The state herald., 1920-04-09

nate tnan SunIlgnt can turn TO uurk'
ness. Believe me. Dave. II you hate
Irene now you never loved her. Lis
ten: Love beareth all things. believ-
eth all things. hopeth all things. en-
iureth all things'w
mot all things. Edith; not all
thIngsp
ut says all things"
Dave was silent for some time.
When he spoke agilin she caught DIFF
ferent sound in his voice-a tone as
though his soul In those few moments
had gone through lifetime Of expe-
riencc. t
Edith" he said. "when you repeat
ed those words knew you had some
thing that have not. knew 1t, not
nv words but by the way you said
them. You made me know that In
your own life. II you loved. you would
be ready to endure all things. Tell
me. Edith. how may this thing be
aone?"
She trembled with delight at the
new tone in his voice, for she knew
that for him life would never again
he the empty fllppant. selfish, ire
sponsible thing which In the past he
had called life. r
"In your case" she said. "the course
is simple. 1t is just case of Cor
giving"
He gazed for time into the street,
while thoughts of bitterness and re-
venge fought for domination of his
mind. Edith" he said. at leneth,
must I-forglvei" -t
~ do not say YOU must" she mn
swered ~ merely say II you are wise
you will. Nothing. 1t seems to me. is
so much misunderstood us forgiveness.
The one who is forgiven may merely
escape punishment. but the one who
forgives experiences positive spir-
ftual expansion" .s..etz +
as that Christianity" he ventured.
at Is one side OF Christianity. The
other side IL service. II you are will
ing to forgive and ready to serve ]
don't think you need worry much over
the details Of your creed. Creetls,
l after all, are not expressed In words
hut In lives. When you know how II
man lives you know what. he believes
always" s.,,s-i,,lI.rt b
"Suppose I forgive-whnt thenT'
"Servlce. You nre. needed right
now. nave-forcive my frankness-
your country needs you right now. You
must dismiss this grievance from your
mind. Mt least dismiss your resenr-
ment over II. and then pince yourself
at the disposal Of your country"
"That is what had been thinking
Of" he said. AT least that part about
serving my country. although ! don't
think my motives were as high MS you
would mike them. But tho war can't
last. II is unbelievable" -
I'm not so sure" she answered
gravely. -"of course know no,hlng
about Germany. But do know some
,hlng about our own people. know
how selfish and indivIdunlist'c md
sorlid and money-grahhing we have
been; how siothful and incompetent,
and self.satlsfled we have been: and
fear II will take long war and sac
rlilces and tragedies altogether he
yond our present Imagination TO make
us unselfsh and publlc-spirited and
clean and generous. ] am not wor.
rying about the defeat OF Germany.
II our civilization Is better than that
OF Germany we shall win, ultimately,
and II our civilization Is worse than
that OF Germany we shall be defeated
ultimately-and We shall deserve tn
be defeated.
But I rather think that neither Of
the alternatives will be the result. l
rather think that the test OF war will
show that there are elements In Ger
man civilization which are better than
ours. and elements In our civilization
which nre better than theirs, aud that
the good elements will survive and
form the basis Of q new civilization
better than either" IL
"If that is So" Dave replied. "lf
this wnr is hut the working OF lmmn.
table law which proposes TO put all the
elements Of civilization to the supreme
test and retain only those which are
justifabie by TINT test. why should
Tor anyone else-Hght7 And" lie
added. us nm aftcrthough'. "what
about that principle Of forgivenessf''
ave must fight" she answered. she.
cause Il IL the law that we must hshf:
because II IL only by fighting that we
can Justify the principles for which we
fight. II we hold our principles as he.
Ing not worth fighting fer the new clvi.
lizntlon will throw those principles In
the discard. And TINT. toe. covers the
question OF forgiveness. Forgiveness.
In fnct. does not enter Into the con.
slderntion mt NIL. CT
1--WE must ngh,. not because we hate
Germany but because we love ccr'nin
principles which Germany Is cndcav-
4 oring to overthrow. The impulse must
be love. not hate"
.. She hnd turned md faced him while
she spoke. and he felt himself strange.
iy carried awny by the cnrncstncss Of
her argument. What wonderful
woman she was! And ns he looked