Mr. Lathrop, whom I first saw at Mrs. Daniel Blake's
funeral. He extended his hand with such hearty cordiality that I gave him
mine in return with a good bit of my heart along with it.
"I am glad to see you here." It was not so much in the words themselves
as the way he spoke them, that such welcome meaning was conveyed.
"Indeed, you may be," Mrs. Blake responded.
I saw Mr. Bowen eagerly waiting to speak to his minister, and even the
children were edging up to him with expectant faces. "He always brings us
apples," my little lad explained to me in a whisper.
With entire change of voice he turned to Mr. Bowen and said:--"How fares
it with you, brother, in the darkness?"
"Well, all is well."
In low, sympathetic tones he asked:--"He still provides songs in the
night?"
"Yes, almost as sweet as if Heaven itself were stooping to hear."
"You have learned the secret God reveals to but few of us."
"Ah, brother, the fault is all in us, not in Him. Gracious as he is to
me, all might share with me in this blessed inheritance."
Mr. Lathrop turned to me. "Our friend here certainly has meat to eat of
which very few get the full taste."
"I did not know there could be such joy in religion. It is a revelation
to me, sir."
"Yes, we go out of our way to help others, not expecting to be repaid,
and sometimes one of God's angels meets us in human guise, and brings us
a blessing compared with which our poor gift sinks into insignificance."
He spoke to me in a low-tone.
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