Marie continued to write him encouraging letters from time to time. Their love affair continued smooth with no troubles or interruptions. Marie was a great reader and was studying carefully, always collecting poems and articles which she thought would help and encourage Robert. One was entitled:
"WHY THE SAINTS WERE SAINTS"
Because they were cheerful when it was hard to be cheerful;
And patient when it was hard to be patient;
And because they pushed on when they wanted to stand still;
And kept silent when they wanted to talk,
And were agreeable when they wanted to be disagreeable.
Author Unknown.
and also another one by Herbert Kaufman, reading as follows:
Don't let busy-bodies turn you from the path you have selected,
Incredulity and unbelief are quite to be expected,
What if butters-in do scold you?
What if fools try to remold you?
If you aren't streaked with yellow such
Discouragement won't hold you.
Some will doubt you.
Lots will flout you.
More than one will lie about you.
They'll deride you
And decide you.
Need an "Older" hand to guide you.
Do not listen to the croakers—fight it out once you have commenced it.
If you meet with opposition simply run your head against it.
All big things that we know about were won by self-believers.
Quitters, never have been, nor can they be, achievers.
Herbert Kaufman.
CHAPTER V
Marie's love and devotion for Robert were bearing fruit. He studied the Bible day and night, worked on his plans for the future and continued his investigation of science, for he believed that the Bible was the key to the process by which man may know all there is to know. He realized that by studying it he might be able to forecast the future and benefit himself thereby. Above all things he was interested in airplanes, inventing and improving an airplane that would be useful in the future wars. He had found the plan for a great airplane in Ezekiel 1:4-16:
And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
And one had four faces, and every one had four wings.