92 
THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER. 
presence if we are too sluggish to open our 
eyes, or too indifferent to search for the hidings 
of his glory and power. ‘ Man that is in honor, 
and understandeth not, is like the beasts that 
perish.’ Certainly no one can be so dull as to 
mistake the moral of this expressive text.” 
When the two young friends had taken their 
leave Minnie said, 
“ Well, father, I begin to see indications that 
your labors will not be wholly fruitless, for you 
have evidently lowered by several degrees Mr. 
Davidson’s good opinion of himself” 
“ I think rather, my child,” was the answer, 
“ that Mr. Davidson’s chief trouble has not been 
so much from an over-estimate of himself, as from 
a want of self-understanding, and I am encouraged 
with the hope that he will be led to a true real¬ 
ization of life and its grave responsibilities.” 
“ As for Mr. Rudolph,” said Minnie, glancing 
at her more staid sister, “ Ella is quite elated at 
his wonderful improvement; why, he has really 
become one of her aids in an attempt to intro¬ 
duce a little of the light of civilization into the 
benighted regions of Blufftown, in which benev¬ 
olent work there can be no doubt of his being 
powerfully attracted to this good work.” 
