we two-第39章

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s　danger　can　be　of　the　least　avail。　　Besides；　if　a　God　could　be　turned　round　from　His　original　purpose　by　human　wills　and　much　speaking；　I　hardly　think　He　would　be　worth　believing　in。〃

〃You　are　taking　the　lowest　view　of　prayer　mere　petition；　but　even　that；　I　think；　is　set　on　its　right　footing　as　soon　as　we　grasp　the　true　conception　of　the　ideal　father。　　Do　you　mean　to　say　that；　because　your　father's　rules　were　unwavering　and　his　day's　work　marked　out　beforehand；　he　did　not　like　you　to　come　to　him　when　you　were　a　little　child；　with　all　your　wishes　and　longings　and　requests；　even　though　they　were　sometimes　childish　and　often　impossible　to　gratify？　Would　he　have　been　better　pleased　if　you　had　shut　up　everything　in　your　own　heart；　and　never　of　your　own　accord　told　him　anything　about　your　babyish　plans　and　wants？〃

〃Still；　prayer　seems　to　me　a　waste　of　time；〃　said　Erica。

〃What！　　If　it　brings　you　a　talk　with　your　Father？　　If　it　is　a　relief　to　you　and　a　pleasure　because　a　sign　of　trust　and　love　to　Him？　　But　in　one　way　I　entirely　agree　with　you；　unless　it　is　spontaneous　it　is　not　only　useless　but　harmful。　　Imagine　a　child　forced　to　talk　to　its　father。　　And　this　seems　to　me　the　truest　defense　of　prayer；　to　the　'natural　man'　it　always　will　seem　foolishness；　　to　the　'spiritual　man'　to　one　who　has　recognized　the　All…Father　it　is　the　absolute　necessity　of　life。　　And　I　think　by　degrees　one　passes　from　eager　petition　for　personal　and　physical　good　things　into　the　truer　and　more　Christlike　spirit　of　prayer。　　'These　are　my　fears；　these　are　my　wishes；　but　not　my　will　but　Thine　be　done。'　　Shakespeare　had　got　hold　of　a　grand　truth；　it　seems　to　me；　when　he　said：

〃'So　find　we　profit　by　losing　of　our　prayers。'〃

〃And　yet　your　ideal　man　distinctly　said：　'Ask　and　ye　shall　receive'〃　said　Erica。　　〃There　are　no　limitations。　　For　aught　we　know；　some　pig…headed　fanatic　may　be　at　this　moment　praying　that　God　in　His　mercy　would　rid　the　earth　of　that　most　dangerous　man；　Luke　Raeburn；　while　I　might　be　of　course　I　am　not；　but　it　is　conceivable　that　I　might　be　praying　for　his　safety。　　Both　of　us　might　claim　the　same　promise；　'Ask　and　ye　shall　receive。'〃

〃You　forget　one　thing；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。　〃You　would　both　pray　to　the　Father；　and　His　answer　which　you；　by　the　way；　might　consider　no　answer　would　be　the　answer　of　a　father。　　Do　you　not　think　the　fanatic　would　certainly　find　profit　in　having　his　most　unbrotherly　request　disregarded？　　And　the　true　loss　or　gain　of　prayer　would　surely　be　in　this：　The　fanatic　would；　by　his　un…Christlike　request；　put　himself　further　from　God；　you；　by　your　spontaneous　and　natural　avowal　of　need　and　recognition　of　a　Supreme　loving　will；　would　draw　nearer　to　God。　　Nor　do　we　yet　at　all　understand　the　extraordinary　influence　exerted　on　others　by　any　steady；　earnest　concentration　of　thought；　science　is　but　just　awakening　to　the　fact　that　there　is　an　unknown　power　which　we　have　hitherto　never　dreamed　of。　　I　have　great　hope　that　in　this　direction；　as　in　all　others；　science　may　show　us　the　hidden　workings　of　our　Father。〃

Erica　forgot　her　anxiety　for　a　moment；　she　was　watching　Charles　Osmond's　face　with　mingled　curiosity　and　perplexity。　　To　speak　to　one　whose　belief　in　the　Unseen　seemed　stronger　and　more　influential　than　most　people's　belief　in　the　seen；　was　always　very　strange　to　her；　and　with　her　prophet　she　was　almost　always　conscious　of　this　double　life　（SHE　considered　it　double　a　real　outer　and　an　imaginary　inner。）　　His　strong　conviction；　the　every…day　language　which　he　used　in　speaking　of　those　truths　which　most　people　from　a　mistaken　notion　of　reverence；　wrap　up　in　a　sort　of　ecclesiastical　phraseology；　above　all；　the　carrying　out　in　his　life　of　the　idea　of　universal　brotherhood；　with　so　many　a　mere　form　of　words　all　served　to　impress　Erica　very　deeply。　She　knew　him　too　well　and　loved　him　too　truly　to　pause　often；　as　it　were；　to　analyze　his　character。　　Every　now　and　then；　however；　some　new　phase　was　borne　in　upon　her；　and　some　chance　word；　emphasizing　the　difference　between　them；　forced　her　from　sheer　honesty　to　own　how　much　that　was　noble　seemed　in　him　to　be　the　outcome　of　faith　in　Christ。

They　went　a　little　more　deeply　into　the　prayer　question。　　Then；　with　the　wonder　growing　on　her　more　and　more；　Erica　suddenly　exclaimed：　〃It　is　so　wonderful　to　me　that　you　can　believe　without　logical　proof　believe　a　thing　which　affects　your　whole　life　so　immensely；　and　yet　be　unable　to　demonstrate　the　very　existence　of　a　God。〃

〃Do　you　believe　your　father　loves　you？〃　asked　Charles　Osmond。

〃My　father！　　Why；　of　course。〃

〃You　can't　logically　prove　that　his　love　has　any　true　existence。〃

〃Why；　yes！〃　exclaimed　Erica。　　〃Not　a　day　passes　without　some　word；　look；　thought；　which　would　prove　it　to　any　one。　　If　　there　is　one　thing　that　I　am　certain　of　in　the　whole　world；　it　is　that　my　father　loves　me。　　Why；　you　who　know　him　so　well；　you　must　know　that！　　You　must　have　seen　that。〃

〃All　his　care　of　you　may　be　mere　self…interest；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。　　〃Perhaps　he　puts　on　a　sort　of　appearance　of　affection　for　you　just　for　the　sake　of　what　people　would　say　not　a　very　likely　thing　for　Mr。　Raeburn　to　consider；　I　own。　　Still；　you　can't　demonstrate　to　me　that　his　love　is　a　reality。〃

〃But　I　KNOW　it　is！〃　cried　Erica；　vehemently。

〃Of　course　you　know；　my　child；　you　know　in　your　heart；　and　our　hearts　can　teach　us　what　no　power　of　intellect；　no　skill　in　logic　can　every　teach　us。　　You　can't　logically　prove　the　existence　of　your　father's　love；　and　I　can't　logically　prove　the　existence　of　the　all…Father；　but　in　our　hearts　we　both　of　us　know。　　The　deepest；　most　sacred　realities　are　generally　those　of　heart…knowledge；　and　quite　out　of　the　pale　of　logic。〃

Erica　did　not　speak；　but　sat　musing。　　After　all；　what　COULD　be　proved　with　absolute　certainty？　　Why；　nothing；　except　such　bare　facts　as　that　two　and　two　make　four。　　Was　even　mathematical　proof　so　absolutely　certain？　　Were　they　not　already　beginning　to　talk　of　a　possible　fourth　dimension　of　space　when　even　that　might　no　longer　be　capable　of　demonstration。

〃Well；　setting　aside　actual　proof；〃　she　resumed；　after　a　silence；　〃how　do　you　bring　it　down　even　to　a　probability　that　God　is？〃

〃We　must　all　of　us　start　with　a　supposition；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。　　〃There　must　on　the　one　hand　either　be　everlasting　matter　or　everlasting　force；　whether　these　be　two　real　existences；　or　whether　matter　be　only　force　conditioned；　or；　on　the　other　hand；　you　have　the　alternative　of　the　everlasting　'He。'　　You　at　present　base　your　belief　on　the　first　alternative。　　I　base　mine　on　the　last；　which；　I　grant　you；　is　at　the　outset　the　most　difficult　of　the　two。　　I　find；　however；　that　nine　times　out　of　ten　the　most　difficult　theory　is　the　truest。　　Granting　the　everlasting　'He；'　you　must　allow　self…　consciousness；　without　which　there　could　be　no　all　powerful；　all　knowledge…full；　and　all　love…full。　　We　will　not　quarrel　about　names；　call　the　Everlasting　what　you　please。　　'Father'　seems　to　me　at　once　the　highest　and　simplest　name。〃

〃But　evil！〃　broke　in　Erica；　triumphantly。　　〃If　He　originates　all；　he　must　originate　evil　as　well　as　good。〃

〃Certainly；〃　said　Charles　Osmond；　〃He　has　expressly　told　us　so。　　'I　form　the　light　and　create　darkness；　I　make　peace；　and　create　evil；　I；　the　Lord；　do　all　these　things。'〃

〃I　recollect　now；　we　spoke　of　this　two　or　three　years　ago；〃　said　Erica。　　〃You　said　that　the　highest　good　was　attained　by　passing　through　struggles　and　temptations。〃

〃Think　of　it　in　this　way；〃　said　Charles　Osmond。　　〃The　Father　is　educating　His　children；　what　education　was　ever　brought　about　without　pain？　　The　wise　human　father　does　not　so　much　shield　his　child　from　small　pains；　but　encourages　him　to　get　wisdom　from　them　for　the　future；　tries　to　teach　him　endurance　and　courage。　　Pain　is　necessary　as　an　element　in　education；　possibly　there　is　no　evolution　possible　without　it。　　The　father　may　regret　it；　but；　if　he　is　wise；　knows　that　it　must　be。　　He　suffers　twice　as　much　as　the　child　from　the　infliction　of　the　pain。　　The　All…Father；　being　at　once　all…knowing　and　all…loving；　can　see　the　end　of　the　education　while　we　only　see　it　in　process；　and　perhaps　exclaim：　'What　a　frightful　state　of　things；'　or　like　your　favorite　'Ste