"Don't you know?"

"No, I don't," said Fenton. "That's just it. If I knew any good reason, of course it would be different." And he sagely muttered something about "priestcraft."

"There are two reasons," said Mr. Murray calmly, while Maggie flushed up and even Esther stared at her brother.

"I never knew any," responded Fenton.

"Do you care to know them?"

"If they _are_ reasons," Fenton rejoined impudently, "it would be unreasonable not to care."

"Very true," said Mr. Murray smiling. "I will begin with the lesser of the two. It is found in the nature of man, Fenton. Man is so const.i.tuted that he cannot, year in and year out, stand a seven days'

strain. Neither brain nor muscle will bear it. That has been tested and proved. In the long run, man cannot do as much working seven days, as he can do working only six days."

Fenton knew that what his uncle gave as a fact was likely to be a fact; he had no answer ready at first. Then he said, "I spoke of fishing, sir; that is play, not work."

"As you do it, I suppose it is. But we are talking of the fact of one day in seven being set apart from the rest, and the reasons. You see one reason."

"What's the other?"

"The other is still more difficult to deal with. It consists in this--that G.o.d says the day is His. As Ruler and King of the world, He lays His hand upon that seventh day and says, This is mine."

"I don't see any reason in that," said Fenton.

"No. But you see the claim and the command. Those must be met, or disobeyed at our peril."

"What's the use?"

"One great use is, to remember and acknowledge that G.o.d _is_ Ruler and Owner of all. So when we cross the boundary between Sat.u.r.day and Sunday, we step over on ground that is not ours."

"There is no good in being stiff and pokey," said Fenton.

"No. It is only a stranger on the ground who can be that. One who knows the Lord and loves Him is specially at home and free on the Lord's day."

"But I thought the Jewish Sabbath was done away?" said Flora.

"The formal Jewish Sabbath. But not the spiritual. If you study the matter, you will see that Christ made careful exceptions to the literal rule in only three cases--where mercy, or necessity, or G.o.d's service demand that it shall be broken."

"Don't you think a farmer ought to get in his hay on Sunday, sir, if he saw a storm coming up?" Fenton asked.

"I dare not make any other exceptions than the Lord made," his uncle answered.

"Don't you think trains ought to run on Sunday, Mr. Murray?" said Flora.

"I must say the same thing to you, Miss Flora."

"But in cases of sickness and accident, sir?"

"Have you the notion that Sunday trains are filled with persons who have been summoned somewhere by telegraph?"

"No--but there are such cases."

"Yes; well. Do you think, honestly, that thousands of people ought to break the Lord's rule every Sunday, in order to give relief here and there to the anxiety of one?"

"I can tell you," Fenton broke out, "your doctrine is furiously unfashionable. There is not a fellow in our school that doesn't do as he has a mind to on Sunday."

"Other days too, I suppose."

"Of course."

"That is just what, in your sense, a Christian gives up; not on Sunday more than on other days. That is the difference between a Christian and another man; one does his own will and the other the will of G.o.d, which is also his own."

Fenton muttered something to Esther, who sat next him, about an "old foggy," but the subject of conversation was carried no further. Mr.

Murray purposely changed it, and the evening pa.s.sed in very pleasant talk, alternating with some Bible reading. Only, towards the close of the evening Fenton started the question, "where they would go the next day?"

"Suppose we leave that for Monday to take care of," Mr. Murray answered.

"But, sir, there might be some arrangements to make."

"To-night?"

"Perhaps; but at any rate I might want to give some orders in the morning."

"I don't think we should have a good time, if we consulted about it now."

"Why not, sir?"

"You forget. It is the Lord's time. And if we want Him to give us His favour on our expedition, it seems to me we had better not offend Him about it beforehand."

"But, sir!"----

"But, Mr. Murray!" put in Flora. "Just to _speak_ about things?"

"Time enough to-morrow, Miss Flora. And this is the Lord's time, you know."

"But just _talking_--not doing anything?"

"Doing a good deal in imagination. What's the difference? Study the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah, the last two verses. Sir Matthew Hale gave it as his testimony, that he found business concocted on Sunday did not run off well in the week. No, we will leave the question till to-morrow at breakfast, if you please."

"I can't understand it!" said Flora, as she went upstairs.

"Study those verses in Isaiah," said Meredith, who overheard her.

CHAPTER XVIII.