"I don't know much of the world," said Faith,—"but I suppose the shining good deeds aren't so very many."
"What makes a good deed shining?" said the doctor.
Faith glanced at Mr. Linden. But he did not take it up, and she was thrown back upon her own resources. She thought a bit.
"I suppose,"—she said,—"its coming from the very spirit of light."
"You must explain," said the doctor good-humouredly but smiling,—"for that puts me in absolute darkness."
"I don't know very well how to tell what I mean," said Faith colouring and looking thoughtful;—"I think I know. Things that are done for the pure love of God and truth, I think, shine; if they are ever so little things, because really there is a great light in them. I think they shine more than some of the greater things that people call very brilliant, but that are done from a lower motive."
"I should like"—said the doctor—"Can you remember an instance or two? of both kinds?"
Well Faith remembered an instance or two of one kind, which she could not instance. She sought in her memory.
"When Daniel kneeled upon his knees three times a day to pray, with his windows open, after the king's law had for bidden any one to do it on pain of death,—" said Faith.—"I think that was a shining good deed!"
"But that was a very notable instance," said the doctor.