ight of another life
and a sweeter, tried to turn him from his course into the normal walks
of man, tried to break his purpose and tempt him to dwell in the comely
tents of Kedar--if some gentler angels that would have saved him from a
harsher fate had beckoned to him and called him that night, through
passing lovers' arms and the murmur of loving voices, his eyes were
blind and his ears were deaf and his heart was hot with another passion.

Amos Adams was in bed when Grant came into the house. On the table was a
litter of writing paper. Grant sat down for a minute under the lamp. His
father in the next room stirred, and asked:

"What kept you?" And then, "I had a terrific time with Mr. Left
to-night." The father appeared in the doorway. "But just look there what
I got after a long session."

On the page were these words written in a little round, old-fashioned
hand, some one's interminably repeated prayer. "Angels guide him--angels
strengthen him; angels pray for him." These words were penned clear
across the page and on the next line and the next and the next to the
very bottom of the page, in a weary monotony, save that at the bottom of
the sheet the pen had literally run into the paper, so heavily was the
hand of the writer bearing down! Under that, written in the fine hand
used by Mr. Left was this:

"Huxley:--On earth I wrote that I saw one angel--'the strong, calm angel
playing for love.' Now I see the forces of good leading the world
forward, compelling progress; all are personal--just as the Great All
Encompassing Force is personal, just as human consciousness is personal.
The positive forces of life are angels--not exact--but the best figure.
So it is true that was written, 'there is more joy in Heaven'--and 'the
angels sang for joy.' This also is only a figure--but the best I can get
through to you. Angels guide us, angels strengthen us, angels pray for
us."

CHAPTER XXXI

IN WHICH JUDGE VAN DORN MAKES HIS BRAGS AND DR. NESBIT SEES A VISION

It was the last day of the last year of the Nineteenth Century--and a
fair, beautiful day it was. The sun shone over Harvey in spite of the
clouds from the smelter in South Harvey, and in spite of the clouds that
were blown by the soft, south wind up the Wahoo Valley from other
smelters and other coal mines, and a score of great smoke stacks in
Foley and Magnus and Plain Valley, where the discovery of coal and oil
and gas, within the decade that was passin