It would be good for him to be well beaten." "It will, I hope, be better for him to be well forgiven: he will be ashamed of himself the sooner, I think.

But why I did not strike him was, that I am not my own master." "But my father, I am sure, would not have been angry with you.

He would have said you had a right to do it." "Perhaps; but the earl is not the master I mean." "Who is, then ?" "Jesus Christ." "O--oh!" "He says I must not return evil for evil, a blow for a blow.

I don't mind what people say about it: he would not have me disgrace myself! He never even threatened those that struck him." "But he wasn't a man, you know!" "Not a man! What was he then ?" "He was God, you know." "And isn't God a man--and ever so much more than a man ?" The boy made no answer, and Donal went on.
"Do you think God would have his child do anything disgraceful?
Why, Davie, you don't know your own Father! What God wants of us is to be down-right honest, and do what he tells us without fear." Davie was silent.

His conscience reproved him, as the conscience of a true-hearted boy will reprove him at the very mention of the name of God, until he sets himself consciously to do his will.