rful people and yet occupy such an obscure position in this
part of the country."

"But they are not obscure in America," said Mr. Walton.

"No," said Dorothy. "Don't you remember, father, how I told you that the
figures state that the Baptists are next to the largest denomination in
the United States except the Catholics?"

"In Georgia," said Mr. Walton, "one person out of every four is a
Baptist, and it is almost that way in Virginia, North Carolina and
South Carolina. I understand that the Baptists of Georgia pay over half
the taxes of that state. They are a mighty army in the South and in the
world."

All of these things were a revelation to Mr. Sterling. As to Dorothy,
her mind had been made up many days ago, and her path of duty was as
clear as a sunbeam to her, and it led straight to the Baptist church.
Mr. Sterling had within him a storm of thoughts that he could not still.
His efforts to win Dorothy for his faith and his church seemed to have
utterly failed, and she appeared to be drifting further and further away
from him. He was tortured by the thought that he might lose her.
Besides, there was the chaos in which his mind had been left by the
recent discussions and disclosures. The evidence in favor of immersion
as the Bible mode of baptism, and the violation of Scripture teaching in
the case of infant baptism, as well as the Bible teaching regarding
church government, stared him in the face. It rose above all his ties of
kindred and church and above all arguments that he could summon to his
aid in favor of his position, but he dared not let anyone suspect his
state of mind.

He was eager to follow the matter still further, though he felt as if he
were moving towards a precipice. It may to some thoughtless ones seem a
trifling matter for one to abandon a position as to doctrinal matters
and accept other truths. Men are constantly altering their opinions: but
for a Presbyterian elder--especially one filled with an ambition for
high usefulness in his church, whose ancestors on his father's and
mother's side have been of his faith--for him to come out before his
church and before the public and acknowledge that he was wrong, to give
up his doctrines and his church and his prospects and his large circle
of kindred and friends and link himself with an obscure and almost
despised band of people meant a crisis, and he did not even permit
himself to consider it. He merely tried to regard the restlessness in
his