we two-第31章

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but；　having　returned　on　account　of　his　health；　had　for　a　few　months　been　acting　as　curate　to　his　friend。

〃A　man　who　works　as　indefatigably　as　Mr。　Raeburn　has　done　can　hardly　avoid　being　noticed；〃　replied　Charles　Osmond。

〃You　speak　as　if　you　admired　the　fellow！〃

〃There　is　a　good　deal　to　admire　in　Mr。　Raeburn。　　However　greatly　mistaken　he　is；　there　is　no　doubt　that　he　is　a　brave　man；　and　an　honest　man。〃

〃You　can　speak　in　such　a　way　of　a　man　who　makes　his　living　by　speaking　and　writing　against　God。〃

〃I　hope　I　can　speak　the　truth　of　every　man；　whether　his　creed　agrees　with　mine　or　not。〃

〃A　man　who　grows　rich　on　blasphemy！　　Who　sows　poison　among　the　people　and　reaps　the　harvest！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Roberts。

〃That　he　teaches　fearful　error；　I　quite　allow；〃　said　Charles　Osmond；　〃but　it　is　the　grossest　injustice　to　say　that　he　does　it　for　gain。　　His　atheism　brought　him　to　the　very　brink　of　starvation　some　years　ago。　　Even　now　he　is　so　crippled　by　the　endless　litigation　he　has　had　that　he　lives　in　absolute　penury。〃

〃But　that　letter　you　sent　to　the　'Church　Chronicle'　was　so　uncalled　for；　you　put　the　comparison　so　broadly〃

〃I　put　it　in　plain　〃English；〃　said　Charles　Osmond；　〃I　merely　said；　as　I　think；　that　he　puts　many　of　us　to　shame　by　his　great　devotion。　　The　letter　was　a　reply　to　a　very　unfair　article　about　the　Rilchester　riot；　it　was　absolutely　necessary　that　some　one　should　speak。　　I　tell　you；　Roberts；　if　you　knew　the　man；　you　could　not　speak　so　bitterly　of　him。　　It　is　not　true　that　he　leads　a　selfish；　easy…going　life；　he　has　spent　thousands　and　thousands　of　pounds　in　the　defense　of　his　cause。　　I　don't　believe　there　is　a　man　in　England　who　has　led　a　more　self…denying　life。　　It　may　be　very　uncomfortable　news　for　us；　but　we've　no　right　to　shut　our　ears　to　it。　　I　wish　that　man　could　stir　up　an　honest　sense　of　shame　in　every　sleepy　Christian　in　the　country。　　I　believe　that；　indeed；　to　be　his　rightful　mission。　　Raeburn　is　a　grand　text　for　a　sermon　which　the　nation　sorely　needs。　　'Here　is　a　man　who　spends　his　whole　strength　in　propagating　his　so…called　gospel　of　atheism。　　Do　you　spend　your　whole　strength　in　spreading　the　gospel　of　Christ？　　Here　is　a　man；　willing　to　leave　his　home；　willing　to　live　without　one　single　luxury；　denying　himself　all　that　is　not　necessary　to　actual　health。　　Have　you　ever　denied　yourself　anything？　　Here　is　a　man　who　spends　his　whole　living　all　that　he　has　on　what　he　believes　to　be　the　truth。　　What　meager　tithe　do　you　bestow　upon　the　religion　of　which　you　speak　so　much？　　Here　is　a　man　who　dares　to　stand　up　alone　in　defense　of　what　he　holds　true；　a　man　who　never　flinches。　　How　far　are　you　brave　in　the　defense　of　your　faith？　　Do　you　never　keep　a　prudent　silence？　　Do　you　never　howl　with　the　wolves？'〃

〃Thank　Heaven　you　are　not　in　the　pulpit！〃　ejaculated　Mr。　Roberts。

〃I　wish　those　words　could　be　sent　through　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　land；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。

〃No　doubt　Mr。　Raeburn　would　thank　you；〃　said　his　friend；　with　a　sharp…edged　smile。　　〃It　would　be　a　nice　little　advertisement　for　him。　　Why；　from　a　Church　of　England　parson　it　would　make　his　fortune！　　My　dear　Osmond；　you　are　the　best　fellow　in　the　world；　but　don't　you　see　that　you　are　playing　into　the　enemy's　hands。〃

〃I　am　trying　to　speak　the　words　that　God　has　given　me　to　speak；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。　　〃The　result　I　can　well　trust　to　Him。　　An　uncomfortable　truth　will　never　be　popular。　　The　words　of　our　Lord　Himself　were　not　popular；　but　they　sunk　into　men's　hearts　and　bore　fruit；　though　He　was　put　to　death　as　a　blasphemer　and　a　revolutionary。〃

〃Well；　at　least　then；　if　you　must　take　up　the　cudgels　in　his　defense；　do　not　dishonor　the　clerical　profession　by　personal　acquaintance　with　the　man。　　I　hear　that　he　has　been　seen　actually　in　your　house；　that　you　are　even　intimate　with　his　family。〃

〃Roberts；　I　didn't　think　our　beliefs　were　so　very　different。　　In　fact；　I　used　to　think　we　were　nearer　to　each　other　on　these　points　than　most　men。　　Surely　we　both　own　the　universal　Fatherhood　of　God？〃

〃Of　course；　of　course；〃　said　Mr。　Roberts；　quickly。

〃And　owning　that；　we　cannot　help　owning　the　universal　brotherhood　of　men。　　Why　should　you　then　cut　yourself　off　from　your　brother；　Luke　Raeburn？〃

〃He's　no　brother　of　mine！〃　said　Mr。　Roberts；　in　a　tone　of　disgust。

Charles　Osmond　smiled。

〃We　do　not　choose　our　brothers；　we　have　no　voice　in　the　growth　of　the　family。　　There　they　are。〃

〃But　the　man　says　there　is　no　God。〃

〃Excuse　me；　he　has　never　said　that。　　What　he　says　is；　that　the　word　God　conveys　no　meaning　to　him。　　If　you　think　that　the　best　way　to　show　your　belief　in　the　All…Father　and　your　love　to　all　His　children　lies　in　refusing　so　much　as　to　touch　those　who　don't　know　Him；　you　are　of　course　justified　in　shunning　every　atheist　or　agnostic　in　the　world。　　But　I　do　not　think　that　the　best　way。　　It　was　not　Christ's　way。　　Therefore；　I　hail　every　possible　opportunity　of　meeting　Mr。　Raeburn　or　his　colleagues；　try　to　find　all　the　points　we　have　in　common；　try　as　far　as　possible　to　meet　them　on　their　own　ground。〃

〃And　the　result　will　be　that　people　will　call　you　an　atheist　yourself！〃　broke　in　Mr。　Roberts。

〃That　would　not　greatly　matter；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。　　〃It　would　be　a　mere　sting　for　the　moment。　　It　is　not　what　men　call　us　that　we　have　to　consider；　but　how　we　are　fulfilling　the　work　God　has　given　us　to　do。〃

〃'Pon　my　life；　it　makes　me　feel　sick　to　hear　you　talk　like　this　about　that　miserable　Raeburn！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Roberts；　hotly。　　〃I　tell　you；　Osmond；　that　you　are　ruining　your　reputation；　losing　all　chance　of　preferment；　just　because　of　this　mistaken　zeal。　　It　makes　me　furious　to　think　that　such　a　man　as　you　should　suffer　for　such　a　creature　as　Raeburn。〃

〃Have　you　forgotten　that　such　creatures　as　you　and　I　and　Luke　Raeburn　had　such　a　Saviour　as　Jesus　Christ？　　Come；　Roberts；　in　your　heart　you　know　you　agree　with　me。　　If　one　is　indeed　our　Father；　then　indeed　we　are　all　brethren。〃

〃I　do　not　hold　with　you！〃　retorted　Mr。　Roberts；　the　more　angrily　because　he　had　really　hoped　to　convince　his　friend。　　〃I　wouldn't　sit　in　the　same　room　with　the　fellow　if　you　offered　me　the　richest　living　in　England。　　I　wouldn't　shake　hands　with　him　to　be　made　an　archbishop。　　I　wouldn't　touch　him　with　a　pair　of　tongs。〃

〃Even　less　charitable　than　St。　Dunstan　to　the　devil；〃　said　Charles　Osmond；　smiling　a　little；　but　sadly。　　〃Except　in　that　old　legend；　however；　I　don't　think　Christianity　ever　mentions　tongs。　　If　you　can't　love　your　enemies；　and　pray　for　them；　and　hold　out　a　brotherly　hand　to　them；　perhaps　it　were　indeed　better　to　hold　aloof　and　keep　as　quiet　as　you　can。〃

〃It　is　clearly　impossible　for　us　to　work　together　any　longer；　Osmond；〃　said　Mr。　Roberts；　rising。　　〃I　am　sorry　that　such　a　cause　should　separate　us；　but　if　you　will　persist　in　visiting　an　outcast　of　society；　a　professed　atheist；　the　most　bitter　enemy　of　our　church；　I　cannot　allow　my　name　to　be　associated　with　yours　it　is　impossible　that　I　should　hold　office　under　you。〃

So　the　two　friends　parted。

Charles　Osmond　was　human；　and　almost　inevitably　a　sort　of　reaction　began　in　his　mind　the　instant　he　was　alone。　　He　had　lost　one　of　his　best　friends；　he　knew　as　well　as　possible　that　they　could　never　be　on　the　same　footing　as　before。　　He　had；　moreover；　lost　in　him　a　valuable　co…worker。　　Then；　too；　it　was　true　enough　that　his　defense　of　Raeburn　was　bringing　him　into　great　disfavor　with　the　religious　world；　and　he　was　a　sensitive　and　naturally　a　proud　man；　who　found　blame；　and　reproach；　and　contemptuous　disapproval　very　hard　to　bear。　　Years　of　hard　fighting；　years　of　patient　imitation　of　Christ　had　wonderfully　ennobled　him；　but　he　had　not　yet　attained　to　the　sublime　humility　which；　being　free　from　all　thought　of　self；　cares　nothing；　scarcely　even　pauses　to　think　of　the　world's　judgment；　too　absorbed　in　the　work　of　the　Highest　to　have　leisure　for　thought　of　the　lowest；　too　full　of　love　for　the　race　to　have　love　to　spare　for　self。　　To　this　ideal　he　was　struggling；　but　he　had　not　yet　reached　it；　and　the　thought　of　his　own　reputation；　his　own　feelings　would　creep　in。　　He　was　not　a　selfishly　ambitious　man；　but　every　one　who　is　conscious　of　ability；　every　one　who　feels　within　him　energies