CHAPTER XLIX. MORE VIOLENCE.

oulswayedbyanattachmenttoaninvisibleperson,whosepoweroveritwasthepowerofapersonalattachment,andwhoswayedit,notbydogmasorcommands,merely,butbytheforceofasympatheticemotion.Beholding,asinaglass,thedivineimageofhisheavenlyfriend,insensiblytohimselftheministerwaschangingintothesameimage.Thegoodandthebeautifultohimwasanembodiedperson,—evenJesushisLord. "Whatmaybeyourfuturecourse?"saidClayton,withanxiety."Willyoudiscontinueyourlaborsisthisstate?" "Imaydoso,ifIfindpositivelythatthereisnogainingahearing,"saidfatherDickson."Ithinkweoweittoourstatenottogiveupthepointwithoutatrial.Therearethosewhoarewillingtohearme—willingtomakeabeginningwithme.ItistruetheyarepoorandunfashionablebutstillitismydutynottodesertthemtillIhavetried,atleast,whetherthelawscan'tprotectmeintheexerciseofmyduty.TheheartsofallmenareinthehandsoftheLord.Heturneththemastheriversofwaterareturned.Thisevilisagreatandatryingone.Itisgraduallyloweringthestandardofmoralsinourchurches,tillmenknownotwhatspirittheyareof.Ihelditmydutynottoyieldtotheviolenceofthetyrant,andbindmyselftoapromisetoleave,tillIhadconsideredwhatthewillofmyMasterwouldbe." "Ishouldbesorry,"saidClayton,"tothinkthatNorthCarolinacouldn'tprotectyou.Iamsure,whentheparticularsofthisareknown,therewillbeageneralreprobationfromallpartsofthecountry.Youmightremovetosomeotherpartofthestate,notcursedbytheresidenceofamanlikeTomGordon.Iwillconferwithmyuncle,yourfriendDr.Cushing,andseeifsomemoreeligiblesituationcannotbefound,whereyoucanprosecuteyourlabors.Heisatthisverytimevisitinghiswife'sfather,inE.,andIwillrideoverandtalkwithhimto-day.Meanwhile,"saidClayton,asherosetodepart,"allowmetoleavewithyoualittlecontributiontohelpthecauseofreligiousfreedominwhichyouareengaged." AndClayton,asheshookhandswithhisfriendandhiswife,leftanamountofmoneywiththemsuchashadnotcrossedtheirpalmsformanyaday.Biddingthemadieu,arideofafewhourscarriedhimtoE.,wherehecommunicatedtoDr.Cushingtheincidentsofthenightbefore. "Why,it'sperfectlyshocking—abominable!"saidDr.Cushing."Why,whatarewecomingto?Mydeary