science for the good of His children.

"'And above all, may He give us all to know and feel the true and
only Magnum Bonum, the great good, which alone makes success or
failure, loss or gain, life or death, alike blessed in Him and
through Him.'"

Carey gazed on those words, as she sat in the large arm-chair,
whither she had moved on opening the book. She had always known that
religion was infinitely more to her husband than ever it had been to
herself. She had done what he led her to do, and had a good deal of
intellectual and poetical perception and an uprightness, affection,
and loyalty of nature that made her anxious to do right, but devotion
was duty, and not pleasure to her; she was always glad when it was
over, and she was feeling that the thoughts which were said to
comfort others were quite unable to reach her grief. There was no
disbelief nor rebellion about her, only a dull weariness, and an
inclination which she could hardly restrain, even while it shocked
her, to thrust aside those religious consolations that were powerless
to soothe her. She knew it was not their fault, she did not doubt of
their reality; it was she who was not good enough to use them.

These words of Joe were to her as if he were speaking to her again.
She laid them on her knee, murmured them over fondly, looked at them,
and finally, for she was weak still and had had a bad night, fell
fast asleep over them, and only wakened, as shouts of "Mother" were
heard over the house.

She locked the bureau in a hurry, and opened the door, calling back
to the boys, and then she found that Aunt Ellen had taken all the