of the love of God;" and then added, "You will perhaps think that I get
tired of doing nothing, but the time is too short for all I want to
do." "It is quite true," said his wife, smiling as she read it. "He
is as pleased as a child with everything, and every one is so good to
him." Presently she asked him to read aloud to us; and in a voice of
great distinctness, he read a few verses of the Book of Job from a big
volume. The voice was high and resonant, but varied strangely in
pitch. He asked at the end whether we had heard every word, and being
told that we had, smiled very sweetly and frankly, like a boy who has
performed a task well. The Vicar suggested that he should come for a
turn with us, at which he visibly brightened, and said he would like to
walk through the village. He took our arms, walking between us; and
with a delicate courtesy, knowing that we could not communicate with
him, talked himself, very quietly and simply, almost all the way,
partly of what he was convinced we were passing,--guessing, I imagine,
mainly by a sense of smell, and interpreting it all with astonishing
accuracy, though I confess I was often unable even to detect the scents
which guided him. We walked thus for half an hour, listening to his
quiet talk. Two or three people came up to us. Each time the Vicar
checked him, and he held out his hand to be shaken; in each case he
recognised the person by the mere touch of the hand. "Mrs Purvis,
isn't it? Well, you see me in very good company this morning, don't
you? It is so kind of the Vicar and his friend to take me out, and it
is pleasant to meet friends in the village." He seemed to know all
about the affairs of the place, and made enquiries after various people.
It was a very strange experience to walk thus with a fellow-creature
suffering from these sad limitations, and yet to be conscious of being
in the presence of so perfectly contented and cheerful a spirit.
Before we parted, he wrote on his pad that he was working hard. "I am
trying to write a little book; of course I know that I can never see
it, but I should like to tell people that it is possible to live a life
like mine, and to be full of happiness; that God sends me abundance of
joy, so that I can say with truth that I am happier now than ever I was
in the old days. Such peace and joy, with so many to love me; so
little that I can do for others, except to speak of the marvellous
goodness of God, and of the beautiful thoughts he gives me." "Yes, he
has written some chapters," said the faithful wife; "but he does not
want any one to see them till they are done."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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