"
"They have neither suffered," he continued, "from the corrosion of
time nor the asceticism of a devotee, who vainly thought she was
serving God by voluntarily withdrawing from a world into which he
himself had sent her, and by foregoing duties which he had expressly
ordained she should fulfil. Don't start at the sight of the cross; it
is the emblem of Christianity, and not of a sect, who claim it
exclusively, as if He who suffered on it died for them only. This one
has hitherto been used in the negation of all human affections, may it
shed a blessing on the exercise of yours."
I could hardly believe my ears; I didn't expect this of him. I knew he
was romantic, and all that; but I did not think there was such a depth
and strength of feeling in him.
"I wish," I said, "Jehu Judd could a heard you, Doctor, he would have
seen the difference between the clear grit of the genuine thing and a
counterfeit, that might have made him open his eyes and wink."
"Oh! Slick," said he, "come now, that's a good fellow, don't make me
laugh, or I shall upset these glass cases;" and before Jessie could
either accept or decline this act of gallantry, he managed to lead the
way to the lake. The girls and I embarked in the canoe, and the rest
of the party in the boat, but before I stepped into the bark, I hid
the pipes of Peter behind the body of the moose, very much to the
amusement of Jessie and the doctor, who both seemed to agree with me
in giving a preference to the bugle.
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