ped by a visible
manifestation."
"Yes, that would be something like!" said Allison. "If we could see
something to help us believe----"
"Those who truly believe with the heart will have the assurance," said
Julia Cloud earnestly. "I _know_."
There was something in her tone and the look of her eye that added,
"For I have experienced it." The young people looked at her, and were
silent. There was a long, quiet pause in which the sounds of the
falling nuts and the whispering of the hemlocks closed in about them,
and made the day and hour a sacred time. At last Leslie broke the
silence.
"Well, Cloudy, suppose we go to church and Christian Endeavor. What
can we do the rest of the day? We don't have to go to church every
minute, do we? I don't really see how it's going to do me any good. I
don't, indeed."
Julia Cloud smiled at her wistfully. It was so wonderfully sweet to
have this bright, beautiful young thing asking her these vital
questions.
"Why, deary, it's just a day to spend with God and get to enjoy
His company," she said. "Let me read you this verse in Isaiah:
'Blessed'--that means, 'O the happiness of': I'll read it so--'O the
happiness of the man that doeth this, and the son of man that
layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and
keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the
stranger that hath joined himself to the Lord'--there, Leslie,
that means us, or any Gentiles that want to be Christ's--'speak,
saying, The Lord hath utterly separated us from his people.... For
thus saith the Lord to' them 'that keep my sabbaths, and choose the
things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; even unto them
will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name
better than of sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting
name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger
that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the
name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the
sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them
will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house
of prayer'--you see, Allison, there's a promise that will secure you
from feeling the service dull and dry if you are willing to comply
with its conditions--'their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an
house of prayer for all people.'"
She
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