Misfortune came through--figuratively--not knowing just where to put the feet, and through not looking ahead to see what would be the result of actions.
Only, above and beyond all these forces of nature and these currents of cause and effect, there was still the great, eternal Source of all things, who was able to dispel ignorance and to endow one individual with the power to help another by his prayers and thoughts.

This God could hasten and bring Happiness, if only He were believed in with absolute faith.

But that He would ever stoop to punish was an unheard-of blasphemy.

He was only and entirely concerned with good.

Punishments came as the results of actions.