country, because religion is now universally respected by all people of
good sense and refinement, even by those who do not follow it; and
anything like an open attack upon Christianity, in a mixed company,
would be frowned upon by society as being ungentlemanly and in bad
taste. But it was not so in Frederick's court, where a profession of
infidel opinions was almost held to be an essential in one who would
make any pretension to intellectual acuteness. And the old officer knew
this well. He knew the scorn which would glare upon him from the eyes
of the other guests. He expected nothing but sneering pity, where such
sentiments as his own could not be visited with a severer penalty. But
he did not hang back through fear of man. He could say, as David says
in the Psalms, `I will speak of thy testimonies even before kings, and
will not be ashamed.' Was he not a true moral hero, dear Walter?"

"An out-and-out one, dear aunt," was his reply. "But what did the king
say to this?"

"The king behaved on this occasion like a king and a man. Poor king, he
was not without a heart that could, at times, feel as it ought to do.
He at once turned to the faithful old servant of the great Master, and,
checking all attempts at ridicule or retort in the other guests, assured
him that he thoroughly respected and appreciated his feelings and
motives and his present conduct, and that never again would he himself
say anything against the old man's faith nor his Saviour while he was
by, nor would he suffer any who might be with him to do so."

"Hip, hip, hurrah!" said Walter. "The old man got the best of it after
all; and so will my brother Amos here, spite of his having such an
unworthy coward of a brother as poor Walter. But you have another
example for us, auntie; nothing like knocking the nail on the head. I
feel better already, and mean to be a perfect moral lion for bravery in
future; at least I hope so."

"I hope so too, Walter," said his aunt with a smile. "I will give you,
then, one other instance of the same sort of moral courage, but taken
from quite a different country, and occurring in our own days; and then
I think we shall have had lessons enough for to-night. My hero this
time is an American, and a young man too.

"You will have heard of the remarkable revival which took place in that
country, I mean in the United States, some few years since. Of course,
at such seasons there will be a mixture of good and e