"I thought Ralph was listening in church," she said."Fancy a child of his age thinking it all out like that!""Children think much more than people imagine," said Donovan."And a child invariably carries out a doctrine to its logical conclusion."Tis wonderful the fine sense of justice which you always find in them!""Ralph inherits that from you, I should think.How exactly like you he is, especially when he is puzzling out some question in his own mind."A strange shadow passed over Donovan's face.He was silent for a moment.
"'Tis hard to be brave for one's own child," he said at last."Iconfess that the thought that Ralph may have to live through what I have lived through is almost unendurable to me.""How vexed you must have been that he heard today's sermon," said Erica.
"Not now," he replied."He has heard and taken in the other side, and has instinctively recognized the truth.If I had had some one to say as much to me when I was his age, it might have saved me twenty years of atheism.""It is not only children who are repulsed by this," said Erica.
"Or learned men like James Mill.I know well enough that hundreds of my father's followers were driven away from Christianity merely by having this view constantly put before them.How were they to know that half the words about it were mistranslations? How were they to study when they were hard at work from week's end to week's end? It seems to me downright wicked of scholars and learned men to keep their light hidden away under a bushel, and then pretend that they fear the 'people' are not ready for it.""As though God's truth needed bolstering up with error!" exclaimed Donovan."As though to believe a hideous lie could ever be right or helpful! There's a vast amount of Jesuitry among well-meaning Protestants.""And always will be, I should think," said Erica."As long as people will think of possible consequences, instead of the absolutely true.But I could forgive them all if their idea of the danger of telling the people were founded on real study of the people.But is it? How many of the conservers of half truths, who talk so loudly about the effect on the masses, have personally known the men who go to make up the masses?""Yes, you are right," said Donovan."As a rule I fancy the educated classes know less about the working classes than they do about the heathen, and I am afraid, care less about them.You have an immense advantage there both as a writer and a worker, for Isuppose you really have been brought into contact with them.""Yes," said Erica, "all my life.How I should like to confront Mr.
Cuthbert with a man like Hazeldine, or with dozens of others whom I could name!""Why?" asked Donovan.
"Because no one could really know such men without learning where the present systems want mending.If Hazeldine could be shut into Mr.Cuthbert's study for a few hours, and induced to tell the story of his life, I believe he would have the effect of the ancient mariner on the wedding guest.Only, the worst of it is, I'm afraid the very look of Mr.Cuthbert would quite shut him up.""Tell me about him," said Donovan.
