as some time before the little
sitting-room, with its scattered bits of work, could look bright again.

"And I sha'n't see him again till----." It gave Faith a great pang.
That "next year" she never looked at much. She would have liked a
little more of those innocent play days which had been so unexpectedly
broken off. "Next year" looked serious, as well as glad. "But it is
good for me," she said to herself. "It must be good for me, to be
reminded to live on what cannot fail. I suppose I was getting to be too
very happy."--And after a few such talks with herself Faith went
straight on, for all that appeared, as peacefully as ever, and as
cheerfully.

It was not long after this, that passing Mr. Simlins' gate one
afternoon, as she was coming home from a walk, Faith was hailed by the
farmer. She could not but stop to speak to him, and then she could not
prevent his carrying her off into the house.

"'Twont hurt you to rest a minute--and 'twont hurt _me_," said he. "Why
I haint seen you since----How long do you s'pose folks can live and not
see moonshine? Now you pull off your bonnet, and I'll tell Mrs. Hummins
to give us something good for tea."

"What would mother do for hers, Mr. Simlins?" said Faith resisting this
invitation.

"Well you can sit down anyhow, and read to me," said Mr. Simlins, who
had already taken a seat himself in preparation for it. "People can't
get along without light from one phenomenon or the other, you know,
Faith."

She took off her bonnet, and brought the Bible. "What do you want, Mr.
Simlins?" her sweet voice said meaningly.

"Fact is," said the farmer rather sorrowfully, "I s'pose I want about
everything! I don't feel to know much more'n a baby--and there aint
more'n three grains of corn to the bushel in our minister's preachin'.
I go to meetin' and come home with my head a little more like a bell
than 'twas; for there's nothing more in it but a ringin' of the words
I've heerd. Do you mind, Faith, when somebody--I don't know whether you
or I like him best--wanted me to try a new kind of farming?--you mind
it? I guess you do. It never went out o' _my_ head again, till I set
out to try;--and now I find I don't know nothin' at all how to work it!"

"What is the trouble, dear Mr. Simlins?" said Faith looking up.

The farmer hesitated, then said low and huskily, "I don't know what to
do about joinin' the church."

"The Bible says, 'If a man love God, the same is known of him,'"--Fait