She had stirred in the depths
of that great heart the faith in which the man lived--the steady
principle which guided his modest and noble life.
"No!" he cried. "Don't say that! Say that I try to love my
neighbor as myself. Who but a Pharisee can believe that he is
better than another? The best among us to-day may, but for the
mercy of God, be the worst among us tomorrow. The true Christian
virtue is the virtue which never despairs of a fellow-creature.
The true Christian faith believes in Man as well as in God. Frail
and fallen as we are, we can rise on the wings of repentance from
earth to heaven. Humanity is sacred. Humanity has its immortal
destiny. Who shall dare say to man or woman, 'There is no hope in
you?' Who shall dare say the work is all vile, when that work
bears on it the stamp of the Creator's hand?"
He turned away for a moment, struggling with the emotion which
she had roused in him.
Her eyes, as they followed him, lighted with a momentary
enthusiasm--then sank wearily in the vain regret which comes too
late. Ah! if he could have been her friend and her adviser on the
fatal day when she first turned her steps toward Mablethorpe
House! She sighed bitterly as the hopeless aspiration wrung her
heart.
Pages:
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242