It was the sacred page in a maiden's life that is read but once.

Grace had found in her lover a man who was broadminded and liberal enough to fairly consider these matters from a woman's standpoint. They freely discussed a married woman's rights and privileges, and both agreed that a wife should have an individuality after marriage as well as before. "I desired to express myself on this point before, my dear Grace," said Mr. Carrington, "because to my mind it is a mutual life, and should be a mutual development."

"It is, indeed. I have never looked at it in the right way, till the last few weeks. I used to feel that marriage was degrading rather than elevating, because it seemed as though a woman had to give up so much that really belonged to her, her name, her property, her freedom as an individual. But now I see that true marriage should bring freedom in the fullest sense of the word."

"In love there is no bondage," he replied, admiring her independent thought.

"Yes, but the world has a faint conception of love, the love that saves to the uttermost, and endures forever," said Grace.

"With such love there would be no danger of marriage degrading the individual, no need of divorce."

He spoke strongly for he felt strongly. Any one speaking from the depths of a heart-conviction, speaks with authority.

"The world needs to be lifted to a higher standard on these matters. The subject of marriage is too sacred to jest about, and people in general think it no harm to toy with the word and all that pertains to it with the utmost carelessness."

Grace was more like herself now. She was very happy in the thought that Mr. Carrington understood this as she did, but she was not a little surprised to find herself giving such free expression to her opinions.

"Indifference and laxity is the result of the trifling. My theory is that these things should be sacredly spoken of in the family, when boys and girls are growing up. That is the way my mother did," said Mr.

Carrington reverently.

"Yes, the family is more responsible than society, for it makes society," she replied, secretly touched by the allusion to his mother.

She felt more and more confidence in Mr. Carrington. It seemed surprising to find how rapidly her love for him had increased since she gave it permission to grow. She did not realize that it had been a smothered plant before, trying to live without sunshine. Now it could grow in the warmth and brightness of beautiful day.

It was early twilight when they returned. Kate was waiting for her. The joyous light in Grace's eyes, though she tried to veil it, told the story. Kate put her arms about her, saying, as she caressed the rosy cheek:

"Lilybell is bloomed at last."

CHAPTER x.x.xIV.

"Be cheerful: wipe thine eyes: Some falls are means the happier to arise.

Before the curing of a strong disease, Even in the instant of repair and health The fit is strongest; evils that take leave, On their departure most of all show evil."

--_Shakespeare._

For two days no letter came, and then Mr. Hayden received two, which he handed to the girls as he met them on the street the same evening.

"Can you spare them both?" said Kate, holding out her hand eagerly.

"Oh, yes; I am especially engaged to-night, and besides they are better together. I am rather glad for the delay. I was afraid the first one had miscarried," he replied.

The waiting had only increased their interest, and on reaching home they at once sat down to read the the two letters handed them by Mr. Hayden.

"MARLOW, October ----.

"Dear John: I suppose you, like the rest of us, are anxious to know how the patient feels after such a vigorous denial of the seven evils. It is quite necessary to know what to do at this stage.

"After the treatment for special sins, James Martin comes with bitter complaints that he is worse instead of better. He tells a doleful story of how he suffered all night; had chills and fever exactly as when he had the ague long ago; how he coughed and choked and broke out with something like measles, and was all the while so vilely sick it seemed as though he was about to die.

"As he is telling his pitiful tale, with perhaps a gleam of hatred, disgust or helpless anguish in his eyes, we are to sit calmly by and very soothingly give him the mental information that 'there is nothing to fear.'

"When he concludes his mournful story, we a.s.sure him in quiet tones that there is no occasion for alarm, as we know how to deal with these symptoms. Then, very gently and slowly, with a most self-possessed att.i.tude of mind, we talk to him mentally something after this fashion:

"'There! James Martin, it is all right. Oh, no; nothing has hurt you, nor can hurt you. You are not afraid of anything; you know there is no reality in sickness; you are not suffering any inharmony because of fear or remorse for sin. It can not be possible for you to reflect fear or remorse from your parents, or the race or your daily a.s.sociates. Neither is it possible for you to suffer from your own fear or remorse, nor mine. Remember, you are spiritual and not material, and can fear nothing. G.o.d is your intelligence, and you know that truth is all-powerful. Now, listen! You are happy, you are content, you are filled with blessed peace, 'the peace that pa.s.seth all understanding.'

You know the Lord is your shepherd. He leadeth you beside the still waters. He maketh you to lie down in green pastures _now, this moment_.

There is no future to G.o.d's promises; they are in the eternal present.

There! James Martin, a sweet ease comes to you, the burden is taken away; you are in the gentle care of Truth, which ever whispers, 'Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' Sh--h! Gently the arms enfold you, sweetly peace and love embrace you, and you are at rest; sleep if you like. Softly come sweet words of divine love to your waiting ear, 'fear not, fear not, for I am with thee.' Peace ... peace be with you, Amen.'

"This stage is called chemicalization, because our words of truth, dropped into the mind filled with error, produce a fermentation similar to the effect produced by the union of different chemicals. Sometimes the patient chemicalizes after the first treatment, in which case the second and third treatments are omitted.

"When the patient first comes to be treated, he might be likened to a last year's garden. His mind is filled with the roots and rubbish of the beliefs he has sown, and some of them are noxious weeds, deeply rooted in the mental soil.

"Cutting and keen are the words of Truth, and like a burnished plowshare, it enters the unsightly field and uproots everything in its path. We now do not mention sickness, because his mind is so unsettled and his active beliefs of disease all on the surface, so we gently soothe him into forgetfulness of his trouble, and quietly a.s.sure him there is no occasion for alarm of any kind. Thus, with the word of peace and a.s.surance we smooth the rough, uneven soil, until it is pulverized and prepared for the new seeds which are to grow and blossom into fair truth-flowers.

"To deny errors for him who believes so absolutely in them, is to dig down into the unconscious mind and rake up even the memories that are imbedded, hence his symptoms of ague, or measles or whatever beliefs he may have had.

"Because mortality dislikes to be told of its faults and consciously or unconsciously resents such telling, the violence of chemicalization only marks the degree of conscious or unconscious mental opposition, of which the bodily symptoms are the picture. There is no law for chemicalization, for some patients pa.s.s through this period without even noticing it.

"Sometimes instead of an excited feverish condition, which requires the soothing quieting thought, the patient is dull and sluggish, perhaps unconscious, as in fainting, spasms or something similar; then vigorous, rousing thoughts should be given--sharp, decisive and emphatic, as when awaking a heavy sleeper.

"When called to treat any one suffering from fever or any acute condition, we give the soothing, or peace treatment as it is sometimes called. Little children may be compared to mirrors, reflecting every thought around them. In treating them it is necessary to make the law--and the true word is always law--that they do not or can not reflect fear or belief of disease from their parents or relatives, taking pains to name each person strongly holding thoughts of fear for the little one. If it is a contagious and dangerous sickness, according to mortal thought, besides the near ones in the family, deny that any thought of fear from the neighborhood or world can be reflected upon the child or manifested in this belief of sickness.

"Sometimes children are treated entirely through the parents, that is, the parents are quieted and a.s.sured of the truth concerning their little one--that it is living in the current of infinite Love, where no fear can touch it, no sickness come near it, no pain destroy it.

"Such cases require frequent or long-continued treatments, or rather long-continued thought of the Good, mostly affirmation, for very little denial is needed to cut the chains of error from a babe. Denial is to be applied more to the parents--the denial of fear.

"If we feel at all doubtful or fearful concerning our work, we are not at one with the divine Love, and must treat ourselves before we treat the patient. Be at one with omnipotent Law, and the Law will prove itself through you. _Know_ truth and do not tamely believe it, then you may have marvelous proof of the difference between knowledge and belief, G.o.d-like understanding and blind faith.

"Mrs. Pearl very clearly answered the question which was asked concerning the meaning of Bible pa.s.sages implying eternal punishment.

"There is always punishment so long as we are in mortal belief, but it is only in mortal belief we can suffer, for the spirit made in the image and likeness of G.o.d can not suffer, neither know suffering.

"The word everlasting should be translated age-lasting, to give the original meaning. Fire is a symbol of purification, and in the language of ancient times it was customary to use strong figures of speech.

"In the fifteenth chapter of John, wherein Jesus explains about the vine and branches, what could be plainer than his ill.u.s.tration of the dead branches? 'Every branch that beareth not fruit, he taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit.'

"Every false belief is a branch that beareth not fruit, hence must be taken away and destroyed even as dead limbs are burned. Falsity or evil, being nothingness, can not exist because it is not of the real creation and is necessarily cast into the fire of purification, an ill.u.s.tration well understood at the time, since all the city refuse was taken to Gehenna, a place outside Jerusalem, where fire was always kept for the purpose of burning this waste matter.