rition for the
sinfulness of his course, but in grief for the pitiful plight to which
it has brought him. Being the tears of self-pity, and not of repentance,
they are not the kind to divert us from our fixed purpose--that purpose,
our highest duty."

Soft Voice. "But, then, he is so young yet!"

Stern Voice. "But, then, he is so bad already!"

Soft Voice. "But, bethink you, how much it lacks of being wholly his
own fault? Indeed, he is scarcely at all responsible for being what he
is, and it seems hard that he should be made to suffer for the folly of
others."

Stern Voice. "That is very true; and just there is represented to us a
mystery, not ours to fathom! We are the Manitous of the Great Spirit,
and what he bids be done, he bids uncounseled, and would have done
unquestioned. They, who reared this boy to be the false young self we
find him, should and shall be made to suffer, also; and even more than
he, though the fond love and the indulgent kindness with which they have
spoiled him, and thereby wronged him, be never so tender and unselfish.
Having so erred, they must be made to feel the consequences of their
error, to be made sensible of its sinfulness; and thus, through
suffering, brought to a knowledge of the duty they owe their maker,
their offspring and themselves. So, then, what we propose doing, or,
rather, what we are charged to execute, shall redound to their good no
less than his."

Soft Voice. "But may we not postpone the trial for a season, till he be
stronger to endure it?"

Stern Voice. "Then shall he have but the more to endure and the less to
be hoped for. Thus, 'by and by,' might be too late, when 'now' is none
too soon; and the hope of to-day becomes, by postponement, the despair
of to-morrow. Last night we marked him well, and perceived that our
running commentary upon the evil of his way, with the gentle rebukes
couched in them, had little or no other effect upon him than to make him
feel at home and easy in his strange position. And yet he could set up
the pitiful howl at being ridiculed, as were it the worst, grievous
injury that a human boy could be made to suffer. Yes, his heart is so
proud and deceitful and hard that we must all but break it, to bring it
to its better nature."

Soft Voice. "Oh, Nick of the Woods; but you are stern! So stern!"

Stern Voice. "But, Meg of the Hills, you are merciful! So merciful! Your
mercifulness and my sternness temper each other, and the result be