: I do not think the less of you because I
believe differently; do not think the less of me!"

The young man could not enter into any argument with the old one. He
would not have disturbed if he could his father's faith: it was too
late in life for that. Neither could he defend his own views without
attacking his father's: that also would have been cruelty in itself and
would have been accepted as insulting. Still David could not leave his
case without witnesses.

"There are things in the old Bible that no scholar now believes."

"The Almighty declares they are true; you say they are not: I prefer to
believe the Almighty. Perhaps He knows better than you and the
scholars."

David fell into sorrowful silence. "There are some other matters about
which I should like to speak with you, father," he said, changing the
subject. "I recall one thing you said to me the day I came home. You
asked me why I had come back here: do you still feel that way?"

"I do. This is a Christian house. This is a Christian community. You
are out of place under this roof and in this neighborhood. Life was
hard enough for your mother and me before. But we did for you what we
could; you were pleased to make us this return. It will be better for
you to go."

Every word seemed to have been hammered out of iron, once melted in the
forge, but now cold and unchangeably shaped to its heavy purpose. The
young man writhed under the hopelessness of the situation:--

"Sir, is it all on one side? Have I done nothing for you in all these
years? Until I was nearly a man's age, did I not work? For my years of
labor did I receive more than a bare living? Did you ever know a slave
as faithful? Were you ever a harsh master to this slave? Do you owe me
nothing for all those years?--I do not mean money,--I mean kindness,
justice!"

"How many years before you began to work for us did your mother and I
work for you? Did you owe us nothing for all that?"

"I did! I do! I always shall! But do you count it against me that
Nature brought me forth helpless and kept me helpless for so many years
afterwards? If my being born was a fault, whose was it? Is the
dependence of an infant on its parent a debt? Father! father! Be just!
be just! that you may be more kind to me."

"Kind to YOU! Just to YOU!" Hitherto his father had spoken with a
quietude which was terrible, on account of the passion raging beneath.
But now he sprang to his feet, strode across, and, pulling a