"You do not mean that such a fate can overtake the whole
South?" said my father.
"I mean, that the race is not always to the swift. The South
have right on their side, however."
"Right?" said I.
"I thought that would bring you out," Mr. Dinwiddie said, with
a kindly look at me.
"Daisy is an abolitionist," said papa. "Where she got it, is
out of my knowledge. But I think, Mr. Dinwiddie, there are
minds so constituted that they take of choice that view of
things which is practically the most adverse to their own
interest."
"Tell papa, Mr. Dinwiddie, that that cannot be."
"What cannot be, if you please?"
"I mean, that which is the right cannot be the wrong in any
sense; cannot be even the wrong view for anybody's interest
that adopts it."
"Fair theories -" said papa.
"Something else, it must be, papa. There is a promise - 'With
what measure ye measure, it shall be measured to you again.'
'Give, and it shall be given unto you; full measure, pressed
down, heaped up, and running over, shall men give into your
bosom.' "
"Why into my bosom?" said papa. "I would rather it were into
my hands, or a basket, or anything."
We went off into a laugh upon that, and Mr. Dinwiddie
explained, and the conversation turned. We went into the house
to have tea; and there we discussed the subject of our further
journey and when we should set off. Mr. Dinwiddie was engaged
to go with us to Lebanon. But it was concluded that we would
wait yet a little for the season to be further advanced. For
me, I was in no hurry to leave the Mount of Olives and
Jerusalem.
We sat on the roof that evening and watched the lights kindle
in Jerusalem, and talked of the old-time scenes and changes;
till I supposed the question of home troubles and our poor
Magnolia people was pretty well driven from papa's mind. But
when Mr. Dinwiddie was gone, and I was bidding him good-night,
he held me fast in his arms, looking down into my face.
"Little Daisy!" - he said.
"Not just now, papa."
"The very same!" he said. "My little Daisy! - who was always
forgetting herself in favour of any poor creature that came in
her way."
"Papa - what did our Lord do?"
"Daisy, do you expect to conform yourself and everybody to
that pattern?"
"Myself, papa. Not everybody."
"Me? -"
I could not answer papa. I hid my face on his breast; - for he
still held me. And now he kissed me fondly.
"We must not do what mamma would never agree to," he said very
kindly. Again I could make no answer. I knew all about mamma.
"Daisy," said papa presently, we had not changed our position,
- "is Mr. Dinwiddie your friend, or mine?"