THE AWAKENING
"He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in his
bosom."--Isaiah x, 11
Mollie gave an exclamation of delight at the wonderful scene spread
out before her eyes. She blinked several times to make sure it was
no hallucination and that what she beheld was real. There could be
no mistake.
The barn loft was just as she was accustomed to seeing it. The
children were asleep in their miserable beds. The improvised light
was dim. It only accentuated the shadows in the far corners and made
the disorder everywhere appear more wretched. And there was she,
herself, sitting, tired and distressed, on an over-turned box, with
little Amy, so white and still, lying across her lap, breathing--just
breathing, so faintly it could scarce be called by the name, her
little soul lingering on the brink of--death, was it? Or life?
Mollie wondered.
Then the strange thing happened. The whole end of the loft toward
which she faced suddenly dissolved. It disappeared as completely
from her sight as if it had never existed.
Instead, there were fields--beautiful green pastures, as far as eye
could reach. One could step from the loft right out onto the velvety
slope of a little knoll. There was not a thing to mar the beauty and
charm of that landscape. One glimpse of it made her forget all the
sordidness and terror through which she had struggled for years. She
wanted to cry out in very ecstasy of joy but restrained herself,
after the one, involuntary exclamation of rapture, because there was
Someone sitting there, on that gentle incline, looking at her with an
expression of such ineffable peace upon His beautiful features that
instinctively she felt the slightest sound would be sacrilege.
Where had He come from? Why had He paused there?
The questions floated vaguely through her mind as she looked into
that calm, tranquil face, striving with all her might to comprehend
the meaning of the Stranger's presence. It was evident that He was
kind and thoughtful, for there were little lambs lying about His
feet, resting. Others close by were enjoying the wondrous pasture
into which their steps had been led.
For He must have led them. There was a Shepherd's crook in His hand
to keep any of them from wandering away and getting lost. How
beautiful his hands were! And yet there was a scar on each of them!
But Oh, what gentle, loving hands they looked to be. Mollie felt
tears welling into her eyes at very sight of them.
Who was this glorious Stranger who by one look had made her want to
run to Him, to kneel beside Him and ask Him so many puzzling
questions? She felt sure He would be able to explain them all.
There was that in His eyes which comforted her and made her feel so
rested, so satisfied! She wished the children were awake. She
wanted to lead them over to Him, so He could lay those marvellous
hands upon them, as He did upon the lambs.
Why, it was--it was--Oh, it couldn't be! But it was. She knew Him
now. She recognized Him--the Shepherd! The Good Shepherd, who fed
His flocks, who cared for the sparrows and who loved little children!
The realization awed and thrilled her. The joy of it made her want
to shout, to sing, to weep such tears of happiness as she had never
wept in her short life.
At last, He had come! God had heard their prayers! He had received
the message their kite had carried! He was sending them help. He
was going to take them away. The Good Shepherd had come to tell her.
And only yesterday she had been thinking that He had not heard or was
not going to answer their prayers! The recollection made her feel so
ashamed. She could hardly bear to look up into those loving, tender
eyes. Yet she knew, somehow, that He understood just how she felt,
and that He didn't hold anything against her.
His very nearness made her feel calm and courageous. Even if He
didn't stay, she knew she would never feel afraid and discouraged
again. Seeing Him, knowing Him, even for a moment seemed to have
dispelled all her old, haunting terror of Grimes and her dread of the
future. She felt strong--strong to face even a lion, as her father
had done. Strong enough to defy Grimes, if necessary, to help those
children.
But the sudden ecstasy and sense of exhilaration gradually gave place
to an exquisite calm. A great hush fell, even upon her thoughts. It
permeated the entire landscape and spread itself over into the loft.
The little lambs on the hillside stood still. A soft, yet radiant
light appeared as the Shepherd arose from His seat on the grassy
knoll and passed, slowly and majestically, between them.
Like one transfixed Mollie watched Him come--nearer, ever nearer,
straight toward her, His sweet, loving eyes looking down so tenderly,
so pityingly at Amy's little form lying, weak and helpless, across
Mollie's lap, the strange, mysterious light emanating from Him
falling in a direct ray, like a glorified sunbeam, full on the baby's
face.
Was it the magnetism of that wondrous light that drew Amy's soul away
from its tiny tenement of pain and suffering, or was it those strong,
gentle, scarred hands that reached forth and lifted the little
sufferer from Mollie's tired arms?
It may have been both. Mollie did not know. It was all so brief!
So wonderful! So beautiful! She could not tell at just what instant
the miracle took place. She only knew that in the twinkling of an
eye there had been a change and when she looked again at the child in
her lap little Amy had ceased to suffer, a smile of seraphic
sweetness lingered upon her face and the Good Shepherd had gone away.
Mollie was wide awake. She had not slept. She had only closed her
eyes for one little minute, but what wonders had taken place!
From the small, waxen form on her lap she turned her gaze toward the
rough boards of the barn where, but a moment before, He had stood
looking into her eyes and had walked, in that glorious light, over to
stand beside her.
[Illustration: _Scene from Mary Pickford's Photoplay_. _Sparrows_.
"THESE ARE MY KIDS!"]
Everything about the loft seemed just the same as usual--but no! No!
It never would--never could be the same to her again. The Good
Shepherd had walked among the children as they slept. He had
gathered one in his arms. He had given her, Mollie, strength and
courage. No, nothing would ever be the same again. Somewhere, she
knew, He was watching over her darlings. With Him they were as safe
as were his sparrows. God did not forget!