he has the least idee of any one of them. I don't believe Thomas has
ever seen anybody he wanted for a wife."

"Well, he's got the pick of 'em, a-settin' their caps right in his
face," said Aunt Betty.

Neither of them dreamed how the young man, sleeping and eating
and living under the same roof, beloved of them since he entered
the world, holding himself coldly aloof from this crowd of
half-innocently, half-boldly ardent young women, had set up for
himself his own divinity of love, before whom he consumed himself
in vain worship. His father suspected, and that was all, and he
never mentioned the matter again to his son.

After Thomas had spoken to Evelina the weeks went on, and they never
exchanged another word, and their eyes never met. But they dwelt
constantly within each other's thoughts, and were ever present to
each other's spiritual vision. Always as the young minister bent over
his sermon-paper, laboriously tracing out with sputtering quill his
application of the articles of the orthodox faith, Evelina's blue
eyes seemed to look out at him between the stern doctrines like the
eyes of an angel. And he could not turn the pages of the Holy Writ
unless he found some passage therein which to his mind treated
directly of her, setting forth her graces like a prophecy. "The
fairest among women," read Thomas Merriam, and nodded his head, while
his heart leaped with the satisfied delight of all its fancies, at
the image of his love's fair and gentle face. "Her price is far above
rubies," read Thomas Merriam, and he nodded his head again, and saw
Evelina shining as with gold and pearls, more precious than all the
jewels of the earth. In spite of all his efforts, when Thomas Merriam