CHAPTER III.
Through all the six long weeks of her mother's illness at FairviewEvelyn had been a most devoted, tender nurse, scarcely leaving the sickroom for an hour by day or by night. She bore up wonderfully until allwas over and the worn-out body laid to rest in the quiet grave; but thencame the reaction; strength and energy seemed suddenly to forsake her,and thin, pale, sad, and heavy-eyed, she was but the shadow of herformer self.
Change of air and scene was the doctor's prescription. She was veryreluctant to leave home and friends for a sojourn in new scenes andamong strangers, but receiving an urgent invitation from Captain andMrs. Raymond to spend some weeks at Woodburn with her loved friendLucilla, and finding that her uncle and aunt--Dr. Conly also--highlyapproved, she gladly accepted; all the more so because she had learnedthat Grandma Elsie too, whom she loved even better than ever for herkindness to the dear departed, was about to spend some days or weekswith her daughter Violet. That was an added attraction to what Evelynesteemed one of the most delightful places, and inhabited by thedearest, kindest, most lovable people anywhere to be found.
She was most heartily welcomed by the entire family, Lucilla and Gracebeing particularly joyful over her arrival.
It was delightful spring weather, and family and guests, older andyounger, spent much of the time in the beautiful grounds or in drivingand riding about the country.
The captain pronounced Eva hardly in a fit condition for study, and forher sake required his daughters Lucilla and Grace to pass only an houror two daily in the schoolroom; so that they were able to give to Eva asmuch of their society as he considered desirable for her under thecircumstances--seeing that she needed a good deal of quiet rest andsleep in order to regain the youthful vigour she had lost during theexhausting nursing of her invalid mother.
His kindness was highly appreciated by all three, and under its benigninfluence Eva made rapid improvement in health and spirits, enjoyingevery day of her sojourn at Woodburn, the Sabbath even more than anyother, especially the afternoon study of the Bible in which all tookpart, from Grandma Elsie and Captain Raymond down to little Ned.
The subject chosen for the first lesson after Eva's coming was theresurrection, probably selected especially for Eva's comfort in hersorrow over her mother's recent departure, to be with her no more inthis life.
"Mother," the captain said, addressing Grandma Elsie, when they were allseated, each with a Bible in hand, "as you are somewhat older andcertainly much wiser than I--especially as regards spiritualthings--will you not take the lead to-day?"
"Older I certainly am," returned Mrs. Travilla, with her own sweetsmile, "but I think not wiser than yourself, captain; and certainly Ihave not made the preparation for this occasion which doubtless youhave. So please lead the exercises just as you would if I were notpresent."
"You would prefer my doing so?" he asked.
"Very much," she replied. "The resurrection is the subject?"
"Yes; and what a glorious one! how full of comfort for all who believein Christ! 'For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall standat the latter day upon the earth; and though after my death my body isdestroyed, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myselfand mine eyes shall behold, and not another,' said the patriarch Job;comforting himself in his affliction with that blessed prospect. Thedoctrine of a general resurrection is expressly taught in both the OldTestament and the New, and I think we cannot spend our lesson hour moreprofitably than in looking up the texts on the subject. Can you give usone, mother?"
At that Grandma Elsie opened her Bible.
"Beginning with the Old Testament," she said, "here in Psalms xlix. 15we read: 'But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: forhe shall receive me. Selah.' Then here in Isaiah; 'Thy dead men shalllive, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, yethat dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earthshall cast out the dead.'"
Then Violet, sitting next, read from her open Bible: "'The same day cameto him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and askedhim, saying, Master, Moses said, if a man die, having no children, hisbrother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Nowthere were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married awife, deceased, and having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:likewise the second also, and the third unto the seventh. And last ofall the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection, whose wife shallshe be? for they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye doerr, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. For in theresurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are asthe angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of thedead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, Iam the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? Godis not the God of the dead, but of the living.'"
Eva's turn came next and she read: "'And the graves were opened; andmany bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the gravesafter his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared untomany.'"
Then Lucilla: "'Women received their dead raised to life again: andothers were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtaina better resurrection.'"
"Will the resurrection be of all the dead, Grace? the wicked as well asthe righteous?" asked her father.
"Yes, papa," she answered; then read aloud: "'Marvel not at this: forthe hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hearhis voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto theresurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto theresurrection of damnation.'"
It was little Elsie's turn and she read a verse in Acts pointed out byher mother: "'And have hope toward God, which they themselves alsoallow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the justand unjust.'"
It was Ned's turn now and he read a passage selected for him by hismother: "'For I delivered unto you first of all that which I alsoreceived, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures;and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day accordingto the Scriptures.'"
It was the captain's turn again and he went on with the reading: "'Nowif Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among youthat there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be noresurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be notrisen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, andwe are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of Godthat he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the deadrise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised, and ifChrist be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Thenthey also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in thislife only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. Butnow is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of themthat slept. For since by man came death, by man came also theresurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christshall all be made alive.'"
"Yes," said Grandma Elsie, "we needed a divine Saviour, and Christ'sresurrection proved his divinity; as Paul tells us here in the firstchapter of Romans, 'And declared to be the Son of God with power,according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.'Peter too teaches us that the resurrection of Christ was necessary toour salvation. It seems plainly taught in this verse of the fifthchapter of his first Epistle. 'Blessed be the God and Father of our LordJesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten usagain unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from thedead.'"
"Yes," said Violet, "Jesus said to his disciples, 'Because I live, yeshall live also.' His resurrection is surely the pledge and assurance ofthat of his people."
"Papa, does everybody have to die?" asked little Ned.
"Everybody except those who are alive when Jesus comes again, as he willsome day in the clouds of heaven. This is what the Apostle Paul tells usabout it in the letter he wrote to the Thessal
onians. 'Them also whichsleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by theword of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming ofthe Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himselfshall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; thenwe which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them inthe clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be withthe Lord.'"
"'Wherefore comfort one another with these words,'" added Evelyn softly,finishing the quotation; "and oh, what a comfort it is!"
"There could be none greater," said Grandma Elsie. "Think of beingreunited with all the dear ones gone before, and in the immediatepresence of Jesus; never again to be parted from them or him or to knowsin or sorrow or pain. Oh, what joy to be permitted to look upon theface of our Redeemer, to kneel at his feet, to hear his voice speakingto each one of us. 'Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shallbehold and not another.'"