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
The mother did nothing but smile; then lifted her eyes and looked along
the beautiful path of the river to where some one was coming to join
them. And the little Pilgrim cried out again, in wonder and joy; and
presently found herself seated between them, her father and her mother,
the two who had loved her most in the other days. They looked more
beautiful than the angels and all the great persons whom she had seen;
for still they were hers and she was theirs more than all the angels and
all the blessed could be. And thus she learned that though the new may
take the place of the old, and many things may blossom out of it like
flowers, yet that the old is never done away. And then they sat together,
telling of everything that had befallen, and all the little tender things
that were of no import, and all the great changes and noble ways, and the
wonders of heaven above--and the earth beneath, for all, were open to
them, both great and small; and when they had satisfied their souls with
these, her father and mother began to teach her the other language,
smiling often at her faltering tongue, and telling her the same thing
over and over till she learnt it; and her father called her his little
foolish one, as he had done in the old days; and at last, when they had
kissed her and blessed her, and told her how to come home to them when
she was weary, they gave her, as the Father had permitted them, with joy
and blessing, her new name.
The little Pilgrim was tired with happiness and all the wonder and
pleasure; and as she sat there in the silence; leaning upon those who
were so dear to her, the soft air grew sweeter and sweeter about her, and
the light faded softly into a dimness of tender indulgence and privilege
for her, because she was still little and weak. And whether that heavenly
suspense of all her faculties was sleep or not she knew not, but it was
such as in all her life she had never known. When she came back to
herself, it was by the sound of many voices calling her, and many people
hastening past and beckoning to her to join them.
"Come, come," they said, "little sister: there has been great trouble in
the other life, and many have arrived suddenly and are afraid. Come,
come, and help them,--come and help them!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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