“If truly such, my love, their portion in this life will be little thought of; for they will know that in the bosom of Abraham the Lazarus of this world has his high place of honour as of comfort, and that the fashion of this world passeth away; nay, before the great change comes, one turn of the wheel may bring the loftiest fortunes to the dust, and crush them beneath it; even now, do we not see and hear the preparations of war?”
“There, again, Katharine,—how can we reconcile with the power of a God of love the existence of so dark and terrible a curse as war?”
“It is but one of many forms of death.”
“But the miseries in its violent and bloody path——”
“Are not so great as those of pestilence, or famine, or the hurricane.”
“Well, Katharine, why pestilence, or famine, or hurricane?—why death?—and whence sin?”
“Jane, we know not now—we shall know hereafter; let us not perplex ourselves with doubts and inquiries which none can solve; the origin of evil lies hidden from our eyes; it is a deep thing—enough for us that the Divine champion hath triumphed over sin—hath plucked the sting from death—and victory from the grave:—in and through him we may all be conquerors.”
“And can they so conquer if they be not followers of the Lamb?—and may the followers of the Lamb fight and shed each other’s blood in battle?”
“It is sad, very sad,” rejoined Katharine, with a shudder of her whole frame: “it seems a stern necessity in the condition of all the kingdoms of this world that they should be defended by the sword. Good men, great men, the holiest servants of Heaven have wielded earthly arms, and the weapons of death:—with his sword and with his bow the father of the faithful led his own household to the combat,—and the virtues of the warrior are the chosen illustrations of those required in the secret conflicts of the Christian.”
“I know it, Katharine—and that to the spirit of Christian children there must be joined the courage of sacred warriors. Alas! for me—my heart faints within me—my mind is confused:—I wish I were a man, for then, in the excitement of these struggles, I could escape those of the closet.”