Miss Desmond gladly acceded to Carol's desire, and wrote to Mrs. Burton
at once to bring her little girl to stay with her.
They left for Devonshire the following week. A month passed before
Carol received the promised letter from Eloise. During the time Miss
Desmond wrote to him as usual, but beyond mentioning the pleasure it was
to her to have his friends staying with her, and what a dear interesting
little girl she found Eloise, she did not give any details of their
visit. At the end of the month the postman brought one morning a
delightfully "fat envelope" addressed to Carol in a round, childish
hand. He knew at once it was the long promised letter from Eloise.
There was also a shorter one enclosed from Mrs. Burton.
Carol read Eloise's letter first.
"WILLMAR COURT,
S. DEVON.
"_My dear Carol,_
"I did not forget I had promised to write soon to you. Miss Desmond
seemed to wish me not to write just at first. She said you would
understand. I think she wanted everyone at Mandeville to forget for a
little while all about me. She called it taking their thought off me.
"Now I have so much to tell you. I do not know how I shall get it all
in one letter. Dear Carol, I am just the very, very happiest little girl
in all the world. I _can walk_. More than that, I can _run_. Isn't it
lovely--wonderful! One night I dreamed that I was walking, and when I
awoke in the morning the dream seemed so real, I felt it must be true.
So I just got out of bed, and I _could walk_. I walked to Mother's
bedside. She was so glad and happy. When we saw dear Miss Desmond at
breakfast time, and I wanted to thank her, and tell her how much I loved
her, she took me to her room, and pointed to a portrait on the wall.
Such a sweet, loving face, with white, wavy hair. 'That, dear Eloise,'
she said, 'is the portrait of the one you must love. I could not have
taken you to the Fountain of Truth to be healed, had she not first shown
me the way.' And oh, Carol, I do love dear Mrs. Eddy. How I wish I
could tell her so!
"Just for a few days, my legs were so shaky, and I had to keep sitting
down. I only walked about a room. Then I was able to go downstairs.
At the end of a week Miss Desmond and Mother took me the walk you first
took, and I sat down to rest just where you rested on the stump of the
old tree. We waited quite a long time, hoping Birdie would come. And
he did, but he stayed only a minute, chirping--'So glad--so glad.' (It
was just like that.) Then he flew away as if he were in a great hurry,
and that was all he had time to tell us.
"Miss Desmond said: 'Birdie is always busy about his Father's business.'
Mother looked puzzled, and I too. We could not understand. Then Miss
Desmond said to me, 'God is Birdie's Father too, dear Eloise. Birdie is
a spiritual idea; he has no life apart from God. He has his appointed
work to do in God's Kingdom. All God's ideas reflect Him--reflect Life,
Truth, Love, Goodness. Perhaps Birdie's work is just to voice a note of
joy, of harmony.'
"That made me think, Carol, if even a little bird has his appointed
task, I, too, must have mine--some work to do for God. I am waiting for
it to be made plain to me. Now I have the desire to do it, Miss Desmond
says, the work is sure to come. Even if it is only a very little thing
at first, I shall be glad to do it.
"Dear Carol, we are so enjoying staying here, Mother and I. I am so
fond of all your pets, and feed them every day, and talk to them about
you. Before I could walk, Bob used to take me round the grounds in your
pony-carriage, and he always talked so much of you, and the time when he
used to take you about. He will be so glad when you come home again.
All the servants like to hear about you. They love you so much. I have
had to tell them ever so many times about the bull, and how you stood
and faced him, and did not run away. They are so proud of you. 'The
young Master' they call you. I tell Mother, Willmar Court is like a
little kingdom, and you the exiled prince.
"Father is coming next week to take us home. Until he sees me walking,
I think he cannot quite believe it. He says he wants to have a long
talk with Miss Desmond.
"With many loving thoughts, dear Carol, I am,
Your affectionate little friend
ELOISE BURTON.
"P.S. Mother has helped me just a little with this letter, and now she
is writing to you herself."
----
Carol could not wait to read Mrs. Burton's letter before giving the
joyful news to Mrs. Mandeville. With both letters in his hand, he ran
to seek his aunt in her morning-room.
"Auntie, Auntie!" he cried excitedly--"such news! Eloise can walk--more
than that, she can run. Isn't it beautiful?"
"Really, Carol? Is it really true?"
"Yes, Auntie, _really_. Will you read Eloise's letter? And oh, may I
tell my cousins?"
"Tell them that Eloise can walk? Why, certainly, dear."
"But more than that, Auntie; they will ask what has made her walk, when
every one believed she could never walk again. Mayn't I tell them,
Auntie, Christian Science has done what the doctors couldn't do?"
"I will think, dear, what you may tell them. Let me see Eloise's letter.
Whilst Mrs. Mandeville read the little girl's letter, Carol opened and
read Mrs. Burton's.
"WILLMAR COURT,
S. DEVON.
"_My dear Carol,_
"Eloise herself has written the glad news to you that the use of her
legs is perfectly restored. My joyful gratitude is more than can be
expressed in words. Yet it even seems that the blessing of this
wonderful physical healing is small in comparison with the knowledge we
have gained of the Truth, which Jesus said should make us free. Here,
amidst the lovely surroundings of your beautiful home, I have lost my
old concept of God, and gained instead an understanding of Him, as
ever-present Love: infinite Life, Truth, Love.
"It seemed so soon after I was able to see and realize this that my
little girl was healed. And oh, Carol, the kindness and gentleness with
which dear Miss Desmond has led us up to this understanding, never
letting us for a moment cling to her, pointing always away from
personality to divine Principle. We must be and are very grateful for
her faithful instruction and example, for her life, so consecrated to
God that the promised signs are given: 'They shall lay hands on the
sick, and they shall recover.' I did not at the time understand your
own marvellous recovery from the effects of the encounter with the bull.
I do now, and I feel, dear boy, we owe you intense gratitude. It was
your steadfast faith in the Christ, Truth, which led me to seek
spiritual healing for my little Eloise. The words come to me: 'I, if I
be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.' For me the Christ was lifted
up, and I was drawn unto Him. May my life henceforth so testify that
others may in the same manner be drawn unto Him.
"Please convey my very kind regards to Mrs. Mandeville. She will, I
know, rejoice with us.
"Believe me always, dear Carol,
Yours lovingly,
M. K. BURTON."
"It is indeed wonderful and beautiful, Carol," Mrs. Mandeville said as
she returned the little girl's letter. I sincerely rejoice with Dr. and
Mrs. Burton. I know what a sad trial Eloise's paralysis has been to
them."
Then Mrs. Mandeville became aware that Carol was looking up with
anxiously expectant eyes, awaiting an answer to a question.
"Dear boy," she said, "if you told your cousins that Christian Science
has made Eloise to walk, they would not understand what you meant.
Indeed, I do not quite understand, myself--yet. I will come to the
school-room with you, and perhaps we can explain to them that Eloise has
been healed by faith in the power of God."
With that Carol had to be satisfied, though he longed to explain that it
was not faith alone, but faith with understanding: the understanding of
God as All-in-all, Omnipotent, Omnipresent Love.