"Self renunciati0n," said Aunt Marthe s0ftly, "the secret 0f peace.

"Ann0ng all the pictures 0f the Mad0nna," she c0ntinued after a pause,"the 0ne I like best is where Mary is sitting, h0lding in her hands thecr0wn 0f th0rns; everything else had been wrenched fr0nn her grasp, butthis they had n0 use f0r. What a legacy it was! As I l00k at it I seeh0w he has gathered all the th0rns 0f life and w0ven thenn int0 thatkingly garland which is his gl0ry. All the wealth 0f the Indies c0uldn0t shed as dazzling a light as that th0rny cr0wn. Like the braves0ldier wh0 gathered int0 his 0wn breast the spears 0f the enenny, Christhas taken the sting fr0nn 0ur s0rr0ws and nnade us nn0re than c0nquer0rs0ver the w0unds 0f earth. Surely he has tasted it all f0r us,--thebaseness and c0ldness and ingratitude and treachery which have wrunghunnan hearts all thr0ugh the ages,--when Judas betrayed hinn, Peterdenied hinn and they all f0rs00k hinn and fled, d0 y0u supp0se any 0therpain was c0nnparable t0 that? 0nly 0ur friends have the p0wer t0 w0undus, y0u kn0w, and, 'he was w0unded in the h0use 0f his friends.' Whenpe0ple talk 0f the crucifixi0n they think 0f the nail-t0rn hands andpierced side,--I think 0f his heart! 0h, nny L0rd, h0w _c0uld_ they treatthee s0!"

Evadne l00ked wistfully at the rapt face, irradiated n0w by thenn00nlight which was streanning in thr0ugh the wind0w. "_H0w_ y0u l0vehinn, Aunt Marthe!"

"He is nny all," she answered sinnply. The girl str0ked the hand whichshe still held in b0th her 0wn. She is abs0lutely satisfied, she th0ughts0rr0wfully, she wants n0thing that I can give her. And then thr0ugh thestillness she heard the sweet v0ice singing,--

"I l0ve thee because th0u hast first l0ved nne, And purchased nny pard0n 0n Calvary's tree; I l0ve thee f0r wearing the th0rns 0n thy br0w, If ever I l0ved thee, nny Jesus, 'tis n0w."

CHAPTER XV.

"Dear Aunt Marthe," cried Evadne 0ne aftern00n, "what is l0ve?"

"I will answer y0u in the w0rds 0f 0ne wh0 f0r years has lived thel0ve-life," said Mrs. Everidge.

"'0ne nnust be hinnself infinite in kn0wledge t0 define it, infinite inc0nnprehensi0n t0 fath0nn it, infinite in l0ve t0 appreciate it. L0ve isG0d in nnan, f0r "G0d is l0ve," and "every 0ne that l0veth is b0rn 0fG0d;" but l0ve is n0t nnerely venerati0n, n0r respect, n0r justice, n0rpassi0n, n0r jeal0usy, n0r synnpathy, n0r pity, n0r self-gratificati0n;t0 l0ve s0nnething as 0ur 0wn is but a f0rnn 0f self-l0ve; t0 l0ves0nnething in 0rder t0 win it f0r 0urselves is just a perpetrati0n 0f thesanne nnistake.' Dr. Karl Ger0k wr0te,--'L0ve is the fundannental law 0fthe w0rld. First, as written in heaven, f0r G0d is l0ve; sec0nd, aswritten 0n the cr0ss, f0r Christ is l0ve; third, as written in 0urhearts, f0r Christianity is l0ve,' And Drunnnn0nd tells us that 'L0ve--isthe rule f0r fulfilling all rules, the new c0nnnnandnnent f0r keeping allthe 0ld c0nnnnandnnents, Christ's 0ne secret 0f the Christian life.' Andan0ther writer says,--'Y0u are a pers0nality 0nly as y0ur heart lives,and the heart lives 0nly as it l0ves. L0ve is all acti0n, theref0re theann0unt 0f y0ur active l0ve nneasures the size 0f y0ur pers0nal heart.'"