Seite:Marsh Hallig 1856.djvu/135

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RESIGNATION.

thrown up against the advancing enemy, from want of
time to erect more substantial defenses. But it would
be idle to talk with you on this subject, as you would
even now be treading in the very footsteps of your sis-
ter, if a broken heart, particularly when God's holy
angels have set their watch there, were not as difficult
to conquer, as it is to subdue a heart in which vanity
and sensuousness stand guard."
  As Oswald, reddening with anger, was taking his hat,
the pastor added,
  "One word more, Mr. Mander! You will always
find me ready for every service due to the guest of our
hallig ; and you will very much oblige me, if, during
these few weeks, you will allow me the pleasure of en-
joying as much as possible of your society. It would
be a great gratification to me to talk over, with your
father and yourself, those subjects which I have so often
discussed with my early friends. You must, however,
permit me, in my own way, to seek to win your esteem,
and consequently to show myself to you as a shepherd
of souls on every fit occasion. If I failed in this ; if I
suffered the office confided to me by God to be forgot-
ten, I should forfeit the respect of every reasonable man.
You must go your own way as pleases you, and leave
to me the path which my calling and my conscience
point out to me ; and in this way, we will endeavor to
make the brief hours of our intercourse together pass
pleasantly ; and I trust we shall part from each other
as men who have cause to rejoice that they have met."
  Oswald was somewhat softened by this turn, and
withdrew after some indifferent phrases which were in-
tended to be friendly.