"BUT JOY COMETH IN THE MORNING."
THEY sat, each one busy with her thoughts, so very different, perhaps,
and yet in one respect so alike, when suddenly they became conscious of
a change. The sisters started, looked quickly at Miss Smithers, and then
would have ran to the bedside, but laying a hand on each, she said, with
strong emphasis, "If you want your brother to live, you will not move
from here."
They looked at her in surprise, then the truth dawned upon them, and
turning, they clasped each other's hand and prayed.
Softly Miss Smithers crept toward the bed, and stooping down she scanned
the upturned face. As she raised her head she met the searching gaze of
Ruth and Agnes. She smiled, then pouring into a spoon a liquid left by
the doctor, in case of such a change, she gave it, then turning down the
light to the faintest glimmer went back to her seat.
"He sleeps," was all she said, but there was no more needed. They
scarcely breathed after that, they sat so still--holding each other's
hand until the gray dawn of the New Year's morning broke, and the doctor
came.
His quick eye detected the change as soon as he entered. How his face
beamed, and how they loved him then. Beckoning to them when he left the
room, they followed into the one adjoining.
"Now, girls, there was a hard fight last night," he said, "but the day
is ours, or Guy's. What he needs is to have not a finger moved in the
room as long as he sleeps. When he wakens you are each to be as calm and
fresh as a May morning, or it will set him to thinking and bring back
the fever. Now both of you go at once to bed after you take a cup of
coffee, and sleep until Miss Smithers calls you; then she will follow
your example. Remember on no other condition can your brother recover,"
he continued, as they plead to stay and see him waken. As he went out he
said: "A happy New Year, my children; you have much to thank God for
to-day."
O didn't they thank Him! Their hearts were so full of joy and
thankfulness that it was a long time before they could forget everything
and sleep. It was noon when they awoke, and yet Miss Smithers had not
called them. Stealing to the door they looked in; they wanted just one
look at Guy, to be sure it was true and not all a dream, and then they
went down stairs.
Martha, little woman that she was, was overjoyed at seeing them and
knowing Mr. Guy would soon be well.
"You did not get your Christmas present, dear child," said Ruth;
"whenever brother Guy wakens you may go up for it; it is in the top
drawer of my bureau wrapped up in white paper."
"Miss Agnes gave me two white aprons, all scolloped round," said Martha,
with a beaming face.
"You have been a good girl, Martha, we could not have done without you,"
continued Ruth. "When Mr. Guy is better, we will tell him you helped to
make him well."
"Mother said I should be as good as I could, and if you wanted any more
help, she would stay all the time, because Miss Agnes was so kind to
father," replied the child.
Miss Smithers appeared looking very tired, but cheerful. "Now girls you
may go up, he is awake and wants you. But there must not be many words."
Ruth took two steps at once in her haste to get up, but she was so out
of breath, she had to recover before going in the room, so that both
entered together. Guy was awake and knew them; they could scarcely
realize it. They kissed him; then each held a thin hand and told him not
to speak. When he grew stronger they should have a good, long talk. He
smiled faintly and then fell asleep again.
They would have gone away now, but he held their hands in a tight clasp,
and so they sat for hours, until he awoke--tired and cramped, yet afraid
to move. That night Miss Smithers insisted upon sitting up, and they
went to bed in their own room, but not until they had had a long talk.
"This night, two years ago, Agnes, do you remember?" asked Ruth,
drawing her chair over to the fire. "You recollect I went to the
theatre, and you refused. If Guy had died, I know I should have lost my
reason. If it had only been that once, but although I suffered agony
then, you know how often I have gone with him since. This came to me all
the time of his sickness: 'You mislead your brother, if he is lost you
are to blame;' and O, Agnes, you don't know what I suffered! But I
promised God if he would only spare Guy, I would lead a new life and
never enter such places again. I see my mistake now, we can never 'do
evil that good may follow.'"
"And I have been thinking, Ruth, that I have been at fault, in not
making direct appeals to Guy, about his soul. I thought it was better to
_live_ right, so that he might see there was power in religion; but I
find that one thing cannot take the place of another. There must be
_talking_ and _living_, both. And I think we had better talk more about
ourselves before Guy; we have shut him out too much from these things,
while in everything else we have thought of him."
"If he would only become a Christian, Agnes, how happy we should be. I
should not have a single care then."
"He will, Ruth, I feel it; he will be given in answer to prayer and holy
living. But we must live so near to God, that we can _claim_ this at His
hands."
Guy grew stronger. "Who could help it with such care?" he asked. Agnes,
who was compelled to go to school now, very often found herself in the
midst of a recitation wondering what she could take home, or what she
could make for him, when she went home. Ruth gave herself up completely
to him. Feeling that as she had hindered, so now she must be a great
help to him in every way. She copied and read for him, and would not
have hesitated to undertake a case in court, so that it was of benefit
to Guy.
Sometimes as she sat with him, the doctor's and druggist's bills came up
before her, and almost made her heart stand still, for during all his
sickness she had not been earning anything, and they were depending upon
Agnes's salary for everything until she could begin to teach again.
She almost despaired of ever being free from anxiety, but looking at Guy
her doubts left her. God had spared him to them, and she would trust Him
to help them out of their troubles.
Little Philip came every day, now that Guy was able to sit up, and by
his odd speeches and persistent attempts at making a picture of Mr. Guy,
proved a constant source of amusement, so that Guy looked for him daily,
after breakfast.
Ruth several times attempted a conversation with her brother about the
things on her mind, but had always failed in the attempt. It came
however in this way. She was sewing, and Guy had been reading. Laying
down the book and watching his sister for a few minutes, he said: "I
have been thinking, Ruth, if all young men had such good sisters as I,
how few would go far astray."
"O, Guy," she said, her eyes filling with tears, "I have been anything
but a good sister. I thought of it day and night, when you were ill, and
it nearly drove me mad."
"What do you mean, Ruth, I don't understand you. What had you to blame
yourself for?"
"The great thing, my neglect of duty. I did not hold religion up in its
true light. I lowered the standard, and you did not give it proper
respect. I wronged you, Guy, and I wronged God and my own soul. I meant
to tell you all this, but something kept me back. My inconsistent life
came up before me, and I thought I would wait until you had seen a
change in me."
"I see it _now_," he replied; "One can see changes more readily in you,
than in Agnes."
"Because there is nothing to change in her. Guy, I would give all the
world if I had it, to be the trusting Christian our Agnes is. If you had
seen her when you were ill, you would have known how wonderful she is.
She thought of everybody and everything, but never once despaired or
murmured. I think the Lord spared you because of her."
"Why?" he asked in a husky voice.
"Because, she said the other night, we must live such lives that we can
_claim_ the answer to our prayers; and that is not the kind of a life I
have been living. I did not dare to claim anything; I only _begged_ to
have you spared, and promised to lead a new life."
Guy's thin hands went up to his face and tears ran down his pale cheeks.
"Now is the time," thought Ruth, and going over to him she threw her
arms round him saying: "I went with you, Guy, dear brother say that you
will go with me. Don't let us three be separated any longer."
And this was Ruth, positive, self-possessed, Ruth. She had never refused
him anything, and how much she had done for him, he well knew, and at
what great sacrifice. He could not refuse her now, so he drew her down,
and kissing her, said: "We will go together, Ruth, God helping me."
In a few minutes Agnes came from school, her face beaming, as usual. She
looked from Guy to Ruth, then she knew.
"O, Guy, it has come at last?" she exclaimed, laughing and crying at
the same time, and in her joy kissing Guy and Ruth, again and again.
Then Miss Smithers had to know, and Guy's friend, the Rev. John Jay.
That night they opened their hearts to each other. Guy told them how
when Ruth showed her new dress to him, he had seen himself in a new
light, and resolved to be their helper in the future instead of what he
had so long been.
"And I will be it yet, girls, don't fear," he added. "If you have to
pass through some trying days before then do not be discouraged. It
shall be seen my sisters have a brother who is not willing to receive
love and everything else without a return."
When he was able to go out the coat was brought from its hiding place.
It had been laid away with tears, now it was taken out with smiles. Then
both sisters helped him on with it, smoothing it here and settling it
there, their faces radiant with pleasure. And Guy, in return, gave them
what he knew they would rather have than anything else, a fond,
brotherly kiss. They walked with him as far as the office, where Ruth
had been that morning seeing that Martha had swept and dusted it
thoroughly; but all the way there and home, they could not keep their
eyes from Guy, he looked so handsome in his new coat. They had seen no
one like him all the way along.
Days, weeks and months rolled on, some of them trying enough, as Guy had
said. But the spirit of faith and trust nerved them for the struggle,
and in the end the clouds rolled away and the sun shone out.
Guy was at last able to fulfill his promise, for he had now entered into
partnership with an eminent lawyer. Very proud he was when he made them
his first present of new dresses, but prouder still when he was able to
dress them "as such sisters deserved to be dressed."
With their prosperity they did not forget their dear old friend Miss
Smithers, and many were the tokens of love and gratitude she received.
Both Ruth and Guy claimed an equal right to Philip, and through them he
became a pupil of a celebrated artist; while Martha, who was claimed by
the entire household, could not pretend to say which she liked best, and
all were served with the strength and love of her whole nature.
They sat by the fire one night talking. "I used to think it impossible
for lawyers to be good, earnest Christians, Guy," Ruth said.
"And now?" he asked.
"Now I see my mistake, for I know one."
"Thank God for the grace which can keep the soul unspotted in the midst
of corruption and temptation," was the reply. "Yes, Ruth, I, too, have
found that for every man and every calling there is the same grace,
which if brought to bear upon the life and calling, will exalt the
meanest and make it honorable. What are you thinking of, Agnes?"
"Of what you have been saying. If God made such a master-piece as man
out of clay, He intends that he shall occupy a high ground, morally, I
mean, and place it within the reach of all. How glad I am, Guy, that
true position is to be found in this attitude of the soul before God, no
matter what the social standing is. Then I have been thinking that if we
left ourselves in his hands, He would be continually adding gifts and
graces, rounding our angles, and bringing out the full symmetry of every
part, so that by the beauty of our character we would draw others to
Him."
Guy and Ruth exchanged glances, then Ruth said: "Here is one who is all
angles. It would take a great deal of rounding to make me symmetrical
and attractive."
Guy slowly repeated: "'But we all with open face beholding as in a glass
the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to
glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord.'"
[Illustration: Decoration]
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Page 3, "21" changed to "19" (Differently Constituted, 21)
Page 3, "48" changed to "47" (Little Philip, 47)
Page 4, "168" changed to "166" (Rev. John Jay delivers his Message,
166)
Page 5, " d" changed to "old" (the good old year)
Page 13, twice, "christian" changed to "Christian" (was not a Christian)
(die a Christian)
Page 14, "christians" changed to "Christians" (Christians were to be)
Page 62, word "is" removed from text. Original read: (as is her teacher)
Page 62, "i'd" changed to "I'd" (I'd talk for a week)
Page 76, word "take" removed from text. Original read: (near, to take
take)
Starting with page 92, the chapter numbers are off by one. This has been
corrected, for example: "VII" changed to "VIII" (CHAPTER VIII)
Page 107, "dirction" changed to "direction" (direction the storm)
Page 137, "dad" changed to "had" (if I had done something)
Page 151, "stiring" changed to "stirring" (a breath stirring)
Page 206, "symetrical" changed to "symmetrical" (make me symmetrical)