rative must stand for many whom I have known and loved, and some
of whom I count to-day among my most valued friends. I hope the best and
wisest of them will like this story and approve it. If they cannot all
do this, I know they will recognize it as having been written with a
right and honest purpose.

BOSTON, 1867.

PREFACE TO THE NEW EDITION.

It is a quarter of a century since the foregoing Preface was written,
and that is long enough to allow a story to be forgotten by the public,
and very possibly by the writer of it also. I will not pretend that I
have forgotten all about "The Guardian Angel," but it is long since
I have read it, and many of its characters and incidents are far from
being distinct in my memory. There are, however, a few points which hold
their place among my recollections. The revolt of Myrtle Hazard from the
tyranny of that dogmatic dynasty now breaking up in all directions has
found new illustrations since this tale was written. I need only refer
to two instances of many. The first is from real life. Mr. Robert
C. Adams's work, "Travels in Faith from Tradition to Reason," is the
outcome of the teachings of one of the most intransigeant of our New
England Calvinists, the late Reverend Nehemiah Adams. For an example in
fiction,--fiction which bears all the marks of being copied from real
life,--I will refer to "The Story of an African Farm." The boy's honest,
but terrible outburst, "I hate God," was, I doubt not, more acceptable
in the view of his Maker than the lying praise of many a hypocrite who,
having enthroned a demon as Lord of the Universe, thinks to conciliate
his favor by using the phrases which the slaves of Eastern despots are
in the habit of addressing to their masters. I have had many private
letters showing the same revolt of reasoning natures against doctrines
which shock the more highly civilized part of mankind in this nineteenth
century and are leading to those dissensions which have long shown as
cracks, and are fast becoming lines of cleavage in some of the largest
communions of Protestantism.

The principle of heredity has been largely studied since this story
was written. This tale, like "Elsie Venner," depends for its deeper
significance on the ante-natal history of its subject. But the story
was meant to be readable for those who did not care for its underlying
philosophy. If it fails to interest the reader who ventures upon it,
it may find a place on an unfrequ