form of words, made by man," objected Moodie, "you
attribute a divine character, little, if at all, below that which
belongs to the word of God."

"So far as it consists of the language of Scripture, rightly applied,
it is divine," said L'Isle. "But it is an error to say that our
liturgy, or any other worthy to be named, was made by a man, or the
men of any one age. It has a more catholic origin than that. The
spiritual experience of devout men of many centuries of Christianity,
realizing the needs of sinful humanity in its intercourse with its
Maker and Redeemer, and the comforting Spirit, have helped to build it
up, and thus adapted it, in its parts of general application, to the
spiritual wants, at all times, of every child of Adam."

"You speak up finely for your formal service, sir," said Moodie; "and
I may not be scholar enough to answer you. But every spiritual minded
man knows that it only fetters the spirit in prayer."

"Yet we might infer," said L'Isle, "from a passage in the Revelations
of St. John, that a liturgy is used by the four and twenty elders who
stand before the throne."

"You and Moodie do not seem to get any nearer to each other," said
Mrs. Shortridge, "in your rambles through the mazes of controversy."

"We only need here a well-trained son of Rome," answered L'Isle, "to
make confusion worse confounded. Luckily, Moodie and I can fight out
our duel in quiet, without having a dexterous adversary come in as
thirdsman, and kill us both."

The muleteer, who had shown signs of impatience unusual with him, now
pointed to the sun; in a few minutes they were again on the road,
which was but a bridle-path, and the country promised less and less as
they rode on. Their guide looked around doubtingly, and at length
turned aside to a half ruinous cottage, the only habitation they had
seen for miles, where he closely questioned an old woman whom he found
there as to the way before them. Little satisfied with her directions,
he presently stopped an idiotic looking fellow, with a huge head, whom
they met driving some milch goats toward the hovel, and questioned
him. The goatherd stood staring at the party with open mouth, and gave
little heed to him. But, at length, being pressed for an answer, he
gave one in a harsh voice with great volubility, and much action, as
if drawing in the air a map of the whole country around. The muleteer
seemed satisfied, and they again moved on over a waste of low, rolling
hi