There is something wrong with anyone who, visiting a house of any kind, makes it less of a home. The angel-stranger makes the children of a house all the more aware of their home. They delight in showing it to him, for he takes an interest in all that belongs to its family life, and sees the things as the children see them. But the stranger of this world makes the very home by his presence feel chilly and less comfortable and homey than before.

22. A Distinguished Guest

—Twenty-Two —

A Distinguished Guest

A letter came from Lord Gartley, begging Mrs. Raymount to excuse the liberty he took, and allow him to ask whether he might presume upon her wish, casually expressed, to welcome his aunt to the hospitality of Yrndale.

“I am well aware of the seeming rudeness of this suggestion,” he wrote. “If you have not room for us, or if our presence would spoil your Christmas party, do not hesitate to put us off, I beg. I shall understand you, dear Mrs. Raymount, and say nothing to my rather peculiar but most worthy aunt, waiting a more convenient season.”

An invitation was immediately dispatched—with some wry faces on the part of the head of the house who, however, would not oppose what his wife wished.

Despite his knowledge of human nature, Mr. Raymount was not good at reading a man who made himself agreeable and did not tread on the toes of any of his theories. I would not have you think of him as a man of theory only, but while he thought of the practice, he too sparingly practiced the thought. He laid too much upon words altogether, especially words in print, attributing more power to them for the regeneration of the world than was reasonable. Perhaps knowing how few of those who admired his words acted upon them would have made him think how little he struggled himself to do the things which, by persuasion and argument, he drove home upon the consciences of others. He had not yet believed that to do right does more for the regeneration of the world than any quality or amount of teaching can. The printed word no doubt has a great power for good, but every man possesses, in the very fact of his consciousness, a greater power than any verbal utterance of truth whatever. It is righteousness—not of words, not of theories, but in being, that is, in vital action, which alone is the prince of the power of the spirit. Where that is, everything has its perfect work. Where that is not, the man is not a power—is but a walker in a vain show.