Y.M. Oh, dear, it’s all so disgusting.
O.M. Yes. And so true.
Y.M. Come—take the good boy who does
things he doesn’t want to do, in order to gratify
his mother.
O.M. He does seven-tenths of the act because
it gratifies him to gratify his mother.
Throw the bulk of advantage the other way and the
good boy would not do the act. He must
obey the iron law. None can escape it.
Y.M. Well, take the case of a bad boy who—
O.M. You needn’t mention it, it is a waste
of time. It is no matter about the bad boy’s
act. Whatever it was, he had a spirit-contenting
reason for it. Otherwise you have been misinformed,
and he didn’t do it.
Y.M. It is very exasperating. A while
ago you said that man’s conscience is not a
born judge of morals and conduct, but has to be taught
and trained. Now I think a conscience can get
drowsy and lazy, but I don’t think it can go
wrong; if you wake it up—
O.M. I will tell you a little story:
Once upon a time an Infidel was guest in the house
of a Christian widow whose little boy was ill and
near to death. The Infidel often watched by
the bedside and entertained the boy with talk, and
he used these opportunities to satisfy a strong longing
in his nature—that desire which is in us
all to better other people’s condition by having
them think as we think. He was successful.
But the dying boy, in his last moments, reproached
him and said:
“I believed, and was happy
in it; you have taken my
belief away, and my comfort.
Now I have nothing left, and
I die miserable; for the things
which you have told me do
not take the place of that
which I have lost.”
And the mother, also, reproached the Infidel, and
said:
“My child is forever lost,
and my heart is broken.
How could you do this cruel
thing? We have done you
no harm, but only kindness;
we made our house your home,
you were welcome to all we
had, and this is our Reward.”
The heart of the Infidel was filled with remorse for
what he had done, and he said:
“It was wrong—I see
it now; but I was only trying
to do him good. In my
view he was in error; it
seemed my duty to teach him
the truth.”
