CHAPTER IX.--"IT IS THE TRUTH."
Carol faithfully kept his appointment on the following Sunday. Hiscousins ceased to inquire, though not to wonder, what became of himevery Sunday evening, and once appealed to Mrs. Mandeville forinformation. She smilingly replied, "It is a little secret between Caroland me. Perhaps you will be told some time, but not just yet."
As Carol entered the cottage, Mr. Higgs rose from his seat, and stoodupright.
"Master Carol," he exclaimed in a voice of suppressed excitement, "it isthe Truth, the blessed Truth you've told us. I can't say I've lost myrheumatics entirely, for the joints are like rusty hinges that want alot o' oiling after being idle so long; but I've just been free frompain all the week; and my little grand-daughter hasn't had one fit allthe week."
"No, Master Carol, she has not," Mrs. Scott added. "I won't say she hasnever gone a whole week without one before, but for the last twelvemonths I don't think she has, until this week."
"Try not to remember anything that has been. Think it was all a dream,and she is awakening from it. I had a very cruel dream once, but I haveawakened from it. God's children must cling very closely to Him, thennothing can hurt them. It is when shadowy fears come between God andHis image and likeness that dreadful things seem to happen to us."
Mr. Higgs and Mrs. Scott did not understand yet how the boy had all theweek been working for them--fighting error with the sword of Truth.
"I want to read a chapter from the New Testament this evening," Carolsaid, opening the Bible. "It is always a favorite chapter, but oneverse, my cousin said, seemed never to have impressed people asapplicable to the present day. Yet the words are so simple. I will readthe chapter first, then we'll talk about that one verse."
He read the 14th chapter of St. John from the 1st verse to the last,then asked quietly, "Do you remember that Jesus once said, 'Heaven andearth shall pass away, but my words shall never pass away'?"
"Yes, Master Carol. I remember those words well."
"Then is there not a verse in the chapter I have just read which seemsas if Jesus' words _had_ failed?" The old man looked puzzled.
"I can't say that I know what you are alluding to, Master Carol."
"I will read it again. It is the 12th verse. 'Verily, verily, I sayunto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also,and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father.'What were the works that Jesus did? Was it not healing the sick,cleansing the lepers, raising the dead, feeding the hungry? Well, if noone can do these works to-day, his word has failed or else no one hassufficient faith (faith may sometimes mean understanding). Manycenturies rolled by, and the sick were not healed, nor the leperscleansed, in Jesus' name. But now we know his words never failed. Itwas the faith or understanding of those who thought they believed in himwhich failed; for the sick are being healed now, and the leperscleansed."
"It is very wonderful as you put it, Master Carol. I can't say it hasever been explained like that to me before."
"Is it not very simple?" Carol asked.
"Why, yes. It has always seemed to me the Master's words were verysimple, a child could understand them. But when you come to theEpistles, and the creeds of the Church, there's many things that I havenever been able to understand; and often the sermons I've listened topuzzled me more than the texts."
"In the 15th verse Jesus says, 'If ye love me, keep my commandments.'Jesus did not give many commandments to his followers. He told themmany things, but of strict commandments he gave only a few. One was, 'Gointo all the world, preach the Gospel and heal the sick.' If you had ason, and you commanded him to do two things and he did only one, andleft the other alone, would you be pleased with him? Would he beobedient to your commands?"
"Certainly I shouldn't be pleased with him, and I'd soon let him knowthat, if he didn't do all I commanded, he needn't do anything."
"Yes, but Jesus just makes it a test of love. He says so gently, 'If yelove me, keep my commandments.' To those who keep all his commandmentshe will one day say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant,' I do hopethat some day he will say those words to me."
"I'm right sure he will, Master Carol. It is just wonderful the way youare helping an old man to understand. It amazes me that a boy of youryears should have such an understanding."
"Oh, please don't think I am telling you anything of myself. It has allbeen explained to me many times. I am only telling you what has beentold me. I wish my cousin could talk to you. She would help you muchbetter than I can. But we must not withhold what we have because someone else has more, must we? We must hand on the good tidings as well aswe are able."
"That's it, Master Carol. Maybe I'll do a little that way myself lateron."
"Yes, I am sure you will, but don't talk about your rheumatism beingbetter just yet. Wait until the evil is quite cast out. When I comenext week I will explain to you how we learn in _Science and Health_that God gave man dominion, and what God has given can never be takenaway. God says His word shall never return unto Him void. When Hedecreed anything, it was forever. You could not think of the sun, moon,or stars moving out of their appointed courses, could you? It is onlyman who seems to have wandered from his native sphere. We have to learnthat this is not so; we have not really lost the dominion which God gaveHis children in the beginning. St. John says, 'Now are we the sons ofGod; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that whenHe shall appear we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.'That verse helped me so much when I was ill. I learned I had not to dieto become a son of God. God is my Father here and now, and God's childought not to believe a lie. It was a lie that evil could have powerover me, and bind me. It is a lie that evil can have power over you,and bind you. If you acknowledge God as your Father, God's child shouldnot go along believing he has rheumatism, should he?"
"Thank you, Master Carol. I'll take hold of that. I can understand it.I wish Rector would talk to us sometimes like this. I know it is all inthe Bible, yet it never came home to me before."
Mrs. Scott listened attentively to all the boy was telling her father,but made no remark. Her little girl was sitting in the porch nursingher doll, crooning a lullaby. Carol left them with the promise to comeagain next Sunday.