died. I was crazed with
grief. I could not understand why the Lord would permit such a thing to
take place. Was my boy not in His service? Why did not the Lord take
care of His own?"

"And so you suffered, both because of your loss and because of your
thoughts," said Rachel. "Poor sister,--but now?"

"He is with me now, and it has all been explained. We live in this
house. Do you care to hear the story?"

"If you desire to tell it, yes."

"You seem so near and dear to me that I may tell it to you. My boy,
while on his mission, was tempted. He has told me all about it--he was
tempted sorely. He was in great danger, and so the Lord, to prevent him
from falling into the mire of sin, permitted him to be taken away. They
brought his lifeless body home to me, but his spirit went back to its
Maker pure and unspotted from the sins of the world,--and thus I found
him here, a big, fine-looking man as he was. You ought to see him."

"Mother," someone called from the direction of the house.

"That is he now," said the mother, rising.

"Mother, where are you? Oh!" the son exclaimed as he caught sight of the
two women. He came up to them and rested his arm tenderly on his
mother's shoulder. He was big and handsome, and Rachel's eyes dropped
before his curious gaze.

"David, this is Sister Rachel, whom I first met in earth-life in the
temple. I think I have told you about her and what a comfort she was to
me."

"I am very glad to know you," said he, as he clasped Rachel's hand. Then
there was a pause which promised to become awkward, at which David said:

"Mother, I want to show you something in the back garden. You know I
have been experimenting with my roses. I believe I have obtained some
wonderful color effects. You'll come also?" he asked Rachel.

The three walked on together into the garden where David exhibited and
explained his work. When, at length, Rachel said it was time she was
going, the mother urged her to come again.

"I'm going along with Sister Rachel to her home, and to find out where
she lives," explained David, as he stepped along, unbidden, by Rachel's
side.

And so these two walked side by side for the first time. They talked
freely on many topics, she listening contentedly. They smiled into each
other's eyes, and at the end of that short journey, something had
happened. True love had awakened in two hearts. Through all the shifting
scenes of earth-life, nothing like this had ever come to this man