Explore "The Black Forge Mills" by William P. Chipman on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Ray now entered into a struggle with himself -- a struggle so long and so bitter that it well-nigh overwhelmed him. His reason and his conscience were arrayed against his pride and his heart, and for a long time it was extremely doubtful which would be victorious. Not that Ray realized this to be the actual condition of things just then. No; he was honest when he thought that his struggle was over the question: What is duty?
But he could have easily known what duty was had he only allowed himself to use his sanctified common sense; but he so wanted duty to lie in just the opposite direction from what it really did lie, that he very readily made himself think there might be some question about it; and thus he entered into a struggle that tried his faith, destroyed his peace of soul, and surrounded him with a darkness blacker than night. He never could recall that spiritual experience without a shudder. He came so near grieving the Spirit and dishonoring the Master's name.