In the evening at that most entrancing hour between daylight and dark,
when all creation seems in a dreamy mood, the Witch found herself at
the entrance of a gilded palace of sin. A number of the inmates were
flitting about the flower-laden, well-kept grounds. She approached one
of exquisite beauty of person whose face was not yet passion-scarred.
She was dressed in some soft, flowing, white material which gave her
more of a seraphic appearance than one of sensualism. The Witch asked
what brought her to this stage of immorality. The woman's reply was
that she had been reared in wealth, but her father through some unlucky
speculation lost everything. She had never learned to work, but had
been taught that any labor was most degrading, and she had not
qualified herself to teach any branch of learning, never having made
allowance for the swift wings of vanishing wealth.
When thrown on her own resources she was at a loss to know what to do,
when a wealthy gentleman friend came to her assistance at the sacrifice
of her honor.
He soon tired of her, however; her father had died broken-hearted, and
her mother was staying with a distant relative who had kindly offered
her a home.
The Witch persuaded her to leave this life of disgrace, to learn honest
work and brighten her mother's remaining years.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not
to be ashamed. II Timothy ii, 15.
She said that it would be hard for her to face the world with this
stigma of shame on her character; that all those bearing any claim to
respectability would scorn her.
The Witch told her that God was judge and not the people, and their
lives were not altogether blameless.
God is the judge. Psalms lxxv, 7.
He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at
her. John viii, 7.
The woman was undecided, but the better mind prevailed and she
accompanied the Witch home, and the next day found respectable
employment.
And still the good work goes on.
Reader, I am only narrating a small portion of this woman's work which
she found as the days went by to be illimitable. _Vice versa._ If
one possessing this mysterious power was inclined to evil rather than
good, what a great amount of wickedness might be accomplished through
it. God only knows how much of the good and evil that has been done in
the world may be attributed to this hidden force.
Was the famed enchantress of the Nile gifted with this secret to a very
great extent, and many other characters of history celebrated in their
day for the influence they exercised?