“Kathie, you did not suspect your teacher of having such a seething volcano concealed in her breast, did you?” she observed, sadly.

“What you have told me makes me think of a verse of ’The Mother’s Evening Prayer,’ in ‘Miscellaneous Writings,’” [Footnote:  By Mary Baker G. Eddy, page 389.] said Katherine, gently; and she repeated in a low tone: 

“Oh! make me glad for every scalding tear, For hope deferred,
ingratitude, disdain! 
 Wait, and love more for every hate, and fear
  No ill, since God is good, and loss is gain.”

“Say that again please, clear,” pleaded Miss Reynolds, with a sudden catch in her breath; and Katherine went through it the second time.

“Ah! that shows how she has risen to the heights she has attained,” said Miss Reynolds, in a reverent tone.  “We are to be ‘glad’ for whatever drives us closer to God, to ‘wait’ and ‘love’ through all.”

“And to know that every man is our brother—­the perfect image and likeness of God, and we must not bind heavy burdens of sin and dishonesty upon him in resentful thought.”

“Yes, I see; we have to ‘blot it all out,’” said Miss Reynolds, wearily.  “I caught something of that in my study to-day and that was what sent me down into the valley, for it seemed such an impossible thing to do.  You could see what a strong grip it had on me in rehearsing it to you.”

“All wrong thought brings the sting—­the smart of the lash; but love—­right thinking—­brings the ‘peace of God,’” said Katherine.

“Ah! it is a case of ‘as ye sow ye shall also reap,’” said Miss Reynolds, drawing a long breath.  “But, Kathie, do you think it will be possible for me to so reverse my thought about that man that I can grow to love him?”

“You do love him now; only error is trying to make you think that a dear brother is not worthy of your love,” said the girl, softly.

“Oh, Katherine! we have to come under the rod, don’t we?” and her voice almost broke.

“There is also the staff,” was the low-voiced reply.  “Truth, the rod, uncovers and smites the error; then Love, the staff, supports our faltering steps—­’meets every human need.’” [Footnote:  “Science and Health,” page 494.]

Silence fell between them, during which both were deeply absorbed in thought, while the fire gradually faded from the elder woman’s eyes and the scarlet from her cheeks.

At length she turned with an earnest look to her companion.

“Kathie,” she said, in a clear, resolute tone, “I have put my ‘hand to the plow,’ and I am not going to ‘look back.’”

“Then everything will come right,” said the girl, with a brilliant smile, as she bent forward and kissed her on the lips.

CHAPTER XIV.

A sophomore racket.

Monday evening, after study hours were over, again found Katherine in her teacher’s room, for now that the woman had begun to get an understanding of the spiritual interpretation of the Scriptures her desire to know more was insatiable; while our young Scientist was only too glad to lend her what help she could along the way.