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sement　for　him。　　Why；　from　a　Church　of　England　parson　it　would　make　his　fortune！　　My　dear　Osmond；　you　are　the　best　fellow　in　the　world；　but　don't　you　see　that　you　are　playing　into　the　enemy's　hands。〃

〃I　am　trying　to　speak　the　words　that　God　has　given　me　to　speak；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。　　〃The　result　I　can　well　trust　to　Him。　　An　uncomfortable　truth　will　never　be　popular。　　The　words　of　our　Lord　Himself　were　not　popular；　but　they　sunk　into　men's　hearts　and　bore　fruit；　though　He　was　put　to　death　as　a　blasphemer　and　a　revolutionary。〃

〃Well；　at　least　then；　if　you　must　take　up　the　cudgels　in　his　defense；　do　not　dishonor　the　clerical　profession　by　personal　acquaintance　with　the　man。　　I　hear　that　he　has　been　seen　actually　in　your　house；　that　you　are　even　intimate　with　his　family。〃

〃Roberts；　I　didn't　think　our　beliefs　were　so　very　different。　　In　fact；　I　used　to　think　we　were　nearer　to　each　other　on　these　points　than　most　men。　　Surely　we　both　own　the　universal　Fatherhood　of　God？〃

〃Of　course；　of　course；〃　said　Mr。　Roberts；　quickly。

〃And　owning　that；　we　cannot　help　owning　the　universal　brotherhood　of　men。　　Why　should　you　then　cut　yourself　off　from　your　brother；　Luke　Raeburn？〃

〃He's　no　brother　of　mine！〃　said　Mr。　Roberts；　in　a　tone　of　disgust。

Charles　Osmond　smiled。

〃We　do　not　choose　our　brothers；　we　have　no　voice　in　the　growth　of　the　family。　　There　they　are。〃

〃But　the　man　says　there　is　no　God。〃

〃Excuse　me；　he　has　never　said　that。　　What　he　says　is；　that　the　word　God　conveys　no　meaning　to　him。　　If　you　think　that　the　best　way　to　show　your　belief　in　the　All…Father　and　your　love　to　all　His　children　lies　in　refusing　so　much　as　to　touch　those　who　don't　know　Him；　you　are　of　course　justified　in　shunning　every　atheist　or　agnostic　in　the　world。　　But　I　do　not　think　that　the　best　way。　　It　was　not　Christ's　way。　　Therefore；　I　hail　every　possible　opportunity　of　meeting　Mr。　Raeburn　or　his　colleagues；　try　to　find　all　the　points　we　have　in　common；　try　as　far　as　possible　to　meet　them　on　their　own　ground。〃

〃And　the　result　will　be　that　people　will　call　you　an　atheist　yourself！〃　broke　in　Mr。　Roberts。

〃That　would　not　greatly　matter；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。　　〃It　would　be　a　mere　sting　for　the　moment。　　It　is　not　what　men　call　us　that　we　have　to　consider；　but　how　we　are　fulfilling　the　work　God　has　given　us　to　do。〃

〃'Pon　my　life；　it　makes　me　feel　sick　to　hear　you　talk　like　this　about　that　miserable　Raeburn！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Roberts；　hotly。　　〃I　tell　you；　Osmond；　that　you　are　ruining　your　reputation；　losing　all　chance　of　preferment；　just　because　of　this　mistaken　zeal。　　It　makes　me　furious　to　think　that　such　a　man　as　you　should　suffer　for　such　a　creature　as　Raeburn。〃

〃Have　you　forgotten　that　such　creatures　as　you　and　I　and　Luke　Raeburn　had　such　a　Saviour　as　Jesus　Christ？　　Come；　Roberts；　in　your　heart　you　know　you　agree　with　me。　　If　one　is　indeed　our　Father；　then　indeed　we　are　all　brethren。〃

〃I　do　not　hold　with　you！〃　retorted　Mr。　Roberts；　the　more　angrily　because　he　had　really　hoped　to　convince　his　friend。　　〃I　wouldn't　sit　in　the　same　room　with　the　fellow　if　you　offered　me　the　richest　living　in　England。　　I　wouldn't　shake　hands　with　him　to　be　made　an　archbishop。　　I　wouldn't　touch　him　with　a　pair　of　tongs。〃

〃Even　less　charitable　than　St。　Dunstan　to　the　devil；〃　said　Charles　Osmond；　smiling　a　little；　but　sadly。　　〃Except　in　that　old　legend；　however；　I　don't　think　Christianity　ever　mentions　tongs。　　If　you　can't　love　your　enemies；　and　pray　for　them；　and　hold　out　a　brotherly　hand　to　them；　perhaps　it　were　indeed　better　to　hold　aloof　and　keep　as　quiet　as　you　can。〃

〃It　is　clearly　impossible　for　us　to　work　together　any　longer；　Osmond；〃　said　Mr。　Roberts；　rising。　　〃I　am　sorry　that　such　a　cause　should　separate　us；　but　if　you　will　persist　in　visiting　an　outcast　of　society；　a　professed　atheist；　the　most　bitter　enemy　of　our　church；　I　cannot　allow　my　name　to　be　associated　with　yours　it　is　impossible　that　I　should　hold　office　under　you。〃

So　the　two　friends　parted。

Charles　Osmond　was　human；　and　almost　inevitably　a　sort　of　reaction　began　in　his　mind　the　instant　he　was　alone。　　He　had　lost　one　of　his　best　friends；　he　knew　as　well　as　possible　that　they　could　never　be　on　the　same　footing　as　before。　　He　had；　moreover；　lost　in　him　a　valuable　co…worker。　　Then；　too；　it　was　true　enough　that　his　defense　of　Raeburn　was　bringing　him　into　great　disfavor　with　the　religious　world；　and　he　was　a　sensitive　and　naturally　a　proud　man；　who　found　blame；　and　reproach；　and　contemptuous　disapproval　very　hard　to　bear。　　Years　of　hard　fighting；　years　of　patient　imitation　of　Christ　had　wonderfully　ennobled　him；　but　he　had　not　yet　attained　to　the　sublime　humility　which；　being　free　from　all　thought　of　self；　cares　nothing；　scarcely　even　pauses　to　think　of　the　world's　judgment；　too　absorbed　in　the　work　of　the　Highest　to　have　leisure　for　thought　of　the　lowest；　too　full　of　love　for　the　race　to　have　love　to　spare　for　self。　　To　this　ideal　he　was　struggling；　but　he　had　not　yet　reached　it；　and　the　thought　of　his　own　reputation；　his　own　feelings　would　creep　in。　　He　was　not　a　selfishly　ambitious　man；　but　every　one　who　is　conscious　of　ability；　every　one　who　feels　within　him　energies　lying　fallow　for　want　of　opportunity；　must　be　ambitious　for　a　larger　sphere　of　work。　　Just　as　he　was　beginning　to　dare　to　allow　himself　the　hope　of　some　change　in　his　work；　some　wider　field；　just　as　he　was　growing　sure　enough　of　himself　to　dare　to　accept　any　greater　work　which　might　have　been　offered　to　him；　he　must；　by　bringing　himself　into　evil　repute；　lose　every　chance　of　preferment。　　And　for　what？　　For　attempting　to　obtain　a　just　judgment　for　the　enemy　of　his　faith；　for　holding　out　a　brotherly　hand　to　a　man　who　might　very　probably　not　care　to　take　it；　for　consorting　with　those　who　would　at　best　regard　him　as　an　amiable　fanatic。　　Was　this　worth　all　it　would　cost？　　Could　the　exceedingly　problematical　gain　make　up　for　the　absolutely　certain　loss？

He　took　up　the　day's　newspaper。　　His　eye　was　at　once　attracted　to　a　paragraph　headed：　〃Mr。　Raeburn　at　Longstaff。〃　　The　report；　sent　from　the　same　source　as　the　report　in　the　〃Longstaff　Mercury；〃　which　had　so　greatly　displeased　Raeburn　that　morning；　struck　Charles　Osmond　in　a　most　unfavorable　light。　　This　bitter　opponent　of　Christianity；　this　unsparing　denouncer　of　all　that　he　held　most　sacred；　THIS　was　the　man　for　whom　he　was　sacrificing　friendship；　reputation；　advancement。　　A　feeling　of　absolute　disgust　rose　within　him。　　For　a　moment　the　thought　came：　〃I　can't　have　any　more　to　do　with　the　man。〃

But　he　was　too　honest　not　to　detect　almost　at　once　his　own　Pharisaical；　un…Christlike　spirit。

〃Look　not　every　man　on　his　own　things；　but　every　man　also　on　the　things　of　others。　　Let　this　mind　be　in　you　which　was　also　in　Christ　Jesus。〃

He　had　been　selfishly　consulting　his　own　happiness；　his　own　ease。　　Worse　still；　he；　of　all　men　in　the　world；　had　dared　to　set　himself　up　as　too　virtuous　forsooth　to　have　anything　to　do　with　an　atheist。　　Was　that　the　mind　which　was　in　Christ？　　Was　He　a　strait…laced；　self…righteous　Pharisee；　too　good；　too　religious　to　have　anything　to　say　to　those　who　disagreed　with　Him？　　Did　He　not　live　and　die　for　those　who　are　yet　enemies　to　God？　　Was　not　the　work　of　reconciliation　the　work　he　came　for？　　Did　He　calculate　the　loss　to　Himself；　the　risk　of　failure？　　Ah；　no；　those　who　would　imitate　God　must　first　give　as　a　free　gift；　without　thought　of　self；　perfect　love　to　all；　perfect　justice　through　that　love；　or　else　they　are　not　like　the　Father　who　〃maketh　His　sun　to　shine　on　the　evil　and　the　good；　and　sendeth　rain　on　the　just　and　on　the　unjust。〃

Charles　Osmond　paced　to　and　fro；　the　look　of　trouble　gradually　passing　from　his　face。　　Presently　he　paused　beside　the　open　window；　it　looked　upon　the　little　back　garden；　a　tiny　strip　of　ground；　indeed；　but　just　now　bright　with　sunshine　and　fresh　with　the　beauty　of　early　summer。　　The　sunshine　seemed　to　steal　into　his　heart　as　he　prayed。

〃All…Father；　drive　out　my　selfish　cowardice；　my　self…righteous　conceit。　　Give　me　Thy　spirit　of　perfect　love　to　all；　give　me　Thy　pure　hatred　of　sin。　　Melt　my　coldness　with　Thy　burning　charity；　and　if　it　be　possible　make　me　fit　to　be　Luke　Raeburn's　friend。〃

While　he　still　stood　by　the　window　a　visitor　was　announced。　　He　had　been　too　much　absorbed　to　catch　the　name；　but　it　seemed　the　most　natural　thing　that　on　turning　round　he　should　find　himself　face　to　face　with　the　prophet　of　atheism。

There　he　stood；　a　splendid　specimen　of　humanity；　every　line　in　his　rugged　Scottish　face　bespoke　a　character　of　extraordinary　force；　but　the　eyes　which　in　public　Charles　Osmond　had　seen　flashing　with　the　fire　of　the　man's　enthusiasm；　or　gleaming　with　a　cold　metallic　light　which　indicated　exactly　his　steely　endurance　of　ill　treatment；　were　now　softened　and　deepened　by　sadness。　　His　heart　went　out　to　him。　　Already　he　loved　the　man；　only　hitherto　the　world's　opinions　had　crept　into　his　heart　between　each　meeting；　and　had　paralyzed　the　free　God…like　love。　　But　it　was　to　do　so　no　longer。　　That　afternoon　he　had　dealt　it　a　final　blow；　there　was　no　more　any　room　for　it　to　rear　its　fair…speaking　form；　no　longer　should　its　veiled　selfishness；　its　so…called　virtuous　indignation　turn　him　into　a　Pharisaica