Taking each by the hand, Eberstein led them to a small hill towards the
back of the house, where the sun could be seen rising over the
undulating line of the moorlands. An arc of fire was just showing above
the horizon, and a splendour of light was changing the rosy hues of the
eastern sky into a golden haze. Silently prayerful, the three stood
looking at this aerial magnificence. It was the doctor who spoke first.
"See there the promise of your future," he said quietly. "The darkness
of the night has fled away before the glory of the celestial orb. So
have the black clouds amidst which you walked of late been dispersed by
the Sun of Righteousness, which has risen with healing on His wings. You
know what work you are appointed to do?"
"Yes," said Montrose gravely. "Six months in the year Alice and I must
live in London, seeking out the lame, the halt, and the blind; both the
spiritually sick and the physically crippled. We must give to them
money, attention, sympathy, love and instruction, looking on every man
as a brother and on every woman as a sister, irrespective of race or
creed."
"Just so," said Eberstein, nodding, "because all are one, and you are in
others as others are in you, all being in the Father, through the Son by
the power of the Holy Spirit. And then?" he turned to Alice.
"For six months in the year Douglas and I must live here," she said,
equally gravely, "and here we must bring those who need rest and help.
We must not pauperise them by indiscriminate charity, but must teach
each to become a centre of power, to develop his or her latent
faculties. Finally, we must never think of self, but let the Power of
Good flow through us unhindered by selfish desire."
"Just so," said Eberstein again, and smiled approvingly. "Remember that
to be channels of the Divine power you must surrender all. A single
thought of self and the channel is choked. Freely the power is given to
you, so freely must you give it to others, and in passing through you on
its beneficent mission it will cleanse you both body and soul,
strengthening each so that you may be strong, wholesome servants of The
Christ. You have learned your lesson well, my children, so it only
remains for me to go."
"We shall see you again, I hope?" asked Douglas anxiously.