It is a little company
gathering, for--for Helen's sake, poor little prisoner. There will
be music--and she loves it so. We thought you would not mind."
"Mind? Oh no, no--oh, give her everything her dear heart can desire.
How good you two are to her, and how good to me! God bless you
both always!"
After a listening pause:
"How lovely! It is her organ. Is she playing it herself, do you think?"
Faint and rich and inspiring the chords floating to her ears on
the still air. "Yes, it is her touch, dear heart, I recognize it.
They are singing. Why--it is a hymn! and the sacredest of all,
the most touching, the most consoling. . . . It seems to open
the gates of paradise to me. . . . If I could die now. . . ."
Faint and far the words rose out of the stillness:
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee,
E'en though it be a cross
That raiseth me.
With the closing of the hymn another soul passed to its rest,
and they that had been one in life were not sundered in death.
The sisters, mourning and rejoicing, said:
"How blessed it was that she never knew!"
CHAPTER IX
At midnight they sat together, grieving, and the angel of the Lord
appeared in the midst transfigured with a radiance not of earth;
and speaking, said:
"For liars a place is appointed. There they burn in the fires
of hell from everlasting unto everlasting. Repent!"
The bereaved fell upon their knees before him and clasped their
hands and bowed their gray heads, adoring.
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