450 A Century of Science 



beard as white as snow, stood by the reading-desk, 

 and in broken tones gave thanks to God, while 

 abundant tears coursed down his cheeks. Now, he 

 said, at last the word of the Lord was fulfilled. 

 Two or three years ago the word had come that 

 they must build a chapel and add to their liv- 

 ing-rooms, for they were about to receive a large 

 accession of new converts. So just think of it, 

 gentle reader, in the last quarter of this skeptical 

 century there was faith enough on that rugged 

 mountain-side to put three or four thousand dol- 

 lars, earned with pork and apple-sauce, into solid 

 masonry and timber-work ! And now at last, said 

 Father Richards, in the arrival of this goodly 

 company the word of the Lord was fulfilled ! 

 It seemed cruel to disturb such jubilant assurance, 

 but we soon found that we need not worry our- 

 selves on that score. The old man's faith was 

 a rock on which unwelcome facts were quickly 

 wrecked. Though we took pains to make it clear 

 that we had only come for a visit, it was equally 

 clear to him that we were to be converted that very 

 afternoon, and would soon come to abide with the 

 Adoni-shomo. 



Then Sister Caroline, stepping forward, made a 

 long metaphysical harangue, at the close of which 

 she walked up one side of the room and down the 



