p theological mystery.

"Well, I don't know but he was," said Moses; "but sharks that we catch
never eat any more, I'll bet you."

"Oh, Moses, did you see any icebergs?"

"Icebergs! yes; we passed right by one,--a real grand one."

"Were there any bears on it?"

"Bears! No; we didn't see any."

"Captain Kittridge says there are white bears live on 'em."

"Oh, Captain Kittridge," said Moses, with a toss of superb contempt; "if
you're going to believe all _he_ says, you've got your hands full."

"Why, Moses, you don't think he tells lies?" said Mara, the tears
actually starting in her eyes. "I think he is _real_ good, and tells
nothing but the truth."

"Well, well, you are young yet," said Moses, turning away with an air of
easy grandeur, "and only a girl besides," he added.

Mara was nettled at this speech. First, it pained her to have her
child's faith shaken in anything, and particularly in her good old
friend, the Captain; and next, she felt, with more force than ever she
did before, the continual disparaging tone in which Moses spoke of her
girlhood.

"I'm sure," she said to herself, "he oughtn't to feel so about girls and
women. There was Deborah was a prophetess, and judged Israel; and there
was Egeria,--she taught Numa Pompilius all his wisdom."

But it was not the little maiden's way to speak when anything thwarted
or hurt her, but rather to fold all her feelings and thoughts inward, as
some insects, with fine gauzy wings, draw them under a coat of horny
concealment. Somehow, there was a shivering sense of disappointment in
all this meeting with Moses. She had dwelt upon it, and fancied so much,
and had so many things to say to him; and he had come home so
self-absorbed and glorious, and seemed to have had so little need of or
thought for her, that she felt a cold, sad sinking at her heart; and
walking away very still and white, sat down demurely by her
grandfather's knee.

"Well, so my little girl is glad grandfather's come," he said, lifting
her fondly in his arms, and putting her golden head under his coat, as
he had been wont to do from infancy; "grandpa thought a great deal about
his little Mara."

The small heart swelled against his. Kind, faithful old grandpa! how
much more he thought about her than Moses; and yet she had thought so
much of Moses. And there he sat, this same ungrateful Moses, bright-eyed
and rosy-cheeked, full of talk and gayety, full of energy and vigor, as
ignorant as p