Evc7'lastmg Punishment. 135 



with instructions to give it prayerful consideration and 

 report. 



If there be Scriptural warrant for the belief, I wish to 

 embrace it at once. Meanwhile I am not going to be 

 sure that any poor miserable sinner is to be disturbed 

 when after " life's fitful fever he sleeps well " on the ten- 

 der, forgiving bosom of mother earth, unless he can be 

 finally fitted for as good or a better life than this. 

 Therefore, good Emma and Ella and the rest who are 

 staunch dogmatists, be very careful how you report, for 

 it is a fearful thing to charge our Creator unjustly with 

 decreeing everlasting torture even to the worst offender 

 into whom He has breathed the breath of life. Refrain, 

 if possible, 



"Under this conjuration speak ; 

 For we will hear, note, and believe in heart 

 That what you speak is in your conscience washed 

 As pure as sin with baptism." 



I have not yet been favored with the report asked 

 for, and therefore the question rests. 



The Charioteers got upon delicate ground occasion- 

 ally, as was to be expected, and although in all well 

 regulated families two subjects — politics and religion — 

 are proscribed, we came near running foul of the latter 

 to-day. There were wide differences of opinion among 

 us, of course, from the true blue Presbyterian, strong for 

 all the tenets of Calvin, down to the milder Episcopa- 

 lian who took more hopeful views and asked : 



