This was not an occasional spasmodic outburst of piety; she seemed
always anxious to talk about God, and, as she could not read herself,
to hear others read about Him. I never knew one who seemed to be in
such constant and close communion with God. In my visits among the
poor, I remember calling at her door one day, and being obliged to wait
some time after knocking, although I heard her voice within. I was
surprised that she should keep me waiting, for she had such a delicate
sense of the duties of hospitality that she was particularly careful
never to oblige a visitor to remain standing at her door. I soon
discovered that she was engaged in prayer; one greater than any earthly
guest was with her; it almost seemed as if she pleaded before one who
was visibly present. She waited and wept, she urged, entreated, and
earnestly pleaded; then gradually her tone changed, and her voice rose
in prayer and loud hallelujahs, and then she was silent. I knocked once
more, and hastily now she threw open the door; the traces of tears were
still on her cheeks, and in her poor, dim eyes.
"Welcome, welcome!" she exclaimed: "come in. De Lord's bin wid me dis
day. Praise and bless His holy name. I'se had sich a blessed time."
Then she dusted the only spare seat her poor room afforded, and placed
it so that as she seated herself upon her bed she should face me.
"Oh, chile!" she exclaimed; "de prayers dat's gone up from dis poor
shanty for you and de Sunday-school! Dey's gone right up from dis poor,
low, mean place, right up through dis old roof, straight up to de great
white throne!" And she clasped her hands and looked up as if she saw
the vision beyond. "God's holy angels has heard 'em, Jesus's listened
to 'em, and God's treasured 'em up, and dey'll come down in blessin's
when old Susan's dead and gone. When I gits rid of dis mis'able, sickly
body, and rises up to where my prayer's gone before me, oh, how I'll
sing wid de holy angels, praise de Lord, praise de Lord!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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