w
can we ever endure it, the shame, the disgrace, the horrid explanations,
our name, the _Erskine_ name, on everybody's lips, common loafers
sneering at us? And then to have the family changed; myself to be only a
back figure; a mother who is not, and never _was_ my mother, taking my
place; and the other one-- Oh, it can not be possible that we must
endure this! There must be some other way. They are doubtless contented,
why could it not remain as it is?"

As if to answer her unspoken thoughts, Judge Erskine suddenly said:

"I have canvassed the entire subject in all its bearings, you may be
sure of that. I am living a lie. I am saying my wife is dead, when a
woman to whom before God I gave that name is living; I am saying that I
have but one child, when there is another to whom I am as certainly
father as I am to you. I am leaving them, nay, obliging them, to live a
daily lie. I have assured myself to a certainty that one sin can never
be atoned for by another sin; there is but one atonement; and the Source
of all help says, 'If we _confess_ our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins; and to cleanse us from _all_ unrighteousness.' I
know there is only one way of cleansing, daughter."

"Get thee behind me, Satan." The only perfect life gave that sentence
once, not alone for Himself; thank God he has many a time since enabled
his weak children of the flesh to repeat it in triumph. The grace came
then and there to Ruth Erskine. She rose up from her chair, and going
over to her father did what she had never remembered doing in her life
before. She bent down and wound both arms around his neck and kissed
him. Her voice was low and steady:

"Father, don't let this, or anything earthly, stand between you and
Christ. You are not a sinner above all others. It is only the
interposing hand of God that has kept me from taking sinful vows upon my
lips. Let us do just what is right. Send for them to come home, and I
will try to be a daughter and a sister; and I will stand by you, and
help you in every possible way. There are harder trials than ours will
be, after all."

It was his daughter who finally and utterly broke the proud, haughty
heart. Judge Erskine bowed himself before her and sobbed like a child in
the bitterness and the humiliation of his soul.

"God bless you," he said, at last, in broken utterance. "There is an
Almighty Saviour; I need nothing more than your words to convince me of
the truth of tha