Page:The leopard's spots - a romance of the white man's burden-1865-1900 (IA leopardsspotsrom00dixo).pdf/283

 ringing down the ages, wet with tears and winged with hope,

"God is love!"

He said it now softly and reverently, and the tears came unbidden from his soul. He felt close to the heart of things. He knew he was close to the heart of nature. What if nature was only another name for God? And he whispered it again,

"God is love!"

"Ah! If I only knew it I would bow down and worship Him forever!" he cried.

When Sallie reached her mother's room that night, Mrs. Worth was seated by her window.

"Why didn't you dance?"

"Didn't care to."

"Sly Miss, you can't fool me. You didn't dance because Mr. Gaston couldn't. That was a dangerously loud way to talk to him."

"How did you like him, Mama?"

"Come here, dear, and sit on the edge of my chair. I wish I knew when you were in earnest about a man. I like him more than I can tell you. He talked to me so beautifully about his mother, I wanted to kiss him. He is charming."

"Why, Mama!"

"I'd like him for a son. There's a wealth of deep tenderness and manly power in him."

"Mama, you're getting giddy!"

But she kissed her mother twice when she said good night.