Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-04-08

ThczkSul listened y him without much
attention. He made some assertion con
c%erning his certainty of of his own saliva.
ton; and his equal certainty that Others
ne could mention were eternally damned
from the foundation of the universe-'T
know it'll" he exclaimed humping the
copy of Holy Writ before him.
Thankful's eombativeness was somehow
aroused.
"Why is he the favorite of Coda How
does he know he is going to be sayed3
how does he know anyone ISL how does
he know there is any such thing as he un-
derstands it2' she reflected. elbow do
l know" All at once she started;
sat down again, her face white, her
heart beating with terrific force.
"My faith is gone He has DESTROYED
it; he does not know, and II doubt! Q
Father, take not the light from mel 1 am
lost, l am lost l do not knowl" She
dropped her head on the back of the pew
before her.
81 can not bear it! He is a liar-hs
has nc right here-neither have L." SIZE
whispered to her mother: III an not
well, l will 60 home" She rose and
left the church quietly and quickly. In
her own room she prayed and agonized
for hours; but no light came.
'I can not make myself believe! That
minister does not believe! Oh, my poor
PAUL How much better you are than
You believe in God-the Father Al.
mighty, with no limitations. I have lost
my little God of vengeance, whom we
call omnipotent and then we limit him 10
'the hundred and forty and four thou
sand!'"
She did not tell any of her people what
had befallen her, and was thankful in.
deed that it was vacation.
81 must think a little. 1 must, of
course, resign; as 1 exacted of Paul, 50
will [ exact of Thankful. Il will not be
a fit guide for the young as I told
him. Really 1 feel in no sense unfit t,
guide them, to teach them to be good as
well as to gain knowledge. [ have no
sudden and violent desire to break i'm
mediately all the laws of the decalogue,
as I thought people without my kind Of
faith must have. l wish l could sea
Paul; L never needed him so much. Oh,
self-righteous bigot, to drive him away!
l am most %deservedly punished"
There was no help to be had from any
of her family; her father and mother
were saints in practice and precept
though, if she had gone to them, thei,
wisdom would have shown her light
Stanley was absorbed in his profession
and would not sympathize; Theo woul,
think her weak, not to grapple with he
trouble and lay it low.
Dudley and Elizabeth we're iovii.
young sinners; Elizabeth said ''fdcilj
deScensaS" was sound philosophy an
read her Plato more than her prayei
book.
"Don't talk to me of Christians, an
cient or modern, after the way they dc
stroyed Hypatia and countless others
and the ladies of our own church woul
have given poor Mrs. st. Clair the sam
treatment, because she ran away with tn
evangelist. If it had not been for mod
ern prejudice and a respect for moderl
law, nine-tenths of them would hav
done as Mrs. st. Clair did, but they ha,
not the courage of their convictions. I
law were a religious institution manage,
by a savage old bishop, rather than mic
respected heathens like Judge Clayton
there would be more martyrs than ther
were in the early centuries"
This was a long speech indeed fo
Elizabeth. In that family everythin
was discussed, and all had the courae
of their opinions and set them forth wit
no uncertain sound.
u