THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER. I 31 
and the generous actors will not only have the 
thanks and gratitude of the happy recipients 
of their benefactions, but those of the entire 
community. It will be esteemed an honor to 
our neighborhood, as it is to the common bro¬ 
therhood of man.” 
While Mr. Dean was making these remarks 
the flushed faces of the young men indicated 
the strong emotions of which they were the 
subjects, notwithstanding their evident attempts 
to appear self-possessed. Inquisitive glances 
were seen to pass from one to the other, as 
though each was trying to read in the other’s 
face the facts which each was striving to keep 
in concealment. 
For several important reasons Doctor Dean 
did not hint to his young friends his suspicions 
of their connection with the noble generosity to 
the widow, only availing himself of the oppor¬ 
tunity of using the incident to give point to 
his moral lessons, which he did by saying: 
“ We have been searching into the minute 
and wonderful creations of the all-wise One, 
and have found in the smallest and most insig¬ 
nificant atom of plant or animal life marvellous 
instances of beauty and special adaptations. 
