e. It
seems to me that as long as we slip along, and live decent, respectable
lives, that is all that is required. God is merciful, isn't He? He
won't require too much of us.'

'"What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy
God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve the Lord thy
God with all thy heart and with all thy soul?"'

I repeated this verse rather slowly, adding,--

'I don't think many of us can say we come up to God's requirements,
Captain Gates. "God will put up with a great many things in the human
heart, but there is one thing He will not put up with in it--a second
place." He who offers God a second place offers Him no place. I think
that has been very truly said; don't you think so?'

'Well, I must plead guilty, of course, when you bring up a verse like
that,' he responded lightly; 'but that is an impossible standard to set
up for us poor human mortals.'

'Yes,' I said, after a minute's silence, 'judging us from that
standard, we have all failed. We are "condemned already." I don't
believe, Captain Gates, that we can ever be in real earnest about
having our souls saved till we realize our condemnation. The verse
that made me miserable was this one: "He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."'

'Were you ever an unbeliever, then?' and Captain Gates looked at me
curiously as he spoke.

'Of course I believed _about_ Jesus Christ,' I replied in a low voice,
'but I didn't believe _in_ Him. I hadn't come to Him and accepted my
pardon at His hands. I didn't understand that, however good I might
try to be, I could never expect to enter heaven unless I was washed and
cleansed by Him.'

There was silence, and I was afraid I had been too outspoken. Then, as
we were passing a bush, with the most lovely honeysuckle at the top of
it, I stopped and asked him if he would get me some.

This he willingly did, and as he handed me some beautiful sprays of it
said,--

'There is no uncertain sound about your preaching, Miss Thorn. I
believe you could do something with me if you were to try, but your
doctrines are strange to me, and it will take me some time to get
reconciled to them. You must take me in hand; will you?'

I looked up, and our eyes met. Again I wondered if he were sincere.

'I think you will find all you need in the Bible,' I said; and then I
changed the conversation.

A few minutes after we met so