easy to obey the
scriptural injunction, 'Be ye wise as serpents and harmless as doves.'
Ever growing, the human mind must reach with the tendrils of its thought
beyond the confines of to-day. The intuition of our souls, this Godlike
attribute which we inherit directly from our Father, is ever seeking to
be our guide. None can be so utterly depraved that they have not
sympathy either in one way or another with its utterances. Prison bars
and dungeon cells may hold souls whose central thoughts are pure as
noon-day; and sometimes hard-visaged men, at the name of home and
mother, are baptized in tears. The small errors of youth lead along the
way to greater crimes, and I sometimes ask myself if it is not true that
living with wants that are not understood, causes men to seek the very
things their souls do not desire, and they are thus led into deep
waters. If Mr. Minot's soul reaches for a God of compassion and mercy,
is it not because that soul whispers its need of this great love; and if
it asks for this, will it not be found; for can it be possible with this
spark of God within us, the living soul can desire that which is not
naturally designed for it?

"Why, my dear friends," she continued, "this is the great lesson we need
to make us, on this earth, all that we might and should be. It is not
true that the thought of eternal love will warrant us in making mistakes
here; on the contrary, it will help us to see all the beauty of our
world, and to link our lives as one in the chain which binds the present
to the enduring year of life to come. Duty would be absolute pleasure,
and all they who see now no light beyond the grave, would by this
unerring hand be led to the mountain top of truth's divine and eternal
habitation. In your soul, Mr. Davis, you ask and long for this.
Doctrinal points confuse you when you think upon them, and you have lain
aside these thoughts and said, 'the mysteries of godliness may not be
understood;' but my dear sir, if this be true, why are we told to be
perfect even as our 'Father in Heaven is perfect;' for would not that
state be godly, and could there be mysteries or fear connected with it?"

"_Never, never_," said Aunt Hildy.

Then, with her hands stretched appealingly toward him, Clara said:

"Oh, sir, do not thrust this knowledge from the door of your heart! Let
it enter there. It will warm your thoughts with the glow of its
unabating love, and you will be the instrument in God's hand of