e truth in this homely
illustration, and Miss Miranda's dread as to her future
responsibilities had some foundation, though not of the precise sort
she had in mind. The soul grows into lovely habits as easily as into
ugly ones, and the moment a life begins to blossom into beautiful words
and deeds, that moment a new standard of conduct is established, and
your eager neighbors look to you for a continuous manifestation of the
good cheer, the sympathy, the ready wit, the comradeship, or the
inspiration, you once showed yourself capable of. Bear figs for a
season or two, and the world outside the orchard is very unwilling you
should bear thistles.

The effect of the Burches' visit on Rebecca is not easily described.
Nevertheless, as she looked back upon it from the vantage ground of
after years, she felt that the moment when Mr. Burch asked her to "lead
in prayer" marked an epoch in her life.

If you have ever observed how courteous and gracious and mannerly you
feel when you don a beautiful new frock; if you have ever noticed the
feeling of reverence stealing over you when you close your eyes, clasp
your hands, and bow your head; if you have ever watched your sense of
repulsion toward a fellow creature melt a little under the exercise of
daily politeness, you may understand how the adoption of the outward
and visible sign has some strange influence in developing the inward
and spiritual state of which it is the expression.

It is only when one has grown old and dull that the soul is heavy and
refuses to rise. The young soul is ever winged; a breath stirs it to an
upward flight. Rebecca was asked to bear witness to a state of mind or
feeling of whose existence she had only the vaguest consciousness. She
obeyed, and as she uttered words they became true in the uttering; as
she voiced aspirations they settled into realities.

As "dove that to its window flies," her spirit soared towards a great
light, dimly discovered at first, but brighter as she came closer to
it. To become sensible of oneness with the Divine heart before any
sense of separation has been felt, this is surely the most beautiful
way for the child to find God.

XXI

THE SKY LINE WIDENS

The time so long and eagerly waited for had come, and Rebecca was a
student at Wareham. Persons who had enjoyed the social bewilderments
and advantages of foreign courts, or had mingled freely in the
intellectual circles of great universities, might not have looke