A Little Pilgrim: Stories of the Seen and the UnseenOliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
Religion
A Little Pilgrim: Stories of the Seen and the Unseen
Oliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
Death -- Fiction
thought that the Lord could have forgotten them, and at the wonder of the
angels over their simple tales. And immediately they began to remind each
other, and say, "Do you remember?" and they told the little Pilgrim a
hundred tales of the hardships and troubles they had known, all smiling
and radiant with pleasure; and at every new account the others would
applaud and rejoice, feeling the happiness all the more for the evils
that were past. And some of them led her into their gardens to show her
their flowers, and to tell her how they had begun to study and learn
how colors were changed and form perfected, and the secrets of the growth
and of the germ, of which they had been ignorant. And others arranged
themselves in choirs, and sang to her delightful songs of the fields, and
accompanied her out upon her way, singing and answering to each other.
The difference between the simple folk and the greatness of the others
made the little Pilgrim wonder and admire; and she loved them in her
simplicity, and turned back many a time to wave her hand to them, and to
listen to the lovely simple singing as it went further and further away.
It had an evening tone of rest and quietness, and of protection and
peace. "He leadeth me by the green pastures and beside the quiet waters,"
she said to herself; and her heart swelled with pleasure to think that it
was those who had been so old, and so weary and poor, who had this rest
to console them for all their sorrows.
And as she went along, not only did she pass through many other villages,
but met many on the way who were travelling towards the great city, and
would greet her sweetly as they passed, and sometimes stop to say a
pleasant word, so that the little Pilgrim was never lonely wherever she
went. But most of them began to speak to her in the other language, which
was as beautiful and sweet as music, but which she could not understand;
and they were surprised to find her ignorant of it, not knowing that she
was but a new-comer into these lands. And there were many things that
could not be told but in that language, for the earthly tongue had no
words to express them. The little Pilgrim was a little sad not to
understand what was said to her, but cheered herself with the thought
that it should be taught to her by one whom she loved best. The way by
the riverside was very cheerful and bright, with many people coming and
going, and many villages, some of them with a bridge across the stream,
some withdrawn among the fields, but all of them bright and full of life,
and with sounds of music, and voices, and footsteps: and the little
Pilgrim felt no weariness, and moved along as lightly as a child, taking
great pleasure in everything she saw, and answering all the friendly
greetings with all her heart, yet glad to think that she was approaching
ever nearer to the country where it was ordained that she should dwell
for a time and succor the strangers, and receive those who were newly
arrived.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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