he fool lives. You have
not remembered that every day is bringing you closer to that Great Day
when this heaven and earth shall pass away like a burning scroll. Then
Rose, you yourself will have to tell what you have done with the love
and the time and the money that have been loaned you. If God sent you
away from His presence forever, how could you bear it?"

An awful fear came into her eyes; she was white as death, and she
trembled visibly.

"I have been where God is not," she said, in a whisper full of horror.
"I was there this morning. I was not dreaming. I was there. I was in
the Land of Evil Spirits."

Peter bent forward, and took her hand between his hands, and said:

"Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold
me."

"There was no God in that Land of the Shadow of Hell. It was
desolation unutterable, and the light of it was darkness. I saw
nothing but bare black mountains, and dead pits of black water, and
wretched huts, wherein the evil ones crouched and crawled. There was a
dreadful smell everywhere, I could not escape from it; and it was
worse than all the other horrors. And I knew that it came from dead
and dying souls and putrid sins and I tried to hide in caves, or
climb the dark mountains, but I could not get beyond its sickening
influence. I can not understand. Can you?"

"I think so, Rose. No sense we have is more closely connected with the
sphere of the soul than the sense of smell. If it is a direct avenue
for the soul's approach to God, may it not lead also the other way? It
is certain that because of its far-reaching power over the deep
things, and the hidden things of the heart, the Bible is full of
images appealing to this very sense. I can understand why the Land of
the Evil Ones has the odor of death unto death."

"I tried in vain to flee from it, for I could not move fast. Some
Power seemed to be dragging me slowly down; a Power like a huge
loadstone, patient, because it was sure of me, and therefore able to
wait. I knew prayer could help me; but I could not pray. Suddenly I
saw an angel, very tired, and scarce moving her wings in the black
air. I knew it was my Guardian Angel. Her eyes were full of pity, and
she seemed so loth to leave me. Then in an awful terror I stretched
out my hands, and called to her; and so calling, I came back to
myself. And I flew to my window and looked out, and I touched all the
things in my room, for I wanted to be sure that I was stil