CHAPTER XXVII.
"Let me not dwell so much within My bounded heart with anxious heed, Where all my searches meet with doubt, And nothing satisfies my need; It shuts me from the sound and sight Of that pure world of life and light Which has no breadth, or length, or height."
--_A. L. Waring._
Kate had long ago become accustomed to these uncertain movements ofGrace, and was therefore not alarmed at her prolonged absence. She satin a cozy chair, reading the last letter from Mrs. Hayden, when Graceentered.
"What makes you look so sober, Gracious?" she asked, tenderly, after thehat and sketch book were laid aside and they had settled themselves fortheir usual chat.
"Oh, Kate, I had a lovely time to-day, with all the beautiful sights outin the country; I wish you could see how much more there is in naturesince we have studied Christian Healing," was the evasive reply.
"I think we see more in everything," said Kate, whose curiosity wasrather _piqued_ by the evasiveness, though she made no sign, "becauseeverything stands for something. It is like the x in algebra, andinteresting as the unknown quantity."
Grace smiled a little. She was thinking of a different kind of "unknownquantity."
"Don't you want to hear Mrs. Hayden's letter?" asked Kate, wonderingmore and more over the _distrait_ manner and dreamy absorption of herfriend.
"The letter, why, of course; where is it?"
"Here; shall I read it?"
"Certainly."
Grace grew more interested as the reading went on. "That is decidedlythe most reasonable explanation of the atonement I have ever heard," sheexclaimed at the close.
"Yes, it is reasonable and beautiful I must admit," said Kate, "but whenI first read the letter my old fear came back for a moment that possiblyit was all wrong, but I remembered my right to an interpretation. Thatone thought has been more helpful to me than any other, for it hasbrought such a sense of liberty. Then I looked up the quotation aboutthe 'word of reconciliation,' and I must say it is so perfectly plain Ican not see why it has been so overlooked and neglected before."
"Where is it? I did not catch that," said Grace, following Kate's fingeras she pointed to the passage in the Bible.
"There is something so sacred in these meanings," resumed Kate, "and ifI may only get the truth, I care not what any one says about it. I seenow wherein lies the whole misconception or misinterpretation rather. Itis in the idea of God. If we conceive of Him as limited to human waysand capacities, as the ancient Hebrews did, we naturally ascribe suchworks to Him."
"In other words," added Grace, "we judge God entirely by ourselves. Ifwe are broad and loving in our nature and character it is easy for us toregard God as love. If we are vindictive and revengeful, we can readilysee Him as angry and unrelenting."
"Yes, we are so apt to judge the whole world and God, too, by ourmoods," replied Kate, thoughtfully.
"As Emerson says, 'we see in others what we are ourselves,'" quotedGrace, removing her jacket which until now she had retained in order toget warm after her evening journey.
"Oh! what do you think of what Mrs. Hayden says about marriage?" askedKate, putting her pencil in her mouth as she held both hands out toassist Grace.
"She doesn't say enough to give an opinion," replied Grace, "but theremust be something in her mind or she would not write about it now."
"Her ideas must be very exalted, and I hope to know what they are, forit is a very important question," said Kate, with a casual glance towardher companion, as she bit the end of the pencil.
"Mrs. Hayden decidedly denies the imputation laid to Christian Healing,that it is opposed to marriage, or that it tends to separate families,"said Grace, with more interest than Kate would have thought possible aweek ago.
"I did not know any such imputation had been laid to it," rejoined Kate,opening her eyes in astonishment.
"Oh, yes, I have heard it several times, but people will talk whetherthey know anything or not. I am glad Mrs. Hayden mentions it for that isenough to show there is absolutely no foundation for such statements."Grace moved her chair and put her elbow on the table so she might shadeher eyes with her hand.
"Why, I don't see how people can say such things; surely the tendency isto draw families into closer bonds of sympathy and affection," exclaimedKate, in questioning innocence.
"It ought to be," replied Grace, thoughtfully, "and undoubtedly is," sheadded.
"What do _you_ think of this question, Grace?" Kate ventured to ask. Atany other time she would not have dared approach the subject, but Graceseemed more pliable to-night for some reason.
"What question?" asked Grace, rousing from her reverie. "Oh, marriage.Well, sometimes I have thought the query going the rounds of the press,'Is marriage a failure?' a very pertinent one, but of course thatdoesn't touch the principle itself. That is right and can never beotherwise."
"Most people talk and write as seriously as though it _does_ touch theprinciple."
"That is because they judge the principle by the persons representingit, whereas they should stop and consider that humanity is prone toweakness and often fails to demonstrate its high ideals."
"And it is because of failure they think there is something wrong. Takean individual case, for instance, and there are thousands. If a girlmarries unhappily, she thinks there must be something wrong in thewhole system, for she judges everybody's misery by her own," said Kate,secretly wishing Grace would be more confidential, and not so coldlyintellectual.
"Then the way to a happy judgment of this question would be a happymarriage, you think?" laughed Grace, with a faint blush, looking upinquiringly.
"Don't trifle Grace. You know I said it all earnestly, and really it isno matter to trifle over, any way."
"Well, that is true, Kate," replied Grace more soberly. "I don't believeanybody takes the question seriously enough. It is certainly the mostimportant of all things to consider."
"Do you think it right to enter marriage for any other reason than pureand devoted affection?" persisted Kate.
"No, I do not. Why do you ask?" demanded Grace rather sharply.
"Because that is the solution of the whole problem. If they would beginto talk about love instead of marriage being a failure, they would getsome light on it," a little impatiently.
Grace looked up in surprise.
"I know," continued Kate, "it is because people are mistaken or misledin their reasons for marriage, that it even has a semblance of failure."
"That is one reason, certainly, and another is that they do notunderstand each other's motives, or have not the patience to bear witheach other's faults. We can easily see how misunderstandings can be putaway when there is true love, when we determine to see only the good,and learn to 'resist not evil.' That is one of the strong points inJesus the Christ's teachings," said Grace with unwonted earnestness.
"I am so sorry people can't see it in the right light," added Kate,regretfully.
"You can have much charity for them, for it is just what you would havesaid or thought, if you had not studied the matter yourself. Youremember how Mr. Narrow influenced you and biased your judgment?"
"Yes, and I see as never before that the 'Truth makes us free.'
'He is a freeman whom the truth makes free. And all are slaves besides,'"
said Grace, as she reached for the sketch book to look over her work ofthe afternoon.
"It is no use, she never will say anything, even when she might,"thought Kate as she reviewed the events of the past few days. She halfreproached herself for allowing anything to take her mind from the onespecial theme in which at last she had become thoroughly interested. Shewas eager to learn, to search in all directions for the meaning ofthings. Slowly the little grain of faith was growing into the mightytree.
Enchanting Truth so round, so perfect, so beautiful,--no wonder we mustreach out in every direction for the knowledge of thy fair signs that wemay more correctly and more fully realize the perfect revealment of ourown divinity
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