Part 88 (2/2)
”Was your'n in it?” asked Mrs. Armadale abruptly.
”My heart? In the words? I am afraid I must own it was not, in the way you mean, madam. If I must answer truth.”
”Don't you always speak truth?”
”I believe I may say, that _is_ my habit,” Philip answered, smiling.
”Then, do you think you ought to sing sech words, if you don't mean 'em?”
The question looks abrupt, on paper. It did not sound equally so.
Something of earnest wistfulness there was in the old lady's look and manner, a touch of solemnity in her voice, which made the gentleman forgive her on the spot. He sat down beside her.
”Would you bid me not join in singing such words, then?”
”It's not my place to bid or forbid. But you can judge for yourself. Do you set much valley on professions that mean nothing?”
”I made no professions.”
”Ain't it professin', when you say what the hymns say?”
”If you will forgive me--I did not say it,” responded Philip.
”Ain't singin' sayin'?”
”They are generally looked upon as essentially different. People are never held responsible for the things they sing,--out of church,” added Philip, smiling. ”Is it otherwise with church singing?”
”What's church singin' good for, then?”
”I thought it was to put the minds of the wors.h.i.+ppers in a right state;--to sober and harmonize them.”
”I thought it was to tell the Lord how we felt,” said the old lady.
”That is a new view of it, certainly.”
”_I_ thought the words was to tell one how we had ought to feel!” said Charity. ”There wouldn't more'n one in a dozen sing, mother, if you had _your_ way; and then we should have nice music!”
”I think it would be nice music,” said the old lady, with a kind of sober tremble in her voice, which somehow touched Philip. The ring of truth was there, at any rate.
”Could the world be managed,” he said, with very gentle deference; ”could the world be managed on such principles of truth and purity?
Must we not take people as we find them?”
”Those are the Lord's principles,” said Mrs. Armadale.
”Yes, but you know how the world is. Must we not, a little, as I said, take people as we find them?”
”The Lord won't do that,” said the old lady. ”He will either make them better, or he will cast them away.”
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