rway.

"Good-morning," he said cordially, as he rose to give his hand to his
elder. "I am glad to see you. How have things gone since I have been
away?"

But Mr. Dean seemed to have nothing special to report, and let the
preacher tell him of General Assembly, while, embarrassed and very
uncomfortable, he sat twisting his hat round and round in his big,
rough hands.

A bar of sunshine from the south window crept across the floor, and
touched the low dish of violets on the table, and then John's face,
making a sudden golden glint in his gentle dark eyes.

"Mr. Ward," the elder said, at last, opening his mouth once or twice
before he began to speak, "I have a distress on my mind. I think the
Spirit of the Lord's driven me to tell you of it."

"Are you in any trouble, my friend?" The tired look which had fallen upon
John's face as he put down his pen was gone in a moment. "I am glad,
then, I was not away any longer. I trust sickness has not come to your
family?"

"No, sir," answered the other solemnly, "not sickness of body. What does
the Good Book say to the Christian? 'He shall give his angels charge over
thee.' No, I'm mercifully preserved from sickness; for, as for me and my
house, we serve the Lord. My lumbago was bad while you was away; but it's
better, I'm thankful to say. Sickness of the soul, Mr. Ward,--that is
what is truly awful."

"I hope you are not feeling the power of Satan in doubts?" John said
anxiously. "Such sickness of the soul is indeed worse than any which can
come to the body."

"No," replied the elder, "no, my feet are fixed. I know whom I have
believed. I have entered into the hidden things of God. I am not afraid
of doubt, ever. Yet what a fearful thing doubt is, Brother Ward!"

"It is, indeed," John replied humbly. "Through the mercy of God, I have
never known its temptation. He has kept me from ever questioning truth."

"What a terrible thing it would be," said Mr. Dean, beginning to forget
his awkwardness, "if doubt was to grow up in any heart, or in any family,
or in any church! I've sometimes wondered if, of late, you had given us
enough sound doctrine in the pulpit, sir? The milk of the Word we can get
out of the Bible for ourselves, but doctrines, they ain't to be found in
Holy Writ as they'd ought to be preached."

John looked troubled. He knew the rebuke was merited. "I have feared
my sermons were, as you say, scarcely doctrinal enough. Yet I have
instructed you these six yea