r in any hour, she had, in her sane
intervals, ranked together the promises and penalties that had been set
before her by the good Doctor: now worrying her spirit, as it confronted
some awful catechismal dogma, that it sought vainly to solve; and then,
from sheer weakness and disappointment, seizing upon the symbol of the
cross, (of which the effigy was always near at hand,) and by a kiss and
a tear seeking to ally her fainting heart with the mystic company of the
elect who would find admission to the joys of paradise. But the dogmas
were vain, because she could not grapple them to her heart; the cross
was vain, because it was an empty symbol; the kisses and the tears left
her groping blindly for the key that would surely unlock for her the
wealth of the celestial kingdom. In this attitude of mind, wearied by
struggle and by fantasies, came to her the letter of Reuben,--the joyous
outburst of a pioneer who had found the way. She never once doubted that
the good Doctor had found it, too,--but so long ago, and by so hard a
road, that she despaired of following in his steps. But Reuben had
leaped to the conquest, and carried a blithe heart with him. Surely,
then, there must be a joy in believing.

"I thank you very much for your letter, Reuben," said Adele, and she
looked eagerly into his face for traces of that triumph which so
glittered throughout his letter.

And she did not look in vain; for, whether it were from the warm,
electric touch of those white, thin fingers of hers, or the eager
welcome in her eyes, or from more sacred cause, a great joy shone in his
face,--a joy that from thenceforward they began to share in common. At
last--at last, a bright illumination was spread over the dreary
teachings of these last years. Not a doubt, not a penalty, not a mystic,
blind utterance of the Catechism, but the glowing enthusiasm of Reuben
invested it with cheery promise, or covered it with the wonderful
glamour of his hope. Between these two young hearts--the one, till then,
all doubt and weariness, and the other, just now, all impassioned
exuberance--there came a grafting, by virtue of which the religious
sentiment, in Adele shot away from all the severities around her into an
atmosphere of peace and joy.

The Doctor saw it, and wondered at the abounding mercies of God. The
spinster saw it, and rejoiced at the welding of this new link in the
chain of her purposes. The village people all saw it, and said among
themselves,