THE BLESSING OF REPENTANCE.
A week passed before Faith went to the store again. She was too utterly
miserable to think of resuming her duties.
Mr. Watkins called on her every night to bring her news of the store,
and by this means she kept track of all Mr. Denton's changes.
One night Mr. Watkins had mentioned a number of things which had
benefited the clerks as well as the customers, and in concluding his
recital he sighed very heavily, an indication to Faith that there was
something more behind it.
"Why do you sigh, Mr. Watkins?" she asked, abruptly. "It seems to me
that these changes should bring nothing but smiles, they are such
necessary reforms, yet they have been so long in coming."
"I was thinking of Mr. Denton, I suppose," was the answer. "He's such a
good man now that I hate to see him go to the wall completely. Why, Miss
Marvin, have you any idea what these reforms have cost? I cannot tell
you the figures exactly, of course; but the bills for the past month are
enough to frighten one. If he continues his present methods he will not
be in business a year longer."
"I thought so," said Mrs. Marvin, quickly. "Religion and business cannot
be combined. The man who follows his conscience is sure to lose money."
"But he gains that which is better," spoke up Faith, quickly. "Ask Mr.
Denton if this is not true. He has found it so already."
"Well, his poor wife doesn't share his sentiments," said Mr. Watkins,
"for she has worried so fearfully over his enormous losses already that
she is now on the verge of losing her reason."
"Poor soul," said Mrs. Marvin; "she must be a very worldly woman, for,
while extreme poverty is cruel, still, she will probably never reach
that condition."
"I am not so sure," replied Mr. Watkins, "but even moderate comfort
would be cruel to her, for she was born and has always lived in the lap
of luxury."
"I suppose the news of her son's wickedness has distressed her also,"
said Mrs. Marvin, slowly.
Faith's cheeks flushed hotly, and she bent her head over her sewing,
"She has tried to get him to have the marriage annulled," was Mr.
Watkins' answer. "It could easily be done, as both parties were
intoxicated."
"And will not the young man agree?" asked Mrs. Marvin, mildly. "I should
think he would be just the kind to jump at the opportunity."
"His father will not hear of it," said Mr. Watkins, "and of late even
the young man himself has shown a willingness to own her."
Faith raised her head with a light shining in her eyes.
"Then he is not altogether bad," she said, very quickly. "If he does
right to Maggie now we ought all to forgive him."
She spoke so earnestly that, both her mother and Mr. Watkins looked at
her sharply.
If her mother understood her eagerness, she did not betray it, but with
Mr. Watkins it was different. He understood and was nettled.
"Is Mr. Day in business again?" asked Mrs. Marvin, who seemed suddenly
to find it necessary to change the conversation.
"No, he has gone abroad to spend his money," answered Mr. Watkins. "He
says that he made a small fortune out of another man's religion, and
that is far more than he has ever made out of his own, for that was
never known to bring him in a penny."
"That is a dreadful thing to say," replied Mrs. Marvin, slowly, "for,
while I do not get much comfort out of my belief in God, still, I
realize that, it is my own stubbornness that keeps me from it. Some day
I hope to understand it better."
"You certainly will, dear mother," said Faith, brightly, "but if you
would only stop trying to understand! If you would only accept it as a
little child, and then trust to the Heavenly Father to lead you!"
"I will some day, Faith--I am sure of it," answered her mother. "I shall
be saved, not only through my own faith, but through that of my
daughter."
"Her trust is sublime," said Mr. Watkins, gently. "I shall never forget
how she comforted my poor Mary."
"She comforts every one," said Mrs. Marvin, smiling, "I named her
rightly--don't you think so, Mr. Watkins?"
"You did, indeed," said the young man, tenderly. "It will be a lucky
man, indeed, who can say 'My Faith,' and by those words indicate your
daughter, Mrs. Marvin."
"Oh, don't!" said Faith, laughing. "You are mocking, Mr. Watkins."
Like her mother, she, too, found it convenient to change the subject.
"And how about Mr. Forbes? Have you heard anything of his plans?" she
asked, eagerly. "I have heard it rumored that he, too, was trying to
follow his conscience."
Mr. Watkins smiled as he answered her question.
"He is trying to do what many men have done before him. He is trying to
buy his conscience with the money he makes dishonestly, or, in other
words, he is a sinner on week-days and a saint on Sundays. Why, they
tell me he has started in business for himself, and with what he can
gouge from the just wages of his employees he pays pew rent and gives to
the heathen. It is the same old story--hypocrisy and greed! Drain the
blood of the poor in order to build monuments to their ashes!"
Mr. Watkins spoke bitterly and with a tightening of the lips.
He was thinking of Miss Jennings as he finished his utterance.
After he had gone Mrs. Marvin spoke suddenly to Faith.
"Do you know, dear," she said, simply, "I believe Mr. Watkins is
learning to love you! He is a fine young man. Do you think you could
care for him?"
"Oh, no, no, mother! Don't ever speak of such a thing!" cried Faith, as
if the suggestion hurt her.
Mrs. Marvin looked at her keenly. Her suspicions were being verified.
The next morning Faith was well enough to report for duty, and the very
atmosphere of the store seemed changed as she entered.
Miss Fairbanks greeted her with honest cordiality. There were tears in
her eyes as she spoke to Faith of Maggie Brady.
"Poor girl," she whispered; "she feels dreadful about her lot. She
wishes she had kept silent forever about being Jim's wife and allowed
him to free himself, which he could have done very easily."
"But I thought she loved him," said Faith, faintly.
"So she does," was the answer; "but she knows it was wrong for her to
marry as she did. She says she knew he did not love her, and felt sure
that he would never own her."
"But he does now," said Faith, with a questioning look at the buyer.
"Yes, I believe he has admitted that she is really his wife, but the
poor girl has demanded that the marriage be annulled."
Faith looked up eagerly, but she could not frame her question.
"She has been praying, she tells me," said Miss Fairbanks, continuing,
"and she says it is her duty to give Jim up, for to live with him would
be wicked when he does not love her."
Faith heard only the first words that Miss Fairbanks had spoken. Poor
Maggie had been praying; then her heart was softened.
"She is out, you know, and free as air," continued Miss Fairbanks, "but
she is not coming back to the store. Mr. Denton has made her an
allowance."
"And you, Miss Fairbanks?" asked Faith, very softly. "Are you praying,
too, or is it not yet the Lord's time? I am anxious for you to be happy
in the 'light of His countenance.'"
Miss Fairbanks laid her hand upon the young girl's shoulder.
"Thank God," she said devoutly; "at last I am praying."
As Faith moved on toward her counter she saw Miss Jones waiting for her.
There was something in the girl's manner that struck Faith as
unfamiliar.
"Miss Marvin," she said, the moment Faith stepped behind the counter, "I
am a rude, treacherous person, and I have wronged you cruelly! Have you
the grace in your heart to forgive a traitor?"
Faith grasped her hand, while the tears sprang to her eyes.
"There is nothing to forgive, dear Miss Jones," she said, gently. "We
have been sisters from the first, only you did not understand it; but
tell me, is it through Miss Fairbanks that you feel so differently?"
"Partly through her and partly through Mag Brady," was the honest
answer. "Mag has told me how you talked to her, and she also told me
what her husband said, that it was through your influence that he was
now willing to own her."
"Did Mr. Denton say that?" asked Faith, speaking slowly.
"He did," said Miss Jones, promptly, "and Mag just blesses you for it."
If Faith had felt one misgiving over that particular action, it vanished
now like a bit of vapor.
Mag "blessed" her for the words that had hurt her so to speak. Surely
there was balm for all wounds, even those which burned the deepest.
Faith's morning was the happiest she had ever known in the store and at
the luncheon hour, as she went to the cloak-room, she had but one wish
in her heart, and that was for the conversion of wicked Lou Willis.