[35]. Mr. Morse had unwittingly given her some encouragement previously by telling the story of a candidate for Orders, who when asked “If any man broached before you doubts of the divinity of our Lord (‘and I needn’t tell you,’ said Mr. Morse to S. J.-B., ‘what a difficult subject that is’) what answer would you make?”
“My Lord, I beg that you won’t suppose that I keep such company.”[company.”]
“Well, but if——?”
“My Lord, I should take up my hat and walk out.”
“(Prudent too),” comments S. J.-B.
[37]. See inter alia Whittier’s poem, “The Prophecy of Samuel Sewall, 1697.”
[38]. It was only for a very brief period of her life that S. J.-B. would have called herself by this name.
[39]. The reference is probably to the reply of Wilberforce when asked whether in his struggle for the emancipation of the slaves, he was not neglecting his own soul,—“I had forgotten that I had a soul.”
[40].