Letter No. 2.


_Tuesday, August 26th, Beavoir, Quebec._

My first letter was brought up to 24th. I forgot to tell you then of an
interesting discussion with a clever and honest infidel, Mr. X---.
Through ---- (who had told me about him), I had lent him "Natural Law,"
and (seeing him standing about looking, I thought, rather sad as we were
all singing "Rock of Ages, cleft for me") I asked him his opinion of the
book, and he said "on Mr. D.'s assumption of the existence of a Personal
God, it is very clever, and with your views I would certainly circulate
it." Of course, I could not argue with a man well armed at all points
for attack (as these infidels generally are), though they are weak
enough at defence, their explanations of life's mysteries being as
unsatisfactory and vague as that of any ignorant Bible woman; and so
when others joined us I gave way, and he said as a _crusher_--"I
see you are a very sincere and conscientious lady, but you are very
_fanatical_." I replied, as my parting shot, "Well, of course, I
cannot do justice to my cause, but at any rate you have nothing to offer
_me_; convince me and others, if you can, that we are wrong (and
thank God we have a noble army on our side), what have you to give us in
the place of our beliefs? Nothing! a mere negation." He answered--"What
have you to give me?" "Oh," I replied, "a mere _nothing, only_
peace and power for holiness now and a glorious hope for the future, and
so (shaking hands) good bye." I could scarcely speak to him for crying,
for it was so painful to hear his words about our Blessed Saviour. After
our discussion on prayer in the back cabin, a young man who was there
and who was sitting near me while I was writing to you, began to talk it