--You know, my lady, there are
stories of certain houses being haunted by a mysterious music
presaging evil to the family?"
"I have heard of such music. But what can be the use of it?"
"I do not know. I see not the smallest use in it. If it were of use
it would surely be more common! If it were of use, why should those
who have it be of the class less favoured, so to speak, of the Lord
of the universe, and the families of his poor never have it?"
"Perhaps for the same reason that they have their other good things
in this life!" said Arctura.
"I am answered," confessed Donal, "and have no more to say. These
tales, if they require of us a belief in any special care over such
houses, as if they were more precious in the eyes of God than the
poorest cottage in the land, I cast them from me."
"But," said Arctura, in a deprecating tone, "are not those houses
which have more influence more important than the others?"
"Surely--those which have more good influence. But such are rarely
the great houses of a country. Our Lord was not an Asmonaean prince,
but the son of a humble maiden, his reputed father a working man."
"I do not see--I should like to understand how that has to do with
it."
"You may be sure the Lord took the position in life in which it was
most possible to do the highest good; and without driving the
argument--for every work has its own specialty--it seems probable
that the true ends of his coming will still be better furthered from
the standpoint of humble circumstances, than from that of rank and
position.
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