THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER. l8l 
eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for 
out of it wast thou taken.’ Such grovellers 
always carry the scent of the earth with them, 
and can never get its dust sufficiently out of 
their eyes to see the natural beauty of their 
surroundings, much less to apprehend the di¬ 
vine radiance that makes a garden a gateway 
to the celestial Paradise. 
* Bright and glorious is that revelation, 
Written all over this great world of ours; 
Making evident our own creation 
In these stars of earth, these golden flowers.’ ” 
Knowing the antipathy of his young friends 
to any questioning about personal religion, Doc¬ 
tor Dean had carefully avoided such appeals, 
hoping in the sequel to gain his point through 
the moral force of his teachings. The events of 
the last few days, however, had led him to con¬ 
clude that a more direct step might be taken in 
that direction without harm. With this pur¬ 
pose, after the conclusion of his regular con¬ 
versation, he asked the young men if it would 
be disagreeable for them to remain until after 
the family devotions; and being assured that it 
would not, the usual preparations were made 
16 
