ered, but articulate,

'What's the good when you don't know whether there's a God at all?'

''Deed, that's verra true, Mr. Ericson,' returned Robert. 'I wish ye wad
fin' oot an' tell me. I wad be blithe to hear what ye had to say anent
it--gin it was ay, ye ken.'

Ericson went on murmuring, but inarticulately now.

'This won't do at all, Robert, my boy,' said Dr. Anderson. 'You must not
talk about such things with him, or indeed about anything. You must keep
him as quiet as ever you can.'

'I thocht he was comin' till himsel',' returned Robert. 'But I will tak
care, I assure ye, doctor. Only I'm feared I may fa' asleep the nicht,
for I was dooms sleepy this mornin'.'

'I will send Johnston as soon as I get home, and you must go to bed when
he comes.'

''Deed, doctor, that winna do at a'. It wad be ower mony strange faces
a'thegither. We'll get Mistress Fyvie to luik till 'im the day, an'
Shargar canna work the morn, bein' Sunday. An' I'll gang to my bed for
fear o' doin' waur, though I doobt I winna sleep i' the daylicht.'

Dr. Anderson was satisfied, and went home--cogitating much. This boy,
this cousin of his, made a vortex of good about him into which whoever
came near it was drawn. He seemed at the same time quite unaware of
anything worthy in his conduct. The good he did sprung from some inward
necessity, with just enough in it of the salt of choice to keep it from
losing its savour. To these cogitations of Dr. Anderson, I add that
there was no conscious exercise of religion in it--for there his mind
was all at sea. Of course I believe notwithstanding that religion had
much, I ought to say everything, to do with it. Robert had not yet found
in God a reason for being true to his fellows; but, if God was leading
him to be the man he became, how could any good results of this leading
be other than religion? All good is of God. Robert began where he could.
The first table was too high for him; he began with the second. If a
man love his brother whom he hath seen, the love of God whom he hath
not seen, is not very far off. These results in Robert were the first
outcome of divine facts and influences--they were the buds of the fruit
hereafter to be gathered in perfect devotion. God be praised by those
who know religion to be the truth of humanity--its own truth that sets
it free--not binds, and lops, and mutilates it! who see God to be
the father of every human soul--the ideal Father, not an inventor of
schemes,