She turned suddenly, and put out both hands to her husband; her eyes had a frightened, lost look.
“Fred,” she cried, “what is death? is this life all? Shall we lose each other utterly one day, you and I? Is there nothing beyond the grave?”
He took her in his arms, it was all he could do for her in her sore need.
“I don’t know, my darling,” he said; “if there be, science has no power to find it. We must only love each other all the more while we live.”
“But why?” she cried, “what good will that do? it will only add to the misery of the one who is left behind. What is the use of love? or of living? unless we could die together.”
“There are others,” he said, “whom we can help. We may live for them.”
“And what claim have they upon us? If there is nothing beyond the grave, why not make the journey thither as short as possible, at least for the wretched? There is Freddy, for example, who has to suffer so much; if it is right to give him a little morphine to ease his pain for a while, why would it be wrong to give him enough to ease it forever?”
“Fortunately, there is no fear of your carrying that theory into practice,” he said, trying to smile.
“Because I am selfish,” she replied, “and cannot part with my child sooner than I must. But, Fred, there must be some truth somewhere; why should we not look for it together? There are books.”
“That is the hopeless part about it,” he answered; “there are so many books, and all so positive on their own side of the question. The theologian will prove to you just as clearly the whole scheme of salvation, as he calls it, as the scientist that nothing but matter has any real existence. For my part, there are two arguments which to me are perfectly conclusive. I ask nothing further. Whether there is or is not some sort of Blind Power in the universe, such as the great First Cause that some scientists are willing to acknowledge, does not interest me; but of the non-existence of an all-knowing, all-loving, personal God I am perfectly convinced for two reasons. First, the existence of evil in all its forms: sin, sorrow, suffering, and death. I would not allow such things in a world under my control, and a God who is less merciful than I is no God at all—for me.”