"And surely He loves us all."
Gradually the storm passed over. The servants went away to their
duties, and Miss Agnace took the little boys to change their coats,
which she only now discovered were quite wet. The girls helped their
mother into her room again, and Tessie opened the window. There were
clouds heavy and dark still in the sky, but beyond the clouds there was
brightness, and the cool sweet air brought refreshment to them all. The
stranger stood on the threshold, regarding with grave, compassionate
eyes the group which the mother and daughters made.
"Mama," said Frederica, answering her mother's look of surprise, "I
brought him in because of the rain."
"Who is it?" said Selina eagerly. "Is it he whom God loves, and who has
no cause to be afraid of death? Frederica, ask him why he is not
afraid. And does not God love us all?"
"God is our Father. Truly He loves all His children."
Drawn by his voice, Selina approached, and took in both hers his
outstretched hand. Not once in a hundred times did the blind girl seek
to get by the sense of touch a knowledge of strangers. But now she
gently passed her hand over his, and over his face, and his soft white
hair; and then she drew him gently into the room, and over towards her
mother's chair.
"Come and tell mama why you are not afraid."
"Because `God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.' No one need fear death, who has the promise of life
everlasting."
"No," said Selina. "And have you that promise? And is it for us too?
for mama, and all of us?"
For answer, the old man repeated the text again, "God so loved the
world," and so on to the end.
"It is the world He loves; and the promise is to whosoever believeth."
"Do you hear, mama? It says, `Whosoever believeth.' Are you listening,
mama?" said Selina eagerly.
"My darling, I know not what to believe, or what to do," said Mrs Vane
sadly. "I have never in all my life thought about these things."
"No," said Selina, turning her eager face towards the stranger. "We
have never thought about these things. Could we begin now, do you
think? and what must we do?"
Frederica and Tessie looked and listened in amazement. It was so unlike
Selina to have anything to say to a stranger. Their mother looked as
eager as she did, and very anxious; and she said, before the stranger
could reply,--
"Yes, the children might begin now. As for me, I can do nothing."
"But," said the old man gently, "it does not say _do_, but believe."
"Surely, mama, `Whosoever believeth.' And what are we to believe?"
"The text says, `Whosoever believeth in Him'."
"Yes--that is Jesus. And what are we to believe?"
"All that the Bible says of Him. Have you heard about Him at all, my
child?"
"Yes. In the New Testament. We believe all that. What is the first,
Fred? Oh! I remember: `Thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall
save His people from their sins.'"
And Frederica added, "`And they shall call His name Emmanuel, which is,
being interpreted, God with us.'"
"We are to believe that He saves His people from their sins," said
Selina. "Does that mean us too? Who are God's people?"
"They who seek to know Him. They who love Him, and do His will. They
whom He loves and will save."