During the next few days, things were, to say the least, uncomfortable. Jack really did behave beautifully, keeping down his temper in manly style, or rather, I should say, in Christian style. But the one word fits in well with the other.
Jack was manly by nature; and his religion had a thoroughly manly cast about it. Real humility and real meekness in a man are always manly. There never was any man more nobly and fully a Man, more full of manly dignity and courage and self-control, in all His meekness, than our Master Himself. If only His followers took after Him more! I get out of patience sometimes with weak complaining creatures, who seem to think their feebleness and want of spirit means meekness. And I get just as much out of patience with the rough coarse rudeness and brag which tramples on everything weak, and pretends to be manliness.
Those ways are not really meek or manly. But I do think it was genuine meekness and manliness together when my Jack stood still, in his strength, held by Maimie’s slight hands, while Cress struck at him, and he made no effort to defend himself,—Cress, whom he could have mastered in an instant. And I do think it was true manly and Christian meekness again, when Jack went in and out without a sign of anger or disdain towards Cress—though he had cause enough for anger, not so much in the treatment of himself as in the treatment of Maimie, whom he so passionately loved.
Did Maimie begin to value more what he felt towards her? I asked myself this question often, and could not be sure as to the answer; only her manner towards him was certainly different after the day of Cress’ outbreak. It became more shy, yet more confiding. She seemed to turn to Jack constantly for help or advice, without knowing that she did so.
Towards Cress she showed no annoyance, any more than Jack did; but she treated him with a quiet distant politeness, and allowed him to do nothing for her. Cress chafed under this. I was afraid one day that a struggle would begin again between the brothers. Maimie had asked Jack to mend a little box for her, and he gladly undertook it. Cress pushed forward in his old style, and said, “Let me, Maimie.”
“I have asked Jack,” she said.
“That doesn’t matter, I’ll do it better than Jack can.”
“I don’t want it better. Jack’s workmanship is good enough for me.”
“Thank you, Maimie,” Jack said.
“Jack is not going to do this,” Cress said wrathfully.