"Have ye ever asked Him to make it different?"
"What's the good? Don't ye say He won't answer?" demanded Hor.
"I don't say He won't, but only He's not promised He will. That's to say, lad, He's not promised to ye, 'whatsoever ye ask, ye shall receive.' He's promised to forgive your sins, an' to save ye, an' to make ye different, soon 's ever ye'll ask Him, but the 'whatsoever' promises don't belong to ye, till ye begins to serve Him. See my meanin', lad—eh?"
Hor did not answer, and Ailie said:
"He's the Shepherd, ain't He, gran'father?"
"Sure He is. The Shepherd, an' the Master, an' the Lord, an' the King, an' the Friend. Ever so many Names He's got,—picturs of Him like, so's we may understand Him better. There'll be a day, little deary—" and his firm brown hand stroked Lettie's head,—"there'll be a day when He'll have one Name, 'cause the Bible says so. 'There shall be one Lord, and His Name one.' He's one Lord now, but He's a many names. We won't need a Shepherd nor a Guide then, for we'll be at Home. Sometimes I wonders what Name He'll choose, among so many. One time I thinks it'll be Master, 'cause we'll all serve Him. Another time I thinks it'll be Father, 'cause we'll all be one family in Heaven, an' sure the Bible calls Him the Everlasting Father. Another time, I think maybe it'll be Love, 'cause the Lord is love, all love, nothin' but love. Any way it'll be beautiful—right beautiful," and the smile that shone on Job's face had a dim reflection of that far-off heavenly beauty.
"If He be all love, why don't He give us a nice place to live in?" asked Hor, though less doggedly than before.
"How many more times will I have to say it, lad—Have ye ever asked Him to make it different?"
"If I did, what then?" demanded Hor. "Don't ye be the same?"
"No," said Job decidedly. "You says ye lives like pigs, but 'tain't no pig-sty this home o' mine. It's where my Master has put me, an' I loves it for His sake. Why, lad, I tell ye, He'd put me in a palace straight,—not as I'd be happy there partic'larly,—but He'd put me there, if 'twas for my good. That's all as matters. I wouldn't ask Him to change. All I wants is,—