The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-29
THE FARMER: APRIL %, 1911

married him. told her that the
doctors-he had by that time con-
suited the three ablest in London
all told him that there was no hope.
I also warned her that, seeing how
strong and young he was, he might
linger far beyond the time they gave
him; and asked her to come and
take charge of us, somewhere on the
south coast, where we could get a
house with few stairs and sunny
aspect, that his last few months might
be made as happy as possible.
"She agreed-God bless her! We
found a furnished house, shut up our
fiat, and went together to the sea.
1--WE had been more than two
months settled there before I found
Father Conroy, and the new spring Of
life which had found. 1t was one
day when he expressed his astonish-
ment at my courage :.
"I was more astonisned at my
courage in telling Inn that was I'M
der the influence of a priest than
anything else. He never was more
surprised in his life. But he was
not contemptuous, as I had feared;
and so / ventured to make the sug-
gestion which 1 had long to make
that he would let Father Conroy
come down from town and see him.
He took it very quietly.
AFTER ALL he said, If you come
to think Of it, I suppose they must
have some grounds for their beiiefs,
and it might be interesting to hear
them
$50 Father Conroy came, and stay
ed a few days. It would make a
long story to describe to you the hes
itating, gradual way in which they
fell into talk. At first Cecil was dis
coura gingly stiff, until he found out
how unaffected and natural and with
Conroy was. He was quite surpris-
ed at being allowed freely to state
his own case without being accused
of reverence"
Eyes," said Vernon softly, filling up
a pause. "That was what astonished
me, too. Father Conroy is never
shocked at your ignorance-is he?"
mo. OF course he soon found out
that Cecil was an able thinker. He
appealed to him on that side. He
made him devour the fascination OF
theological speculation"
"Wast it not hard for man in pain
to think out such things?"
cit was much easier. He had
personal experience to guide him. He
began to grasp the notion Of a vast
universe, perfectly obedient; and of
one small grain of star-dust-'onl
little world-for short period in its
age-long history, the seat of rebel
lion He grasped the fact that to
our minds, as they are constituted,
there is something finer in the tri-
umph of the tempted than in the in
nocence of the unfallen--that the &C.
return of the prodigal is in essential
harmony with our own thought, that
we fight our way back to God amid
the cheers and encouragements Of
countless hosts, who cannot share
either our hardships or our subse-
quent triumph"
'T like that" said Vernon. Her
tears were falling freely. But Eve
lyn was calm, now. Her mind was
| looking back, as victorious army
upon hillside may look back, down
| to the plain where the enemy was
defeated.
ST believe it was the book Of Jot
that helped us more than anything
she said. 1--WE learned how utterly
the author of that book exploded the
old Jewish notion of rewards and
punishments; how he showed the dig.
nifty of human suffering, and put be-
fore his reader the whole case fol
Word was not in the least what yor
might have expected. He resolved
no difficulties. That is our part. He
said, in brief: L will tell you what
AM-but you are to Judge for your
self from that what My dealings with
you are likely to be. I gave yor
the power of thought, I gave you tn,
experience of previous generations.
give you the idea of Infnity which i:
the idea Of Me. Now choose fol
yourself. I do not compel you.
merely Am. Come near to Me, ant
nearer yet. The nearer you come
the clearer shall be your view. Blu
by standing and gazing at Me from
afar off, you never shall know Me-
| '.Ah, it was long, weary road, full
of windings, and places that looked
like turnings back. But we went
along it hand in hand, Cecil and I
Father Conroy never left off stand.
ing by us. He upheld and comfort
ed us, all the time. It lasted nearly
nine months. But, before the Ions
final stupor and mist Of narcotics sci
in, the work was done. Cecil had
learned an answer to the riddle o.
life; and what is more, he knew that
but for the heavy chastisement Of
| God, he never would have found it.
| Tho ting voica coaSod TIN