red to the grasses at its marge. No unearthly voice
disturbed the tranquillity of the forest, and no unearthly presence
appeared upon the scene. The great world spirit paid no more attention
to the prone and weeping woman than to the motes, that were swimming
gaily in the sunbeams.

As for her, poor child, her life faith had been dissipated in a single
instant, and the whole fabric of her thought-world demolished in a
single crash.

What had happened to the Quaker in the lumber camp, had befallen the
gypsy in the forest. But while in his case the disappearance of faith
had been followed by a sudden eruption of evil passions, in hers a
vanished superstition had given place to a nascent spiritual life.

The seed of religious truth sown by his hand in the fertile soil of her
heart already struck its roots deep down. She did not in any full degree
comprehend his words; but that reiterated statement that "there is a
light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" had made an
indelible impression upon her mind and was destined to accomplish great
results.

As she lay crushed and desolate in her disillusionment, her mind began
of its own accord suddenly to feed upon this new hope. She could not be
said to have been reasoning, as David was doing in the cabin. Her nature
was emotional rather than intellectual, or at least her powers of reason
had never been developed. She could not therefore think her way through
these pathless regions over which she was now compelled to pass; she
could only feel her way. The thoughts which began to course through her
mind did not originate in any efforts of the will, but issued
spontaneously from the depths of her soul, and as they arose without
volition, so did they flow on until they finally became as pure and
clear as the waters of the brook by whose banks she lay.

When her emotions had expended their force and she arose, an experience
befell her which revealed the immaturity of her mind.

The idea of that "inner light" had taken complete possession of her
soul, and so when she suddenly perceived a long bright path of gold
which a beam of the setting sun had thrown along the floor of the
forest, like a shining track in the direction of the village, she
thought it had emerged from the depths of her own spirit.

Without a moment's hesitation she entered this golden highway and sped
along! Not for another instant did she regret the failure of the gypsy
god to meet her. She k