Just then Stella received a mental telegram from Penloe, and it was not
long before the old man was sitting in his rocking chair, fast asleep.
While he was in that condition, Penloe and Stella went into the silence,
remaining in that state for about an hour, when Penloe asked Stella to
get a basin, with some water, a clean cloth, and a towel. When she had
got everything ready, the old man seemed to be waking up. When he was
fully awake, he said: "How much better I feel." Stella said: "I have a
basin here, with some water. Let me bathe your eyes." While she was
bathing them, she said: "Andrew, you are going to see so that you can
read just as well as you could before your eyes became sore." (As Andrew
had always associated Stella in his mind as being a member of the
angelic band, he was ready to believe anything she said.)
He said: "Am I? Praise God! (he was a good man). How fine your touch
does feel to my face."
When she had finished bathing his eyes, she gave him a towel to wipe his
eyes with. After he had wiped them, he opened and closed them several
times, when, with his eyes open, he said: "Yes, I can see! O, I can see
so much better. I keep seeing clearer all the time." And in a few
minutes he could see Penloe and Stella just as well as they could see
themselves.
The old man was overcome with joy. Looking at Stella, he said: "Bless
God! I can see your dear face." And when he cast his eyes on the
features of Penloe he became silent, then he looked at Stella, then at
Penloe, and he seemed in a dream, for he did not know which was the
greater surprise to him, having his sight restored or seeing the angelic
countenances of the two before him.
Penloe took a newspaper and gave it to him, saying: "See if you can read
that?"
Andrew took the paper, and to his great delight he could read it just as
well as when he was a young man. The old man put the paper down, then in
a little while he took it up again and read more, saying: "Yes, it is
true. I can see to read to myself. Bless the Lord! I can see to read."
He looked at them both again, and a feeling came over him as if there
was a great distance between him and them. For he said, in speaking to
Stella:
"Mrs. Penloe."
Whereupon Stella laughed, and told him: "I am not Mrs. Penloe, for I am
just the same now as I was before I was married. I am your sister
Stella, and my husband is your brother Penloe. Both of us look upon all
boys and men as our brothers, and all girls and women as our sisters,
for we are all members of one family."
The old man sat in silence after Stella spoke; he seemed to be amazed.
Stella said: "We must go now."
As she wished him good-bye, he said to them: "What must I do in return
for the great blessing of sight which has been given me to-day?"
Penloe said: "Live much in prayer, live in the realization of Divine
love. Remember your body is the temple of God. Keep it as such, and help
others to live the Divine life."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account