Part 5 (1/2)
”And there may I, though vile as he, Wash all my sins away,--”
the dying man held out his hand as if beckoning her over. Again his lips moved, and stooping she heard: ”Again--sing.”
As her voice arose again, slowly repeating the words, her heart made supplication for the soul so rapidly pa.s.sing away. Hymn after hymn was sung, all speaking of Jesus and his great love for sinners, and to Agnes it seemed that Jesus was himself speaking in each. She knew he was there in the midst of them, and wondered if the sick man saw him. Bending down, she whispered: ”O, how the Saviour loves you; do you love Him?”
He looked at her with the strange, earnest look the dying only have; the look that seems to be measuring eternity; and then his hands were raised and clasped, while his eyes remained fixed on hers.
”He is asking you to pray,” said the nurse; ”He is near gone.”
There was no time to listen to Satan now, or to think of anything but this soul venturing out into the unknown future. Was it prepared?
O, how she plead for him! As if face to face, she talked with G.o.d. The Holy Spirit gave her words and great a.s.surance; it seemed as if the answer must come. He had promised to hear and to give the things desired. He had _never_ refused to listen to the feeblest pet.i.tion, and here was a burdened soul; was not the Saviour near, to take from it its burdens? So she entreated as though she alone could save him, yet knowing well that Jesus alone had power to forgive sins.
They had been sobbing around her, but she did not know it. Now there was a strange silence, a sudden calm, and she felt that she had prevailed.
As they rose from their knees, something about the dying man attracted them. While they had been kneeling, Jesus had drawn near and whispered to him. The power and music of that voice were ringing in his ear; the beauty of His smile was flooding his soul and radiating his face. In that moment he had pa.s.sed from death into life.
His wife and child looked at him with awe; the nurse drew back as if the place were too ”holy ground” for him. Only Agnes and the new-born soul understood it. But it had only caught a glimpse of the Saviour; before long, with the same indescribable expression, it pa.s.sed away to be ”forever with the Lord.”
They went home silently as they had gone there; but a new feeling had taken possession of them. They had seen strange things; new thoughts had been given them, and death had not to them its old terror, for they had seen it swallowed up in victory.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]
CHAPTER VII.
GUY GIVES HIS VIEWS IN FULL.
MARTHA was fairly installed as kitchen-maid, to the great delight of Agnes, while Ruth congratulated herself that there would be no more dishwas.h.i.+ng for her, a thing she detested above all others. ”She appears anxious to learn, doesn't she?” asked Agnes. ”She was a good scholar and perfectly obedient. I think you will like her, Ruth. If we gain her affections I am sure she will do anything for us.”
”But then we must be careful, Agnes, it does not answer to pay too much attention to servants. They are sure to become consequential and to value themselves too highly, if you notice them much.”
”But she is a child, and everything is strange. Besides, when she thinks of her father and of separation from her mother, she must be sad, and perhaps may try your patience. I shall help all I can, but she had better look upon you as mistress. Be patient for my sake, sister.”
There was no reply to this, and Agnes was afraid she had made a mistake in proposing such a child, instead of one more fully grown. That night after Martha had gone to bed, she slipped up stairs to know if she had repeated her prayers.
”O, yes, ma'am, I always say them; I should be afraid to go to sleep if I did not.”
”We have a great deal to thank G.o.d for, Martha. Every day He cares for us, and it is the least we can do to thank Him. Do you thank Him for what you have, or only ask to have more?”
”I guess I ask most for the things I want. I forget about thanking, only I mean it.”
”Yes, and G.o.d sees that you mean it, but He expects you to tell Him so.
Now if I were to give you a great many things every day, and you did not thank me but were all the time thinking of other things you desired to have, I should call you ungrateful and not give you any more. Don't you see how it is? Now when you are praying, be sure to ask not to be allowed to forget pleasing G.o.d, by doing every thing as if He were here looking at you. Are you warm enough child?”
”O yes, ma'am, Miss Ruth came up and tucked me in nicely, and--”
”And what?”
”She kissed me and said 'good night.'”
Agnes's first impulse was to exclaim with surprise; but checking herself she stooped down, saying: ”And I must follow Miss Ruth's example, I suppose. Be a good girl, Martha, and Miss Ruth and I will be your friends.”