The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-08-08

an unrepentant enemy. And Tor him
duty" meant only that upon which
he could rely in others to save him
from the consequences of his own
disregard of it. DUTY" meant that
in which he was so utterly lacking,
that he despised it, even while he
traded upon it in his wife and her
sister. In the tired stumbling of her
thoughts, she saw duty always bear
ing the burden, and evil ever point
ing the finger of scorn at it, down
through the long ages in which good
ness had suffered and sin he'd rioted,
since the world began. Why not re-
bel since it was an unjust law that
governed7
A wave of bitterness surged over
her heart-a wave of revolt, of slow
anger and hate toward the man be-
side whose pillow she sat. A mighty
force of evil seemed to respond with
in her, and open channels for the
food. Yet with it came horror, and
power of resistance. The sudden
consciousness of treachery came upon
her, as if she had welcomed an enemy
into sacred place, mo, no." she
said, half-aloud, in her resistance, 81
am not like that l want to do right;
l must do right" She glanced hur-
riedly at her watch; it was past the
time for the stimulant. She poured
it out quickly, and lifted the patient
in her arms as she gave it, with an
anxiety that was almost tenderness.
The heavy eyelids closed again over
the unseeing eyes, as she laid the
sick man down, and covered her face
with her hands, as she remembered
the impulse of hate that had shaken
her soul. Slowly, slowly, the mists
cleared from her thought, and she
saw where she had been standing,
and shuddered as one on the brink
of precipice. The great gulf be-
tween good and evil, forever fixed,
opened before her. Where had her re-
bellious wanderings led her? What
was sin, but contempt of good7 Duty
meant duty-not the easy thing, but
the hard. Duty meant to be right
in ones self, whatever happened out
side of ones self. Ddty meant the
one factor in every problem that
could be held to, whether the rest
were clear or not-the simple life,
the simple rule of doing always the
best one knew. What if another soul
were evil-should one, therefore, alb
dictate good7 Nay, if there were ag-
gressive evil, was not each one bound
the more to counterbalance, to over
balance it with good? The trumpet
call of the thought ran through her
tired soul, and terminated it's forces.
A sudden passion of overmastering
pity came over her for the man before
her, who had lost his duty, who had
thrown away his birthright, who
could never make any one who suf
fered from his sins, as wretched, as
lost, as he had made himself. Helen
and herself had the sorrow of it, but
he the shame, the loss. the degrade
ton that was the more awful because
it was yet unfelt. How could any
human heart deny him mercy, in this
his extremity, if 80 be he might yet
live? If God spared him, it was for
wider reasons than man could trust.
A new impulse of strength and love
rose in her soul, as she confronted
again the passing hours, and minis
tered pityingiy and unfaggingly
through the rest of the long night.
The day broke at last, and the doc
tors foot came up the stair. He
looked tired and worn, too, as he
stood by the bedside and examined
Ino pdIlouI'
cts narrow shave, but he's come
through" he said at last, looking up.
81 think with any one less careful
than you, Miss Mary, he would have
slipped out of life last night. He's
had better luck than my other pa
tient. Poor Ford poor bowl He
died just before l left the house to
come here. One dies, another lives,
and not always for the best, as far
as we know"
eve don't know anything, except
our duty" said Mary. Her tired
white face was alight as she said it;
and the old doctor nodded his head.
The Independent.