Chapter Seventh.
"Heaven, the perfection of all that can Be said, or thought, riches, delight, or harmony, Health, beauty: and all these not subject to The waste of time, but in their height eternal." --SHIRLEY.
"We have no need to weep for her, my darling," Mr. Dinsmore said,softly stroking Elsie's hair as she lay sobbing in his arms, an openletter in her hand.
"No, papa, not for her, I know; but for the others. See, Annis's letteris all blistered with her tears, and she says it seems at times as ifher heart would break. And Don; oh, she says Don is almost wild withgrief; that he tells her he can hardly bear to be in the house, it isso lonely and desolate without Fan."
"Yes, I have no doubt they miss her sorely; yet time will assuage theirgrief; they will come to think less of their own loss and more of herblessedness."
Elsie lifted her face and wiped away her tears. "Is it not wonderful,papa," she said, "that Fan, always so timid and retiring, alwaysclinging so to her mother and home, should be so willing and even gladto go?"
"Yes," he said; "it shows what the grace of God can do. She must havebeen given a very strong sense of her Saviour's love and presence withher as she passed through the valley of the shadow of death. It helpsone to stronger faith in the precious promise, 'As thy days, so shallthy strength be.'"
Rose, sitting by reading a letter with fast-falling tears, wiped themaway at that, and looking up, said, "Let me read you some things thatMildred tells me about her last hours."
"We will be glad to hear them," Mr. Dinsmore answered, and she began:
"'It was the loveliest death-bed scene--no fear, no desire to stay. AsI stood beside her, an hour or two before the messenger came, I leanedover her and repeated the words, "The eternal God is thy refuge, andunderneath are the everlasting arms."
"'She looked up with the sweetest smile. "Yes," she said, "Jesus iswith me, and I am not afraid; He will carry me safely through theriver."
"'Mother added: "And to a beautiful home--one of the many mansions Hehas prepared for His people. You may be sure it is very lovely, verydelightful with everything you can possibly desire; for the wealth ofthe universe is His; He has all power in heaven and in earth; and you,for whom He has been making it ready, are dearer far to His heart thanto mine.
"'"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into theheart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love Him."
"'Her look was ecstatic as she listened. "Oh, how happy I shall be!"she exclaimed. "And it will seem only a very little while till you willall join me there."
"'She has brought heaven very near to us all,' Mildred added. 'It seemsfar more real to me than it ever did before. She has entered into thejoy of the Lord, and we cannot mourn at all for her, though our heartsare sore with our own loss.
"'"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." DoesHe not gather them home with joy and rejoicing to the mansions His lovehas made beautiful beyond compare for them? I think our little Fan wasso dear to Him that He could no longer spare her to us, nor was willingto leave her any longer in this world of sin and suffering. That isour mother's feeling, father's too, I think; and no one could be moreresigned, more perfectly submissive, than they are.'"
"Yes, Marcia is a devoted Christian," Mr. Dinsmore said; and, drawingElsie into a closer embrace, "I feel deeply for her in this sorebereavement."
He was asking himself, as again and again he pressed his lips to hisdaughter's fair brow, how he could ever endure such a loss.
There had been a steady correspondence between Rose and Mildred, Annisand Elsie, ever since the winter spent at the Oaks by Dr. and Mrs.Landreth and Annis.
Housekeeping cares and discussions in regard to the best manner ofrearing their little ones filled no small part of the letters of thetwo young mothers.
Elsie and Annis wrote of their studies, amusements, and the every-dayoccurrences in each family.
Thus Annis had learned about the life Elsie and her father led togetherwhile Rose was absent, of their journey to Philadelphia when he foundhimself able to go for his wife and little Horace, the visit there, andthe return trip; and Elsie had been kept informed, among other events,of the progress of Fan's sickness; and the letter received to-day hadgiven an account of her death and burial.
"Papa," Elsie asked, lifting her weeping eyes to his face, "what can Isay to comfort poor dear Annis?"
"Just what I have been asking myself in regard to Marcia," he remarked,with a deep-drawn sigh.
"And I about Mildred," Rose said, echoing the sigh. "I know of scarcelyanything more delicate and difficult than the writing of a letter ofcondolence."
"It is extremely so in a case where there is any doubt of the happinessof the departed," Mr. Dinsmore said; "but comparatively easy when weknow that to the dear one gone to be absent from the body is to bepresent with the Lord. Also that the mourners are of those who have agood hope through grace that it shall be so with themselves."
"I shall look for Bible words," Elsie said, leaving her father's kneeto get her own little copy, lying on a table near at hand.
"Bring it here, and let us look it over together," her father said; andobeying with alacrity, she again seated herself upon his knee.
Rose brought another Bible and a concordance, and joined them in theirsearch for whatever the blessed Book could tell them of the employmentsand enjoyments of heaven. They found it spoken of as a rest, as theFather's house, a heavenly country, the kingdom of Christ and of God;that they who overcome and reach that glorious place shall eat of thehidden manna, shall walk with Christ in white; that He will wipe awayall tears from their eyes; that He will feed them and lead them untoliving fountains of waters; that He will dwell among them, and theyshall serve Him day and night in His temple.
That "they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shallthe sun light on them, nor any heat;" that they have palms of victory,white robes, and crowns, and harps of gold; and that they stand beforethe throne and sing a new song, which no man can learn but those whoare redeemed from the earth.
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall beno more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be anymore pain: for the former things are passed away."
"Papa," said Elsie, "Enna told me once she didn't want to go to heavenand stand and sing all the time; she would get tired of that. I feelas if I should never grow weary of singing God's praise. I love thosewords of one of our hymns:
"'When we've been there Ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We've no less days To sing God's praise Than when we first begun.'
"But surely singing is not the only employment there; for here in thetwenty-first chapter of Revelation it says, 'And the nations of themwhich are saved shall walk in the light of it.' Then in the third verseof the next chapter, 'The throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it;and His servants shall serve Him.' Don't you think that means that Hewill give us some work to do for Him?"
Her face was full of an eager joy.
"Yes," Mr. Dinsmore said, "I do. Just what it will be the Bible doesnot tell us, but to those who love the Master it must be a delight todo whatever He bids. The rest of heaven will not be that of inaction,but the far more enjoyable one of useful employment without any senseof weariness.
"Perhaps He may sometimes send His redeemed ones on errands of mercy orconsolation to the inhabitants of this or some other world."
"How sweet that would be!" exclaimed Elsie, joyously. "Papa, if Ishould go first, what happiness it would be to come back sometimes andcomfort you in your hours of sadness."
"I should rather have you here in the body," he said, tightening hisclasp about her waist.
"God has not seen fit to gratify idle curiosity in regard to thesematters," he resumed, "but He has told us enough to leave no room fordoubt that heaven is an abode of transcendent bliss."
"Yes, papa, just to know th
at we will be forever with the Lord--nearHim and like Him--is quite enough to make one long to be there. Dear,dear Fan! How blest she is! Who could wish her back again!"
"No one who loves her with an unselfish love. And now I think we maywrite our letters."
"No doubt they already know all that we can tell them, for they arestudents of the Word, every one," observed Rose. "Yet it does one goodto have these precious truths repeated many times."
"Yes," said her husband, "we are so prone to forgetfulness andunbelief, and Satan is so constantly on the watch to snatch away theword out of our hearts and destroy our comfort, if he could do nothingmore."
"Papa," said Elsie, "I sometimes feel so afraid of him; then I rememberthat Jesus is so much stronger, and I seem to run right into His arms,and am full of joy that there I am so safe. You know He says of Hispeople, 'I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.'"
"No, not all the powers of hell can do it, for 'He is able to save themto the uttermost that come unto God by Him.' He said, 'All power isgiven unto me in heaven and in earth.' And 'I am persuaded that neitherdeath, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor thingspresent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any othercreature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which isin Christ Jesus our Lord.'"
Mildred at Home: With Something About Her Relatives and Friends. Page 7