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going to live _with_ Him forever, surrounded by sanctified beings all
united in adoring Him. When I think of this my courage grows apace, and
I say to myself, I may never live in heaven again here below; but I
certainly shall, above; and can't I be patient till then? I wonder if
you know that I am going to begin a Bible-reading on the first Wednesday
in December? I have a very kind letter from Mr. Peter Carter, who says
Kezia would make the fortune of any book.

Kezia is one of the characters in _Pemaquid; or, a Story of Old Times
in New England_, then recently published. She had written it with
"indescribable ease and pleasure," to use her own words, mostly during
the previous January. The pictures of New England life--especially its
religious life--in old times are vivid and faithful; and the character
of Kezia Millet for originality, quiet humor, and truth to nature,
surpasses any other in her writings, with the exception, perhaps, of
Aunt Avery in "Fred and Maria and Me."

The following is an extract from a letter of Mr. Hallock, the publisher
of "The Christian at Work," dated Aug. 25, 1877, in which he begged her
to gratify its readers by telling them more about Ruth and Juliet. She
accordingly added some pages to the last chapter, although not quite
enough to satisfy the curiosity about Juliet:

Let me express to you my _personal_ thanks for your most excellent
serial. I feel that it has done a real good to thousands. You need to
be placed in my position, receiving hundreds of letters daily from your
readers, to be able to fully appreciate how intensely interested they
are in the story. It does not seem to satisfy them to feel assured of
Ruth's marriage, but they want _to be there_ and see it. Juliet, too, is
not with them, as with you, a mere impersonation, but a living reality,
and they will never rest till they hear from her. If I was a betting
man I would bet five to one that what your husband struck out, is just
exactly what is wanted. What do we men know about such things, anyhow?

A lady friend, well qualified to judge, writes to her:

I have read "Pemaquid," and have laughed till I cried, then cried and
laughed together. In my humble opinion it is the brightest book you have
written. You know how to make a saint and how to make a sinner. As for
old Kezia Millet, with her great loving heart, if she is not a model of
Christian "_consistency_" and a natural born poet, where will you find
one? She is pe