e near my friend, and began hastily to turn over
the pages of a volume which lay before me. It contained the admirable
writings of the Rev. Robert Hall. I pettishly closed the book, and
pushed it from me.

"As I raised my head, our eyes met. He evidently read my thoughts.

"'I do not wish to lecture you, Philip, nor do I condemn you. Your
mind, in its present unawakened state, cannot understand the sublime
truths you affect to despise. The blind see not; they cannot comprehend
the light, and we are not surprised that they stumble and fall. But I
love you too well, Philip, to wish you to remain in this state of
mental darkness. Read the Bible with the eyes of faith; think and pray,
and the true light will dawn upon your soul, as it has on mine. Let not
the ravings of fanaticism, nor the vulgarity of low cant, frighten you
from the enjoyment of the highest and noblest privilege granted to
man--the capacity of holding converse with his God. And, now, farewell,
my dear friend. I shall see you again in the morning; think over twice
what I have said to you before you go to sleep.'

"I retired to my chamber, but not to rest. I sat before the fire,
musing over, and trying to feel an interest in, the advice of my
friend; I knew it was good; I felt it was right and very natural, for
Cornelius, in his diseased state, to regard it as a subject of vital
importance, to cherish it as the last hope which could beguile his
mind, and reconcile him, to the awful and mysterious change which
awaited him. 'Poor Cornelius,' said I, 'dying men catch at straws! Will
your straw float you safely across the waves of the dark river? I fear
not.' And in this mood I went to bed, dreamt of Charlotte, and awoke in
the morning to regret the long years which must intervene before she
could be mine."

END OF VOL. I.

LONDON:
Printed by Shulze and Co., 13, Poland Street.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Monctons: A Novel, Volume I, by Susanna Moodie

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