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The Wide, Wide World
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"Because, you know, sir, that is not the way we can have our sins forgiven."
"What is the way?"
Ellen looked at him to see if he was in jest or earnest. Her look staggered him a little, but he repeated his question. She cast her eyes down and answered —
"Jesus Christ said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.'"
Mr. Lindsay said no more.
"I wish that was the Bruce's crown," said Ellen after a while. "I should like to see anything that belonged to him."
"I'll take you to the field of Bannockburn some day; that belonged to him with a vengeance. It lies over yonder."
"Bannockburn! will you? and Stirling Castle! Oh, how I should like that!"
"Stirling Castle," said Mr. Lindsay, smiling at Ellen's clasped hands of delight; "what do you know of Stirling Castle?"
"From the history, you know, sir; and the Lord of the Isles —
'Old Stirling's towers arose in light – '"
"Go on," said Mr. Lindsay.
"'And twined in links of silver bright
Her winding river lay.'"
"That's this same river Forth, Ellen. Do you know any more?"
"Oh yes, sir."
"Go on and tell me all you can remember."
"All! that would be a great deal, sir."
"Go on till I tell you to stop."
Ellen gave him a good part of the battle, with introduction to it.
"You have a good memory, Ellen," he said, looking pleased.
"Because I like it, sir; that makes it easy to remember. I like the Scots people."
"Do you!" said Mr. Lindsay, much gratified. "I did not know you liked anything on this side of the water. Why do you like them?"
"Because they never would be conquered by the English."
"So," said Mr. Lindsay, half amused and half disappointed, "the long and the short of it is, you like them because they fought the enemies you were so eager to have a blow at."
"Oh no, sir," said Ellen, laughing, "I do not mean that at all; the French were England's enemies too, and helped us besides, but I like the Scots a great deal better than the French. I like them because they would be free."
"You have an extraordinary taste for freedom! And pray, are all the American children as strong republicans as yourself?"
"I don't know, sir; I hope so."
"Pretty well, upon my word! Then I suppose even the Bruce cannot rival your favourite Washington in your esteem?"
Ellen smiled.
"Eh?" said Mr. Lindsay.
"I like Washington better, sir, of course; but I like Bruce very much."
"Why do you prefer Washington?"
"I should have to think to tell you that, sir."
"Very well, think, and answer me."
"One reason, I suppose, is because he was an American," said Ellen.
"That is not reason enough for so reasonable a person as you are, Ellen; you must try again, or give up your preference."
"I like Bruce very much indeed," said Ellen musingly, "but he did what he did for himself, Washington didn't."
"Humph! I am not quite sure as to either of your positions."
"And, besides," said Ellen, "Bruce did one or two wrong things. Washington always did right."
"He did, eh? What do you think of the murder of Andre?"
"I think it was right," said Ellen firmly.
"Your reasons, my little reasoner?" asked Mr. Lindsay.
"If it had not been right, Washington would not have done it."
"Ha! ha! so at that rate you may reconcile yourself to anything that chances to be done by a favourite."
"No, sir," said Ellen, a little confused, but standing her ground, "but when a person always does right, if he happened to do something that I don't know enough to understand, I have good reason to think it is right, even though I cannot understand it."
"Very well! but apply the same rule of judgment to the Bruce, can't you?"
"Nothing could make me think the murder of the Red Comyn right, sir. Bruce didn't think so himself."
"But remember, there is a great difference in the times, those were rude and uncivilised compared to these; you must make allowance for that."
"Yes, sir, I do! but I like the civilised times best."
"What do you think of this fellow over here – what's his name? – whose monument I was showing you – Nelson?"
"What is the way?"
Ellen looked at him to see if he was in jest or earnest. Her look staggered him a little, but he repeated his question. She cast her eyes down and answered —
"Jesus Christ said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.'"
Mr. Lindsay said no more.
"I wish that was the Bruce's crown," said Ellen after a while. "I should like to see anything that belonged to him."
"I'll take you to the field of Bannockburn some day; that belonged to him with a vengeance. It lies over yonder."
"Bannockburn! will you? and Stirling Castle! Oh, how I should like that!"
"Stirling Castle," said Mr. Lindsay, smiling at Ellen's clasped hands of delight; "what do you know of Stirling Castle?"
"From the history, you know, sir; and the Lord of the Isles —
'Old Stirling's towers arose in light – '"
"Go on," said Mr. Lindsay.
"'And twined in links of silver bright
Her winding river lay.'"
"That's this same river Forth, Ellen. Do you know any more?"
"Oh yes, sir."
"Go on and tell me all you can remember."
"All! that would be a great deal, sir."
"Go on till I tell you to stop."
Ellen gave him a good part of the battle, with introduction to it.
"You have a good memory, Ellen," he said, looking pleased.
"Because I like it, sir; that makes it easy to remember. I like the Scots people."
"Do you!" said Mr. Lindsay, much gratified. "I did not know you liked anything on this side of the water. Why do you like them?"
"Because they never would be conquered by the English."
"So," said Mr. Lindsay, half amused and half disappointed, "the long and the short of it is, you like them because they fought the enemies you were so eager to have a blow at."
"Oh no, sir," said Ellen, laughing, "I do not mean that at all; the French were England's enemies too, and helped us besides, but I like the Scots a great deal better than the French. I like them because they would be free."
"You have an extraordinary taste for freedom! And pray, are all the American children as strong republicans as yourself?"
"I don't know, sir; I hope so."
"Pretty well, upon my word! Then I suppose even the Bruce cannot rival your favourite Washington in your esteem?"
Ellen smiled.
"Eh?" said Mr. Lindsay.
"I like Washington better, sir, of course; but I like Bruce very much."
"Why do you prefer Washington?"
"I should have to think to tell you that, sir."
"Very well, think, and answer me."
"One reason, I suppose, is because he was an American," said Ellen.
"That is not reason enough for so reasonable a person as you are, Ellen; you must try again, or give up your preference."
"I like Bruce very much indeed," said Ellen musingly, "but he did what he did for himself, Washington didn't."
"Humph! I am not quite sure as to either of your positions."
"And, besides," said Ellen, "Bruce did one or two wrong things. Washington always did right."
"He did, eh? What do you think of the murder of Andre?"
"I think it was right," said Ellen firmly.
"Your reasons, my little reasoner?" asked Mr. Lindsay.
"If it had not been right, Washington would not have done it."
"Ha! ha! so at that rate you may reconcile yourself to anything that chances to be done by a favourite."
"No, sir," said Ellen, a little confused, but standing her ground, "but when a person always does right, if he happened to do something that I don't know enough to understand, I have good reason to think it is right, even though I cannot understand it."
"Very well! but apply the same rule of judgment to the Bruce, can't you?"
"Nothing could make me think the murder of the Red Comyn right, sir. Bruce didn't think so himself."
"But remember, there is a great difference in the times, those were rude and uncivilised compared to these; you must make allowance for that."
"Yes, sir, I do! but I like the civilised times best."
"What do you think of this fellow over here – what's his name? – whose monument I was showing you – Nelson?"
Другие электронные книги автора Susan Warner
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