Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-31
RALPH CONNER

very wicked. But don't you think I'm
punished nearly enough now? You
made me very angry, and | didn't real
ly mean it
Poor Gwen! God had grown to be
! very real to her during these weeks of
pain. and very terrible. The Pilot look
ed down o. moment into the blue gray
eyes. grown so big and so pitiful, and,
hurriedly dropping on his knees beside
the bed, he said in very unsteady
voice:
"Oh, Gwen. Gwen, he's not like that!
Don't you remember how Jesus was
with the poor sick people? That's what
he's like
Gould Jesus make me well?"
Eyes, Gwen"
"Then why doesn't he?" she asked
and there was no Impotence now, but
only trembling anxiety as she went on
in timid ysIce: II asked him to- over
and over. ana said 1 would wait two
months. and now it's more than three.
Are yeu quite sure he hears now?"
| She raised herself on her elbow and
gazed searchinelv into the Pilots face.
I was glad it was not into mine. AS
she uttered the words "Are you quite
sure?' one felt that things were in the
balance. / could not help looking at
the Pilot with intense anxiety. What
would he answer? The Pilot gaZed ont
OF the window upon the hills for few
moments-how long the silence seem
| eG!-then. turning looked into the eyes
| that searched his so steadily and an
swered simply:
"Yes. Gwen, am quite sure!" Then,
with quick inspiration, he got her
mothers Bible ard said, "Now, Gwen,
| try to see 1t as read" But before he
read. with the true artists instinct he
created the proper atmosphere. BY a
few vivid words he made us feel the
pathetic loneliness of the Man of Sor-
rows in his last sad days. Then he
read that masterpiece of all tragic pic
| turing, the story OF Gethsemane. And
| as he read we saw it ali-the garden
and the trees and the sorrow stricken
Man alone with his mysterious agony
| We heard the prayer so patheticaiiy
submissive. and then. for answer, the
rabble and the traitor.
/ Gwen was far too quick to need ex-
PLANTATION, and the Pilot only said. You
see, Gwen. God gave nothing but the
best-to his own Son only the best"
1.-THE best? They took him away,
didn't theyT She knew the story we'll.
EYES, but listen" He turned the
| leaves rapidly and read: 1--WE see
! Jesus for the suffering of death crown
/. ed with glory and honor That is how
| he got his kingdom
! Gwen listened silent, but unconvinced,
and then said slowly:
| "But how can this BE best for me? l
am no use to any one. 1t can't be best
/ to Just lie here and make them all wait
on me. and-and-I did want to help
daddy-and- OH know they will get
| tired of me. They are getting tired al
ready. I-I--cant help being hateful
She WAS by this time sobbing as I
| had never heard her before-deep, pas
sionate sobs Then again the Pilot had
an inspiration .
Now, Gwen he said severely, "you
know we're not as mean as that. and
that you are just talking nonsense, ev-
cry word. Now I'm going to smooth
out your red hair and tell you story
ITS not red she cried. between her
sobs. This was her sore point.
at is red, as red as can be: beau
tiful. shining purple red said the Pilot
emphatically, beginning to brush.
PURPLE. cried Gwen scornfully.
Eyes, I've seen it in the sun, purple.
Haven't you?" said the Pilot. appealing
to me. "And my story is about the can
Won, our canyon, your canyon, down
there"
us it true?" asked Gwen, already
soothed by the cool, quick moving
hands.
"True? It's as true as-as'-he
! glanced around the room-"as the PHI
grim's Progress" This was satisfac-
tory, and the story went on.
cat first there were no canyons, but
only the broad. open prairie. One day
the master Of the prairie. walking out
over his great lawns, where We're only
grasses. asked the prairie, Where are
your tlowers?' and the prairie said.
Master, | have no seeds Then he
spoke to the birds. and they carried
seeds of every kind of flower ana
strewed them far and wide, and soon
the prairie bloomed with crocuses
and roses and buffalo beans and the
yellow crowfoot and the wild sunfiow-
ers and the red lilies all the summer
long.
'.Then the master came and was we'll
pleased. but he missed the flowers he
loved best of all, and he said to the
prairie, Where are the clematis and
the columbine, the sweet violets and
wind flowers, and all the ferns and
Towering shrubsY And again he spoke
to the birds. and again they carried all
the seeds and strewed them far and
wide. But, again, when the master
came, he could not find the flowers he
loved best of all, and he said, Where
are those, my sweetest flowers! and
the prairie cried sorrowfully, oh. mas
ter. | cannot keep the flowers, for the
winds sweep fiercely and the sun beats
upon my breast and they wither up
and fly away
"Then the master spoke to the light
ming, and with one swift blow the
lightning cleft the prairie to the heart.
And the prairie rocked and groaned IN
agony, and for many day nloaned bit