“Oh, go along! That’s the New Jerusalem. It isn’t fair to joke. Never mind. I’ll guess it yet--it will come into my head pretty soon, just when I’m not expecting it. Oh, I’ve got an idea! Please talk a little in your own language--that’ll be a good pointer.” I accommodated her with a sentence or two. She shook her head despondently. “No,” she said, “it doesn’t sound human. I mean, it doesn’t sound like any of these other foreigners. It’s pretty enough--it’s quite pretty, I think--but I’m sure I’ve not heard it before. Maybe if you were to pronounce your name---- What _is_ your name, if you’ll be so good?” “Adam.” “Adam?” “Yes.” “But Adam _what_?” “That is all--just Adam.” “Nothing at all but just that? Why, how curious! There’s plenty of Adams; how can they tell you from the rest?” “Oh, that is no trouble. I’m the only one there is, there where I’m from.” “Upon my word! Well, it beats the band! It reminds a person of the old original. That was his name, too, and he hadn’t any but that--just like you.” Then, archly, “You’ve heard of him, I suppose?” “Oh yes! Do you know him? Have you ever seen him?” “_Seen_ him? Seen _Adam_? Thanks to goodness, no! It would scare me into fits.” “I don’t see why.” “You don’t?” “No.” “_Why_ don’t you see why?” “Because there is no sense in a person being scared of his kin.” “_Kin?_” “Yes. Isn’t he a distant relative of yours?” She thought it was prodigiously funny, and said it was perfectly true, but _she_ never would have been bright enough to think of it. I found it a new and most pleasant sensation to have my wit admired, and was about to try to do some more when that young fellow came. He planted himself on the other side of the young woman and began a vapid remark about the weather, but she gave him a look that withered him and got stiffly up and wheeled the baby away. BIBLE TEACHING AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICE Religion had its share in the changes of civilization and national character, of course. What share? The lion’s. In the history of the human race this has always been the case, will always be the case, to the end of time, no doubt; or at least until man by the slow processes of evolution shall develop into something really fine and high--some billions of years hence, say.