Surely, if in the hereafter, any man receives credit for always doing
what his conscience dictates, Nathan will. He was one of those
characters who give up living ten years before they die. Nathan stayed
on for the church's good.

Miss Charity, the Elder's only child is--well, she was born, raised and
educated for a parson's wife. The Doctor says that she didn't even cry
like other babies. At three she had taken a prize in Sunday school for
committing Golden texts, at seven she was baptized, and knew the reason
why, at twelve she played the organ in Christian Endeavor. At fourteen
she was teaching a class, leading prayer meeting, attending conventions,
was president of the Local Union, and pointed with pride to the fact that
she was on more committees than any other single individual in the
Memorial Church. The walls of her room were literally covered with
badges, medals, tokens, prizes and emblems, with the picture of every
conspicuous church worker and leader of her denomination. Between times
the girl studied the early history of her church, read the religious
papers and in other ways fitted herself for her life work. Poor Charity!
She was so cursed with a holy ambition, that to her men were not men,
they simply _were_ or were _not_ preachers.

When Dan and the Doctor reached the Jordan home they found this daughter
of the church at the front gate watching for them, a look of eager hope
and expectancy on her face. The Elder himself with his wife and Mrs.
Oldham were on the front porch. Martha could scarcely wait for the usual
greeting and the introduction of Dan to Mrs. Jordan, before she opened on
the Doctor with, "It's a great pity Doctor, that you couldn't bring
Brother Matthews here before the last possible minute; supper is ready
right now. A body would think you had an important case, if they didn't
know that you were too old to do anything any more."