absolute harmony of separate accounts would have
been almost impossible. Thirdly : as a matter of
fact, we do have five separate accounts, each nar-
rator having his own special purpose in view, and
neither of them undertaking to give a complete
recital ; no wonder then that the narratives are in
respect to minor details quite different; for so
would be the sketches of Mount Washington
taken from Conway and Gorham and Jefferson
and Bethlehem and Franconia. Fourthly: the
very diversity of these narratives is a sign of their
truthfulness : forgers would have taken pains to
seem consistent. Put five veracious witnesses on
the stand to testify to a long and complex trans-
action ; how different and apparently conflicting
their testimonies will be touching minor details ;
their testimonies will be discrepant just because
the testifiers are truthful, each testifying from his
own view-point; yet under the seeming contra-
diction there will be real harmony; it is the di-
versity of tones which makes the gamut a melody.
May the Risen Lord honor this book by mak-
ing it the means of beholding Him in blessed,
eternal Epiphany !