d not choose to decline. So the young man, reared in a
Christian city, surrounded by hundreds of Christian men and women, felt
himself personally prayed for, for the first time in his life.

The rest of that winter was a busy one--full of many and bewildering
cares. Besides his pressing duties at the store--and they daily grew
more pressing, as the responsibilities of the business were thrown more
and more upon him--Theodore had undertaken to be a constant shield and
guard to the constantly tempted young man.

No one who has not tried it knows or _can_ know how heavy is such a
weight. Daily the sense of it grew upon Theodore; not for an hour did he
dare relax his vigilance; he was perfectly overwhelmed with the
countless snares that lay in wait _everywhere_ to tempt to ruin. Not a
journey to or from the store, not a trip to any part of the city or any
errand whatever, but was fraught with danger, and evening parties and
receptions and concerts were absolute terrors to Theodore; nor was it a
light task to arrange his affairs in such a manner as to be always ready
for any whim that chanced to possess Pliny's brain--and when that was
arranged, it was sometimes equally difficult to discover a pretext for
his constant attendance, in order that Pliny's sensitive blood might not
arise in opposition to this surveillance. However, the plans, most
carefully and prayerfully formed, were not to be lightly resigned, and
with one new excuse after another, and with Mr. Stephens always for his
aid, Theodore managed to get successfully through the winter--or, if not
successfully, at least with but few drawbacks. And of these--oh, strange
and bitter thought!--the Hastings family were the worst.

On his visits to his father's house, Pliny had to go alone. Mr. Hastings
had been sore opposed to the new arrangements, both as regarded business
and boarding, from the very first, and, though he could not conquer
Pliny's determination, had managed to make it very uncomfortable for
him; had chosen also to lay the principal blame of the entire
arrangement--where, indeed, it belonged--on Theodore, and glowered on
him accordingly. So Theodore staid away from the great house altogether,
and struggled between his desire to keep Pliny away from that direst of
all temptations, and his desire not to interfere with the filial duties
which Pliny ought to have had, even though no such ideas possessed him.
Twice during the winter Pliny took from his father'