donal grant-第23节

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would　or　would　not　do。〃

〃Then　I　see　no　reason　why　you　should　detain　me。Lady　Arctura；　I　did
not　offer　to　give　my　lesson　in　the　presence　of　any　other　than
yourself：　I　will　not　do　so　again。　　You　will　be　welcome；　for　you　have
a　right　to　know　what　I　am　teaching　him。　　If　you　bring　another；
except　it　be　my　lord　Morven；　I　will　take　David　to　my　own　room。〃

With　these　words　he　left　them。

Lady　Arctura　was　sorely　bewildered。　　She　could　not　but　feel　that　her
friend　had　not　shown　to　the　better　advantage；　and　that　the　behaviour
of　Donal　had　been　dignified。　　But　surely　he　was　very　wrong！　what　he
said　to　Davie　sounded　so　very　different　from　what　was　said　at
church；　and　by　her　helper；　Miss　Carmichael！　　It　was　a　pity　they　had
heard　so　little！　　He　would　have　gone　on　if　only　Sophy　had　had
patience　and　held　her　peace！　　Perhaps　he　might　have　spoken　better
things　if　she　had　not　interfered！　　It　would　hardly　be　fair　to
condemn　him　upon　so　little！　　He　had　said　that　he　believed　every　word
of　the　New　Testamentor　something　very　like　it！

〃I　have　heard　enough！〃　said　Miss　Carmichael：　〃I　will　speak　to　my
father　at　once。〃

The　next　day　Donal　received　a　note　to　the　following　effect：

〃Sir；　in　consequence　of　what　I　felt　bound　to　report　to　my　father　of
the　conversation　we　had　yesterday；　he　desires　that　you　will　call
upon　him　at　your　earliest　convenience　He　is　generally　at　home　from
three　to　five。　　Yours　truly；　Sophia　Agnes　Carmichael。〃

To　this　Donal　immediately　replied：

〃Madam；　notwithstanding　the　introduction　I　brought　him　from　another
clergyman；　your　father　declined　my　acquaintance；　passing　me
afterwards　as　one　unknown　to　him。　　From　this　fact；　and　from　the
nature　of　the　report　which　your　behaviour　to　me　yesterday　justifies
me　in　supposing　you　must　have　carried　to　him；　I　can　hardly　mistake
his　object　in　wishing　to　see　me。　　I　will　attend　the　call　of　no　man
to　defend　my　opinions；　your　father's　I　have　heard　almost　every
Sunday　since　I　came　to　the　castle；　and　have　been　from　childhood
familiar　with　them。　　Yours　truly；　Donal　Grant。〃

Not　a　word　more　came　to　him　from　either　of　them。　　When　they　happened
to　meet；　Miss　Carmichael　took　no　more　notice　of　him　than　her　father。

But　she　impressed　it　upon　the　mind　of　her　friend　that；　if　unable　to
procure　his　dismission；　she　ought　at　least　to　do　what　she　could　to
protect　her　cousin　from　the　awful　consequences　of　such　false
teaching：　if　she　was　present；　he　would　not　say　such　things　as　he
would　in　her　absence；　for　it　was　plain　he　was　under　restraint　with
her！　　She　might　even　have　some　influence　with　him　if　she　would　but
take　courage　to　show　him　where　he　was　wrong！　　Or　she　might　find
things　such　that　her　uncle　must　see　the　necessity　of　turning　him
away；　as　the　place　belonged　to　her；　he　would　never　go　dead　against
her！　　She　did　not　see　that　that　was　just　the　thing　to　fetter　the
action　of　a　delicate…minded　girl。

Continually　haunted；　however；　with　the　feeling　that　she　ought　to　do
something；　lady　Arctura　felt　as　if　she　dared　not　absent　herself　from
the　lesson；　however　disagreeable　it　might　prove：　that　much　she　could
do！　　Upon　the　next　occasion；　therefore；　she　appeared　in　the
schoolroom　at　the　hour　appointed；　and　with　a　cold　bow　took　the　chair
Donal　placed　for　her。

〃Now；　Davie；〃　said　Donal；　〃what　have　you　done　since　our　last
lesson？〃

Davie　stared。

〃You　didn't　tell　me　to　do　anything；　Mr。　Grant！〃

〃No；　but　what　then　did　I　give　you　the　lesson　for？　　Where　is　the　good
of　such　a　lesson　if　it　makes　no　difference　to　you！　　What　was　it　I
told　you？〃

Davie；　who　had　never　thought　about　it　since；　the　lesson　having　been
broken　off　before　Donal　could　bring　it　to　its　natural　fruit；
considered；　and　said；

〃That　Jesus　Christ　rose　from　the　dead。〃

〃Wellwhere　is　the　good　of　knowing　that？〃

Davie　was　silent；　he　knew　no　good　of　knowing　it；　neither　could
imagine　any。　　The　Catechism；　of　which　he　had　learned　about　half；
suggested　nothing。

〃Come；　Davie；　I　will　help　you：　is　Jesus　dead；　or　is　he　alive？〃

Davie　considered。

〃Alive；〃　he　answered。

〃What　does　he　do？〃

Davie　did　not　know。

〃What　did　he　die　for？〃

Here　Davie　had　an　answera　cut　and　dried　one：

〃To　take　away　our　sins；〃　he　said。

〃Then　what　does　he　live　for？〃

Davie　was　once　more　silent。

〃Do　you　think　if　a　man　died　for　a　thing；　he　would　be　likely　to
forget　it　the　minute　he　rose　again？〃

〃No；　sir。〃

〃Do　you　not　think　he　would　just　go　on　doing　the　same　thing　as
before？〃

〃I　do；　sir。〃

〃Then；　as　he　died　to　take　away　our　sins；　he　lives　to　take　them
away！〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃What　are　sins；　Davie？〃

〃Bad　things；　sir。〃

〃Yes；　the　bad　things　we　think；　and　the　bad　things　we　feel；　and　the
bad　things　we　do。　　Have　you　any　sins；　Davie？〃

〃Yes；　I　am　very　wicked。〃

〃Oh！　are　you？　　How　do　you　know　it？〃

〃Arkie　told　me。〃

〃What　is　being　wicked？〃

〃Doing　bad　things。〃

〃What　bad　things　do　you　do？〃

〃I　don't　know；　sir。〃

〃Then　you　don't　know　that　you　are　wicked；　you　only　know　that　Arkie
told　you　so！〃

Lady　Arctura　drew　herself　up；　but　Donal　was　too　intent　to　perceive
the　offence　he　had　given。

〃I　will　tell　you；〃　Donal　went　on；　〃something　you　did　wicked　to…day。〃
Davie　grew　rosy　red。　〃When　we　find　out　one　wicked　thing　we　do；　it
is　a　beginning　to　finding　out　all　the　wicked　things　we　do。　　Some
people　would　rather　not　find　them　out；　but　have　them　hidden　from
themselves　and　from　God　too。　　But　let　us　find　them　out；　everyone　of
them；　that　we　may　ask　Jesus　to　take　them　away；　and　help　Jesus　to
take　them　away；　by　fighting　them　with　all　our　strength。This
morning　you　pulled　the　little　pup's　ears　till　he　screamed。〃　　Davie
hung　his　head。　〃You　stopped　a　while；　and　then　did　it　again！　　So　I
knew　it　wasn't　that　you　didn't　know。　　Is　that　a　thing　Jesus　would
have　done　when　he　was　a　little　boy？〃

〃No；　sir。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Because　it　would　have　been　wrong。〃

〃I　suspect；　rather；　it　is　because　he　would　have　loved　the　little
pup。　　He　didn't　have　to　think　about　its　being　wrong。　　He　loves　every
kind　of　living　thing。　　He　wants　to　take　away　your　sin　because　he
loves　you。　　He　doesn't　merely　want　to　make　you　not　cruel　to　the
little　pup；　but　to　take　away　the　wrong　think　that　doesn't　love　him。
He　wants　to　make　you　love　every　living　creature。　　Davie；　Jesus　came
out　of　the　grave　to　make　us　good。〃

Tears　were　flowing　down　Davie's　checks。

〃The　lesson　's　done；　Davie；〃　said　Donal；　and　rose　and　went；　leaving
him　with　lady　Arctura。

But　ere　he　reached　the　door；　he　turned　with　sudden　impulse；　and
said：

〃Davie；　I　love　Jesus　Christ　and　his　Father　more　than　I　can　tell
youmore　than　I　can　put　in　wordsmore　than　I　can　think；　and　if　you
love　me　you　will　mind　what　Jesus　tells　you。〃

〃What　a　good　man　you　must　be；　Mr。　Grant！Mustn't　he；　Arkie？〃　sobbed
Davie。

Donal　laughed。

〃What；　Davie！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃You　think　me　very　good　for　loving　the
only　good　person　in　the　whole　world！　　That　is　very　odd！　　Why；　Davie；
I　should　be　the　most　contemptible　creature；　knowing　him　as　I　do；　not
to　love　him　with　all　my　heartyes；　with　all　the　big　heart　I　shall
have　one　day　when　he　has　done　making　me。〃

〃Is　he　making　you　still；　Mr。　Grant？　　I　thought　you　were　grown　up！〃

〃Well；　I　don't　think　he　will　make　me　any　taller；〃　answered　Donal。
〃But　the　live　part　of　methe　thing　I　love　you　with；　the　thing　I
think　about　God　with；　the　thing　I　love　poetry　with；　the　thing　I　read
the　Bible　withthat　thing　God　keeps　on　making　bigger　and　bigger。　　I
do　not　know　where　it　will　stop；　I　only　know　where　it　will　not　stop。
That　thing　is　me；　and　God　will　keep　on　making　it　bigger　to　all
eternity；　though　he　has　not　even　got　it　into　the　right　shape　yet。〃

〃Why　is　he　so　long　about　it？〃

〃I　don't　think　he　is　long　about　it；　but　he　could　do　it　quicker　if　I
were　as　good　as　by　this　time　I　ought　to　be；　with　the　father　and
mother　I　have；　and　all　my　long　hours　on　the　hillsides　with　my　New
Testament　and　the　sheep。　　I　prayed　to　God　on　the　hill　and　in　the
fields；　and　he　heard　me；　Davie；　and　made　me　see　the　foolishness　of
many　things；　and　the　grandeur　and　beauty　of　other　things。　　Davie；
God　wants　to　give　you　the　whole　world；　and　everything　in　it。　　When
you　have　begun　to　do　the　things　Jesus　tells　you；　then　you　will　be　my
brother；　and　we　shall　both　be　his　little　brothers；　and　the　sons　of
his　Father　God；　and　so　the　heirs　of　all　things。〃

With　that　he　turned　again　and　went。

The　tears　were　rolling　down　Arctura's　face　without　her　being　aware
of　it。

〃He　is　a　well…meaning　man；〃　she　said　to　herself；　〃but　dreadfully
mistaken：　the　Bible　says　believe；　not　do！〃

The　poor　girl；　though　she　read　her　bible　regularly；　was　so　blinded
by　the　dust　and　ashes　of　her　teaching；　that　she　knew　very　little　of
what　was　actually　in　it。　　The　most　significant　things　slipped　from
her　as　if　they　were　merest　words　without　shadow　of　meaning　or
intent：　they　did　not　support　the　doctrines　she　had　been　taught；　and
therefore　said　nothing　to　her。　　The　story　of　Christ　and　the　appeals
of　those　who　had　handled　the　Word　of　Life　had　another　end　in　view
than　making　people　understand　how　God　arranged　matters　to　save　them。
God　would　have　us　live：　if　we　live　we　cannot　but　know；　all　the
knowledge　in　the　universe　could　not　make　us　live。　　Obedience　is　the
road　to　all