • There is a
; f the id Baron d'Holbach
Well, (V •■! di»ln I gi • me, any
in H v •■ fIH ial sense. It
. • . | tart ial ■■ : H
1 1 if you st : i/ing God,
it i« ized your o jht instead,
_\- »ii'd In i happiei ;■ • n
"And ■ >uld you I ■:;.,. • \ ■■. ■! ik< to say
"\,i Bul 1 l<i ■ :i\ v m ■ : ; !■> unsettle
;:. \ belief in •ha ' foil when
you ha tter 1
"Then I' '!"■■■ unsettle your lielief? ' she asked,
laughing
'Not an atom I don't believe I hold your hand
at this moment, th >ugh ! close my eves I know I do.
oh. yes, when you i m make one single blade of grass
gi . • v'ou may h.i ■• the right t,> question as you do
ti. ■ ].•,■■■■, • .. ■.■. ■ the whole earth in living green.
Although I don't thii k v »v wo ■. then."
"Making gra^s grow isn't my husiii
"The rebellious live in a dry land, Helen."
•Hark' Hark' Mary! That's Paul. Oh. oh. did you
he.v him till' He's come hutnc — nut himself again!"
" The poor, p 1 >"i" I'- »y! "
"Oh, my heart, what will become of him' If you
hadn't seer, him 1 never would peak „| it He is mv
idol. He i^ his father over again 1 have reasoned
with him, l>egged him, promised him It's all no
use' You see? "
■ Is there ii.. thin.; else t*. do?"
'•Tell me! Tell me, if there is. I will do it!" and
she wrung her white hands.
"Helen, you might pray for help "
"You are mo, king me' To what- To whom?
Is a shadow — "
"Assume that it i> there It will cease to lie a
shadow. It will In, .inie real."
"Mary Bruce, did you ever have an answer to any
prayer? "
"Often. I have thought. And when I did nut
have the thing I asked, I had help t.. do without it.
something sweeter always than the thing I asked.
Helen, dear, let rea >ning go to the winds Only feel!
Just as you love this l>oy, l»elieve that »"•■•<! loves you.
You are wandering as far away as the hoy is Don't
think any more of the evils you see. Think oi blessings.
Think of the loveliness of the world, think of your
health, your home, your intellect, "f this splendid
boy that was given you — "
"Given me to see him ruin himself!"
"I don't believe it That would be mon trous
SUNDAY MAGAZINE for SEPTEMBER 25, 1904
You have tried your way, dear, now try mine. You
presently will l>e so sure of a great, sweet, listening,
helping power thai you will leel a protecting arm,
everywhere a divine imminence. You will love
it. it will comfori you. And it -••ill make no differ
ence what name you use. You will feel the strength
friend, a father, upholding you. of the Lord of
Jove and life! Darling, try to !md God and ask Him
|p you." Her voice trembled, and the tears
shook from her eve-, as she spoke.
"Well." she said in a moment or two, "I must be
„tT by the first train. You will be krery tired, so
don't come down. I will l>e in to say good-by. M
Mrs. Flanders smiled bitterly as the door closed. "It
is so easy t.> talk"' she said K"t 'hen her friend hung
over her a moment next morning. so many sunbeams
altoul her that she might have come out of the blue of
the sky, she held her back and whispered "Mary
Bruce, there fe nothing left to dv I amgojniitoi
Helen Flanders was not a person who did things
by halves There being, a.-> she said, nothing else to
do c -aept to find God and such help as might come that
war, she gave herself up t<> the search. She talked
with men who made a science of the same effort She
threw aside her prejudices sufficiently to see
their faith did for some of '! k "It almost
seems." she said to herself, "as il ■ the very
tf the soul. or. at ai \ il the soul grew only
c had faith Knowledge is .-• simple; l>ut this
tiling called faith perpetually feeds and enfolds the soul,
as Mary said it would. Ob, why didn't I learn this
in the beginning? Why haven *l 1 taught it to Paul?"*
From time to time Mary Bruce had sen! her the
books of those who bold out the hand to help others
climb. She read the gospel of >• John: and when she
had rad it once she read it again And all the time
she tried -hat prayer, ol such - •: • nutd make,
might do. S<>ui. time-, it seemed as though her pett
■ than In : the laugh
herself, and I'a-.ii still stumbli il the fate of
the sol hanging over him H times she would
have -aid that down dark i tughi and
re was 111^ a gii' times
as it in the next moment so however
slight, was t.> be mad< . some g ■ "1 sunburst of di
warmth and light i And ye after all,
si :ilv half i'e!ie ed in it.
On.- night Paul had come in much worse than usual.
HER "INFLOONCE"
He had stayed in bed with aching temples and .-.':..' if/
hands the next day, and he had said to htmseli la i
he was not going to listen to reproaches, and ad
sent word to his mother that he wished to t...-
He felt Letter toward night, and late in the e\ • •
in his dressing-gown and slippers, be went dbwi to
his mother's room. He had not seen much ■
mother in these months, having Wen orT with a Irani c
party in the West, and when at home avoiding i:
views when she was alone. He stepped loftli po
for if any of her intimates were with her he did 00l
mean to go in; and he poshed the dMH Open gently
and half-parted the portiere before he stopped, startle* 1 .
and struck stone still.
His mother was kneeling at her table, her dark b ur
half-fallen about her face, which waa white i:i
moonlight that streamed over her and shone in ': er
uplifted eyes. To hi.-> amazement hi, moth
woman who had valued herself for her common-dense,
for her clear sight, for her wit. her aflpi
ism. "as praying, was praying as n to a Earn lai
friend, beseeching, with tears pouring
help for her son's soul
He felt in that swift instant that a nronl
his heart. He dropped the curtain, ami repl an 11
softly as he had come. And in ail tb . kne
that night no sleep visited him.
It was late the next morning -.'.!;■ he ••.••■• ■
to his mothers room The {-lace was foO •■:
dowers and fragrance, but at he looked at hei
mother seemed more than all the sunshine it:
world. He went to the wind and looked ' 0
the space where the blue sky soared into q
distance.
Mother. " he said. "I have come to tell you that,
no matter at what cost, from to-day I will m
drink another drop •: this accursed start U I
has so nearly broken jam heart and wrought :..v
ruin'" ,
"Oh, Mary Bruce." the mother wrote that tßgh\
to her friend. "1 have had an answer to prayer
believe, because I have seen. Blessed are those wh •
nave not seen and yet have believed. But that w.i ■
not given me. I an only the wild olive grafted ■
I am in the lower ■: lei ol souls yet."
And Mary Bruce replied -'It is not the lower
of souls thai finds its way out oi darkness in)
not for the lake ol itself, bat for the sake ol ai
By Howard M..rKle H.
Wen down th* lane Matildy corse..
Th' swallows go a-twitter.
An' hollyhocks lean o'er th' fenc 5
To see so sweet a critter.
Wen her light footsteps n«-a.
bridge.
That's down beside th' pas
Th' brooklet gets more pur'
Th' ripples dance th' fa eft
Th' baskets hangin' on '
Co to an' fro a -swing,
Like pinions of a happy tiH
To summer lans a-wir.-;
Wene'er she speaks, howt v,
Th' bees begin a-hummin
An' seems as if her voice h«i
Th' strings of harps a-th; ' }*•
If she but passes nigh th' fie;b
Were I'm betimes a-sow;
My heart goes pulsin' like a •
With autumn winds a-blo>-
If I was her an' she was me.
Each to th' other turnin*.
W'y she would know then • sbe
sets
All round about her yea. .
An* so las* week I told her
Th' tnfloonce she was shfi^-i'
Would lead her, sure - iv—
could be.
All lovely to a weddin'.
An* w'en she asked me who -voiii
be
Her eyes amoosement spilii-'-
I told her she might easy sec
Some one who was most ariDV.
Wen I walk 'side her up the lisle.
With maids June posies bringin'.
Th' whole creation will jine m
Th' hymn th' choir's a-5 ; ngin'.