So you see, Mr. Dale,
at the time we settled on those hymns, we did not know that you were
coming--and perhaps you did not know it yourself."
"I did not know it," said Dale.
"Tell me," said Mr. Osborn, "how doubt has assailed you."
"Ah, there you put me a puzzling one;" and Dale puffed at his pipe
laboriously.
"You oughtn't to doubt, you know. You have what men prize--wife,
children, and home. You thrive, and the world smiles on you."
"Yes, I'm more than solvent. I hope to leave Mrs. Dale and the babes
secure."
"But you don't feel secure yourself?"
"I banked a matter of seven hundred last year."
"You know I didn't mean that." Mr. Osborn worked briskly, and sent the
shavings almost to the ceiling. "But still--lots of men have told me
that material prosperity renders faith easy and doubt difficult.
That's the awful danger of trouble--the danger of thinking that God
has deserted us. It's easiest to recognize His hand when all's going
well with us. That's our poor human nature. And then when our sorrows
come, it's the devil's innings, and he'll whisper: 'Where's God now?
He isn't treating you very kindly, is He, in return for all your
praying and kneeling and believing?'"
"Yes, that just hits the nail on the head.
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