England -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction; Husband and wife -- Fiction; Siblings -- Fiction
I dressed hurriedly, and without waiting for any breakfast went
straight to the Rectory to remind Blathwayte of what Henderson had
said. It was too early as yet for the doctor's visit, and the
night-nurse was still upon duty; but she had nothing good to report, as
Fay's temperature kept up and her strength was failing.
"Come and see," said Blathwayte, when I had recalled Henderson's words
to his mind. "If he was right, and you have the gift, you may save
Fay's life even yet."
And he took me into the sick-room, where the shadow of my darling lay
fighting for breath.
Then followed another of those experiences which sound incredible in
the telling, but which was so natural--so inevitable--at the time, that
it would have been impossible for anything else to have happened.
I knelt down by Fay's bed and laid my hand on her burning forehead, and
I lifted up my soul to God in prayer, as I had never lifted it before.
As I prayed I became conscious--as I had been when Frank seemed
dying--of a Presence in the room, the Presence of a living Christ who
was standing by my side so near that I could almost feel His Touch--so
real that I felt if I opened my eyes I should see His Face. And with
His coming all the sorrow and anxiety and misery disappeared, and I
knew that nothing could ever really harm her or pluck her out of His
Hand. Fear vanished, because with Him beside me there was nothing to
fear: sorrow disappeared, because He brought with Him fulness of joy:
death stood at bay, because He had conquered death. There was nothing
any longer except Him, because in Him and through Him and of Him are
all things. And I was conscious not only of a profound peace in this
Ineffable Presence: I was conscious also of an inexhaustible power. I
felt flowing into me, and through me into Fay, a sort of wonderful
electric current--a very elixir of life itself--which I can describe as
nothing but "the Power from on High." At that moment I felt that I had
the wings of eagles, and the strength of the angels that excel.
How long I knelt I know not. It was a moment snatched from eternity,
and therefore beyond the measurements of time. I realised that in His
glorious Presence there is neither past nor future, but only one
glorious, unending Now.
Gradually the Presence withdrew Itself, and the rush of Power flowing
through me subsided, and I opened my eyes and looked at Fay. The fever
flush in her cheeks was already fading, and the brow under my hand grew
cool and moist. I rose from my knees and told the nurse to take the
temperature: she did so, and found it rapidly subsiding. The pulse,
too, was slower, and the breathing much easier. By the time that the
doctor came he was able to say that the crisis was past, and that the
patient was on the way to recovery.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account