Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-02-09
CHAPTER ".

CliAPIf.R ". Some years before the beg inning of his veracious chronicle. Thankful had 2 oyer man of noble ideas nohlv express .l in his daily life; hc was t!!e < pred principal of one of the city schools an', shining light in scholastic cireles H. nas large man of fine physique, an0 al :hat magnetic quality that bound ttoS" who loved him closely. He loved TItaai- full dcvotedly. They were full Of great schemes for the education and consequent elevation of their fellows; they were 10 set forth on an educational crusade armed with an arithmetic and spelling book.
 But one fatal day he declared that !'a was not one with Thankful on the ques- tion of religion. He was not an atheist, he did not deny God, but did not believe in the Jehovah of the Jews as set forth in the Scripture.
 Thankful was shocked, mortified; a heat ed discussion cnsued; she was orthodox to the last degree, and abate1 not a jot of her tenacious belief
 "IIow is it that have known you a whole year, and never before suspected that you were not Christian. You hava :lmirably concealed your opinions
 'I have not concealed my opinions in the least; I do not know how 1t has hap pened that we have never before dis cussed our religious convictions; l had no idea of conccaling anytbing-why should 9''
 "I think ycu should not assume to be teacher; a leader and an example to the young. Now l think of ii, l have never heard you say anything to lead me or anyone to think you 8 hypocrite. but if these are your true opinions, why have you ever gone to church where We believe in the old Jehovah and the cruetfed Re deemer''
 "Tbank you for believing that did not deliberately assume a virtue l did not possess l went to church at first be. cause Mir flanders is an old classplatc ot mine; and after, I dare say, should not have continued to go, but that you went, and it was always q joy to go where l might see you, from the first day l met you.
 They patched up a sort of peace, but she had a ranking suspicion that he had intentionally concealed his opinions until he had secured her.; but it was i'll reality purely accidental that they had not dis cussed religion exhaustively, as they had many other subjects. On his side, he was deeply troubled that his lovely, brilliant Thankful could be so narrow-minded, and he could not understand that her con- science was before her love; that she was so narrow, but exceedingly conseientloWs in what she thought right.
 She felt called to the missionary field, and labored faithfully for the conversion of her lover, without success.
 "Don t you know that I would bel'y.e anything for your sake, Thankful If could. I would swallow the thirty-n5ne articles at gulp. I fear l am too old dog to learn any new tricks would be ready to cry in loud voice, If you wished it, Great is Diana of the Ephesians' but I can t. -
 She invoked the church militant and would have converted her lover " q ar mis- but he rebelled, and so they differed seriously. At last she told him she could not mar " an atheist.
 "I am not an atheist! y "Well, agnostic, if you like the term better; they have the same meaning to me. l l can not be the wife of an agnostic
 "You might obey the mandate of my namesake, Paul, and be a means ot grace and hope of glory to your poor be- nighted husband. Seriously. you talk deal of nonsense, Thankful, If tried to convince you of something against your ,cason aud judgment, you might be willing and anxious to believe as l wished, but no one can compel faith!'' !
 She threw herself into his arms ln A..nAG eis~4AGAss
 tTo BE CONTINUED}