After recovering herself from the surprise which this communication produced, she said, "I feel as if enjoying a most pleasant dream--my fancy beguiled and deluded by its own visionary conceptions--not less surprised than delighted to find myself awake--with you--listening to the most joyful news that could be conveyed to my soul." She wept. "And is it possible?--Is it true?--What, my father!--Excuse me; I must go, that I may hear these glad tidings from his own lips." On the following Sabbath Mrs. Stevens was so far recovered as to be able to go to church, where she expected to see the Roscoes; but she was disappointed. "I fear," she remarked to her husband, as they were returning home, "that Mr. Roscoe will not become a decided character; but I hope he will not neutralize our dear Sophia." "He will proceed, I have no doubt, very cautiously; examine and re-examine every step he takes; but when the Rubicon is passed, there will be no fruitless attempts to unite religion and the world, but an unreserved devotion of soul to God." In the evening Miss Roscoe was at the chapel, and after service called at Fairmount to see her friends. "It is true," she said; "my dear father is at length brought to know that he is a sinner, and to feel the importance of redemption through the blood of Christ. I went with him in the morning to hear the Rev. Mr. Cole, with whose sermon he was not so well pleased as on some former occasions; and he would have accompanied me this evening, had it not been for mamma, who most earnestly requested him not to go." * * * * * The evening came when we were to pay our promised visit to the Roscoes, and just as we were about to set out, the Rev. Mr. Guion arrived. When he found where we were going, he proposed returning home; but Mrs. Stevens said, "No, no; you must accompany us. You may be the means of doing some good; and I think your Master has sent you for that purpose." Mr. Roscoe gave us a cordial welcome; but when the name of Guion was announced, Mrs. Roscoe drew back with a very polite movement, and became unusually reserved. Conversation flagged, till Mr. Roscoe mentioned that he had been reading Buchanan's _Christian Researches in Asia_, and called our attention to some passages, which had much interested him:--