her, but she could not return that love, so she was in duty bound not to
encourage him. Rachel was hard to get acquainted with, a number of young
men had said. She was always happy and smiling, and yet a closer
knowledge of her character disclosed a serious strain that puzzled her
admirers--for Rachel had admirers. A number of times good men had been
about to make love to her in earnest, but each time some strange feeling
had checked them. The young woman was "willing" enough but what could
she do? There was without doubt a "man" for her, but she could not go in
search of him. As the years went by, and with them her youth and
somewhat of her beauty, she was often sad, and sometimes heart-hungry;
and at such times she found no peace until she had poured out her heart
to her heavenly Father, and said, "Thy will be done--but make me
satisfied."

After an absence of three years Rachel visited her home in Minnesota.
She was received kindly, the parents being no doubt grateful that she
had escaped alive from the clutches of those "terrible people" whom she
had been among. She could still smile and be happy, be more patient than
ever, taking in good part the ridicule and sometimes the abuse directed
toward her. She talked on the gospel with those who would listen, and
after a time she found that she was making a little headway. Her father,
at the first, told her emphatically that she was not to "preach her
religion" in his house; but he would sometimes forget himself and ask
her a question, which in being answered would lead to a gospel
discourse. Then, awakening to what was going on, he would say, "That
will do. I thought I told you that we wanted none of your preaching," at
which Rachel would smilingly look around to the others who were also
smiling at the father's inconsistencies.

During this visit the good seed was planted, from which in due time the