“Well, my boy,” said Lennox, as the appetite of all began
to subside, “this is better than a bullet through the
head.”

“What a frightful thing!” said Mrs. Lennox. “Only a
few mornings ago we were seated in this very room at
breakfast, counting on remaining here twenty years. A
few hours pass away, and yet what a change! But for the
mercy of God, Frank might have been either murdered, or
himself a murderer. Oh Frank! if Christianity is true, you
have this day committed a crime.”

“Pho!” said his father, “I doubt whether we can ascribe
every such event to Providence, or whether the Creator can
desire to know all that passes here.”

“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?” said Mr.
Elton; “and yet not one of these falls to the ground without
his will.”

“Ah, that's a figure of speech, sir,” said Harry. “One
is surely not expected to believe that so extremely accurate
an account is kept of such unimportant matters?”

“No, certainly not,” said Lennox.

“I don't see how it would be possible,” said Harry;
“and, if possible, I don't know what good it would do.
Even a father in this world, the most strongly interested in
the fate of his children, would not wish to keep an account
of the exact number of their hairs, or how many times they
breathed a day, and all that sort of thing. Imagine only a
big book in heaven, and an industrious angel, with a huge
quill behind his ear (at least it ought to be a steel pen), putting
down, from age to age, to eternity, `So many sparrows

[figure description] Page 088.[end figure description]

in Jerusalem fell such a day,' `so many in Rome,' `so many
at New-York.”'

“It is easier to ridicule holy subjects than to understand
them,” said Mr. Elton, mildly.

“But you cannot ridicule Shakspeare, or Newton, or Euclid
so.”

“Supposing that to be the case,” said Elton: “do you
thence draw the inference that the Scriptures are untrue?”

“Oh no! Only that they are too strictly interpreted.”

“But you appear to consider the persons you have named
as rivals, and, apparently, successful ones, of our Saviour.”

Harry felt it impossible to conceal the thoughts and opinions
which had been lately stirring in his bosom. His decisive
character loved to take a course at once, and to do
whatever he meant to do immediately and openly. The
whole table listened to the conversation.

“You would not pardon me—you would consider me
guilty of a heinous crime—if I said yes,” replied he.

“Upon my word I should not,” said Mr. Elton, with sincerity.
“On the contrary, I think the scheme of Christianity
must be doubtful to many who have not carefully examined
it, which I perceive you have not done, and I like to
see a man honest in expressing his opinions on proper occasions;
only have opinions one way or the other. There
is hope for all but those who pass the subject over as not
worthy of attention. I have been a doubter, and some of
my friends, now very firm Christians, have totally disbelieved
in all revelation.”

“Then,” said Harry, “without being flippant, or meaning
to wound the feeling of persons who think differently, I
confess I believe all religions only indirectly revealed from
the Creator.”

“That is, not revealed at all,” said Mr. Elton.

“My son! my son!” exclaimed Mrs. Lennox.

“The claims of Christianity upon the credulity of a man
of sense are not, at least, without serious objections,” replied
Harry. “It has been two thousand years in the
world, and it has not at all effected its purpose. Men are
no better, and some of the wisest and best don't believe it.
Of the billion inhabitants of the globe, not one fifth even
profess it. Of that small proportion, a very great one, and
among them men like Gibbon, Voltaire, Hume, and Byron,
reject it. Incredible things can't be credited by thinking

[figure description] Page 089.[end figure description]

men. I don't believe Joshua made the sun stand still.
You see modern astronomy has thrown a new complexion
upon that story. I don't believe in the miracles of Moses
and Aaron, and the Egyptian magicians. I don't believe in—”

“My son,” said Mrs. Lennox, with an air of alarm and
grief, “if you do not wish me to leave the table, have the
goodness to go no farther.”

“Why, I am only a rationalist. All I ask is, that Christianity
be made intelligible, and that men be not called upon
to believe impossible things, or to be governed by impracticable
precepts.”

“Let me give you, my young friend, one piece of advice,”
said Elton. “I do not mean to discuss the truth of Christianity
in so light a way as this. I am a very poor debater,
nor have I much faith in debates. Belief will come to you
at the proper time, or it will never come. But I recommend
you not to lay aside frankness in your remarks and meditations
on this subject. Rationalism, if I understand it, is
infidelity under a milder name. Christianity is either true
or not true. All ingenious theories of explanation are unworthy
men of sense and piety. Whoever pays the least
attention to the Bible, will see that there can be no half-way
point between faith and skepticism. God revealed himself
in the Messiah. Christ was born of a virgin. He performed
miracles, and rose from the dead, or he did not; one of
the two you must believe. You have chosen the latter
creed. Take it! hug it! carry it through the world with
you. Test its strength and truth, and see if you can go
through life with it.”

“Many wiser and greater than I have done so,” said
Harry.

“You cannot know what goes on in the bosom of another.
Have you ever examined all the arguments in favour of
Christianity?”

“Have you ever examined all the arguments against it?”

Mr. Elton was silent, and Harry felt as if he had the best
of the debate.

“Come, come,” said his father, “you are on too grave
subjects. In these matters, I have always left my children
to themselves. I don't think the topic a proper one for the
breakfast-table. In Frank's course this morning he has his
own approbation and mine. He will also have that of the
world.”

[figure description] Page 090.[end figure description]

A young boy in rather a country dress here entered respectfully
and somewhat awakwardly. He held a newspaper
in his hand.

“What do you want, sir?” said Lennox.

“I wish to ask you,” said the boy, apparently embarrassed,
on finding himself speaking before so large an assembly,
“if the declaration is to be filed in the case of Green
versus Thomson?”

“A fig for the declaration in the case of Green versus
Thomson,” said Mr. Lennox.

“My dear father,” said Mary, remonstratingly.

“Do you know what has taken place this morning, sir?”

The boy, who had a good, intelligent face, but who appeared
very bashful, looked extremely grave, then suddenly
smiled, and immediately looked grave again. This curious
habit, which had often occasioned the remarks of the family,
now set every one laughing.

“Yes, sir,” with a still deeper blush, which overspread
his whole face with crimson, but, at the same time, with a
look of pleasure, for he well knew Mr. Lennox's roughness
was but the eccentricity of a kind heart; “and I thought
maybe you'd like to see the paper?”

“What! the declaration in the case of Green versus
Thomson?”

The boy looked graver than ever, gave a short laugh,
and then put on the immovable seriousness of a judge
again.

“No, sir, the newspaper.”

“Why so, sir?”

“To show you this here.”

“And what the devil is `this here?' ”

Indulging again in one of his transitory gleams of mirth,
Seth stepped up and handed the paper.

“Well, upon my word,” said Lennox, “this is something
like.”

“Affair of Honour.—We stop the press to announce
that a meeting took place this morning at daybreak between
Lieutenant Francis Lennox, son of the distinguished
lawyer of this city, and Captain Charles Glendenning, of
his majesty's—, at the duelling ground, Hoboken—”

“And do you, sir,” said Mr. Lennox, suddenly stopping,
and putting on a magisterial air, “with such a newspaper
in your hand, and the knowledge of such an event in your

[figure description] Page 091.[end figure description]

pericranium—do you dare to come to me, in the bosom of
my family, with the son that is thus saved setting miraculously
at my very side, and talk to me about a paltry declaration
in the case of Green versus Thomson?”

“My dear father, you are so wild. The poor boy is half
frightened to death,” said Mary.

But Seth only suffered to escape him one of his overflowing
laughs, and then looked his master seriously in the eyes,
with very much the expression, however, as if he intended
to laugh again presently.

“Come here, sir.”

The boy obeyed. He was a plain-looking lad of sixteen,
badly dressed, without much expression in his face except
when he smiled. His complexion was good, his eyes intelligent,
and his manners indicative of a high degree of
anxiety what to do with his feet and in what part of the
world to stow away his hands.

“You are a young villain, sir! Go round to Edgecomb
and Radley, No. 12 Maiden Lane, immediately, and get
yourself measured for a gentleman's suit of clothes, to be
charged to my account. Go out and find, moreover, a hat,
two pairs of boots, a dozen pairs of stockings, and a dozen
ready-made, respectable, dandified, linen shirts, with very
high collars. Add a pair of gloves, and, if you like, a cane,
and have the bills sent to me. Do you hear, you little
scaramouch?”

The laugh of poor Seth was now heartily joined in by
all present.

“And when you have got them, Seth,” said Mary, “come
to me, I want to speak to you.”

“Now tramp—march—vanish into thin air.”

The boy obeyed the spirit, though not the letter of this
mandate, and Mr. Lennox went on to read,

“Affair of Honour.—We stop the press to announce that
a meeting took place this morning at daybreak between Lieutenant
Francis Lennox, son of the distinguished lawyer of
this city, and Captain Charles Glendenning, of his majesty's—,
at the duelling ground, Hoboken. The dispute arose
at the theatre, Captain Glendenning having offered a rudeness
to a lady in the presence of Lieutenant Lennox, which
the latter punished by a blow. The parties repaired almost
instantly to the ground, and, after one fire, which, on the
part of Captain Glendenning, was discharged in the air, the

[figure description] Page 092.[end figure description]

matter was terminated amicably by the mediation of the seconds.
The most ample apologies were offered by Captain
Glendenning, and the gallant gentlemen parted on the best
terms, and with mutual protestations of friendship. Captain
White, of the British army, acted as the friend of his countryman
in this rather peculiar affair, and Mr. Sussex, of this
city, for Lieutenant Lennox. Nothing could exceed the coolness
and courage manifested on the occasion by both the gentlemen;
and a ball, it is said, took effect in the hat of Captain
Glendenning, who received the awkward indication of skill
with immovable composure.

“We must be permitted to remark, however, that, if we
have heard the matter correctly represented, it has been reserved
for our chivalric townsman to teach to his opponent
a valuable lesson, which, we trust, will not be wholly thrown
away upon him, or upon the country to which he belongs.
Impertinent English travellers may write slanderous books
with impunity, but there are insults which can never fail to
meet their just reward!!”

“Expressive italics! and a note of admiration!” said
Lennox. “Ho! ho! ho!—ha! ha! ha! Frank, you'll be
a bit of a lion for six weeks to come.”

“I am very sorry for it,” said Mrs. Lennox.

We have not attempted to give all the conversation which
took place, as, in the general agitation, three or four were
nearly always speaking at the same time, and as for Mrs.
Elton, she did not stop at all. At length, however, they
separated. Some went to bed. The visiters returned home
to spread through the town all the particulars of the interesting
affair. Emmerson, having heartily shaken every one
by the hand, and reiterated his inexpressible joy at the termination
of a calamity which had such a threatening commencement,
went down stairs into the office to his business
duties. Mr. Elton shook his head, in the pursuance of his
own grave thoughts. Harry and Frank retired together to
talk the matter over, and Mrs. Elton, who had been relating
a story to Mrs. Lennox, Mary, and Fanny, of a shipwreck,
of which she had read an account some time in her early
youth, where the poor sailors were obliged to remain out
seven days and nights in an open boat without food, was
obliged to break off just as the unfortunate people had discovered
a sail in the horizon; but she treated her husband
and Fanny to the denouement on her way home.

[figure description] Page 093.[end figure description]

And so the fierce hurricane, so sudden, unexpected, and
terrible, subsided into calm sunshine, and the mourned as
dead was restored. The awful night became but a thing
to be remembered and talked of over the winter fire, and all
breathed again in peace.