“Now, come, my friend,” said the Lieutenant, “you will try to ascend the mountain before you reach it. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. You have no proof whatever that the execution has taken place, and your surmises may be without the shadow of foundation. Besides, you are a Christian—a follower of the meek and lowly Lamb, who when He was reviled, reviled not again. Does it become you to be talking of revenge? ‘Vengeance is mine,’ saith the Lord. You must not murmur at the dispensations of divine providence.”
“What!” interrupted Ernest, “do you call this a dispensation of providence? Do you believe that God would deliberately bring about such a dreadful event as that?”
“Why not that as well as any other event? Don’t you believe that God has something to do with this war?”
“Yes, I suppose He has, in a sort of general way.”
“General way?” exclaimed the Lieutenant. “Why, generalities are made up of particulars. How can there be a general providence, as some people call it, without special acts? Well, this misfortune of yours, as you regard it, is one of the events of the war. It is not a mere accident.”
“Do you pretend to say,” asked Ernest in an agitated manner, “that God selected my loved one especially for the purpose of being sacrificed? Do you say that?”
“Why not her as well as anybody else, granting your premises? But you are a little too fast, my friend. You have no reliable information that she has been sacrificed. You’re assuming too much.”
“She will be treated as a spy,” said Ernest, “and you know what that means. I can never forgive Gen. A. for inveigling her into such an affair. Why did he not get me, or some other man to go?”
“You do not know what Gen. A.’s reasons were,” said the Lieutenant. “Captain, you need to be taught a lesson of humility, if you will pardon me for saying it. God says, ‘love your enemies,’ and here you are, wishing to murder yours, and are manifesting an unforgiving spirit even toward your friends. I believe you are a Christian, but I fear you will have to be chastened by sorrow and suffering. You would better ask God to give you meekness of spirit and resignation to His will, before you are made to bow by calamities. Your rebellion will be punished. The Scripture says, ‘Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth.’ Submit, before a ‘worse thing happen unto thee.’”
“It is difficult for me to believe just as you do,” answered Ernest in a gentler tone. “You belong to the Presbyterian Church that holds to the doctrine that God ordains whatsoever comes to pass. I confess that I am disposed to believe the theory, but somehow I cannot bring it into the practical affairs of life.”