Gathered In by Catherine Helen Spence — Read

Harry paused in his speech and strode two or three times across the room, and then resumed--"People go on like inspired idiots about the Gospel being a perfect law of life, and our Saviour a complete example of every human virtue. Look at the difficult questions arising out of our complex commercial system, and money and business matters generally. How are you to make the Sermon on the Mount agree with the certain doctrines of Political Economy? Look at your keen business men! They make bargains differently, they maintain their rights differently from the Christian spirit that commands to give the cloak to the spoiler of the coat; and yet who shall say that they do not do far more good in the world than the philanthropists who give to him that asks, and lend expecting not again. How can they have to give if they have not first spared?"

Kenneth thought of his uncle, of Mr. Gray, and of Walter--supposed to be the keenest men of business about Castlehurst--and he recollected very many kind things and generous things done by all of them. Just before he had left Tingalpa, a circumstance had come to his knowledge of the most delicate, the most liberal conduct by Walter, to a man who had asserted most falsely that he had been over-reached and cheated by Mr. Gray's wideawake son, and who had fallen into discredit and into bad health, with a wife and family dependent on him. The thing was done so secretly that it was only by the merest accident that Kenneth discovered it.