Christian Science -- Fiction; People with disabilities -- Fiction
Carolina remembered the great number of intelligent coloured faces which
were scattered through the congregations of the beautiful white marble
church, with its splendour and glory of stained glass, in New York, and
she wondered if here, in the pleadings of these three fat old coloured
women in the pine forest of South Carolina lay the answer to the great
and ever burning question of the white man’s burden. As she debated
swiftly, her heart leaped to the task. It was not for her to refuse to
spread the truth when it was so humbly and earnestly desired.
"Come then," she said, "ask me questions, and I will tell you the
answers that my new religion teaches. You may come, too, Rose Maud."
The Barnwells’ carryall went slowly out through the great avenue of
live-oaks from Carolina’s little cottage at Guildford into the "big
road" which led to Sunnymede. But no one thought of the incongruity of
the three old coloured women and Jake, letting the horses drive
themselves, while he listened with pathetic eagerness to the clear,
earnest tones of the white young lady, who simply and sincerely answered
the questions all four asked of her with such painful anxiety and eager
understanding.
Meanwhile the storm, which the intense heat presaged, gathered, and they
hurried the horses in order to reach Sunnymede before it broke.
"Dat’s all I ask," cried Aunt Tempy. "I don’ need to ax no mo’
questions. Miss Callina done fixed t’ings for old Tempy."
"I allus knowed dat I was a worshipper ob de unknown God," cried Calla.
"Ef I had ’a’ knowed de right One, does y’all reckon He would ’a’ let me
get away? No, suh! De Lawd hol’s awn tuh His own!"
The storm broke just as they reached Flower’s little cabin in the dreary
stump-filled waste which had once been the handsome estate of the La
Granges. Flower met them at the door and welcomed them in.
"Hurry, Jake, and get the horses safe before the rain comes. Aunt
Tempy, take Calla and Rose Maud to the kitchen and give them some
sassafras tea. Oh, Cousin Carolina, dearest, did Tempy tell you? Oh,
the blessed, blessed news! For two nights now, the lamb has turned over
in his crib because the light hurt his eyes. I didn’t send for you the
first time because I wanted to be sure. I was reading the fourteenth of
John, and when I came to the verse, ’And if ye shall ask anything in my
name, I will do it,’ I just threw the Bible down and fell on my face on
the floor and begged God for my baby’s eyesight. And, when I looked, he
had turned over. Oh, Cousin Carol, Cousin Carol, I think I shall go mad
with joy!"
"Let me see him," cried Carolina, rushing past Flower and snatching up
the baby. "Oh, yes, dearest, I can see even a different expression in
his eyes. And see how he blinks in the light! Flower, your baby is
healed!"
"I know it," said Flower, reverently. "And I shall thank God for it on
my knees every day of my life."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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