The Witness by Grace Livingston Hill Lutz (best fiction novels of all time .txt) 📖

To Believe; And The Day I Read That Verse Marked In

     Stephen's Bible,  "He That Believeth On The Son Of God Hath

     The Witness In Himself." I Suddenly Realized That That Had

     Been Made True To Me. I Have The Witness In My Own Heart

     That Christ Is The Son Of God,  My Saviour! That His Presence

     Is On Earth And Manifest To Me At Many Times. No Seeming

     Variance Of Science,  No Quibble Of The Intellect,  Can Ever

     Disturb This Faith On Which My Soul Rests. It Is More Than A

     Conviction; It Is A Perfect Satisfaction! I Know! I

     May Not Be Able To Explain All Mysteries,  But I Can Never

     Doubt Again,  Because I Know. The More I Meet With Modern

     Skepticism,  The More I Am Convinced That That Is The Only

     Answer To It All: "He That Doeth His Will Shall Know Of The

     Doctrine," And That Promise Is Fulfilled To All Who Have The

     Will To Believe.

 

     All This Came To Me Quite Clearly As I Knelt In The Church

     In The Sunset,  While You Were Playing--Was It "Rock Of

     Ages"?--And A Ray Of The Setting Sun Stole Through The Old

     Yellow Glass Of The Window In The Organ-Loft And Lay On Your

     Hair Like A Crown,  My Bonnie Darling! My Heart Overflowed

     With Gratitude At The Great Way Life Has Opened Up To Me.

     That I,  The Least Of His Servants,  Should Be Honored By The

     Love Of This Pearl Of Women!--

 

There Was More Of That Letter,  And Bonnie Sat Long On The Stump Reading

And Re-Reading,  With Her Face A Glow Of Wonder And Joy. But At Last She

Got Up And Went To The House,  Bounding Into The Dining-Room Where Mother

And Father Marshall Were Pretending To Be Busy About A Lamp That Didn't

Work Right.

 

Down She Sat With Her Letter And Read It--At Least As Much As We Have

Read--To The Two Sad Old Dears Who Were Trying So Hard To Get Ready For

Loneliness. But After That There Was No More Sadness In That House! No

More Tears Nor Wistful Looks. Father Whistled Everywhere He Went,  Till

Mother Told Him He Was Like A Boy Again. Mother Sang About Her Work

Whenever She Was Alone. For Why Should They Be Sad Any More? There Were

Good Times Still Going In The World,  And _They Were In Them_!

 

"Father!" Whispered Mother,  Softly,  That Night,  When She Was Supposed To

Be Well On Her Way Toward Slumber. "Do You Suppose The Lord Heard Us

Grumbling This Afternoon,  And Sent That Letter To Make Us Ashamed Of

Ourselves?"

 

"No," Said Father,  Tenderly,  "I Think He Just Smiled To Think What A Big

Surprise He Had Ready For Us. It Doesn't Pay To Doubt God; It Really

Doesn't!"

 

 

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The Hospital Down To The Station And Shipping Him Home To His Good Old

Mother In The Country,  To Be Nursed Back To Health. Pat Often Did Little

Things Like That That Were Utterly Out Of His Province,  Just Because He

Liked To Do Them.

 

Pat Had Seen His Patient Off And Was Threading His Way Through A Crowded

Thoroughfare,  With Eyes Alert For Everything,  When A Little Bright-Red

Racer Passed Him At A Furious Rate,  Driven By A Woman With A Reckless

Hand. She Shot By The Ambulance Like A Rocket,  And At The Next Corner

Came Face To Face With A Great Motor-Truck That Was Thundering Around

The Corner At A Tempestuous Speed. From The First Glance There Was No

Chance For The Racer. It Crumpled Like A Thing Of Paper And Lay In

Bright Splinters On The Street,  The Lady Tossed Aside And Motionless,

With Her Head Against The Curbing.

 

The Crowd Closed In About Her,  And Some One Sent A Call For The Police.

The Crowd Opened Again As An Officer Signed To The Ambulance To Stand

By,  And Kindly Hands Put The Lady Inside. Pat Put On All Speed To The

Home Hospital,  Which Was Not Far Away,  And Was Soon Within Its Gates,

With The House Doctor And A Nurse Rushing Out In Answer To His Signal.

 

There Was A Light In The Church Close At Hand,  Although It Was Not Yet

Dark. Bonnie Was Playing Softly On The Organ. Pat Knew The Hymn She Was

Playing:

 

     At Evening,  Ere The Sun Was Set,

       The Sick,  O Lord! Around Thee Lay;

     Oh,  With What Divers Ills They Met,

       Oh,  With What Joy They Went Away!

 

     Once More 'Tis Eventide,  And We,

       Oppressed With Various Ills,  Draw Near--

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Jumped Down From His Driver's Seat And Went Around To The Back Of The

Ambulance,  Where They Were Preparing To Carry The Patient Into The

Building. He Was Wondering What Sort It Was This Time That He Had

Brought To The House Of Healing. Then Suddenly He Saw Her Face And

Stopped Short,  With A Suppressed Exclamation.

 

There,  Huddled On The Stretcher,  In Her Costly Sporting Garments,  With

Her Long,  Dark Lashes Sweeping Over Her Hard,  Little Painted Face,  And A

Pinched Look Of Suffering About Her Loose-Hung Baby Mouth,  Lay Gila!

 

He Knew Her At Once And Drew Back In Horror. What Had He Done! Brought

Her Here,  This Viper Of Evil That Had Crept Into The Garden Of His

Friends And Despoiled Them Of Their Joy! Why Had He Not Looked At Her

Before They Started? Fool That He Was! He Might Easily Have Taken Her To

Another Hospital Instead Of This One. He Could Do So Yet.

 

But Courtland Was Standing On The Steps,  Looking Down At The Huddled

Figure On The Stretcher,  With A Strange Expression Of Pity And

Tenderness In His Face.

 

"I Did Not Know! I Did Not See Her Before,  Court!" Stammered Pat. "I

Will Take Her Somewhere Else Now Before She Has Been Disturbed."

 

"No,  Pat,  It's All Right! It Is Fitting That She Should Come To Us. I'm

Glad You Found Her. You Must Have Been Led! Call Bonnie,  Please. And,

Pat,  Watch For Nelly And Take Him Into My Study. He Was Coming Down On

The Boston Express. Let Me Know As Soon As He Gets Here."

 

Courtland Went Swiftly Into The Hospital. Pat Looked After Him For A

Moment With A Great Light Of Love In His Eyes,  And Realized For The

First Time What Was Meant By The Expulsive Power Of A New Affection.

Court Hadn't Minded Seeing Gila In The Least On His Own Account. He Was

Only Thinking Of Tennelly. Poor Nelly! What Would He Do?

 

There Was No Hope For Gila From The First. There Had Been An Injury To

The Spine,  And It Was Only A Question Of Hours How Long She Had To Stay.

 

It Was Bonnie's Face Upon Which The Great Dark Eyes First Opened In

Consciousness Again. Bonnie In Soft,  White Garments Sitting Beside The

Bed,  Watching. A Strange Contraction Of Fear And Hate Passed Over Her

Face As She Looked,  And She Spoke In An Insolent,  Sharp Little Voice,

Weak As A Sick Bird's Chirp.

 

"Who Sent You Here?" She Demanded.

 

"God," Said Bonnie,  Gently,  Without An Instant's Hesitation.

 

A Startled Look Came Into Gila's Eyes. "God! What Does He Want With Me?

Has He Sent You Here To Torment Me? I Know You,  Who You Are! You Are

That Poor Girl That Paul Picked Up In The Street. You Are Come To Pay Me

Back!"

 

Bonnie's Face Was Full Of Tenderness. "No,  Dear! That Is All Passed.

I've Just Come To Bring You A Message From God."

 

"God! What Have I To Do With God?" A Quiver Of Anguish Passed Over The

Weird Little Face. "I Hate God! He Hates Me! Am I Dead,  Then,  That He

Sends Me Messages?"

 

"No,  You Are Not Dead. And God Does Not Hate You. Listen! He Says,  'I

Have Loved You With An Everlasting Love.' That's The Message That He

Sends. He Is Here Now. He Wants You To Give Attention To Him!"

 

The Little Blanched Face On The Pillow Tightened And Hardened In Fear

Once More. "That's That Awful Presence Again! The Presence! The

Presence! I've Been Trying To Get Away From It For Three Years,  And It's

Pursued Me Everywhere! Now I'm Caught Like A Rat In A Trap And Can't Get

Away! If I'm Not Dead,  Then I Must Be Dying,  Or You Wouldn't Dare Talk

To Me This Awful Way! _I Am Dying!_ And _You_ Think _I'm Going To

Hell_!" Her Shrill Voice Rose Almost To A Scream.

 

Above The Sound,  Bonnie's Calm,  Clear Voice Dominated With A Sudden

Quieting Hush. Courtland,  Standing With The Doctor And Tennelly Just

Outside The Partly Open Door,  Was Thrilled With The Sweetness Of It,  As

If Some Supernatural Power Were Given To Her At This Trying Time.

 

"Listen,  Gila! This Is What He Says: 'God Sent Not His Son Into The

World To Condemn The World,  But That The World Through Him Might Be

Saved.... God So Loved The World That He Gave His Only Begotten Son,

That Whosoever Believeth In Him Should Not Perish,  But Have Everlasting

Life.' He Wants You To _Believe Now_ That He Loves You And Wants To Save

You."

 

"But He Couldn't!" Said Gila,  With The Old Petulant Tone. "I've Hated

Him All My Life! I _Hate Him Now_! And I've Never Been Good! I Couldn't

Be Good! I Don't _Want_ To Be Good! I Want To Do Just What I _Please_!

And I _Will_! I Won't Hear You Talk This Way! I Want To Get Up! Why Does

My Body Feel So Queer And Numb,  As If It Wasn't There? Am I Dying Now?

Answer Me Quick! Am I Dying? _I Know I Am._ I'm Dying And You Won't Tell

Me! I'm Dying And I'm Afraid! I'm Afraid!"

 

One Piercing Scream After Another Rang Out Through The Corridors. In

Vain Did Bonnie And The Nurse Seek To Soothe Her. The High,  Excited

Voice Raved On:

 

"I'm Afraid To Die! I'm Afraid Of That Presence! Send For Paul

Courtland! He Tried To Tell Me Once,  And I Wouldn't Hear! I Made Him

Choose Between Me And God! And _Now I'm Going To Be Punished_!"

 

"Listen,  Dear!" Went On Bonnie's Steady,  Tender Voice. "God Doesn't Want

To Punish. He Wants To Save. He Is Waiting To Forgive You If You Will

Let Him!"

 

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Soul In Mortal Anguish. Gila Fixed Her Great,  Anguishing Eyes On Bonnie.

 

"Forgive! Forgive!