Prev | Current Page 386 | Next

Bates, Arlo, 1850-1918

"The Puritans"

I cannot go into a discussion of
my doubts now. I am not in a mood to talk with you when we must look at
so many things from different points of view. I haven't hidden from you
anything that has happened, and you could not be persuaded that all the
change in me has not come from the fact that I--has not come from my
feeling toward--my feeling about marriage. This is not true. Everything
has changed; and while I may be wrong, I have been trying to act
conscientiously. I feel that it is right for me to follow up this
matter of my aunt's will; and if I cannot make you share my feeling, I
can only say that I don't wish to do anything that seems to me wrong."
The other smiled sadly.
"What does that mean in plainer words?" asked he. "It means that you do
not wish to do wrong because whatever you desire will seem to you
right."
"You are unjust!" Maurice retorted, flushing.
The face of the Father grew stern. "Since when did the rule of the
order allow you to use such language to your superiors? If you are not
thinking of evading your vows, you do evade them daily; and the
throwing them off can be nothing but an affair of time.


Pages:
374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398