The advantages she gained from this constant intercourse with her father
were incalculable. Without the least loss to her freedom of thought, nay,
on the contrary, to the far more rapid development of her truest liberty,
the soutar seemed to avoid no subject as unsuitable for the girl's
consideration, but to insist only on its being regarded from the highest
attainable point of view. Matters of indifferent import they seldom, if
ever, discussed at all; and nothing she knew her father cared about did
Maggie ever allude to with indifference. Full of an honest hilarity ever
ready to break out when occasion occurred, she was at the same time
incapable of a light word upon a sacred subject. Such jokes as, more than
elsewhere, one is in danger of hearing among the clergy of every church,
very seldom came out in her father's company; and she very early became
aware of the kind of joke he would take or refuse. The light use,
especially, of any word of the Lord would sink him in a profound silence.
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