should be a quality of the 'sterner stuff' of his make. Whoso professes this, and through wilful negligence comes short, let him be anathema (I speak ex cathedra.) Grave yet sweet should be his recognition of her parallel existence. The picture to him will be the haloed Christ knocking at the door of his heart. The fact, a divine gift approaching his approach of providential circumstance. His compassion for this woman's faults will be unqualified with the hauteur of self-poise; his faithfulness to her needs bounded by a manly scope.

"But to marry a woman," continued Israel, "who asserts her right to go to the ballot; to think for me; to lead battles like Semiramis on an elephant, though of words; to allow herself and her good works, whatever they are, to be trumpeted about the world; and to go up and down seeking what conquests she can acquire, would be, in short, like the attempt to make a bosom friend of the statue of Minerva in a public square."

T. "But what remains to do! The women are rushing that way. Much learning doth make them

mad."

I. "I cannot accept your universal sweep. If it was so, I, for one, would put forth my utmost exertion to form a new society called the Young Men's Independent Union. The principal article of its constitution shall read- We, the undersigned, do solemnly pledge ourselves not to knowingly marry a woman who is a modern Spiritualist, or who claims the right of elective franchise, or who believes in exhibiting herself to the public as a speaker or writer."

T.

"Ha! Now you are forever lost in the regards of great souls! All the blue-stockings and their doughty esquires will be pelting your devoted head with their brickbat arguments, till you will not know your right hand from your left. It is woman's privilege to scold with tongue and pen, and at present she seems fully disposed to live up to it."

I.

"Very well; there is one staff yet in our hands; nay, two staves. They cannot make us love nor wed

them."

T. "As though they desired to! It is amusing to contemplate the amount of conceit which a man like you can carry about him! A lady Spiritualist would scorn your ghost; a voting lady would scarcely deign to extinguish you with the power of her ballot; and an authoress or speakeress would draw away her royal robe from the slightest contact with your ignoble presence."

I. "Remember, however, that I make a sharply defined distinction between the classes indicated. Not all lady writers or speakers are Spiritualists or wouldbe voters."

T. "You would not mind breaking your staff or staves in defence of the one class upon an emergency, I conclude, when the Spiritualists would have to suffer drowning because you declined an introduction for their rescue."

I. "I borrow the name of my staves from Holy Writ- Beauty and Bands. The Spiritualists do not recognize the Bible, consequently they would not me nor my staves."

T.

"The classification of those ladies and you

should be rather Beauty and the Beast. I pity the woman whom you shall vouchsafe to endow with yourself."

I. "Possibly your emotion would be wasted." (Smiling).

T. "I am proud and happy to say that my wife shall be free free as a butterfly among the flowers of a garden free to think, to speak, to act. She shall vote, if she likes. She shall live and die without being fretted with my petty chains.

I. "Provided you find her. But it is one thing to talk of freedom another to live in that state."

"Who talks here of freedom?" now interrupted a loud, hearty voice; "and what is the burden of this valley of vision?"

Israel recognized a man who, a few days before, had been announced to him as Captain Brewster. He had once followed the seas, but was now a retired gentleman, living upon his fortune.

"Pray, sir," said Thomaston, rising, hat in hand, "whose dog are you?"

"I wear no collar around my neck. I belong to the great universal family of man. God is my father. No man is my master. All men are my brothers for time and eternity. We shall all make one port at last."

"We have been talking upon religion in its various moral and social relations pertaining to our fellow men and women," said Thomaston; "will you join us and classify yourself?"

"I glory in my name the captain.

a Bible Universalist," said

"In some things we agree; in others, not. But both of us, I am sure, deny the existence of that imputed relative, Old Nick, who came from the northern sea-god Nicken; and we affirm, by paronomasia, that men are not fiends but friends, and that God is but another name for Good; hence his attributes must be all summed up in Love!" continued Thomaston.

"It is a pity that our young friend, Mr. Knight, (turning towards Israel,) is not more perfectly instructed in the way of God. He seems well-disposed, but-"

"Dreadfully be-knight-ed," added Thomaston; "suppose, captain, that you take him under your tuition awhile. I have been too clumsy, I think, to hammer his mind into the shape of a good horseshoe that will effectually keep off the devil."

"Most willingly, if by his own free act and deed," answered the captain.

"I have no objection to investigation," said Israel. "Then hold yourself in readiness to go to my meeting next Sunday," said the captain.

"Certain I am," said Israel, "that I have not yet found the City."

"What city?" asked the captain.

"That with the precious name of which mention is made in the Bible as 'The Lord is there.""

"We know that we have that name, for truly God is with us," said the Universalist.

AMONG THE UNIVERSALISTS.

CHAPTER I.

THE UNIVERSALIST SERMON.

THE following Sunday, Israel was on his way with Capt. Brewster to attend the Universalist meeting. Another gentleman, who, though not of this faith, sometimes went to this church, accompanied them. His name was Ackerman.

This man said: "I can tell what our text' will prove this morning; at least, I should not be afraid to lay a heavy wager that it will be one of twelve verses, which twelve are headed off with, 'For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.' Then comes, That in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ;' next 'Who will have all men to be saved, and to come under the knowledge of the truth;' 'God shall wipe away all tears from off their faces,' and

"You forget," here interrupted Capt. Brewster, "that we now have a new minister. He is peculiar in treating old truths in a new way."

"Out of the Bible?" asked Ackerman.

"Yes," answered the captain, "our preacher is a Bible Christian, I am proud to say. He does not belong to the left wing of Universalism."