The Choir Invisible

Of all these, the one that most deeply touches the heart is the faith, that

a God above who alone knows and judges aright, still loves and has sent a

blessing. To such a believer the heavens seem to have opened above his head,

the Divine to have descended and returned; and left alone in the possession

of his joy, he lifts his softened eyes to the Light, the Life, the Love,

that has always guided him, always filled him, never forgotten him.

This stark audacity of faith was the schoolmaster's. It belonged to him

through the Covenanter blood of his English forefathers and through his

Scotch mother; but it had surrounded him also in the burning spiritual

heroism of the time, when men wandered through the Western wilderness, girt

as with camel's hair and fed as on locusts, but carrying from cabin to

cabin, from post to post, through darkness and snow and storm the lonely

banner of the Christ and preaching the gospel of everlasting peace to those

who had never known any peace on earth. So that all his thoughts were linked

with the eternal; he had threaded the labyrinth of life, evermore awestruck

with its immensities and its mysteries; in his ear, he could plainly hear

immortality sounding like a muffled bell across a sea, now near, now farther

away, according as he was in danger or in safety. Therefore, his sudden

prosperity--Amy--marriage--happiness--all these meant to him that Providence

was blessing him.

In the depth of the wood it had grown dark. With all his thoughts of her

sounding like the low notes of a cathedral organ, he rose and walked slowly

back to town. He did not care for his supper; he did not wish to speak with

any other person; the rude, coarse banter of the taverns and the streets

would in some way throw a stain on her. Luckily he reached his room

unaccosted; and then with care but without vanity having dressed himself in

his best, he took his way to the house of Father Poythress.