A Red Wallflower

Name: A Red Wallflower
Author: Warner, Susan

Warner, Susan

Fiction

'Why, my dear,' said Mrs. Dallas, 'don't ask such questions. You know
as well as I do.'

'As I understand it, mother, what you mean is simply a body of
Christians who lived some time ago.'

'Yes. Well, what then?'

'I do not comprehend how they should know what you and I want to read
to-day. I am not talking of Church services. I am talking of private
reading.'

'But it is pleasant and convenient,' said Betty.

'May be very inappropriate.'

'Pitt,' said his mother, 'I wish you would not talk so! It is really
very wrong. This comes of your way of questioning and reasoning about
everything. What we have to do with the Church is to _obey_.'

'And that is what we have to do with the Bible, isn't it?' he said
gravely.

'Undoubtedly.'

'Well, mother, I am not talking to you; I am attacking Miss Frere. I
can talk to her on even terms. Miss Frere, I want to know what you
understand by obeying, when we are speaking of the demands of the
Bible?'

'Obeying? I understand just what I mean by it anywhere.'

'Obeying what?'

'Why, obeying God, of course.'

'Of course! But how do we know what His commands are?'

'By the words--how else?' she asked, looking at him. He was in earnest,
for some reason, she saw, and she forbore from the light words with
which at another time she would have given a turn to the subject.

'Then you think, distinctly, that we ought to obey the words of the
Bible?'

'Ye-s,' she said, wondering what was coming.

'_All_ the words?'

'Yes, I suppose so. All the words, according to their real meaning.'

'How are we to know what that is?'

'I suppose--the Church tells us.'

'Where?'

'I do not know--in books, I suppose.'

'What books? But we are going a little wild. May I bring you an
instance or two? I am talking in earnest, and mean it earnestly.'

'Do you ever do anything in any other way?' asked the young lady, with
a charming air of fine raillery and recognition blended. 'Certainly; I
am in earnest too.'

Pitt went away and returned with a book in his hand.

'What have you there? the Prayer-book?' his mother asked, with a
doubtful expression.

'No, mamma; I like to go to the Fountain-head of authority as well as
of learning.'

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

A Red WallflowerWarner, Susan

General

A Red Wallflower

Warner, Susan

Fiction

'Why, my dear,' said Mrs. Dallas, 'don't ask such questions. You know
as well as I do.'

'As I understand it, mother, what you mean is simply a body of
Christians who lived some time ago.'

'Yes. Well, what then?'

'I do not comprehend how they should know what you and I want to read
to-day. I am not talking of Church services. I am talking of private
reading.'

'But it is pleasant and convenient,' said Betty.

'May be very inappropriate.'

'Pitt,' said his mother, 'I wish you would not talk so! It is really
very wrong. This comes of your way of questioning and reasoning about
everything. What we have to do with the Church is to _obey_.'

'And that is what we have to do with the Bible, isn't it?' he said
gravely.

'Undoubtedly.'

'Well, mother, I am not talking to you; I am attacking Miss Frere. I
can talk to her on even terms. Miss Frere, I want to know what you
understand by obeying, when we are speaking of the demands of the
Bible?'

'Obeying? I understand just what I mean by it anywhere.'

'Obeying what?'

'Why, obeying God, of course.'

'Of course! But how do we know what His commands are?'

'By the words--how else?' she asked, looking at him. He was in earnest,
for some reason, she saw, and she forbore from the light words with
which at another time she would have given a turn to the subject.

'Then you think, distinctly, that we ought to obey the words of the
Bible?'

'Ye-s,' she said, wondering what was coming.

'_All_ the words?'

'Yes, I suppose so. All the words, according to their real meaning.'

'How are we to know what that is?'

'I suppose--the Church tells us.'

'Where?'

'I do not know--in books, I suppose.'

'What books? But we are going a little wild. May I bring you an
instance or two? I am talking in earnest, and mean it earnestly.'

'Do you ever do anything in any other way?' asked the young lady, with
a charming air of fine raillery and recognition blended. 'Certainly; I
am in earnest too.'

Pitt went away and returned with a book in his hand.

'What have you there? the Prayer-book?' his mother asked, with a
doubtful expression.

'No, mamma; I like to go to the Fountain-head of authority as well as
of learning.'

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

A Red Wallflower

A Red Wallflower

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