The old men were crying in their vacant way.

But all the while the face of Byles Gridley, firm as a rock in the midst of this lachrymal inundation, was kept steadily on the preacher, who had often felt the look that came through the two round glasses searching into the very marrow of his bones.
As the sermon was finished, the sexton marched up through the broad aisle and handed the note over the door of the pulpit to the clergyman, who was wiping his face after the exertion of delivering his discourse.
Mr.Stoker looked at it, started, changed color,--his vision of "The Dangers of Beauty, a Sermon printed by Request," had vanished,--and passed the note to Father Pemberton, who sat by him in the pulpit.

With much pains he deciphered its contents, for his eyes were dim with years, and, having read it, bowed his head upon his hands in silent thanksgiving.

Then he rose in the beauty of his tranquil and noble old age, so touched with the message he had to proclaim to his people, that the three deep furrows on his forehead, which some said he owed to the three dogmas of original sin, predestination, and endless torment, seemed smoothed for the moment, and his face was as that of an angel while he spoke.
"Sisters and Brethren,--Rejoice with us, for we have found our lamb which had strayed from the fold.

This our daughter was dead and is alive again; she was lost and is found.