"I seemed to know just how you would explain all the different routes by which souls reach home; and how sometimes that "other way" along which they are led is a way other than they would have chosen, and difficult to be understood, until the end makes all things clear. In the course of this eloquent and really helpful sermon of yours, occurred that idea about the snow, which caused me to digress at the beginning of my letter, in order to tell you I had been to Brambledene.
"The little church looked very much as it did last year; heavy with evergreen, and gay with flock texts, and banners. The font looked like a stout person, suffering from sore throat. It was carefully swathed in cotton-wool and red flannel. The camphorated oil, one took for granted.
I sat in my old corner against the pillar. Sarah was in church. I had a feeling that, somehow, you were connected with the fact of her presence there. We gave each other a smile of sympathy. We both owe much to you, David.
"But you will think I am never coming to the point of my letter--the wonderful thing which has happened. I believe I keep postponing it, because it means so much to me; I hardly know how to write it; and yet I am longing to tell you.
"Well--after luncheon I felt moved, notwithstanding the weather, to go for a tramp in the park. There are days when I cannot possibly remain within doors. My holiday children were having a romp upstairs, in charge of Mrs. Mallory.
"I happened to go out through the hall; and, just as I opened the door, a station fly drove up, and the solitary occupant hurriedly alighted. I should have made good my retreat, leaving this unexpected visitor to be dealt with by Rodgers, had I not caught sight of her face, and been thereby arrested on the spot. It was the sweetest, saddest, most gently lovely face; and she was a young widow, in very deep mourning.
""Is this Riverscourt," she asked, as I came forward; "and can I speak, at once, to Mrs. Rivers?"
"I brought her in. There was something strangely familiar about the soft eyes and winning smile, though I felt quite sure I had never seen her before.
"I placed her on the couch, in the draw room, where you first saw Chappie; and turned my attention to the fire, while she battled with an almost overwhelming emotion.
"Then she said: "Mrs. Rivers, I am a missionary. I have just returned from abroad. I only reached London this morning. My little girl had to be sent on, nearly a year ago. I have just been living for the hour when I should see her again. They tell me, you, in your great kindness, have had her here for the Christmas holidays, and that she is here still. So I came straight on. I hope you will pardon the intrusion."
""Intrusion!" I cried. "Why, how could it be an intrusion? If you knew what it means to me when I hear of any of these bereft little boys and girls finding their parents again! But we have at least a dozen children here just now. What is the name of your little girl?"
""Her name is Eileen," said the gentle voice, "but we always call her "Little Fairy"."
"David, my heart seemed to bound into my throat and stop there!
""Who--who are you?" I exclaimed.
"The young widow on the sofa opened her arms with an unconscious gesture of love and longing.
""I am Little Fairy"s mummie," she said simply.
""But--" I cried; and stopped. I suppose my face completed the unfinished sentence.
""Oh, yes," she said, "I had forgotten you would know of the telegram.
In some inexplicable way it got changed in transit. It was my husband"s death it should have announced, not mine. I lost him very suddenly, just as we were almost due to leave for home. I did not wish my children to be told until my return. I wanted to tell them myself."
"I rang the bell, and sent a message to Mrs. Mallory to send Little Fairy at once to the drawing-room. Then I knelt down in front of Fairy"s mummie, and took both her trembling hands in mine. It does not come easy to me to be demonstrative, David, but I know the tears were running down my cheeks.
""Oh, you don"t know what it has been!" I said. "To think of you as dead and buried, thousands of miles away; and to hear that baby voice, singing in joyous confidence: "Mummie"s tumming home!" And the little mouth kept its kisses so loyally for you. I was told each evening: "Not my mouf,--that"s only for Mummie!" I used to think I _must_ tell her.
Thank G.o.d, I didn"t! And now----"
"I broke off. Little Fairy"s mummie was sobbing on my shoulder. We held each other, and cried together.
""You won"t leave her again?" I said.
""Oh, no," she whispered, "never, never! I also have two little sons at school in England. _I_ never could feel it right to be parted from the children. It was my husband--who----"
"Then we heard a little voice, singing on the stairs.
"I ran out to the hall.
"That sweet baby, in a white frock and blue sash, was tripping down the staircase. Mrs. Mallory"s middle-cla.s.s instincts had rapidly made her tidy. She looked a little picture as she came, holding by the dark oak banisters.
"Mummie"s--tumming--home!" proclaimed the joyous voice--a word to each step. She saw me, waiting at the bottom; and threw me a golden smile.
"I caught her in my arms. I could n"t kiss her; she was not mine to kiss. But I looked into her little face and said: "Mummie"s _come_ home, darling! Mummie"s _come_ home!"
"Then I ran to the drawing-room. I had meant to put her down at the door. But, David, I couldn"t! I carried her in, and put her straight into her mother"s arms. I saw the little mouth, so carefully guarded, meet the living, loving lips, which I had pictured as cold and dead.
"Then I walked over to the window, and stood looking out at the sleet and drizzle, the leafless branches, the sodden turf, the dank cold deadness of all things without. Ah, what did they matter, with such love, such bliss, such resurrection within!
"David, I have always said I did not like children. For years I have derided the sacred obligation of motherhood. I have often declared that nothing would induce me, under any circ.u.mstances, to undertake it. At last, by my own act, I have put myself into a position which makes it impossible that that love, that tie, that sweet responsibility, should ever be mine. I don"t say, by any means, that I wish for it; but I have felt lately that my former att.i.tude of mind in the matter was wrong, ignorant, sinful.
"And--oh, how can I make my meaning plain--it seemed to me that in that moment, when I put that little child into those waiting arms, without kissing her myself--I expiated that mental sin. I shall always have a hungry ache at my heart, because I gave Little Fairy up without kissing her; but that very hunger means conviction, confession, and penance. I shall never have a little child of my own; but I have experienced something of the rapture of motherhood, in sharing in this meeting between my little baby-girl, and the mother I had thought dead.
"And now, David, I will tell you a secret. Had the father arrived home, with the awful news, I had meant to ask leave to adopt Little Fairy. But you see I am not intended even to have other people"s children for my own.
"After a while, as I stood at the window, I heard the mother say: "Darling, dear father has not come home."
""Oh," said Fairy"s contented little voice; asking no questions.
""Darling," insisted the quiet tones of the mother, "dear father has gone to be with Jesus."
"I looked round. The baby-face was earnest and thoughtful. She lifted great questioning eyes to her mother.
""Oh," she said. "Did Jesus want him?"
""Yes," said the sweet voice, controlling a sudden tremor. "Jesus wanted him. So we have lost dear father, darling."
"Then Fairy knelt up on her mother"s knee, and put both little arms round her mother"s neck, with a movement of unspeakable tenderness.
""But we"ve gotted each uvver, Mummie," she said.
"Oh, David, _we"ve gotted each other_! It seemed just everything to that little heart. And I believe it was everything to the mother, too.
"Now, do you wonder that this has made me feel as if none of earth"s happenings, however sad, need be altogether hopeless; no mistake, however great, is wholly irretrievable.
"Our own sad hearts may say: "He has lain in the grave four days already." But the voice of the Christ can answer: "Lazarus, come forth!"
"Are you not glad this wonderful thing took place on the Feast of the Star?
"Affectionately yours,
"DIANA RIVERS."
It so happened that David had a sharp bout of fever soon after the arrival of this letter. His colleague wondered why, in his delirium, he kept on repeating: "When I am dead, she can have a Fairy of her own! She can have a little Fairy, when I am dead!"