If he
gave way to Paula now, how about the discipline of the rest of his family?
Besides, if he permitted her to pray, what would hinder us also from
invoking that same holy Name? It was too much.
"Listen, I tell you," he said; "you must obey, and obey at once. This thing
has gone too far already." The only reply that came was the sound of
Paula's crying. "There, there," said my father, "Stop your crying. I know
your religion perfectly, and once I was on the point of practising it, but,
as I said before, your religion teaches obedience to those who are over
you."
Paula raised her head, and amid her tears she said, "Listen, uncle dear,
I'm only a little girl, and I don't know much, and I can't explain to you
what I wish to say. I know well that it is my duty to obey you, and so my
father instructed me before he died, and when I disobeyed him, he punished
me, but in my father's case--" and here she hesitated.
"Go on, go on," said my father.
"My father's will was also God's will. He used to say that he was my
earthly father but that God was my heavenly Father, and that if he should
die, God was to be my Father forever. And no matter what happened, or where
I was, I must continue to serve God, no matter who endeavored to stop me.
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