ery of mind, all the mystery of its divine
relations and future progression, and all the tremendous uncertainties
of its eternal good or ill, seemed to have dwelt in his mind, to have
burned in his thoughts, to have wrestled with his powers, and they gave
to his manner the fervency almost of another world; while the exceeding
paleness of his countenance, and a tremulousness of voice that seemed to
spring from bodily weakness, touched the strong workings of his mind
with a pathetic interest, as if the being so early absorbed in another
world could not be long for this.

When the services were over, the congregation dispersed with the air of
people who had _felt_ rather than _heard_; and all the criticism that
followed was similar to that of old Deacon Hart--an upright, shrewd
man--who, as he lingered a moment at the church door, turned and gazed
with unwonted feeling at the young preacher.

"He's a blessed cre'tur!" said he, the tears actually making their way
to his eyes; "I hain't been so near heaven this many a day. He's a
blessed cre'tur of the Lord; that's my mind about him!"

As for our friend James, he was at first sobered, then deeply moved, and
at last wholly absorbed by the discourse; and it was only when meeting
was over that he began to think where he really was.

With all his versatile activity, James had a greater depth of mental
capacity than he was himself aware of, and he began to feel a sort of
electric affinity for the mind that had touched him in a way so new; and
when he saw the mild minister standing at the foot of the pulpit stairs,
he made directly towards him.

"I do want to hear more from you," said he, with a face full of
earnestness; "may I walk home with you?"

"It is a long and warm walk," said George, smiling.

"O, I don't care for that, if it does not trouble _you_," said James;
and leave being gained, you might have seen them slowly passing along
under the trees, James pouring forth all the floods of inquiry which the
sudden impulse of his mind had brought out, and supplying his guide with
more questions and problems for solution than he could have gone through
with in a month.

"I cannot answer all your questions now," said he, as they stopped at
Uncle Lot's gate.

"Well, then, when will you?" said James, eagerly. "Let me come home with
you to-night?"

The minister smiled assent, and James departed so full of new thoughts,
that he passed Grace without even seeing her. From th