He would like to have had Isabel's faith in the Paternity of God and in the immortality of the soul.

But he was too honest with himself to suffer feeling to exert any influence on his opinions.

He was in the logical stage of his development, and built up his system after the manner of the One-Hoss Shay.

Logically he could not see sufficient ground to change, and he scorned the weakness that would change an opinion because of feeling.

His soul might cry out in its depths for a Father in the universe.