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e　would　lie　before　her；　〃I　think　it　would　break　his　heart！〃　　Charles　Osmond　felt　his　breath　come　fast　and　hard　at　the　mere　thought　of　such　a　difference　between　the　father　and　daughter！　　Could　human　strength　possibly　be　equal　to　such　a　terrible　trial？　　For　these　two　were　everything　to　each　other。　　Erica　worshipped　her　father；　and　Raeburn's　fatherhood　was　the　truest；　deepest；　tenderest　part　of　his　character。　　No；　human　strength　could　not　do　it；　but

〃I　am；　nyle　ye　drede！〃

His　eye　fell　on　a　little　illuminated　scroll　above　his　mantelpiece；　Wycliff's　rendering　of　Christ's　reassuring　words　to　the　fearful　disciples。　　Yes；　with　the　revelation　of　Himself；　He　would　give　the　strength；　make　it　possible　to　dread　nothing；　not　even　the　infliction　of　grief　to　one's　nearest　and　dearest。　　Much　pain；　much　sacrifice　there　would　be　in　his　service；　but　dreadnever。　　The　strength　of　the　〃I　am；〃　bade　it　forever　cease。　　In　that　strength　the　weakest　could　conquer。

But　he　had　wondered　on　into　a　dim　future；　had　pictured　a　struggle　which　in　all　probability　would　not　take　place。　　Even　were　that　the　case；　however；　he　needed　these　words　of　assurance　all　the　more　himself。　　They　wove　themselves　into　his　reverie　as　he　paced　to　an　fro；　they　led　him　further　and　further　away　from　perplexed　surmises　as　to　the　future　of　Raeburn　and　Erica；　but　closer　to　their　souls；　because　they　took　him　straight　to　the　〃God　and　father　of　all；　who　is　above　all；　and　through　all；　and　in　all。〃

The　next　morning　as　he　was　preparing　a　sermon　for　the　following　Sunday；　there　came　a　knock　at　his　study　door。　　His　brother　came　in。　　He　was　a　fine　looking　man　of　two　or　three…and…fifty。

〃I　can't　stay；〃　he　said；　〃I've　a　long　round；　but　I　just　looked　in　to　tell　you　about　your　little　heretic。〃

Charles　Osmond　looked　up　anxiously。

〃It　is　as　you　thought；〃　continued　his　brother。　　〃Slight　curvature　of　the　spine。　　She's　a　brave　little　thing；　I　don't　wonder　you　are　interested　in　her。〃

〃It　means　a　long　rest；　I　suppose？〃

〃Yes；　I　told　her　a　year　in　a　recumbent　posture；　for　I　fancy　she　is　one　of　those　restless　beings　who　will　do　nothing　at　all　unless　you　are　pretty　plain　with　them。　　It　is　possible　that　six　or　eight　months　may　be　sufficient。〃

〃How　did　she　take　it？〃　

〃Oh；　in　the　pluckiest　way　you　can　conceive！　　Tried　to　laugh　at　the　prospect；　wanted　me　to　measure　her　to　see　how　much　she　grew　in　the　time；　and　said　she　should　expect　at　least　three　inches　to　reward　her。〃

〃A　Raeburn　could　hardly　be　deficient　in　courage。　　Luke　Raeburn　is　without　exception　the　bravest　man　I　ever　met。〃

〃And　I'd　back　his　daughter　against　any　woman　I　know；〃　said　the　doctor。

He　left　the　room；　but　the　news　he　had　brought　caused　a　long　pause　in　his　brother's　sermon。


CHAPTER　XII。　Raeburn's　Homecoming

He　is　a　man　both　loving　and　severe；　A　tender　heart；　a　will　inflexible。　　Longfellow

Luke　Raeburn　had　been　lecturing　in　one　of　the　large　manufacturing　towns。　　It　was　the　hottest　part　of　a　sultry　day　in　June。　　He　was　returning　home；　and　sat　in　a　broiling　third…class　carriage　reading　a　paper。　　Apparently　what　he　read　was　the　reverse　of　gratifying　for　there　was　a　look　of　annoyance　on　his　usually　serene　face；　he　was　displeased　with　the　report　of　his　lecture　given　in　the　local　papers；　it　was　calculated　to　mislead　very　greatly。

Other　matters；　too；　were　harassing　him　just　then　and　he　was；　moreover；　paying　the　penalty　of　his　two　years'　campaign；　in　which　his　almost　superhuman　exertions　and　the　privations　he　had　voluntarily　endured　had　told　severely　upon　his　health。　　Possessed　of　a　singularly　well…regulated　mind；　and　having　in　an　unusual　degree　the　inestimable　gift　of　common　sense；　he　nevertheless　often　failed　to　use　it　in　his　personal　affairs。　　He　had　no　idea　of　sparing　himself；　no　idea　of　husbanding　his　strength；　this　was　indeed　great；　but　he　treated　himself　as　if　it　were　inexhaustible。　　The　months　of　trouble　had　turned　his　hair　quite　white；　he　was　now　a　more　noticeable…looking　man　than　ever。

Not　unfrequently　he　made　friends　with　the　men　with　whom　he　traveled；　he　was　always　studying　life　from　the　workingman's　point　of　view；　and　there　was　such　a　charm　in　his　genial　manner　and　ready　sympathy　that　he　invariably　succeeded　in　drawing　people　out。　　But　on　this　day　he　was　not　in　the　humor　for　it；　instead；　he　thought　over　the　abusive　article　and　the　mangled　report　in　the　〃Longstaff　Mercury；〃　and　debated　within　himself　whether　it　were　worth　an　action　for　libel。　　His　love　of　fighting　said　yes；　his　common　sense　said　no；　and　in　the　end　common　sense　won　the　day；　but　left　him　doubly　depressed。　　He　moved　to　the　shady　side　of　the　carriage　and　looked　out　of　the　window。　　He　was　a　great　lover　of　Nature；　and　Nature　was　looking　her　loveliest　just　then。　　The　trees；　in　all　the　freshness　of　early　June；　lifted　their　foliage　to　the　bluest　of　skies；　the　meadows　were　golden　with　buttercups；　the　cattle　grazed　peacefully；　the　hay　fields　waved　unmown　in　the　soft　summer　air；　which；　though　sparing　no　breath　for　the　hot　and　dusty　traveler；　was　yet　strong　enough　to　sweep　over　the　tall　grasses　in　long；　undulating　waves　that　made　them　shimmer　in　the　sunlight。

Raeburn's　face　grew　serene　once　more；　he　had　a　very　quick　perception　of　the　beautiful。　　Presently　he　retired　again　behind　a　newspaper；　this　time　the　〃Daily　Review；〃　and　again　his　brow　grew　stern；　for　there　was　bad　news　from　the　seat　of　war；　he　read　the　account　of　a　great　battle；　read　the　numbers　of　his　slain　countrymen；　and　of　those　who　had　fallen　on　the　enemy's　side。　　It　was　an　unrighteous　war；　and　his　heart　burned　within　him　at　the　thought　of　the　inhuman　havoc　thus　caused　by　a　false　ambition。　　Again；　as　if　he　were　fated　that　day　to　be　confronted　with　the　dark　side　of　life；　the　papers　gave　a　　long　account　of　a　discovery　made　in　some　charity　school；　where　young　children　had　been　hideously　ill…treated。　　Raeburn；　who　was　the　most　fatherly　of　men；　could　hardly　restrain　the　expression　of　his　righteous　indignation。　　All　this　mismanagement；　this　reckless　waste　of　life；　this　shameful　cruelty；　was　going　on　in　what　was　called　〃Free　England。〃　　And　here　was　he；　a　middle…aged　man；　and　time　was　passing　on　with　frightful　rapidity；　and　though　he　had　never　lost　an　opportunity　of　lifting　up　his　voice　against　oppression；　how　little　had　he　actually　accomplished！

〃So　many　worlds；　so　much　to　do；　So　little　done；　such　things　to　be！〃

That　was　the　burden　of　the　unuttered　cry　which　filled　his　whole　being。　　That　was　the　point　where　his　atheism　often　brought　him　to　a　noble　despair。　　But　far　from　prompting　him　to　repeat　the　maxim　〃Let　us　eat　and　drink；　for　tomorrow　we　die！〃　it　spurred　him　rather　to　a　sort　of　fiery　energy；　never　satisfied　with　what　it　had　accomplished。　　Neither　the　dissatisfaction；　however；　nor　even　the　despair　ever　made　him　feel　the　need　of　any　power　above　man。　　On　the　contrary；　the　unaccountable　mystery　of　pain　and　evil　was　his　strongest　argument　against　the　existence　of　a　God。　　Upon　that　rock　he　had　foundered　as　a　mere　boy；　and　no　argument　had　ever　been　able　to　reconvince　　him。　　Impatience　of　present　ill　had　in　this；　as　in　many　other　cases；　proved　the　bane　of　his　life。

He　would　write　and　speak　about　these　cases　of　injustice；　he　would　hold　them　up　to　the　obloquy　they　so　richly　deserved。

Scathing　sentences　already　took　shape　in　his　brain；　but　deeper　investigation　would　be　necessary　before　he　could　write　anything。　　In　the　meantime　to　cool　himself；　to　bring　himself　into　a　judicial　frame　of　mind；　he　took　a　Hebrew　book　from　his　bag；　and　spent　the　rest　of　the　journey　in　hard　study。

Harassed；　and　tired；　and　out　of　spirits　as　he　was；　he　nevertheless　felt　a　certain　pleasurable　sensation　as　he　left　St。　Pancras；　driving　homeward　through　the　hot　crowded　streets。　Erica　would　be　waiting　for　him　at　home；　and　he　had　a　comparatively　leisure　afternoon。　　There　was　the　meeting　on　the　Opium　Trade　at　eight；　but　he　might　take　her　for　a　turn　in　one　of　the　parks　beforehand。　　She　had　always　been　a　companion　to　him　since　her　very　babyhood；　but　now　he　was　able　to　enjoy　her　companionship　even　more　than　in　the　olden　times。　　Her　keen　intellect；　her　ready　sympathy；　her　eagerness　to　learn；　made　her　the　perfection　of　a　disciple；　while　not　unnaturally　he　delighted　in　tracing　the　many　similarities　of　character　between　himself　and　his　child。　　Then；　too；　in　his　hard；　argumentative；　fighting　life　it　was　an　unspeakable　relief　to　be　able　to　retire　every　now　and　then　into　a　home　which　no　outer　storms　could　shake　or　disturb。　　Fond　as　he　was　of　his　sister；　Mrs。　Craigie；　and　Tom；　they　constituted　rather　the　innermost　circle　of　his　friends　and　followers；　it　was　Erica　who　made　the　HOME；　though　the　others　shared　the　house。　　It　was　to　Erica's　pure　child…like　devotion　that　he　invariably　turned　for　comfort。

Dismissing　the　cab　at　the　corner　of　Guilford　Square；　he　walked　down　the　dreary　little　passage；　looking　up　at　the　window　to　see　if　she　were　watching　for　him　as　usual。　　But　today　there　was　no　expectant　face；　he　recollected；　however；　that　it　was　Thursday；　always　a　busy　day　with　them。

He　opened　the　door　with　his　latch　key；　and　went　in；　still　there　was　no　sound　in　the　house；　he　half　paused　for　an　instant；　thinking　that　he　should　certainly　hear　her　quick　footsteps；　the　opening　of　a　door；　some　sign　of　welcome；　but　all　was　as　silent　as