The Bible’s Three Hundredth Anniversary

her in his arms with nervous fervor, while she questioned in sur- prised tones. "But, George, you have frightened me so. I thought you were hundreds of miles away. For sure, you are not sick?" "No, dear, not exactly. Not sick in body, at least." "Have you been released? Why did you not write me about it? But you have been out only six months." "No; I have not been released." "George!" "Yes, Amanda, I had to come home. I couldn't stand it any longer. I had to come." "I don't quite understand, " she said, as she disengaged her- self from him, looking at him in perplexity. "I simply couldn't stand it longer, that is all," said he. "I had to come home — and here I am. . . I guess you don't like what I have done. . . . You don't seem pleased to see me. But I say again, I had to come home to you and the baby. Where is he?" "He's asleep in the bedroom. . . . George, you do not mean to say that you left your mission field without permission?" "Yes, I did." "0, George!" The wife dropped into a chair, struggling hard with her tears. He stood leaning against the wall, looking at her. He had gone over in his mind, during his home-coming, this meeting with his wife, and had expected some criticism on his doings, but this reception was more disappointing than he had imagined. It had been hard enough out there in the mission field, but this — "Well, I might have known!" he said bitterly. "I might have known! But you do not understand, or perhaps you would not feel so badly about it. Amanda, 1 tried to do my duty — believe me, I tried so hard; but the strain on me became worse each day. You know I never could preach, and it seemed impossible for me to ever learn. 4s for trading, it just made me sick. To have the door slammed in your face, to be called all that is mean and vile, to be looked upon as the scum of the earth, to force a religion on people that they did not want — all this . went so against the grain that I could not stand it."