A tender
conscience will cost you something, let me tell you, to keep it. If
nothing else, a tender conscience will all your life long expose you to
the mockery and the contempt of all the brave spirits of the time. That
also is true. At any rate, a tender conscience will undoubtedly compel
its possessor to face the brave spirits of the time. There is a good
story told to this present point about Sir Robert Peel, a Prime Minister
of our Queen. When a young man, Peel was one of the guests at a select
dinner-party in the West-end of London. And after the ladies had left
the table the conversation of the gentlemen took a turn such that it
could not have taken as long as the ladies were present. Peel took no
share in the stories or the merriment that went on, and, at last, he rose
up and ordered his carriage, and, with a burning face, left the room.
When he was challenged as to why he had broken up the pleasant party so
soon, he could only reply that his conscience would not let him stay any
longer. No doubt Peel felt the mocking laughter that he left behind him,
but, as Shame said to Faithful, the tenderness of the young statesman's
conscience compelled him to do as he did.
Pages:
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235