answer. But, oh, plant your feet down on the rock, Christ Jesus! Abide
with him and your soul will not be lost. He will not let you go wrong.
He came to give you abundant life. The love of God is greater than all
other things. Trust simply and don't be afraid. Get to work in the
Sunday school and church. Doubt can not live in the atmosphere of doing
God's will every moment. Perhaps one reason you have been so overthrown
is because you have neglected your church and religious duties since you
left home. Pray; trust; act; live for others; listen for God's voice; be
true to the high calling. It is the only real and living way for you.
And the prayers of your mother go out to God for you now and always.
Walter, you are God's child before you are mine. Go to him at once and
ask his help as you have asked mine. May He bless you as I can not.
Lovingly and prayerfully,

"MOTHER."

Mrs. Douglas was so eager to get her letter off that she did not wait
for Paul's added word. But two days later Paul wrote quite at length, in
much the same fashion, taking up one or two points Esther had not
touched.

"You say in your letter to your mother that you feel the bottom has
dropped out of everything. Why? Because a stranger to you who has some
reputation as a public speaker has made some statements which destroy
your faith in religion.

"Do you think that is a very sensible thing for you to do--to let a man
you have never seen before come along and in one address take from you
the faith of years? Would you let a man you didn't know destroy your
faith in your mother so quickly? Would you simply take his word for it,
because he said so?

"You must remember, Walter, that some of the finest theologians and
scholars in the world believe in and teach the miracles and a personal
God and a personal divine Christ and a personal resurrection. I don't
mean old fashioned scholars, but men who are up to date, who rank with
the best in the thinking world. If Dr. Powers does not believe in the
resurrection there are other men, better scholars than he is, who do.
You have no right to let one man's statements be final for you.

"You say again that you don't see what is the use of being good, and you
ask if it pays to be religious, citing the example of the fast set in
Burrton, who, you say, seem to be pretty happy, and free from anxiety
about others, etc. Walter, do you know that is the most terrible thing
that can