" And then, lest men might be
mistaken, added, "Whosoever will may come."
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Dick's eyes
rested on the girl in the next seat. Yes, Amy was pure in heart. There
was no shadow of evil on that beautiful brow. Innocence, purity and
truth were written in every line of the girlish features, and Dick's
heart ached as he thought of his own life and the awful barrier between
them; not the barrier of social position or wealth; _that_, he knew,
could be overcome; but the barrier he had builded himself, in the
reckless, wasted years. And then and there the strong young man fought
a battle in the secret chamber of his own soul; fought a battle and
won; putting from himself forever, as he believed, the dreams he had
dared to dream in the lonely evening hours in the printing office.
His struggle with himself seemed to make Dick feel more keenly the
awful mockery of the worshippers; and to him, who all his life had
been used to looking at things as they really were, without the glasses
of conventionalism or early training, the very atmosphere of the place
was stifling.
When the services were over, he rushed from the building without even
returning Charlie's salutation, only drawing a long breath when he was
safe on the street again; and rejoiced in his heart when at dinner,
the restaurant keeper cursed his wife in the kitchen, and a drunken
boarder fell from his chair. "This, at least, is real," he said to
himself; "but what a world this would be if only the Sermon on the
Mount were lived, not simply talked about.
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