Part 27 (1/2)

”Oh, yes, I have heard it several times, but people will talk whether they know anything or not. I am glad Mrs. Hayden mentions it for that is enough to show there is absolutely no foundation for such statements.”

Grace moved her chair and put her elbow on the table so she might shade her eyes with her hand.

”Why, I don't see how people can say such things; surely the tendency is to draw families into closer bonds of sympathy and affection,” exclaimed Kate, in questioning innocence.

”It ought to be,” replied Grace, thoughtfully, ”and undoubtedly is,” she added.

”What do _you_ think of this question, Grace?” Kate ventured to ask. At any other time she would not have dared approach the subject, but Grace seemed more pliable to-night for some reason.

”What question?” asked Grace, rousing from her reverie. ”Oh, marriage.

Well, sometimes I have thought the query going the rounds of the press, 'Is marriage a failure?' a very pertinent one, but of course that doesn't touch the principle itself. That is right and can never be otherwise.”

”Most people talk and write as seriously as though it _does_ touch the principle.”

”That is because they judge the principle by the persons representing it, whereas they should stop and consider that humanity is p.r.o.ne to weakness and often fails to demonstrate its high ideals.”

”And it is because of failure they think there is something wrong. Take an individual case, for instance, and there are thousands. If a girl marries unhappily, she thinks there must be something wrong in the whole system, for she judges everybody's misery by her own,” said Kate, secretly wis.h.i.+ng Grace would be more confidential, and not so coldly intellectual.

”Then the way to a happy judgment of this question would be a happy marriage, you think?” laughed Grace, with a faint blush, looking up inquiringly.

”Don't trifle Grace. You know I said it all earnestly, and really it is no matter to trifle over, any way.”

”Well, that is true, Kate,” replied Grace more soberly. ”I don't believe anybody takes the question seriously enough. It is certainly the most important of all things to consider.”

”Do you think it right to enter marriage for any other reason than pure and devoted affection?” persisted Kate.

”No, I do not. Why do you ask?” demanded Grace rather sharply.

”Because that is the solution of the whole problem. If they would begin to talk about love instead of marriage being a failure, they would get some light on it,” a little impatiently.

Grace looked up in surprise.

”I know,” continued Kate, ”it is because people are mistaken or misled in their reasons for marriage, that it even has a semblance of failure.”

”That is one reason, certainly, and another is that they do not understand each other's motives, or have not the patience to bear with each other's faults. We can easily see how misunderstandings can be put away when there is true love, when we determine to see only the good, and learn to 'resist not evil.' That is one of the strong points in Jesus the Christ's teachings,” said Grace with unwonted earnestness.

”I am so sorry people can't see it in the right light,” added Kate, regretfully.

”You can have much charity for them, for it is just what you would have said or thought, if you had not studied the matter yourself. You remember how Mr. Narrow influenced you and biased your judgment?”

”Yes, and I see as never before that the 'Truth makes us free.'

'He is a freeman whom the truth makes free.

And all are slaves besides,'”

said Grace, as she reached for the sketch book to look over her work of the afternoon.

”It is no use, she never will say anything, even when she might,”