sm and membership in
his church. He was not greatly surprised, though much delighted. He
stated that he would be glad at the conclusion of the night service to
receive her for baptism.

That evening, when she started down the steps of her house to go to
church, she found the automobile at the curb at the front of the house
and the chauffeur told her that her father had told him to have the
machine ready to take her to the church, that he did not wish her to
walk around to that section alone. She was touched at the thoughtfulness
of her father, and yet the silence of it all cut her to the heart. She
felt that she was almost an outcast from her parents; but then she
judged that they could not understand her and that they were simply
keeping aloof with their disappointment. The meals had been eaten in
almost perfect silence that day. The mother did not care for dinner and
the father ate and talked but little, and then to the other members of
the family.

That night Dorothy was received for baptism and it was announced that,
on the following Sunday night she would be baptized. By the next Sunday
her parents began to relent. At first they were inclined to be indignant
with the Baptist preacher, as if he were largely responsible for their
daughter's action; but as they recalled the discussions of the past
month they realized that their daughter had reached her conclusions
largely through her own study of the Bible.

Gradually they came to see that she must have her convictions and they
ought not to interfere with her religion. They saw that she was firm,
and they decided to accept the inevitable. Husband and wife talked it
over and the husband said: "Wife, I think it is a clear proposition.
Dorothy has taken the step and the die is cast. It is not according to
our fancy or hope, but it is according to her convictions, and I guess
we would rather she should be a woman of convictions than for her to be
one with no convictions, but tossed about by every kind of influence. I
think we must try to make the most of it. Opposition, I fear, would only
make matters worse for her and for us. Let us tell her we shall not
oppose her."

And so it was agreed, and that evening Mr. and Mrs. Page talked frankly
with Dorothy and the burden rolled from her heart. The parents said they
never could attend that church, but that they would not stand in her
way.

How her heart yearned to have them present at her baptism, but she dared
not ask