"Yes," said Annis, "oh, how often, how tenderly he bids us fear not. It is like a mother hushing her frightened child. 'Say to them that are of a fearful heart, fear not.... Fear thou not, for I am with thee.... For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying to thee, fear not, I will help thee. Fear not, I have redeemed thee, thou art mine.... Fear not, O Jacob my servant, and Jeshurun whom I have chosen.'"
"'Whom I have chosen,'" repeated Elsie. "How those words bring to mind what Jesus our dear Master said to his disciples in that last talk with them in the room where they had eaten the passover—'Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.' Oh, what love and condescension to choose us sinful creatures for his own!"
"'And ordained you that ye should go and bring forth fruit,'" said Annis, going on with the quotation, "'and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.' I remember," she went on musingly, "that when I was a little girl I used to think I should like to be a Christian, and would be if only I knew how. The way seems very easy now—just to listen to the dear Saviour's gracious invitation, 'Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,' accept it, and give myself to him."
"Yes," said Elsie, "his promise joined to that—'and ye shall find rest unto your souls'—is sure; it never fails."
CHAPTER V.
Before the next Sabbath our friends had returned to Bar Harbor. For some weeks longer they remained in that vicinity; then, cooler weather making a more southerly climate desirable, they sailed for home. Dr. Percival was so far recovered that he felt in haste to get back to Torriswood and at work among his patients again. He and his Maude paid a flying visit to old friends and relatives at the Oaks and Ion, then hastened to Louisiana by rail.
Max Raymond, to the great satisfaction of himself, his fiancée, and his friends, was favored with a lengthening of his furlough, which enabled him to spend some weeks at home in his father's house. Lucilla persuaded Evelyn to be her guest at the same time, Chester was there every evening, and so the courting went merrily on. There was much talk about the new house the captain proposed building, much discussion of the question whether the one building should be made suitable and sufficiently large for two families,—half of it for Max and Eva,—or whether a separate house should be put up for them in another part of the grounds. The decision was finally left to the brides-elect, and as they were very strongly attached, and Max was likely to be often away on the sea for months and years together, they thought it best the two dwellings should be under the same roof, and their decision was highly approved by the captain and all their relatives and friends.