Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-30
CHAPTER v.

his book and looked up. Far over the
fiat lay the "kopje," a mere speck; the
sheep wandered quietly from bush to
bush; the stiffness of the early Sunday
rested everywhere, and the air was
fresh.
He looked down at his book. On its
page black insect crept. He lifted it
off with his finger. Then he leaned on
his elbow, watching its quivering an
tennae and strange movements, smil-
Ing.
Even you," he whispered, shall not
die. Even you he loves. Even you he
will fold in his arms when he takes
everything and makes it perfect and
happy"
When the thing had gone, he smooth
I'd the leaves Of his Bible somewhat
caressingly. The leaves Of that book
had dropped blood for him once. They
had taken the brightness out of his
childhood. From between them had
sprung the visions that had chung
about him and made night horrible.
Adderlike thoughts had lifted their
heads, had shot out forked tongues at
sim, asking mockingly strange, trivial
questions that he could not answer,
miserable child:
Why did the women In Mark see only
one angel and the women in Luke two?
Gould q story be told in opposite ways
and both ways be true? Could IT.?
Could 1t? Then, again: lis there moth
Ing always right and nothing always
wrong? Could Jael, the wife of Heber
the Kenite, put her hand to the nail
and her right haud to the workman's
hammer" and could the Spirit Of the
{ Lord chant paeans over her, loud
paeans, high paeans, set in the book Of
the Lord, and no voice cry out it was a
mean and dastardly sin to lie and kill
the trusting in their sleep2 Gould the
friend Of God marry his own sister
and be heloYaa, md the man who does
1t today goes to hell, to hell? Was
there nothing always right or always
wrong?
Those leaves had dropped blood for
him once. They had made his heart
heavy and cold; they had robbed his
childhood of its gladness. Now his
fingers moved over them caressingly.
my Father God knows, my Father
knows" he said. eve cannot UNDER
stand. He knows" After awhile he
whispered, smiling: IT heard your voice
this morning when my eyes were not
vet open. felt you Rear me, my Fa-
ther. Why do you love me soY Ills
En- ,fy,c <1,1 H.
four months the old question has gone
from me. know you are good; / know
you love everything; I know, j know, l
know! could not have borne it any
more, not any more" He laughed
softly. And all the while I was SO
miserable you were looking at me and
loving me, and never knew 1t. But
know it now. l feel It'll" said the
boy, and he laughed low. IT feel it!'
he laughed.
After awhile he began partly to sing,
partly to chant, the discoDnected verses
of hymns, those which spoke his glad
ness, many times over. The sheep
with their senseless eyes turned to look
at him as he sang.
At last he lapsed into quiet. Then
rs the boy lay there staring at bush
and sand he saw vision.
He had crossed the river of Death
and walked on the other bank in the
Lords land Of Beulah. His feet sank
into the dark grass, and he walked
alone. Then, far over the fields, he
saw figure coming across the dark
green grass. at first he thought it
must be one of the angels, but as it
came nearer he began to feel what it
WAS. And it came closer, closer to
him, and then the voice said, "Come,"
and he knew surely who 1t was. He
ran to the dear feet and touched them
with his hands; yes, he held them fast.
He lay down beside them. When he
looked up, the face was over him, and
the glorious eyes were loving him, and
they two were there alone together.
He laughed deep laugh, then start
ed up like one suddenly awakened
from sleep.
20 God" he cried, II cannot wait,
cannot wait! want to die! l want
to see him! want to touch him! Let
me die!" He folded his hands, trem-
bling. "How can wait SO long-for
long, long years perhaps? want to
die-to see him! will die any death!
oh. let me Gomez
Weeping, he bowed himself and quiy-
cred from head to foot. After a long
while he lifted his head.
Yes: l will wait, will wait, but not
long. Do not let It be very long, Jesus,
King. ] want you; oh, want you
soon. soon" He sat still staring across
the plain with his fearful eyes.
SERVICE NO. II.
In the front room of the farmhouse
sat Tant' Sannie in her elbow chair.
In her hand was her great brass clasp
ed hymnbook; round her neck was a
clean white handkerchief; under her
feet was wooden stove. There, too,
sat EN- and Lyndall in clean pinafores
md new shoes there, too were the