had sunk into silence.

"Who is she?"

No one in the congregation could tell; but many surmised that she must be
some young postulant of St. Rosalie, just beginning, or about to begin,
her novitiate.

At length the pale priest passed into the pulpit, and, amid a breathless
silence of expectancy, gave out his text:

"GOD IS LOVE."

A truth revealed to us by the Divine Saviour, and confirmed to our hearts
by the teachings of His Holy Spirit.

The preacher spoke of the divine love, "never enough believed, or known,
or asked," yet the source of all our life, light and joy; he spoke of
human love, a derivative from the divine, in all its manifestations of
family affection, social friendship, charity to the needy, forgiveness
of enemies.

And while he spoke of love, "the greatest good in the world," his tones
were full, sweet, deep and tender, his pale face radiant, his manner
affectionate, persuasive, winning.

He was listened to with rapt attention, and even when he had brought his
sermon to a close, and his eloquent voice had ceased, his hearers still,
for a few moments, sat motionless under the spell he had wrought upon
them.

As soon as the benediction had been pronounced, the abbess arose from her
seat in the choir, drew the arm of her still feeble guest within her own,
and, followed by her nuns, walking slowly in pairs, left the choir.

She took Salome to the door of her room in perfect silence, and would
have left her there but that the girl stopped her by saying:

"Holy mother, I wish to speak to you, if you can give me a few minutes,
before we go to the refectory."

"Surely, my daughter," answered the abbess, kindly, as she followed her
guest into the chamber.

"Sit down in the easy-chair, good mother," said Salome, drawing the soft,
white-cushioned seat toward her.

"No, sit you there, poor child," answered the abbess, taking her guest
kindly and seating her in the easy-chair. "I shall be well enough here,"
she added, as she sat down on one of the painted, wooden seats. "Now,
tell me what you wish to say, daughter," she concluded.

"Dear mother, I have been very deeply interested in Father F. this
morning."

"You should be interested in the message only, not in the messenger, my
child," gravely replied the elder lady.

"In the message alone I believe I was most concerned; but the message was
most eloquently delivered by the messenger," said Salome, as her pale
cheeks flushed.

"Well, my dau