“It’s the club that’s been game.”
“True; but you’ve got out of it the best that it can give. I’ll say that for you. Only don’t imagine for a moment that your fight is over.”
“Oh no, sir; I don’t.”
“It’s perfectly true that if you resist the devil he will flee from you; but he can show a marvelous power of coming back. Some of your toughest tussles lie ahead. Now I’m only reminding you of that to show you that your father has perhaps done the very wisest thing for you. A large part of your safety lies in the necessity for your working. If you weren’t absolutely obliged to do it in order to live like a respectable man there’s no telling what tide of suppressed temptations might rush in and engulf you.”
I nodded slowly.
“I see that. Thank you for pointing it out to me.”
“But, Frank, old fellow, that’s not the chief thing I want you to see. What will give you more satisfaction than anything else is the knowledge that what has been done for you has been done in love. Your father has shown his love for you; you show your love for him. Accept this gift graciously. Enjoy it and make the best of it. Your life with him isn’t over.”
My expression must have been one of inquiry, because he went on:
“One of the sublimest and truest things that ever fell from a pen is this, ‘Love is of God; and every one that love is born of God, and knoweth God.’ It’s almost a startling thing to realize that by the sheer act of love we’re sons of God and know Him.”