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"Why, that's gambling."
"In a small way."
"Is it always in a small way?"
"People do not generally play very high at whist."
"It is all the same thing," said Lois. "People begin with a little, andthen a little will not satisfy them."
"True; but one must take the world as one finds it."
"Is the New York world like this?" said Lois, after a moment's pause.
"No! Not in the coarseness you find Mr. Greville tells of. In thematter of pleasure-seeking, I am afraid times and places are muchalike. Those who live for pleasure, are driven to seek it in all mannerof ways. The ways sometimes vary; the principle does not."
"And do all the men gamble?"
"No. Many do not touch cards. My friend, Mr. Dillwyn, for example."
"Mr. Dillwyn? Do you know him?"
"Very well. He was a dear friend of my husband, and has been a faithfulfriend to me. Do you know him?"
"A little. I have seen him."
"You must not expect too much from the world, my dear."
"According to what you say, one must not expect anything from it."
"That is too severe."
"No," said Lois. "What is there to admire or respect in a person wholives only for pleasure?"
"Sometimes there are fine qualities, and brilliant parts, and noblepowers."
"Ah, that makes it only worse!" cried Lois. "Fine qualities, andbrilliant parts, and noble powers, all used for nothing! That is miserable; and when there is so much to do in the world, too!"
"Of what kind?" asked Mrs. Barclay, curious to know her companion'scourse of thought.
"O, help."
"What sort of help?"
"Almost all sorts," said Lois. "You must know even better than I. Don'tyou see a great many people in New York that are in want of some sortof help?"
"Yes; but it is not always easy to give, even where the need isgreatest. People's troubles come largely from their follies."
"Or from other people's follies."
"That is true. But how would you help, Lois?"
"Where there's a will, there's a way, Mrs. Barclay."
"You are thinking of help to the poor? There is a great deal of thatdone."
"I am thinking of poverty, and sickness, and weakness, and ignorance, and injustice. And a grand man could do a great deal. But not if helived like the creatures in this book. I never saw such a book."
"But we must take men as we find them; and most men are busy seekingtheir own happiness. You cannot blame them for that. It is humannature."
"I blame them for seeking it so. And it is not happiness that peopleplay whist for, till four o'clock in the morning."
"What then?"
"Forgetfulness, I should think; distraction; because they do not knowanything about happiness."
"Who does?" said Mrs. Barclay sadly.
Lois was silent, not because she had not something to say, but becauseshe was not certain how best to say it. There was no doubt in her sweetface, rather a grave assurance which stimulated Mrs. Barclay'scuriosity.
"We must take people as we find them," she repeated. "You cannot expectmen who live for pleasure to give up their search for the sake of otherpeople's pleasure."
"Yet that is the way, – which they miss," said Lois.
"The way to what?"
"To real enjoyment. To life that is worth living."
"What would you have them do?"
"Only what the Bible says."
"I do not believe I know the Bible as well as you do. Of whatdirections are you thinking? 'The poor ye have always with you'?"
"Not that," said Lois. "Let me get my Bible, and I will tellyou. – This, Mrs. Barclay – 'To loose the bands of wickedness, to undothe heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye breakevery yoke… To deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bringthe poor that are cast out to thy house; when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine ownflesh'…"
"And do you think, to live right, one must live so?"
"It is the Bible!" said Lois, with so innocent a look of havinganswered all questions, that Mrs. Barclay was near smiling.
"Do you think anybody ever did live so?"
"Job."
"Did he! I forget."
Lois turned over some leaves, and again read – "'When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and himthat had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perishcame upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy… I waseyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to thepoor: and the cause that I knew not I searched out. And I brake thejaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.'"
"To be a father to the poor, in these days, would give a man enoughto do, certainly; especially if he searched out all the causes whichwere doubtful. It would take all a man's time, and all his money too,if he were as rich as Job; – unless you put some limit, Lois."
"In a small way."
"Is it always in a small way?"
"People do not generally play very high at whist."
"It is all the same thing," said Lois. "People begin with a little, andthen a little will not satisfy them."
"True; but one must take the world as one finds it."
"Is the New York world like this?" said Lois, after a moment's pause.
"No! Not in the coarseness you find Mr. Greville tells of. In thematter of pleasure-seeking, I am afraid times and places are muchalike. Those who live for pleasure, are driven to seek it in all mannerof ways. The ways sometimes vary; the principle does not."
"And do all the men gamble?"
"No. Many do not touch cards. My friend, Mr. Dillwyn, for example."
"Mr. Dillwyn? Do you know him?"
"Very well. He was a dear friend of my husband, and has been a faithfulfriend to me. Do you know him?"
"A little. I have seen him."
"You must not expect too much from the world, my dear."
"According to what you say, one must not expect anything from it."
"That is too severe."
"No," said Lois. "What is there to admire or respect in a person wholives only for pleasure?"
"Sometimes there are fine qualities, and brilliant parts, and noblepowers."
"Ah, that makes it only worse!" cried Lois. "Fine qualities, andbrilliant parts, and noble powers, all used for nothing! That is miserable; and when there is so much to do in the world, too!"
"Of what kind?" asked Mrs. Barclay, curious to know her companion'scourse of thought.
"O, help."
"What sort of help?"
"Almost all sorts," said Lois. "You must know even better than I. Don'tyou see a great many people in New York that are in want of some sortof help?"
"Yes; but it is not always easy to give, even where the need isgreatest. People's troubles come largely from their follies."
"Or from other people's follies."
"That is true. But how would you help, Lois?"
"Where there's a will, there's a way, Mrs. Barclay."
"You are thinking of help to the poor? There is a great deal of thatdone."
"I am thinking of poverty, and sickness, and weakness, and ignorance, and injustice. And a grand man could do a great deal. But not if helived like the creatures in this book. I never saw such a book."
"But we must take men as we find them; and most men are busy seekingtheir own happiness. You cannot blame them for that. It is humannature."
"I blame them for seeking it so. And it is not happiness that peopleplay whist for, till four o'clock in the morning."
"What then?"
"Forgetfulness, I should think; distraction; because they do not knowanything about happiness."
"Who does?" said Mrs. Barclay sadly.
Lois was silent, not because she had not something to say, but becauseshe was not certain how best to say it. There was no doubt in her sweetface, rather a grave assurance which stimulated Mrs. Barclay'scuriosity.
"We must take people as we find them," she repeated. "You cannot expectmen who live for pleasure to give up their search for the sake of otherpeople's pleasure."
"Yet that is the way, – which they miss," said Lois.
"The way to what?"
"To real enjoyment. To life that is worth living."
"What would you have them do?"
"Only what the Bible says."
"I do not believe I know the Bible as well as you do. Of whatdirections are you thinking? 'The poor ye have always with you'?"
"Not that," said Lois. "Let me get my Bible, and I will tellyou. – This, Mrs. Barclay – 'To loose the bands of wickedness, to undothe heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye breakevery yoke… To deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bringthe poor that are cast out to thy house; when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine ownflesh'…"
"And do you think, to live right, one must live so?"
"It is the Bible!" said Lois, with so innocent a look of havinganswered all questions, that Mrs. Barclay was near smiling.
"Do you think anybody ever did live so?"
"Job."
"Did he! I forget."
Lois turned over some leaves, and again read – "'When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and himthat had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perishcame upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy… I waseyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to thepoor: and the cause that I knew not I searched out. And I brake thejaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.'"
"To be a father to the poor, in these days, would give a man enoughto do, certainly; especially if he searched out all the causes whichwere doubtful. It would take all a man's time, and all his money too,if he were as rich as Job; – unless you put some limit, Lois."
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Последний отзыв
очень хорошая книга для студентов и учителей