But touching his friendship with the nurse, Dan spoke warmly in defense
of the young woman--of himself he said nothing. As the Elder listened, he
thought he saw how Dan had been influenced in his ministry by this woman
who was not of the church, and the idea that had sent Charity to Miss
Farwell took possession of him. Even as his daughter pleaded with the
nurse to set the minister free, Nathaniel pleaded with Dan to free
himself. Inevitably the results were exactly the same.
"Think of your ministry, my boy," urged the old man, "of the sacred
duties of your office. Your attitude towards this woman has been, in
every way, just what the people expect the conduct of a man to be toward
the one he is seeking to make his wife. Yet no one for a moment thinks
you expect to marry this woman, who is known to be an alien to the
church. What success could you hope to have as a minister if you take to
wife one who would have nothing to do with your church? What right have
you, then, to be so intimate with her, to seek her company so constantly?
Granting all that you say of her character, and all that Dr. Miles has
written, why does she stay in Corinth, where no one will employ her, when
she could so easily return to her work in the city, taking that Conner
girl with her?"
Dan could find no words to answer the Elder. He was stunned by the
situation to which he had been so suddenly awakened by the old man's
plain words. But there were elements in the problem unknown to Nathaniel
Jordan, though the old man felt that somehow his lance had gone deeper
than he intended.
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