Elder Broder. Ve are of de
same family. If He existed before de vorld, why not ve? Dat's right,
isn't it?"

"But couldn't Christ have been the only one who had a pre-existence? I
believe something is said in your book about the Savior being the only
begotten of the Father."

"Yes, in de flesh; dat is true, but God is de Fader of all spirits who
have come to dis world to take a body. I can find you many passages to
prove it."

"Well, I have never thought of these things before, but it must be true
if the Bible means what it says. That's a grand principle, Mr. Janson."

"It certainly is, Mr. Ames. Many people object to it; but I cannot see,
if we are to exist in a spiritual state after we leave this body, why we
could not have existed before we entered it--but Signe, here, is the
preacher. Her only trouble is with the w's and th's. She can't get them
right yet."

Signe smiled. "No, Mr. Ames, I'm no preacher. It's all so plain to me.
De Bible says ve have a Fader in heaven, and I believe it. I also
believe ve have 'a moder der,' as de song says. I can't prove it from de
book, but I just use my reason on dat."

It was a new experience for Rupert to hear a fair lady expound such
doctrine. The whole thing charmed him, both the speaker and that which
was spoken. A new light seemed to dawn upon him. What if this life was
but a school, anyway, into which eternal souls were being sent to be
proved, to be taught.

"Have you any other quotations on the subject?

"Oh, yes; it is full," said she. "When you get time read Heb. 12:9,
Jer. 1:4-5, Eph. 1:3-5 and John 9:1-3. I do not remember more now."

Rupert took them down, and read them that night before he went to bed.
And each day he saw a new horizon; and the sweet-faced Norwegian was not
the least factor in this continued change of mental vision. "God bless
her," he said to himself, "God has sent her to me for a purpose;" and he
began to add to his prayers that he might so live that he would be
worthy of the blessings which, seemingly, were coming his way.

IX.

"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being
alone"--_James 2:17._

Chamogo Valley lies on the edge of the great arid region of America. At
the time of Rupert Ames' arrival in the valley, full crops were never
certain, and during some years, rain was so scarce that there were no
crops at all. The Chicago real estate dealer who had sold Mr. Janson his
land had not enlightened him on this