a panacea that would help to allay the fierce contention.
Society was composed then, as now, of every grade and shade of opinion,—from the outspoken tenets of Calvinism to the milder and more poetic sway of that unconscious religious fervor, which captivates and moulds by the consistency of its own life rather than by the profession of creeds. Men there were whose austerity, in morals shut out every ray of social warmth; women whose more secluded lives led to greater concentration of thought and purpose, but whose greater depth of feeling counteracted the stoicism of the philosopher, and led them to crucify their affections upon the alter of a life-long martyrdom.
There were others whose dogmas were laid on the shelf for particular occasions, from whom unconsciously flowed that spirit of charity and tolerance which saw in every man a friend and brother, ready lo recognize him as a co-worker in any noble cause that had for its aim the elevation of humanity. Sometimes maternal fondness overpowed every other emotion, and the joyous laugh and festive dance assumed quite another character when mothers saw their own children among the merry participants. But oftener, under the overshadowing wings of a Puritan ancestry all the tender amenities of life were hidden beneath the rigid crust of doctrine and belief whence, only occasionally, they flowerd out like some rare, exotic plant, the richer for its culture.
To such influences, doubtless, is mainly owing the strength of New England character. While other
