A Book of Quaker SaintsHodgkin, L. V. (Lucy Violet)
Religion
A Book of Quaker Saints
Hodgkin, L. V. (Lucy Violet)
Society of Friends
A rough, plain countryman, he seemed, mine host of the ale-house, to
most of those who had dealings with him. But Fox, in spite of his own
bodily hunger and physical weariness, discerned that the spirit of the
man before him knew the cravings of a yet keener need: was fainting
under the weight of a yet heavier load. Instantly he recognised the
seeking soul within, even as the Shepherd of Pendle a few hours
previously, out on the hillside, had recognised his master's mark on
the straying sheep. Forgetting his own weariness, even for the time
putting aside the remembrance of the visions he had seen, he set
himself to win and satisfy this humble soul at his side.
'I declared Truth to the man of the house,' so runs his Journal, 'and
wrote a paper to the priests and professors declaring "the day of the
Lord and that Christ was come to teach His people Himself, by His
power and spirit in their hearts, and to bring people off from all the
world's ways and teaching, to His own free teaching who had bought
them, and was the Saviour of all them that believed in Him." And the
man of the house did spread the paper up and down and was mightily
affected with Truth!'
The inn-keeper went out full of gladness to 'publish Truth' in his
turn. Henceforth he was a new man in the power of the new message that
had been entrusted to him. A new life lay before him.
But when the two friends were once more alone together, and the
immediate task was done, Richard Farnsworth perceived the strange look
that had silenced him at the foot of the mountain returning to his
companion's face. Only now the weariness was fading, it was the glory
that returned.
Pushing away the table, George Fox rose to his feet, and stretched
both his arms out wide. He and Farnsworth were alone in the narrow inn
parlour, lighted only by one flickering rushlight. So small was the
room that the whitewashed walls pressed close on every side. So low
was the ceiling that when Fox arose and drew himself up to his full
height the black oak beams were scarce a hand's breadth above his
head.
Yet Richard, as he looked up, awed and silent, from his stool by the
table, felt as if his friend were still standing far above him on the
summit of a high hill, with nothing but the heights of sky beyond his
head and with the hills and valleys of the whole world stretching away
below his feet.
'I see,' said Fox, and, as he spoke, to Richard too the narrow walls
seemed to open and melt away into infinite space on every side: 'I see
a people in white raiment, by a riverside--a great people--in white
raiment, coming to the Lord.'
The flickering rushlight spluttered and went out. Through the low
casement window the white mists could be seen, still rising from every
bend and fold of the widespread valleys that lay around them, rising
up, up, like an innumerable company of spirit-filled souls, while the
moon shone down serenely over all.
II
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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