Mr. World and Miss Church-Member: A Twentieth Century AllegoryHarris, W. S. (William Shuler)
Religion
Mr. World and Miss Church-Member: A Twentieth Century Allegory
Harris, W. S. (William Shuler)
Christian fiction
“I have also noticed a severe type of hemianopsia, which, I presume,
had its origin in congeniture. Minor defects are also apparent, but
it is unnecessary for me to give further details,”
Miss Church-Member could not refrain from weeping bitterly at this sad
announcement. “Is it possible to effect a cure?” she sobbed.
“Ah! you need not thus lament,” said the specialist in a tone of
sympathy. “Millions have been altogether cured whose eyes were more
diseased than are yours. Forget your tears and be at perfect peace.
Calmly confide in our skill.”
She consented to their method, and was first subjected to a course of
preliminary treatment. Many an hour she lay while her eyes were covered
with cloths saturated with strange liquids. And when her eyes were
uncovered she was compelled to sit in darkness, for the physician told
her that her eyes had already suffered much on account of light. At
times the pain was well nigh intolerable, but she endured it all
heroically, hoping to gain thereby the boon of a complete cure.
After this preparatory work one who was skilled in the best methods
of the age performed the operation, and Miss Church-Member was comforted
by the assurance that her eyes would be fitted with special lenses,
and soon she could again behold the natural light of day.
Mr. World was busily engaged during the treatment of Miss
Church-Member, but he came repeatedly to her side and spoke words of
cheer and urged her strict obedience to all directions.
Finally her new lenses were put to service, and Mr. World proffered
his compliments profusely until the first impulses of vanity moved
within her. _To be admired, on account of her appearance, seemed never
so attractive as now!_
What a new world opened to her view! She looked down upon the Broad
Highway with a degree of pleasure hitherto unsuspected, and also upon
the King’s Highway, but only to see that the path was indeed a rough
one and beset with trials and difficulties which, to her mind, now
seemed unnecessary to a Christian life.
In the same manner I looked into all the apartments of each building,
and was astonished at the presence of so large a number from the King’s
Highway, and a still greater throng from the way of the world.
“O Blackana!” I cried, “how long will this continue? Is there no end
to deception? With such a changed view of things, how can Miss
Church-Member crave for the King’s Highway or urge Mr. World thither?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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