"Yes," John said, "it is as real to-day as God himself,--as it always has
been and must be; and it is believed by Christians as earnestly as ever.
We cannot help it, Helen."

Helen looked at him thoughtfully. "It is very terrible; but oh, John,
what sublime faith, to be able to believe God capable of such awful
cruelty, and yet to love and trust Him!"

John's face grew suddenly bright. "'Though He slay me, yet will I trust
Him,'" he said, with the simplicity of assurance. But when he went back
again to his sermon, he was convinced that he had been wise to put off
for a little while the instruction in doctrine of which his wife's soul
stood in such sore need.

"I was right," he thought; "the Light must come gradually, the blaze of
truth at once would blind her to the perfection of justice. She would not
be able to understand there was mercy, too."

So the choir was told the hymn would be "Welcome, sweet day of rest,"
which, after all, was much better suited to the sermon.




CHAPTER V.


Why the Misses Woodhouse, and Mr. Dale, and Mr. Denner should go to the
rectory for their Saturday night games of whist was never very clear to