Left to Ourselves Part 6

"I wish I were acquainted with the Guide-book as you are, Alwin; but I do love it much more than I used--I love it dearly! What does it say?"

"Shall I read it to you?"

"Yes, do," answered Edred, throwing himself down on the gra.s.s by the side of the water, and settling himself into an att.i.tude of expectancy.

Alwin once more drew from his knapsack the Guide-book, which had seen much service since my eyes had first fallen upon it, and with one glance upwards at the radiance over the Hills, he turned towards his companion and read in a thrilling tone from the book in his hand, words which seemed familiar to me, though I could not tell in my dream where I heard them:

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were pa.s.sed away; and there was no more sea. And G.o.d shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are pa.s.sed away. Then came unto me one of the seven angels..., and he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from G.o.d, having the glory of G.o.d: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord G.o.d Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to s.h.i.+ne in it: for the glory of G.o.d did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of G.o.d and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord G.o.d giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."

Alwin ceased reading, and Edred, whose eyes, from being turned on his friend's face at first, had been latterly directed upwards, now rose from the ground with a new light s.h.i.+ning in them.

"Alwin," he said solemnly, "I always have dreaded this River, but I do not any longer. I have long known that I should soon have to pa.s.s through it. Ever since we were in that Cavern of Death I have known it, but now I fear it no longer. The words of the Guide-book have taken away my terror. See, I shall soon be where the light will never fade away."

As he spoke a touch of golden light which had for a moment illumined the dark river pa.s.sed away from it, and the gloom grew deeper.

But Edred thought not of it, his eyes were fixed on the Light beyond.

"You are not going to leave me alone?" said the younger boy yearningly.

"I must; I have been sent for by the King. He told me some little time ago that it would be soon."

"Oh, Edred!" murmured Alwin.

"He will bear you through too," answered Edred kindly. "I could not have believed that His words would have cheered me so. I am quite joyful in going now. I only long to cross."

As he spoke he stepped into the River, which looked to me so dark and drear.

Now a mist brooded over the River, between those standing on the bank and the Sh.o.r.e beyond, and so Edred was lost to my sight.

Alwin stood long looking after him, with tear-dimmed eyes; but by-and-by he turned once more to the Book in his hand, and as he read it I noticed that the sorrow pa.s.sed away from his face.

"A little while," he murmured to himself, and turned to go on his journey.

But I saw that his road lay close to the River; and, or ever I was aware, I found he too had entered the water, and was actually crossing over to the bright Land.

As the waters got deeper and deeper, his face only grew the more radiant, and when the mist almost hid him from my view, I heard a triumphant voice exclaiming, "Thanks be unto G.o.d for His unspeakable Gift."

Minnie's little head was laid on Agnes's lap during the narration of this dream, and she now raised it with an earnest look.

"And that is _all_?" she said, sighing.

"All, except that there is no _end_ to the Glory," replied Agnes.

"No," said John, "I often think that is the best of Heaven--there will be no 'leaving-off' there."

"That is just it," answered Agnes, "and the summing-up of all these Wordless pages--of Sin--Blood--Righteousness--Glory--seems to me to be expressed in these words, 'That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing.... Who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.'"

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER VII.

_LAST DAYS._

"Isn't it awfully cold for you and mother to travel at this time of year, father?" asked Hugh as he b.u.t.toned up his warm great coat to set out for school for the last time before the Christmas holidays.

"Very; but you see, my boy, urgent business calls me; and urgent necessity calls your mother."

"Oh, yes! but I wish it were summer. Are you really going on Sat.u.r.day?"

"Yes, G.o.d willing."

Hugh went into the hall, where he found his brother brus.h.i.+ng his hat.

"I wonder why father always adds 'G.o.d willing,'" he said in an undertone, "so few people do. Do you care about it, John?"

"Well, I can't say that I've come to doing it myself," answered John candidly; "but I do feel this, Hugh, that when they're out on the Atlantic I'd rather know they had _felt_ it was 'G.o.d willing,' than that they should have acted on their own responsibility."

Hugh whistled. "You ain't getting preachified I suppose, are you, John?"

"No; but, all the same, I know when I think a thing's right."

"So do I; leastways I know when I'm in the right, and that's generally!"

"Or you think so."

"Of course; comes to the same thing."

Hugh had a pleasantly good opinion of himself, which often roused the ridicule and annoyance of his brother and sisters; and so before John was aware he found himself caught in an argument which was beginning to rasp his temper.

"Well, I'm off," he said, abruptly turning on his heel, thinking within himself that if his promise to Agnes was to be kept during his parents'

absence it would be well to begin at once.

"Beaten off the field?" asked Hugh, laughing, while he turned round to give his mother a pa.s.sing kiss.

"Teasing again, my boy," she said gently.

"Only on the surface, mother," he answered lightly.

"Do you not think that the surface of a mirror sometimes gets scratched, and cannot reflect back the same perfect image it should?"