CHAPTER XXVIII

The owlet loves the gloom of night, The lark salutes the day, The timid dove will coo at hand-- But falcons soar away. --_Song in Duo_.

In a country settled, like these states, by a people who fled their native land and much-loved firesides, victims of consciences and religious zeal, none of the decencies and solemnities of a Christian death are dispensed with, when circumstances will admit of their exercise. The good woman of the house was a strict adherent to the forms of the church to which she belonged; and having herself been awakened to a sense of her depravity, by the ministry of the divine who harangued the people of the adjoining parish, she thought it was from his exhortations only that salvation could be meted out to the short-lived hopes of Henry Wharton. Not that the kind-hearted matron was so ignorant of the doctrines of the religion which she professed, as to depend, theoretically, on mortal aid for protection; but she had, to use her own phrase, "sat so long under the preaching of good Mr.----," that she had unconsciously imbibed a practical reliance on his assistance, for that which her faith should have taught her could come from the Deity alone. With her, the consideration of death was at all times awful, and the instant that the sentence of the prisoner was promulgated, she dispatched Caesar, mounted on one of her husband's best horses, in quest of her clerical monitor. This step had been taken without consulting either Henry or his friends; and it was only when the services of Caesar were required on some domestic emergency, that she explained the nature of his absence. The youth heard her, at first, with an unconquerable reluctance to admit of such a spiritual guide; but as our view of the things of this life becomes less vivid, our prejudices and habits cease to retain their influence; and a civil bow of thanks was finally given, in requital for the considerate care of the well-meaning woman.

1. What does the owlet love?
2. What does the lark salute?
3. What will the dove do?
4. Is the dove shy?
5. What does the falcon do?
6. What was the woman of the house?
7. Did she belong to the church?
8. What happened to her?
9. By who?
10. Who did what?
11. What did she think?
12. To what?
13. Was she cold hearted?
14. What was she?
15. What was the thought of death to her?
16. All the time?
17. What happened when the prisoner's sentence was made known?
18. In search of what?
19. What was he riding?
20. Was it his worst horse?
1. the gloom of night
2. the day
3. coo at hand
4. Yes
5. soar away
6. a strict adherent to the forms of the church
7. Yes
8. She was awakened to a sense of her depravity
9. by the ministry of the divine
10. harangued the people of the adjoining parish
11. That it was from his exhortations only that salvation could be meted out
12. The short-lived hopes of Henry Wharton.
13. No
14. kind-hearted
15. awful
16. Yes
17. she dispatched Caesar
18. her clerical monitor.
19. one of her husband's horses
20. No