e allegory business, it is very simple. What I said was
this,--'The Bible is full of allegory.' I did not say, 'The Bible is
allegory.' I said the Bible is full of allegory, and so it is. The
parables, for instance,--what are they? Do you see the
difference?--But it is really more serious about poor little Hattie
Simpson. As the twins told you, her parents are atheists. Her father
is a loud-voiced, bragging, boastful, coarse-hearted fellow. Hattie
herself does not know what her parents believe, and what they do not.
She simply follows blindly after them. She thinks she is an eyesore in
Mount Mark because of it. She resents it bitterly, but she feels the
only decent thing for her to do is to stand by her folks. Let me tell
you about our conversation. I tried to make friends with her, for I
truly pity her. She has no friends, she slinks about as though
constantly ashamed of herself. She trusts no one, herself least of
all. I tried to draw her out, and with partial success. She told me
how she feels about it all. I said, 'Hattie, won't you let some
one--some minister, who knows how--tell you about Christianity, and
explain to you what Christians really believe?' 'No,' she said
passionately, 'I'll stand by my folks.' Then I saw she was not ready
yet. I said, 'Well, perhaps it is just as well for the present, for
you are too young now to take any definite stand for yourself. It is
true,' I told her, 'that many church members are not Christians, and
are bad immoral people,--as your father says. They are not Christians.
And it is true that many outside of the church are good moral
people,--but they are not Christians, either.' And then I said, 'Don't
worry your head just now about whether people are Catholics or Jews or
Protestants, or what they are. Just try to love everybody, and try to
grow up to be such a sweet, kind, loving woman that you will be a
blessing to the world. And what is more,' I said, 'do not puzzle your
head now about why some believe the Bible, and some do not. Just wait.
When you are older, you shall go into things for yourself, and make
your own decision.'"

Prudence nodded. "I think you were very sweet about it," she said.

"I wanted to win her confidence in the hope that some time, a little
later, I myself may show her what Christ is to us, and why we love the
Bible. But I did fight shy of the real point, for fear I might anger
her and put a barrier between us. I just tried