ce where there would be
abundant water for the cattle. The country was dry in many places."

"But it says he was baptizing there because there was much water there,"
said Dorothy.

"That simply means that he did his baptizing in that section because of
the abundance of the water for the cattle," insisted Sterling.

"What is your reason, Mr. Sterling," asked Dorothy, "for saying it was
the cattle that John had in mind?"

"You mentioned the passage as indicating immersion," continued Sterling,
"and I replied that the mention of much water did not necessarily prove
immersion, because it may have had reference to the cattle rather than
to the mode of the baptism. And besides, the dryness of that Oriental
country is another fact that indicates that John selected the place for
watering the cattle."

"But is it necessary to have a place of much water in order to water
cattle?" asked Dorothy. "Would not a small stream be sufficient for many
cattle?"

"Come, come, children," said the father, "why not take the words as you
find them? By the way, did John do anything for the crowds except
baptize them?"

"Oh, yes," said Sterling, "he was a great preacher for the crowds. That
was his principal work. Baptism was a very small and almost
insignificant part of it. They did not make the ado about it then that
certain sects do now."

"Exactly; that is what I am getting at. You say preaching was the main
thing John was doing. I should think, then, that if it was the cattle
that made him select the place, it would have read 'John was preaching
at Aenon because there was much water there'. But it says he was
baptizing there, and that would indicate that the baptizing part of his
work brought him to that place. He could have preached where there was
not much water. You think, Sterling, that his baptizing had nothing to
do with his selecting that place. Why, then, did it say he was baptizing
there because of the much water? It looks mighty plain to me that the
baptizing was mentioned because of the much water."

Dorothy was puzzled.

"I don't see how I am ever to get at the meaning of the Bible," she
said, "if I am not to take what seems to be the natural meaning of the
passages, but must rather suppose that something else was intended."

"Evidently we can't agree on that verse," said Sterling with a smile.
"Let us have another, Miss Dorothy."

"Here is a passage, Acts 8:35-39: 'Then Philip opened his mouth and
began at the sa