"The girls were in the haymow, but they do not know what it is all about, and Doris said we preachers must not ask questions in a case like that."
"Rosalie," he said, "some people say that God does not watch over us, and guard us. Yet Providence certainly kept that man out of the house when you first told me,—I am afraid I could have killed him—there was hate in my heart—not now, dear. And believe this, dear, I did not strike him in anger. I thought it over carefully and decided it would do him good. But I did not hit him furiously, or wildly—it was deliberate."
"Then you do not always believe in—turning the other cheek?"
"I do not believe in carrying it to the point of offering another daughter to the man who offends," he said quickly.
"I think," she said thoughtfully—"I believe—a false prophet was probably the Serpent in the Garden of Eden. They are very upsetting, you know—I am sure it was nothing less than a bad minister that overcame Eve's scruples."
"Perhaps." And then he added wistfully, "Do you still have that feeling of abhorrence for—us preachers?"
"Oh, father, nobody could lose confidence in the ministry when you emphasize your argument with your muscle. It is all over. Isn't it a good thing I know you? For you could cancel a dozen bad preachers, for me at least. I'm sorry for the way I talked. It was very foolish, and very wicked. Why, do you know, for a while, I actually held God responsible for that creature? I thought, 'How can God allow such a monster to go about preaching His gospel?' And then, after you talked to me, I saw that he was only the serpent trying to despoil God's vineyard."
"Oh, Rosalie, how many of us do that very thing. Instead of thanking God for the lovely vineyard He has given us, we blame Him for the serpent curling at the roots. Yet the serpent is not all powerful—even we have strength to drive him away—God saw to that. But no, instead of using our strength as it was intended, we say, 'God should not allow the serpent in the vineyard!' Then it is all over, and you are still glad and proud to be one of 'Us Preachers,' are you?"
"Gladder and prouder than ever," she said warmly, but her father saw in her eyes a little dark shadow of disillusionment that had never been in Rosalie's bright eyes before.