akin to religion itself, that we sometimes doubt where the dividing
line exists which separates love of God from love of the beautiful
objects He has created.

Thus it was that Mary with her plain face and small person found her
way to the great, warm heart of Enoch Sharp; and as he sat upon the
rock a faint struggle arose in his bosom regarding her destination.

An impulse to take her into his own house and cultivate the latent
talent so visible in every gesture and look, took possession of him,
but his natural strong sense prevailed over this impulse. Many reasons
which we will not pause to mention here, arose in contest with his
heart, and he muttered thoughtfully,

"Neither men nor women become what they were intended to be by
carpeting their progress with velvet; real strength is tested by
difficulties. Still I must keep an eye upon the girl."

Isabel soon became weary of gazing on the landscape. Impatient of the
stillness, she arose softly and moved to a ledge close by, under which
a wild gooseberry bush drooped beneath a harvest of thorny fruit.

"That is right," said Enoch Sharp, starting up; "let me break off a
handful of the branches, they will make peace with Mrs. Farnham for
leaving her in the carriage so long."

Directly a heap of thorny branches purple with fruit lay at Isabel's
feet, and Enoch Sharp was clambering up the rocks after some tufts of
tall blue flowers that shed an azure tinge down one of the clefts;
then a cluster of brake leaves mottled with brown spots tempted him