"O mother, I never thought of leavin' you unless you wished it."
"What did you think was goin' to become of me? I never kissed any child but you, and sometimes, when you are real good, I feel just as though I was your mother."
"To teach the Injuns--Indians you call 'em! I'd like to teach one Injun to bring back my saw! I never tried to teach but one Injun--and he was _him_. You can't make an eagle run around a door-yard like a goose, and you can't teach an Injun to saw wood--the first thing you know, the saw will be missin'.--But how I am runnin' on! I do have a good deal of prejudice against the savages; nevertheless--"
"I knew, mother, that you would say 'nevertheless.' It seems to me that word is your good spirit. I wish you would tell me what thought came to your mind when you said that word."
"Yes--preach the gospel to every creature! I suppose that meant Injuns and all."
"Yes--he said '_teach_'--so the schoolmaster explained it."
"Did he? Well, I ought to obey it in spirit--hadn't I?--or at least not hinder others. I might help you teach it if I could get into the right spirit. But what put that thought into your head?"
"Mrs. Spaulding, the missionary, has been to visit the school. She sang so beautifully! These were the words:
"'In the desert let me labor, On the mountain let me tell.'
"When she sung that, it all came to me--what I was--what I was sent into the world to do--what was the cause of your loving me and bringing me out here--I saw a plan in it all. Then, too, it came to me that you would at first not see the calling as I do, but that you would say _nevertheless_, and help me, and that we would work together, and do some good in the world, you and I. Oh! I saw it all."
"Gretchen, did you see all that? Do you think that the spirit has eyes, and that they see true? But how could I begin? The Injuns all hate me."
"Well, Gretchen, you are a good girl, and I am sorry for the hard things that I have said. I do not feel that I have shown just the right spirit toward Benjamin. But he has said that he will not do me any harm, for the sake of his master, and I am willin' to give up my will for my Master. It is those that give up their desires that have their desires in this world, and anybody who does an injury to another makes for himself a judgment-day of some sort. You may tell Benjamin that I am real sorry for bein' hard to him, and that, if he will come over and see me, I'll give him a carved pipe that husband made. Now, Gretchen, you may go, and I'll sit down and think a spell. I'll be dreadful lonely when you're gone."