warning upon the whole community! Only that which has ceased to
vibrate, and attained a calm, steady course of progress, is fitted to
enter here: this is the great ocean in which the force of rivers is
lost.

"I will respect the way of thinking of these people, even when I differ
from them; but I will endeavor----"

What he meant to endeavor remained unwritten. But he had been fortunate
in detecting features of interest in the affairs of village life.

It was some days before he again found an opportunity to converse with
Hedwig. He saw her from her grandmother's seat; but she appeared to be
very busy, and hurried by with very brief words of recognition. Indeed,
she almost seemed to avoid him.

Love of the peasant-girl was strong within him, but at the same time
the people's life, which had broken in upon his vision, occupied much
of his thoughts and feelings. He often walked about as if in a dream;
and yet he had never understood the realities of life so well as now.

The College Chap also gave him much trouble and vexation. The latter
was curious to know what his grandmother and the teacher could have
found to converse about. He joined them more than once, and always came
down with a rude joke whenever a vein of deeper sentiment was touched.

When the teacher inquired, "Grandmother, do you never go to church
now?" the College Chap quickly interposed, "Perhaps you remember who
built the church, grandmother: the teacher would like to know; but he
says he isn't going to run away with it."

"Be quiet, you!" replied his grandmother: "if you were good for any
thing you'd be master in the church now, and parson." Turning to the
teacher, she went on:--"It's five years since I was in church last: but
on Sunday I can hear by the bells when the host is being shown, and
when they carry it around; and then I say the litany by myself. Twice a
year the parson comes and gives me the sacrament: he's a dear, good
man, our pastor, and often comes to see me besides."

"Don't you think, Mr. Teacher," began the College Chap, "that my
grandmother would make an abbess _comme il faut_?"

On hearing herself the subject of conversation in a foreign language,
the poor old lady looked from one of the speakers to the other in
astonishment not unmingled with fear.

"Certainly," said the teacher; "but, even so, I think she can be just
as pious and just as happy as if she were an abbess."

"Do you see, grandmother?" exclaimed the Colleg