A Soldier's Son
Page 16
CHAPTER XVI.--"IT IS A MIRACLE."
The next morning about eight o'clock, Nurse came to Mrs. Mandeville'sroom, an expression of amazement, almost of consternation, on her face.
"What is it, Nurse? Is Master Carol worse?" Mrs. Mandeville asked inalarm.
"No, ma'am; I cannot say he is worse. He says he is well, and wants toget up for breakfast. He slept all through the night, just as you lefthim, and never wakened till half-past seven this morning. He iscertainly not feverish or delirious, but he talks so strangely. He sayserror has all gone, and he is free. I had quite a difficulty to preventhim from getting out of bed to come to you. I have sent a messenger forDr. Burton."
"That is right, Nurse. Go back to him. I will come at once." Mrs.Mandeville was not long slipping into a morning wrap, and followingNurse to Carol's room.
As soon as she reached the bedside, he sprang up, and held her in aclose embrace, both arms round her neck. "Auntie, Auntie, isn't itbeautiful? I am free! Error has quite gone. I know Cousin Alicia hashad the telegrams now. You can rub your hand down my back. It does nothurt me now, nor the bruises."
"Carol, dear, I cannot understand it. It seems so wonderful. I amafraid you ought not to be sitting up like this."
"Oh, Auntie, there is nothing to be afraid about. Error cast out cannotcome back again. I am so hungry. I do want to get up to breakfast."
"Darling, you must lie still until Dr. Burton has seen you. I could notconsent for you to get up yet. It does indeed seem beautiful for you tobe so much better, I cannot realize it, and I cannot understand, Carol,why Miss Desmond's prayers for you should be so quickly answered, when Iam sure I love you just as dearly. I prayed for you, and Uncle Raymondprayed, yet--yet I cannot feel that our prayers helped you."
She had tenderly laid him back upon the pillow. She could not get ridof the fear that it was not good for him to be using his back.
He was silent a few minutes, the old thoughtful expression on his facewhich she knew so well. Then he said:
"Auntie, the sun was shining this morning long before Nurse drew asidethe curtains, and let the light into my room. Suppose while the curtainwas drawn I had kept saying, 'Please, dear sun, do shine into my room,and send the darkness away.' It would have had no effect. It wouldhave been foolish, wouldn't it? Well, Auntie, the light of Truth, likethe sunlight is everywhere, but we can shut it out of our consciousnessby a curtain of false beliefs. Cousin Alicia has not asked God to makeme better. She has just known that God's child is always perfect. AsNurse drew aside the curtain to let in the sunlight, she has drawn asidethe curtain of false beliefs that were around me, and then Truth cameand healed me. Jesus said 'the Truth shall make you free.' It is justas true, Auntie, as if he had said, 'When light appears, darknessdisappears.' Wherever Truth appears, error shall flee away, because itis not from God. It is the opposite of God's law. I love that beautifulverse of the hymn more than I have ever loved it, because I can sayagain:
'The healing of the seamless dress Is by our beds of pain.'
Christ is Truth, and Truth is the Christ. I was asleep when he came tome. But just as Jesus spoke to the angry waves the Christ has commandederror, 'Peace, be still.' Oh, Auntie! cannot you believe I am quitewell? 'I am the Father's perfect child. I have the gift from God,dominion over all.'"
She was longing to realize that it was as the boy said, and she hadnothing to fear. Yet it was difficult.
Dr. Burton was out when the messenger from the Manor went for him. Hehad not returned from a night case to which he had been summoned. Mrs.Burton promised that he would go immediately on his return. Shortlyafter ten o'clock Dr. Burton arrived, expecting to find from the urgentmessage that had reached him a change for the worse in his patient. Hewas considerably taken aback as he entered the room to hear a ripple oflaughter, and the boy with a radiant face, sitting upright in bed, who,the day before, had not been able to raise his head from the pillow.
"What does this mean?" Dr. Burton asked in a tone of voice in whichsurprise became almost consternation.
"I cannot tell you anything, Doctor, except that Carol slept all nightand woke this morning feeling quite well and hungry. He has had afairly substantial breakfast," Mrs. Mandeville said. The doctor thenthoroughly examined him, felt his pulse, took his temperature, and whenhe looked on the places where the terrible bruises had been, and sawonly a faint discoloration, he said:
"It is a miracle!"
"No, Doctor," said Carol, quietly, "it is Christian Science."
"Then what is Christian Science?" the doctor asked.
But the boy was silent. He could talk to his aunt on the subject, butnot to the doctor.
At that moment a maid brought a telegram to Mrs. Mandeville. It wasfrom Miss Desmond. She read it, and passed it on to Dr. Burton. It wasbrief: "Letters and telegrams reached me 9.30 last evening. Regretunavoidable delay. Kindly wire if all is well. Letter to Carolfollows." The doctor and Mrs. Mandeville simply looked at each other inspeechless wonderment, one thought engrossing them. It was shortlyafter 9.30 the night before that Carol fell into the sleep from which hehad awakened well.
"It is at last a message from Cousin Alicia," Mrs. Mandeville then saidto Carol. "Our letters and telegrams did not reach her till 9.30 lastevening."
"Yes, Auntie, I knew it, and I know she has worked for me all night."
Both Mrs. Mandeville and the doctor would have liked to understand whatthe boy meant by that one word "worked." But neither questioned himthen.
"I can get up now, Doctor, cannot I?" Carol asked.
"Yes, there is no reason that I can see for keeping you in bed. All thesame," turning to Mrs. Mandeville, "I should say he may as well be keptfairly quiet for a day or two--not commence running races, or any otherjuvenile sports."
"You can trust me, Doctor," Mrs. Mandeville remarked, smiling.
"It seems to me you should consult the lady who has worked for him allnight with such marvellous success. I can scarcely consider him mypatient now."
"Doctor, I thank you very much for all you tried to do for me. You werevery kind and gentle to me."
"Tut-tut, boy! Why, that's of course."
All the same the doctor was pleased with the boy's simple recognition ofhis services. He would indeed have done more, had he been able. Hewalked home slowly and thoughtfully, pondering that question, which hehad asked the boy, thinking of a lecture which he had given a few weeksbefore in a crowded parish room; how he himself had answered thequestion--What is Christian Science?--to the convulsive amusement of hisaudience. He had dipped into a book--the text-book of ChristianScience--made copious extracts and so satisfied himself that heunderstood the subject sufficiently to be able to warn people againstthe teachings of Christian Science.
Mrs. Burton was watching for his return. She was anxious for news of theboy, fearing the early message which had been sent for the doctor mustmean that he was worse. By her side, in the garden, seated in a littlewheel-chair, was her only child, a girl of ten, who after a falldownstairs when she was five years old, causing an injury to her spine,had lost the use of her legs. There seemed no hope of her ever beingable to walk again, since all the doctors who had seen her had not beenable to do anything for her.
"How is the boy?" asked Mrs. Burton, as the doctor entered the garden infront of the house.
"He is well," was the brief reply.
"You don't mean?--" Mrs. Burton began in an alarmed tone.
"I mean exactly what I say--the boy is well."
"But, dear, how can that be, when he was so ill yesterday?"
"I cannot tell you. He says it is Christian Science. I say it is amiracle."
"Father, he won't lose the use of his legs, will he?" the little girlasked.
"No, Eloise, I think there will be no such effects from the fall, asunhappily there were in your case."
"I am glad, Father, he is such a nice, kind boy!"
The child had grieved, fearing
that he might be crippled like herself.
"Christian Science must be different from what you described at thelecture, dear. Do you think I might go and see Carol? I should like tohear from him what it is that has made him well so quickly. I owe Mrs.Mandeville a call."
"Go and pay it, then. Perhaps the boy will talk to you. He did notseem to care to answer my questions."
The doctor passed into the house with the thought that he would borrowthat book again, and see if he could get a better understanding of thesubject himself.