"My dear sir," said Dr. Guide to his deacon, "the conversation I had
with that rather unusual character has led me to believe that he is
quite as safe at present as any of the members of my own congregation."

"Oh, doctor, doctor!" groaned the deacon, "that will never do! What is
the church to come to if everybody is to be allowed to believe just
what he wants to, and stop just when he gets ready, and not go any
further unless he understands everything before him? I don't need to
tell you, a minister of the gospel and a doctor of divinity, that we
have to live by faith and not by sight. I don't have to go over all the
points of belief to a man of your character to show you what a mistake
you are making, thinking that way about a poor common fellow that's
only got one idea in his head,--one that might be shaken out of it very
easily."

"Deacon," said the minister, "I am strongly of the impression that any
belief of any member of my congregation could be as easily shaken as
the one article of faith to which that poor fellow has bound himself. I
don't propose to disturb his mind any further. 'Milk for babes,' you
know the apostle says, 'and strong meat for men.' After he has proved
himself to be equal to meat, there will be ample time to experiment
with some of the dry bones which you seem anxious that I should force
upon him."

"Dr. Guide," said the deacon, with considerable dignity, "I didn't
expect this kind of talk from you. I have been sitting under your
ministrations a good many years, and, though sometimes I didn't think
you were as sharp-set as you ought to be, still I knew you were a man
of level head and good education and knew everything that was essential
to salvation; otherwise, why did the best college of our own