"Let us have it," said the father. She read: "'And John also was baptizing in Aenon, near to Salem, because there was much water there.'" "Much water!" exclaimed Mr. Page. "What about that, Friend Sterling?" "I think that is plain. There were great multitudes following John and camping around him, and he selected a place where there would be abundant water for the cattle. The country was dry in many places." "But it says he was baptizing there because there was much water there," said Dorothy. "That simply means that he did his baptizing in that section because of the abundance of the water for the cattle," insisted Sterling. "What is your reason, Mr. Sterling," asked Dorothy, "for saying it was the cattle that John had in mind?" "You mentioned the passage as indicating immersion," continued Sterling, "and I replied that the mention of much water did not necessarily prove immersion, because it may have had reference to the cattle rather than to the mode of the baptism. And besides, the dryness of that Oriental country is another fact that indicates that John selected the place for watering the cattle." "But is it necessary to have a place of much water in order to water cattle?" asked Dorothy. "Would not a small stream be sufficient for many cattle?" "Come, come, children," said the father, "why not take the words as you find them? By the way, did John do anything for the crowds except baptize them?" "Oh, yes," said Sterling, "he was a great preacher for the crowds. That was his principal work. Baptism was a very small and almost insignificant part of it. They did not make the ado about it then that certain sects do now." "Exactly; that is what I am getting at. You say preaching was the main thing John was doing. I should think, then, that if it was the cattle that made him select the place, it would have read 'John was preaching at Aenon because there was much water there'. But it says he was baptizing there, and that would indicate that the baptizing part of his work brought him to that place. He could have preached where there was not much water. You think, Sterling, that his baptizing had nothing to do with his selecting that place. Why, then, did it say he was baptizing there because of the much water? It looks mighty plain to me that the baptizing was mentioned because of the much water." Dorothy was puzzled. "I don't see how I am ever to get at the meaning of the Bible," she said, "if I am not to take what seems to be the natural meaning of the passages, but must rather suppose that something else was intended." "Evidently we can't agree on that verse," said Sterling with a smile. "Let us have another, Miss Dorothy."