"
Joy was still thinking of the reflection the rector had cast upon his
congregation. It hurt her, and she protested.
"Oh, surely," she said, "you cannot mean that I am the only one of
the professed Christians in your church who would show mercy and
sympathy to poor Miss Adams. Surely few, very few, would forget
Christ's words to Mary Magdalene, 'Go and sin no more,' or fail to
forgive as He forgave. She has led such a good life all these
years."
The rector smiled sadly.
"You judge others by your own true heart," he said. "But I know the
world as it is. Yes, the members of my church would forgive Miss
Adams for her sin--and cut her dead. They would daily crucify her
and her innocent child by their cold scorn or utter ignoring of them.
They would not allow their daughters to associate with this blameless
girl, because of her mother's misstep.
"It is the same in and out of the churches. Twenty people will
repeat Christ's words to a repentant sinner, but nineteen of that
twenty interpolate a few words of their own, through tone, gesture or
manner, until 'Go and sin no more' sounds to the poor unfortunate
more like 'Go just as far away from me and mine as you can get--and
sin no more!' Only one in that score puts Christ's merciful and
tender meaning into the phrase and tries by sympathetic association
to make it possible for the sinner to sin no more.
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