hat good comes of evil. He condemned that
in the Pharisees as the greatest of crimes. When, therefore, I see a man
like your husband, helping his neighbors near and far, being kind,
indeed loving, and good-hearted to all men,"--Here a great sigh, checked
and broken into many little ones, came in a tremulous chain from the
bosom of the wife--"I am bound to say that man is not scattering his
Master abroad. He is indeed opposing Him in words: he speaks against the
Son of Man; but that the Son of Man Himself says shall be forgiven him.
If I mistake in this, to my own Master I stand or fall."
"How can He be his Master if he does not acknowledge Him?"
"Because the very tongue with which he denies Him is yet His. I am the
master of the flowers that will now grow by my labor, though not one of
them will know me--how much more must He be the Master of the men He
has called into being, though they do not acknowledge Him! If the story
of the gospel be a true one, as with my heart and soul and all that is
in me I believe it is, then Jesus of Nazareth is Lord and Master of Mr.
Faber, and for him not to acknowledge it is to fall from the summit of
his being. To deny one's Master, is to be a slave."
"You are very polite!" said Mrs. Faber, and turned away. She recalled
her imaginary danger, however, and turning again, said, "But though I
differ from you in opinion, Mr. Polwarth, I quite recognize you as no
common man, and put you upon your honor with regard to my secret."
"Had you entrusted me with your secret, ma'am, the phrase would have had
more significance. But, obeying my Master, I do not require to think of
my own honor. Those who do not acknowledge their Master, can not afford
to forget it. But if they do not learn to obey Him, they will find by
the time they have got through what they call life, they have left
themselves little honor to boast of."
"He has guessed my real secret!" thought poor Juliet, and turning away
in confusion, without a word of farewell, went straight into the house.
But before Dorothy, who had been on the watch at the top of the slope,
came in, she had begun to hope that the words of the forward,
disagreeable, conceited dwarf had in them nothing beyond a general
remark.
When Dorothy entered, she instantly accused her of treachery. Dorothy,
repressing her indignation, begged she would go with her to Polwarth.
But when they reached the spot, the gnome had vanished.
He had been digging only for
|