Her creed, too, in your eyes is commonplace,
Because she does not doubt the Bible’s truth
Because she does not doubt the saving grace
Of fervent prayer, but from her rosy youth,
So full of life, to gray old age’s time,
Prays on with faith half ignorant, half sublime. 
Yes, commonplace!  But if I spoil this common faith, when all is done
Can deist, pantheist or atheist invent a better one?

Climb to the highest mountain’s highest verge,
Step off:  you’ve lost the petty height you had;
Up to the highest point poor reason urge,
Step off:  the sense is gone, the mind is mad. 
“Thus far, and yet no farther, shalt thou go,”
Was said of old, and I have found it so: 
This planet’s ours, ’tis all we have; here we belong, and those are wise
Who make the best of it, nor vainly try above its plane to rise.

Nay, nay:  I know already your reply;
I have been through the whole long years ago;
I have soared up as far as soul can fly,
I have dug down as far as mind can go;
But always found, at certain depth or height,
The bar that separates the infinite
From finite powers, against whose strength immutable we beat in vain,
Or circle round only to find ourselves at starting-point again.

If you must for yourself find out this truth,
I bid you go, proud heart, with blessings free: 
’Tis the old fruitless quest of ardent youth,
And soon or late you will come back to me. 
You’ll learn there’s naught so common as the breath
Of life, unless it be the calm of death: 
You’ll learn that with the Lord Omnipotent there’s nothing commonplace,
And with such souls as that poor child’s, humbled, abashed, you’ll
hide your face.

CONSTANCE FENIMORE WOOLSON.

PROBATIONER LEONHARD;

OR, THREE NIGHTS IN THE HAPPY VALLEY.

CHAPTER IV.

THE TEST—­WITH MENTAL RESERVATIONS.

Elise went out to gather willow-twigs, as her mother had said when her father asked for her.

A little later in the afternoon, Mr. Albert Spener walked swiftly down the street toward the house occupied by the Rev. Mr. Wenck.  While he was yet at a distance Elise saw him approaching, and possibly she thought, “He has seen me and comes to meet me;” and many a pleasant stroll on many an afternoon would have justified the thought.

But it was not until he had, as it were, stumbled upon Elise that he noticed her.  He carried in his hand a letter, and when suddenly he stopped upon the sidewalk and looked at her, the changeful aspects of his face were marvelous to behold.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I was going home,” she answered, not a little surprised by the abrupt and authoritative manner of his address.

“I want to talk with you,” said he.  “Is it to-day that I am to begin to leave off loving you, Elise?”