To say the pastor was astonished would be putting it mildly. Never in
his whole life had he been so shocked as on this day, and each shock
was greater than the preceding one.

He now stood perfectly still for a full minute, then said, "It seems
high time that we begin the study of the Bible in this house, for from
what I have heard to-day it is very apparent to me that my wife and
son are quite ignorant of what the Bible contains." Then turning, he
strode from the room.

The pastor was a good and kind man. He had always been a good husband
and father, always patient and sympathetic with his invalid wife and
son; but this day had been a very trying one to him, first in hearing
his son say things that he considered little less than blasphemous,
then to notice that the mother seemed to indorse what the son had said,
and to make matters worse, to actually hear his wife questioning the
doings of God, as he understood them. This was the last-straw. He was
really angry and out of patience, and somewhat confused, so he decided
to go to his library and think it all over. As soon as he arrived there
he impatiently seated himself in an easy chair and began to soliloquize
after this fashion: "I wonder where Walter got that idea about sending
me to jail, what can that have to do with his sickness; then to think
my wife agreed with him. Let me see, what did she say? I was so outraged
I can scarcely recall what was said. I believe though she said something
about some of the apostles doubting at times. What has that to do with
sending me to jail? I don't seem able to think clearly to-day. Then
this other matter, about giving medicine being a sin. Why everybody
takes medicine; the most pious and devout Christians that ever lived
have taken medicine, and this has been so for thousands of years. The