United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
He motioned her to get something under his pillow and she drew out a
small Testament. With the ease of perfect familiarity he turned the
leaves and pointed to the words, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." He looked up at her, smiled
brightly, and shook his head when he saw tears in her eyes. Again he
turned the leaves and pointed to other words, "Beloved, think it not
strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some
strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are
partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be
revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." His expression was
wonderfully significant in its content, for it was that of one who had
explained and accounted for everything.
"Oh," she faltered, "I wish I felt as you do, believed as you do. I
hope you will get strong soon. I would like to tell you some things
which trouble me very much, and there is no one I can tell."
"By and by," he whispered. "Don't worry. All right."
"Oh, what does this mean?" she thought as she returned to the house.
"Awfully wounded, suffering, dying perhaps, yet 'glad with an exceeding
joy'! Uncle and aunt haven't any idea of such a religion, and for some
reason Dr. Williams never gave me any such idea of it at church. Why
didn't he? Was it my fault? What he said seemed just words that made
little or no impression. Since he tried to marry me to Cousin Mad I
feel as if I could scarcely bear the sight of him."
Yet he was the first one to greet her on the veranda. He spoke with
formal kindness, but she responded merely by a grave salutation, and
passed on, for she felt that he should have understood and protected
her in the most terrible emergency of her young life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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