The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1894-11-20

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been baptized.
''Oh, Ben, you cheat me, and then
you cheat God Perhaps he doesn't like
it any better than do. What then?'
He don mind, miss, - very cheer
fully. Use been baptized. +"
Phyllis threw back her head and
laughed with hearty abandon very
contagious. Yet Thomas did not alto
gether like her mirth or rather it's
source.
"All religious people are not like
that" he said as Ben shuffled away
happy and unabashed.
AREN'T theyP You ought to hear ia
ther talk. He says they are, although
some of them put it into fine words
But, as she carelessly broke open a
golden peach with a crimson heart, IT
don't care for such things anyhow"
"Such things, repeated Thomas
doubtfully.
Religion and that sort of thing"
indifferently.
"What sort of thing do you care for?'
questioned Thomas, conscious of a SEN
sation of moral chillness
"Why, 1 like sunlight and color and
to smell the clover blooms-and, oh, I
just like to livel It's splendid.
Her eyes sparkled, and her red lips
smiled in lovely curve of delight as
she swung the hammock to and fro, for
getting for moment her work-a rare
thing for Phyllis. She was not the ideal
woman of his dreams, but dream
grows pale beside living, joyous real
ity. And Phyllis was SO unconscious of
any evil and SO pretty that Thomas for
got to wish her different.
Different from what she wasl He
had fallen so far in love that when she
showed her hot though easily appeased
temper he thought it infinitely sweet
and taking--she never put on like
other girls or pretended to be what she
was not Her frankness at last melted
away his own reserve of temperament
and he began to talk to her of his early
life and was even won by her listening
and honest eyes to tell her Of his lone
liness-his early conversion and back
sliding and comforted by the tears that
flowed without check down her soft
cheeks-of his uncle's terrible anger
and death.
"Oh, how wicked, how wickedp' she
exclaimed at the end. Poor old man,
to die with such dreadful thoughtsl 1t
wasn't his fault. He had never heard
anything but those fearful doctrines of
4od's wrath and resentment Oh,
Thomas, if there is any God, what must
he think Of his creatures that can say
such things of him?'
Her tone was an awe struck question
ing, and it thrilled him--this thought
of God, patiently bearing, silently for
giving these lies and calumnies from
men he had made.
But the thought passed. God-'if
there was any God" Phyllis had said
with fearless lips-was far off and ST.
lent. Close at hand was the lovely face
of woman, all wet with tears for his
trouble Her voice was full of tender
ness-of that something Of mothers
comforting that womanhood instructive
ly uses, even in its babyhtk I'd, with all
hurt things. Was it not time for him
to tell her that he loved her and that
for him no other woman lived?
They quickly knew that they loved
each other-indeed had known it long
before.
Oh, silent Creator Thy creatures
forget thee in each other, and thou art
glad, since, being denied of them in thy
self, thou mayest still draw near and
give thyself unseen in the very human
love for which they turned aside from
thee, for all love for another, all forget
ting of self in love, is surely of God
Thomas and Phyllis were married.
1t was grief to hear that soon after the
marriage her father decided to return
to Maine, but it was blotted out in the
new and absorbing interest of her new
life. First, her husband, and in course
of time her husband and child together,
filled her full Of love. The sober people
of the village quite disapproved of the
boy and girl ways Of the household. All
their work was play, and even after the
birth of the baby, as soon as he was old
enough to be carried, their great delight
was to take long rambles, starting when
the dewy light broke across the shadowy
head Of De Priests mountain and re-
turning late in the afternoon, their
lunch basket empty and they themselves
thoroughly tired and happy.
But one morning Phyllis could not
get up. The doctor came and gave his
directions with compassionate glance
at Phyllis young face, repeating that
she must keep still Phyllis still, whose
swift movements and blythe voice had
filled the house with stir and life. But
day after day went on, the fever burned
and Phyllis lay still and restless, SEEM
ing to have drifted away into some
place aloof, uncomprehended, awfully
remote.
Doctor, will it always be like this?"
II cannot tell--only if there is a
change we may hope.
That very night, going to the side Of
the bed, Thomas found her awake and
noticed, with trembling eagerness, the
recognition in her eyes.
''Are you tired?' she asked.
He shook his head, not trusting him
self to speak.
81 am glad feel wakeful then"
He looked up questioningly.
II want to ask you-is it the medi-
cine or hearing the neighbors talk
about religion and the unconverted that
makes me think such strange things2
Do you believe God is angry with me?
/ never meant to do wrong, and yet can
it be true, Thomas?"
mo- he answered, sit is not true.
They know nothing of him. 1t is the
anodyne that gives you such disturbed
thoughts, dear. "
sit may be--and 1 am not afraid to
die. /"
She was silent so long that Thomas
thought she had gone to sleep, when
she again turned her face toward him,
asking earnestly:
"What do you believe of God?"
He bowed his head involuntarily. Old
phrases crowded into his mind, but he
sought for the living word.
II believe in God, ? he said at length,
God, the Father and Saviour of man"
and he paused, for no other words
came, and these filled the silence of the
room as with prayer. He had an awed