"Babies," said Norton, after a moment"s recollection.
"Well, if you would like to see me baptized, come to our church Sunday after next."
"You?" said Norton. "Haven"t you been baptized?"
"Not yet."
"I thought everybody was. Then if you have not been yet, why do you?
Whose notion is that?"
"It is mine."
"_Your_ notion?" said Norton, examining her. "What do you mean by that, Matilda?"
"I mean, I want to be baptized; and Mr. Richmond is going to do it for me."
"What"s it for? what"s the use? I wouldn"t if I were you."
"It is joining the church. Don"t you understand, Norton?"
"Not a bit. That is something I never did understand. Do you understand it?"
"Why, yes, certainly."
"Let"s hear, then," said Norton, putting up his croquet b.a.l.l.s.
"Mr. Richmond has explained it so much, you know, I couldn"t help but understand."
"Oh, it"s Mr. Richmond, is it?"
"No; it"s the Bible."
"Let"s hear, then," said Norton. "Go on."
Matilda hesitated. She found a difficulty in saying all her mind to him; she did not know whether it was best; and with that she had a suspicion that perhaps she ought to do it. She glanced at him, and looked away, and glanced again; and tried to make up her mind. Norton was busy putting up his croquet hoops and mallets; but his face looked so energetic and wide awake, and his eye was so quick and strong, that she was half afraid to say something that might bring an expression of doubt or ridicule upon it. Then Norton looked up at her again, a keen look enough, but so full of pleasure in her that Matilda"s doubts were resolved. He would not be unkind; she would venture it.
"I want you to know about me, Norton," she began again.
"Well," said Norton, "so do I; but it seems difficult, somehow."
"You do not think that, for you are laughing."
Norton gave her another look, laughing rather more; and then he came and stood close beside her.
"What is it, Matilda?" he asked.
"I don"t want you to think that I am good," she said, looking up earnestly and timidly, "for I am not; but I want to be; and being baptized is a sign of belonging to the Lord Jesus, so I want to be baptized."
"It isn"t a sign of anything good," said Norton. "Lots of people are baptized, that aren"t anything else, I know. Lots of them, Matilda.
That don"t change them."
"No, that don"t change them, Norton; but when they _are_ changed, then the Bible says they must be baptized."
"What for?"
"It is just telling everybody what they believe, and what they are.
It"s a _sign_."
"Then when you are baptized, as you mean to be, that will be telling everybody what _you_ believe and what you are?"
"Yes."
"It would not tell me," said Norton, "be-cause I should not understand the sign. I wish you would tell me now in words, Matilda."
"I don"t know if I can, but I"ll try. You know water makes things clean, Norton?"
"Sometimes."
"Well, if it is used it does," said Matilda. "The water is a sign that I believe the Lord Jesus will take away my sins, and make me clean and good, if I trust Him; that He will wash my heart, and that He has begun to do it. And it will be a sign that I am His servant, because that is what He has commanded His servants."
"What?"
"That; to be baptized, and join the church."
"Matilda, a great many people are baptized, and keep all their sins just the same."
"Oh, but those are make-believe people."
"No, they are not; they are real people."
"I mean, they are make-believe Christians."
"How do you know but you are?"
"I _think_ I know," said Matilda, looking down.
"But other people won"t know. Your being baptized will not mean anything to them, only that somebody has coaxed you into it."
"It will mean all that, Norton; and if I am true they will _see_ it means all that."
"They might see it all the same without your being baptized. What difference would that make?"
"It is _obedience_," said Matilda, firmly. "And not to do it would be disobedience. And it is profession of faith; and not to do it, would be to say that I don"t believe."
Norton looked amused, and pleased, and a little puzzled.
"You have not told me anything about you, after all," he said; "for I knew it all before."