The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-01-06
CHAPTER XII
coSFERENeE AND HOW IT WAS INTER
RUPTED.

CHAPTER XII.
coSFERENeE AND HOW II WAS INTER .Ez
REPTED.
Rosalind Valdai and Zenobie were
ogether in their sitting room, and
The former had been weeping. She
laoked paler than when We saw her
before, and her brow was heavy.
Smiles no longer erept about the
mpies Of her cheeks, and her eyes
lad 4 sad, mournfu look Her face
PLAINLY showed that she had suffered
much
dear mistress" " urged the
hful Zenobie, throwing her arms
about Rosaiind' neck and drawing
er head upon her bosom, weep
mo more. Oh, there must be some
hope! Surely God will not suffer
such an urthoiy work TO be done.
Zenobie, returned the fair
na;aen Ia futtering, melancholy
Saae where can / look for hope
say IN God. Yeu have told me
Re must look to him, and I have be-
lieYed you. Have you not always
been good to God p
81 have been as good as [ knew
Low, though I have sinned" !"
How sinned? ? Oh, my mistress,
ron have sinned, then who is
pure? Tell me. !"
NE az sin, Zenobie. It is orlr
nature
So / have often heard, but I
hardly think you have sinned. What
have you done which you knew TO
Be wrong
othing, nothing.
ben how have you sinned q
6 Zenobie, ne all do things
which ne ought not to do. But yet
mean to do as near right as /
hen leave the rest with God.
Oh, #hen poor mortals do as near
night as lies in their power, surely
IheY mas leave the rest With God
without fear. And now. if God is
Just, as you tell ME, why should
he allow the wicked duke to triumph
over you 2 hat justice would there
be ii that when yon are all gooa-
ness and he is sin itself p
Rosalind was puzzled She had
tried to teach her attendant to love
and honor God, and she had so far
zsuceeeded that Zenobie understood
al the principles Of Christianity
and embraced ahem gladly and Joy
iii But now how should she
make this point understood How
should she reconcile this apparent
injustice With Gods universal mer-
and Justice
au you not tell me? the young
girI asked again g Why should God
allow such 4 thing? You SAY he is
aH powerful and can do what he
wills. :
Zenobie, returned the maiden
after psn5erIng Tor awhile, "you do
not look at the subject in proper
light. God does not operate By pet
ii. indisidual decisions, as an en-
,eror does. He sees that certain
laws are necessary for the coed of
mankind, and not a single law Of all
his code is there but is very good.
Last night your head ached, and
5ou suffered, and, of course, you had
Sioiaied some natural Law. II was
your own fault. And 50 this saf-
fering which is now cofns Upon me
IS the result OF q violation of one of
Gcd' s laws
sAh, cried Zenobie eagerly, 'but
Sou are The one who suffers while
another violates the law. In my
case l did both and do not COM
plain.
sui lister," pursued Rosalind,
EEitll Frightening countenance. for
The true idea had come to her mlnd.
@It would not be just for a person
to enjoy all the good of law and
lease others to suffer al the evil:
God has established in US social
nature. and through that part OF
cur nature come the sweetest OF our
earthly enjoyments. Such law
the lawof sociaIity-must be unlver-
sal. and if men break that law they
must suffer. and the only just way
in which God could shield me iron:
suffering would be to release ms
from the effects of the law. Then
should be poor, lonesome outcast
forced to live all my days alone like
a barren rock upon the top OF OF some
bleak mountain. But | would rafh
Aers1;ye among people and enjoy thu