The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-05-12

presence Of his charge. save In her
service; to bring fresh water, to get
her a drink; to minister to her; or to
kneel at the altar whereon stood the
sver-burning lamp. and appeal to the
Father in her behalf
Day after day, night after night, her
fever and her delirium continued and
neither the patient nor the nurse knew
aught Of the flight Of time or the null
tiplication OF days.
One afternoon she awoks from 4
sleep and saw the Prophet kneelinS
at the altar. Remembering that he
had gone after water and how fright
ened she had been by his long absence.
she thought that she had fallen aslsep
and that he had returned while she
slept. She asked:
Did you get the water?"
The Prophet arose and approached
her, and she, wondering why her voice
sounded so strange, continued:
Please let me have the water? ]
must battle my limb"
She made an effort to sit up but
could not rise.
What is the matter with mo? am
20 weak! I feel terribly tired, yet 1
have been asleep and ought to feel
rested! How strange my voice
sounds"
81 am the voice of ono crying in the
wilderness, saying, Prepare - the
way Of the Lord; make His path
straight"
Please help me to sit up?"
He gently assisted her and she add
cd:
Thank you! Won't you please take
the pitcher and pour water on those
bandages till / tell you to stop7 / must
keep them wet or this hurt may be-
come serious. But it does not pain me
now; before I went to sleep the pain
was fearful"
She examined the injured limb and
| was utterly bewildered. The infiamma-
ton was gone and there was not even
q trace of soreness.
She sat in silence, her mind fixed
upon her wonderful recovery.
Motionless and silent, with the water
pitcher extended toward her, stood the
faithful Prophet. unnoticed, for she
| was endeavoring to collect the frag-
mentary recollections of many days OF
anguish, many nights OF horrors, many
hours Of fright and fear and pain and
torture. And yet she could not realize
that she had slept beyond few hours!
Still, if she had slept but night and
during that sleep rest had been bro
ken by 80 many disturbing dreams,
how was 1t that her limb had so sud-
denly healed? Why had she grown SO
weak? She saw her hands and In
wonder held them to the light. They
were wasted and thin and looked al
most like the withered hands Of an old
woman! She was frightened and
thought of Rip Van Wrinkles sleep OF
twenty years and with terror at her
heart cried:
What day is this? What month
What year? How long have l been
here?"
"Now is the accepted time; behold
now is the day of salvation!"
How long have 1 been here? A dayl
How many years?"
lone day is with the Lord as q
thousand years and thousand years
as ono day. He esteemeth every day
alike
mo, no, not twenty years! have
not slept twenty years? But you looh
older! I look older! / wonder If am
very old? have been sick-oh, won.
der how long! 1t must be terribly
long time since l came here!"
She fell back and drew a coil Of heI
long, shining black hair before heI
face, half fearful that she was now an
old woman whose hair had grown
white through the bleaching of years
She felt that 1t was years, more years
than she could guess, since she left
Barton:
Tears flowed from her closed eyes.
Over her stood the Prophet still 81.
lently extending the water toward her
When her tears ceased and her heavy
regular respirations told him that she
slept again he put aside the vessel and
resumed his devotions before the altar
All through the night she slept and
when the morning broke upon the
world without, she awoke so much re-
| freshed that she was able to rise to q
sitting posture.
Almost Immediately the Prophet
came in and offered her food which she
ate without knowing what 1t was OF
from whence it came.
Having eaten, she begged the Prophoe
to assist her to the door that she might
once again see the bright light Of day
and once more breathe the pure air OF
the hills. Without answer he went Out
and she heard him remove the fasten-
ings of the ironclad door. Then hs
returned and gathered her in his arms
as tenderly as young mother gathers
her first born from its cradle, and bore
her to the outside where he placed heF
upon a stool, with her back resting
against one Of the great stones Of the
wall.
Leaving her there he silently went
again into his hut.