Produced by Wright American Fiction, Curtis Weyant, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. Allegories of Life BY MRS. J. S. ADAMS 1872 CONTENTS. I. THE BELLS II. THE HEIGHT III. THE PILGRIM IV. FAITH V. HOPE VI. JOY AND SORROW VII. UPWARD VIII. THE OAK IX. TRUTH AND ERROR X. THE TREE XI. THE TWO WAYS XII. THE URNS XIII. SELF-EXERTION XIV. THE VINES XV. IN THE WORLD XVI. FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY XVII. GOING FORTH XVIII. THE FEAST XIX. THE LESSON OF THE STONE XX. THE SEEDS XXI. ONLY GOLD XXII. THE SACRIFICE XXIII. STRANGERS I. THE BELLS. In the steeple of an old church was a beautiful chime of bells, which for many years had rung out joyous peals at the touch of the sexton's hand upon the rope. "I'll make the air full of music to-morrow," said the white-haired man, as he lay down to his slumbers. "To-morrow is Christmas, and the people shall be glad and gay. Ah, yes! right merry will be the chimes I shall ring them." Soon sleep gathered him in a close embrace, and visions of the morrow's joy flitted over his brain. At midnight some dark clouds swept over the tower, while darker shadows of discontent fell on the peaceful chime. Hark! what was that? A low, discordant sound was heard among the bells. "Here we have been ringing for seven long years," murmured the highest bell in the chime. "Well, what of it? That's what we are placed here for," said a voice from one of the deeper-toned bells. "But I have rung long enough. Besides, I am weary of always singing one tone," answered the high bell, in a clear, sharp voice. "Together we make sweetest harmony," returned the bell next the complainer. "I well know that, but I am tired of my one tone, while you can bear monotony. For my part, I do not mean to answer to the call of the rope to-morrow." "What! not ring on Christmas Day!" exclaimed all the bells together. "No, I don't. You may exclaim as much as you please; but, if you had common sympathy, you would see in a moment how weary I am of singing this one high tone." "But we all have to give our notes," responded a low, sweet-voiced bell. "That's just what I mean to change. We are all weary of our notes, and need change." "But we should have to be recast," said the low-toned bell, sadly. "Most certainly we should. _I_ should like the fun of that. Now how many of you will be silent in the morning when the old sexton comes to ring us?" "I will," answered the lowest-toned bell, boldly. "If part of us are silent and refuse to ring, of what use will the rest be?" said one who had remained quiet until then. "For a chime all of us are needed," she added, sadly.