"True," declared Mr. Shillabeer, passing his cup to be refilled; "the very same thought often came in my mind when my wife was alive. She was the wonder, and I was sure to be lucky and fortunate when I married her. But death’s stronger than the most wonderful life that ever was lived. She went and took her luck with her; and her gone, I sank again to be a common man. And when you feel puffed up, Margaret, always remember that death lies behind every hedge and makes ready the gun trigger for this man, the flood for that; the weak lynch-pin here, and the mad dog there. Another thing as you may have noticed; ’tis always the usefulest be picked off. Heaven’s terrible jealous of a real valuable man. It ain’t got no need of the rogues and wastrels no more than we have; but if a male or female be doing for the Lord with both hands, so often as not the Lord says, ’That’s the very man or woman I want for such and such a bit of real high work.’ And they’m cut down like the grass of the field." "Yes," she said. "The Lord harvests His own way, Mr. Shillabeer; and because a beautiful, useful life goes, ban’t for us to mourn, but to say ’twas needed for higher things." "And another point I’d have you to know," he added. "I ban’t at all sure if the right of private judgment be withheld either. Parson will tell you, and most people will also tell you, that ’tis a very bad come-along-of-it for a human creature to say ’I ban’t wanted no more and so I’ll be off;’ but I won’t go so far as that myself. I’ve tried to look at this matter with the eyes of God A’mighty, and I’ve done it." She stared at him. "You’m surprised," he said; "but listen to me. I’m a man of many troubles and griefs, and I hope you’ll never see half a quarter the sorrows I have. Still as the sparks fly upwards, so you’ll have your share and know what it is to suffer." "Yes, for certain." "But don’t you ever suppose that we’re put here for nought but suffering and nought but happiness. I tell you, Margaret, that suffering and happiness be both beside the great question." "We’re put here for usefulness," she said, and he eagerly agreed with her. "The very word! Trouble or joy be an accident--always a matter of chance. You can see it everywhere. There’s wise and sensible people wading through nought but trouble and opening their eyes on it at every sun up; and there’s born fools sailing along in nought but fine weather; and so you get men like me full of doubt and darkness, because we can’t trust our own wisdom; and fools such as--but I won’t name no names--thinking themselves terrible clever and giving themselves terrible airs because they suppose their good be a matter of their own making, instead of simple kind fortune." "I suppose things come out pretty fair all round in the long run," she said. "If you’ve got money, you miss childer; if you’ve got love you miss luck; if you’ve got health--" "As to health, nought matters less than that," declared Mr. Shillabeer.