CHAPTER XIX
Since the pastor from the village had called upon them, the youngpeople of the stone barn had been identified with the little whitechurch in the valley. Shirley had taken a class of boys in theSunday-school and was playing the organ, as George had once predicted.Carol was helping the primary teacher, George was assistant librarianand secretary, Harley was in Shirley's class, and Doris was one of theprimaries.
Shirley had at once identified herself with the struggling littleChristian Endeavor society and was putting new life into it, with herenthusiasm, her new ideas about getting hold of the young people of thecommunity, and her wonderful knack of getting the silent ones to takepart in the meetings. She had suggested new committees, had invitedthe music committee to meet her at her home some evening to plan outspecial music, and to cooperate with the social committee in planningfor music at the socials. She always carried a few appropriateclippings or neatly written verses or other quotations to meeting toslip into the hands of some who had not prepared to speak, and she sawto it that her brothers and sisters were always ready to say something.Withal, she did her part so unobtrusively that none of the old memberscould think she was trying to usurp power or make herself prominent.She became a quiet power behind the powers, to whom the president andall the other officers came for advice, and who seemed always ready tohelp in any work, or to find a way out of any difficulty. ChristianEndeavor in the little white church at once took great strides afterthe advent of the Hollisters, and even the idlers on the street cornerswere moved with curiosity to drop into the twilight service of theyoung people and see what went on, and why everybody seemed sointerested. But the secret of it all, Shirley thought, was the littlefive-minute prayer service that the prayer-meeting committee held inthe tiny primary room just before the regular meeting. Shirley aschairman of the prayer-meeting committee had started this littlemeeting, and she always came into the larger room with an exalted lookupon her face and a feeling of strength in her heart from this briefspeaking with her Master.
Shirley was somewhat aghast the next Sabbath to have Sidney Grahamarrive and ask her to take a ride with him.
"Why, I was just going to church," she said, half hesitating, and thensmiling bravely up at him; "besides, I have a Sunday-school class. Icouldn't very well leave them, you know."
He looked at her for a moment thoughtfully, trying to bridge in histhoughts this difference between them. Then he said quite humbly,
"Will you take me with you?"
"To church?" she asked, and there was a glad ring in her voice. Wouldhe really go to church with her?
"Yes, and to Sunday School if I may. I haven't been to Sunday Schoolin years. I'd like to go if you'll only let me."
Her cheeks grew rosy. She had a quick mental picture of putting him inDeacon Pettigrew's Bible class.
"I'm afraid there isn't any class you would enjoy," she began with atroubled look. "It's only a little country church, you know. Theydon't have all the modern system, and very few teachers."
"I should enjoy going into your class very much if I might."
"Oh, mine are just boys, just little boys like Harley!" said Shirley,aghast.
"I've been a little boy once, you know I should enjoy it very much,"said the applicant with satisfaction.
"Oh, but--I couldn't teach _you_!" There was dismay in her voice.
"Couldn't you, though? You've taught me more in the few months I'veknown you than I've learned in that many years from others. Try me.I'll be very good. I'll be a boy with the rest of them, and you canjust forget I'm there and go ahead. I really am serious about it. Iwant to hear what you have to say to them."
"Oh, I couldn't teach with you there!" exclaimed Shirley, putting herhands on her hot cheeks and looking like a frightened little child."Indeed I couldn't, really. I'm not much of a teacher. I'm only abeginner. I shouldn't know how to talk before any but children."
He watched her silently for a minute, his face grave with wistfulness.
"Why do you teach them?" he asked rather irrelevantly.
"Because--why, because I want to help them to live right lives; I wantto teach them how to know God."
"Why?"
"So that they will be saved. Because it was Christ's command that Hisdisciples should give the message. I am His disciple, so I have totell the message."
"Was there any special stipulation as to whom that message should begiven?" asked the young man thoughtfully. "Did He say you were just togive it to those boys?"
"Why, no; it was to be given to--all the world, every creature."Shirley spoke the words hesitatingly, a dimple beginning to show in hercheek as her eyelids drooped over her shy eyes.
"And don't I come in on that?" asked Graham, with a twinkle thatreminded Shirley of his father.
Shirley had to laugh shamefacedly then.
"But I couldn't!" said Shirley. "I'd be so scared I couldn't think ofa thing to say."
"You're not afraid of me, Miss Shirley? You wouldn't be scared if youthought I really needed to know the message, would you? Well, I reallydo, as much as any of those kids."
Shirley looked steadily into his earnest eyes and saw something therethat steadied her nerve. The laughter died out of her own eyes, and abeautiful light of longing came into them.
"All right," she said, with a little lift of her chin as if girding upher strength to the task. "You may come, and I'll do the best I can,but I'm afraid it will be a poor best. I've only a little story totell them this morning."
"Please give them just what you had intended. I want the real thing,just as a boy would get it from you. Will the rest of them come in thecar with us?"
Shirley was very quiet during the ride to church. She let the rest doall the talking, and she sat looking off at the woods and praying forhelp, trying to calm the flutter of her frightened heart, trying tosteady her nerves and brace herself to teach the lesson just as she hadintended to teach it.
She watched him furtively during the opening exercises, the untrainedsinging, the monotonous prayer of an old farmer-elder, the dryplatitudes of the illiterate superintendent; but he sat respectfullylistening, taking it all for what it was worth, the best service thesepeople knew how to render to their Maker.
Somehow her heart had gained the strength she needed from the prayersshe breathed continually, and when the time for teaching the lessonarrived she came to her class with quietness.
There was a little awe upon the boys because of the stranger in theirmidst. They did not fling the hymn-books down with a noisy thud, norsend the lesson leaves flying like winged darts across the room quiteso much as they were wont to do. They looked askance at Harley, whosat proudly by the visitor, supplying him with Bibles, hymn-books,lesson leaves, and finding the place for him officiously. But Grahamsat among the boys without ostentation, and made as little of his ownpresence as possible. He smiled at them now and then, put a handful ofsilver into the collection envelope when they would have passed him by,and promised a ride to one fellow who ventured to ask him hoarsely ifthat was his car outside the church.
Shirley had made up her mind to forget as far as she could the presenceof the visitor in the class, and to this end she fixed her eyes uponthe worst little boy present, the boy who got up all the disturbances,and made all the noises, and was the most adorable, homely, sturdyyoung imp the Valley Church could produce. He sat straight across fromher, while Graham was at the side, and she could see in Jack's eye thathe meant mischief if he could overcome his awe of the stranger. Sobefore Jack could possibly get started she began her story, and told itstraight to Jack, never taking her eyes from his face from start tofinish, and before she was half-way through she had her little audienceenthralled. It was a story of the Bible told in modern setting, andtold straight to the heart of a boy who was the counterpart in his ownsoul of the man whom Christ cured and forgave. What Graham wasthinking or looking Shirley did not know. She had literally forgottenhis existence after the first few minut
es. She had seen the gleam ofinterest in the eyes of the boy Jack; she knew that her message wasgoing home to a convicted young soul, and that he saw himself and hisown childish sins in the sinful life of the hero of her tale. Herwhole soul was bent on making him see the Saviour who could make thatyoung life over. Not until the story was almost finished did any oneof the listeners, unless perhaps Harley, who was used to suchstory-recitals, have a suspicion that the story was just a plain,ordinary chapter out of the Bible. Then suddenly one of the elder boysbroke forth: "Aw! Gee! That's just the man in the Bible let downthrough the roof!" There was a slight stir in the class at thediscovery as it dawned upon them that the teacher had "put one over onthem" again, but the interest for the most part was sustainedbreathlessly until the superintendent's bell rang, and the heads drewtogether in an absorbed group around her for the last few sentences,spoken in a lower tone because the general hum of teaching in the roomhad ceased.
Graham's face was very grave and thoughtful as she finished and slippedaway from them to take her place at the little organ. One could seethat it was not in the teacher alone, but in her message as well, thathe was interested. The boys all had that subdued, half-ashamed,half-defiant look that boys have when they have been caught lookingserious. Each boy frowned and studied his toes, or hunted assiduouslyin his hymn-book to hide his confusion, and the class in various keyslifted up assertive young voices vigorously in the last hymn.
Graham sat beside Shirley in the little crowded church during therather monotonous service. The regular pastor, who was a good,spiritual man if not a brilliant one, and gave his congregation solid,practical sermons, was on his vacation, and the pulpit was supplied bya young theologue who was so new to his work that his sermon was arather involved effort. But so strong was the power of theSunday-school lesson to which he had just listened that Graham felt asif he were sitting in some hallowed atmosphere. He did not see thered-faced, embarrassed young preacher, nor notice his struggles tobring forth his message bravely; he saw only the earnest-faced youngteacher as she spoke the words of life to her boys; saw the youngimp-faces of her boys softened and touched by the story she told; sawthat she really believed and felt every word she spoke; and knew thatthere was something in it all that he wanted.
The seat was crowded and the day was warm, but the two who looked overthe same hymn-book did not notice it. The soft air came in from theopen window beside them, breathing sweet clover and wild honeysuckle,and the meadowlarks sang their songs, and made it seem just like alittle bit of heaven.
Shirley's muslin frills trembled against Graham's hand as she reachedto catch a fluttering leaf of the hymn-book that the wind had caught;once her hand brushed the coatsleeve beside her as they turned thepage, and she felt the soft texture of the fine dark blue goods with apleasant sense of the beautiful and fitting. It thrilled her to thinkhe was standing thus beside her in her own little church, yieldinghimself to the same worship with her in the little common countrycongregation. It was wonderful, beautiful! And to have come to her!She glanced shyly up at him, so handsome, standing there singing, hishand almost touching hers holding the book. He felt her glance andanswered it with a look and smile, their eyes holding each other forjust the fraction of a second in which some inner thought wasinterchanged, some question asked and answered by the invisible flashof heart-beats, a mutual joining in the spiritual service, and thenhalf-frightened Shirley dropped her eyes to the page and the soft rosesstole into her cheeks again. She felt as if she had seen something inhis eyes and acknowledged it in her own, as if she had inadvertentlyshown him her heart in that glance, and that heart of hers was leapingand bounding with an uncontrollable joy, while her conscience sought byevery effort to get it in control. What nonsense, it said, what utterfolly, to make so much of his coming to church with her once! To allowher soul to get into such a flutter over a man who had no more idea ofnoticing her or caring for her than he had for a bird on the tree.
And with all the tumult in her heart she did not even see the enviousglances of the village maidens who stared and stared with all theirmight at the handsome man who came to church in an expensive car andbrought the girl who lived in a barn! Shirley's social position wentup several notches, and she never even knew it. In fact, she wasbecoming a great puzzle to the residents of Glenside.
It was good to know that for once the shabby collection-box of thelittle church was borne back to the altar laden with a goodly bill, putin with so little ostentation that one might have judged it but apenny, looking on, though even a penny would have made more noise inthe unlined wooden box.
After the service was over Graham went out with the children, whileShirley lingered to play over an accompaniment for a girl who was goingto sing at the vesper service that afternoon. He piled all thechildren in the back seat of the car, put the boy he had promised aride in the seat beside him, took a spin around the streets, and wasback in front of the church by the time Shirley came out. Then thatfoolish heart of hers had to leap again at the thought that he hadsaved the front seat for her. The boy descended as if he had beencaught up into heaven for a brief space, and would never forget it therest of his life.
There was that same steady look of trust and understanding in Graham'seyes whenever he looked at her on the way home, and once while thechildren were talking together in the back seat he leaned toward herand said in a low tone:
"I wonder if you will let me take you away for a little while thisafternoon to a quiet place I know where there is a beautiful view, andlet us sit and talk. There are some things I want to ask you, aboutwhat you said this morning. I was very much interested in it all, andI'm deeply grateful that you let me go. Now, will you go with me?I'll bring you back in time for the Christian Endeavor service, and yousee in the meantime I'm inviting myself to dinner. Do you think yourmother will object?"
What was there for Shirley to do but accept this alluring invitation?She did not believe in going off on pleasure excursions on the Sabbath,but this request that she ride to a quiet place out-of-doors for areligious talk could not offend her strongest sense of what was righton the Sabbath day. And surely, if the Lord had a message for her tobear, she must bear it to whomsoever He sent. This, then, was thisman's interest in her, that she had been able to make him think of God.A glad elation filled her heart, something deep and true stirred withinher and lifted her above the thought of self, like a blessing from onhigh. To be asked to bring light to a soul like this one, this washonor indeed. This was an answer to her prayer of the morning, thatshe might fulfil God's pleasure with the lesson of the day. Themessage then had reached his soul. It was enough. She would think nomore of self.
Yet whenever she looked at him and met that smile again she wasthrilled with joy in spite of herself. At least there was afriendliness here beyond the common acquaintance, a something that wastrue, deep, lasting, even though worlds should separate them in thefuture; a something built on a deep understanding, sympathy and commoninterests. Well, so be it. She would rejoice that it had been givenher to know one man of the world in this beautiful way; and her foolishlittle human heart should understand what a high, true thing this wasthat must not be misunderstood.
So she reasoned with herself, and watched him during the dinner, amongthe children, out in the yard among the flowers and animals,everywhere, he seemed so fine and splendid, so far above all other menthat she had ever met. And her mother, watching, trembled for her whenshe saw her happy face.
"Do you think you ought to go with him, daughter?" she asked withtroubled eyes, when they were left alone for a moment after dinner."You know it is the Sabbath, and you know his life is very differentfrom ours."
"Mother, he wants to talk about the Sunday School lesson this morning,"said Shirley shyly. "I guess he is troubled, perhaps, and wants me tohelp him. I guess he has never thought much about religious things."
"Well, daughter dear, be careful. Do all you can for him, of course,but remember, don't let your heart stray out
of your keeping. He isvery attractive, dear, and very unconventional for a wealthy man. Ithink he is true and wouldn't mean to trifle, but he wouldn't realize."
"I know; mother; don't you be afraid for me!" said Shirley with a loftylook, half of exultation, half of proud self-command.
He took her to a mossy place beside a little stream, where the lightfiltered down through the lacy leaves flecking the bank, and braidedgolden currents in the water; with green and purple hazy hills in thedistance, and just enough seclusion for a talk without being too faraway from the world.
"My little sister says that you people have a 'real' God," he said,when she was comfortably fixed with cushions from the car at her backagainst a tall tree-trunk. "She says you seem to realize Hispresence--I don't know just how to say it, but I'd like to know if thisis so. I'd like to know what makes you different from other girls, andyour home different from most of the homes I know. I'd like to know ifI may have it too."
That was the beginning.
Shirley, shy as a bird at first, having never spoken on such subjectsexcept to children, yet being well versed in the Scriptures, andfeeling her faith with every atom of her being, drew out her littleBible that she had slipped into her pocket when they started, andplunged into the great subject.
Never had preacher more earnest listener, or more lovely temple inwhich to preach. And if sometimes the young man's thoughts for a fewmoments strayed from the subject to rest his eyes in tenderness uponthe lovely face of the young teacher, and long to draw her into hisarms and claim her for his own, he might well have been forgiven. ForShirley was very fair, with the light of other worlds in her face, hereyes all sparkling with her eagerness, her lips aglow with words thatseemed to be given her for the occasion. She taught him simply, nottrying to go into deep arguments, but urging the only way she knew, theway of taking Christ's promise on its face value, the way of beingwilling to do His will, trusting it to Him to reveal Himself, and thetruth of the doctrine, and make the believer sure.
They talked until the sun sunk low, and the calling of the wood-birdswarned them that the Endeavor hour was near. Before they left theplace he asked her for the little Bible, and she laid it in his handwith joy that he wanted it, that she was chosen to give him a gift soprecious.
"It is all marked up," she said apologetically. "I always mark theverses I love, or have had some special experience with."
"It will be that much more precious to me," he said gently, fingeringthe leaves reverently, and then he looked up and gave her one of thosedeep looks that seemed to say so much to her heart. And all at onceshe realized that she was on earth once more, and that his presence andhis look were very precious to her. Her cheeks grew pink with the joyof it, and she looked down in confusion and could not answer, so sherose to her feet. But he, springing at once to help her up, kept herhand for just an instant with earnest pressure, and said in deeplymoved tones:
"You don't know what you have done for me this afternoon,my--_friend_!" He waited with her hand in his an instant as if he weregoing to say more, but had decided it were better not. The silence wasso compelling that she looked up into his eyes, meeting his smile, andthat said so many things her heart went into a tumult again and couldnot quite come to itself all through the Christian Endeavor service.
On the way home from the church he talked a little about her vacation:when it came, how long it lasted, what she would do with it. Just asthey reached home he said,
"I hope you will pray for me, _my friend_!"
There was something wonderful in the way he said that word "friend."It thrilled her through and through as she stood beside the road andwatched him speed away into the evening.
"My friend! I hope you will pray for me, _my friend_!" It sang aglory-song down in her heart as she turned to go in with the vividglory of the sunset on her face.