A Little Pilgrim Part 7

The mother did nothing but smile; then lifted her eyes and looked along the beautiful path of the river to where some one was coming to join them; and the little Pilgrim cried out again, in wonder and joy; and presently found herself seated between them, her father and her mother, the two who had loved her most in the other days. They looked more beautiful than the angels and all the great persons whom she had seen; for still they were hers and she was theirs, more than all the angels and all the blessed could be. And thus she learned that though the new may take the place of the old, and many things may blossom out of it like flowers, yet that the old is never done away. And then they sat together, telling of everything that had befallen, and all the little tender things that were of no import, and all the great changes and n.o.ble ways, and the wonders of heaven above and the earth beneath, for all were open to them, both great and small; and when they had satisfied their souls with these, her father and mother began to teach her the other language, smiling often at her faltering tongue, and telling her the same thing over and over till she learned it; and her father called her his little foolish one, as he had done in the old days; and at last, when they had kissed her and blessed her, and told her how to come home to them when she was weary, they gave her, as the Father had permitted them, with joy and blessing, her new name.

The little Pilgrim was tired with happiness and all the wonder and pleasure, and as she sat there in the silence leaning upon those who were so dear to her, the soft air grew sweeter and sweeter about her, and the light faded softly into a dimness of tender indulgence and privilege for her, because she was still little and weak. And whether that heavenly suspense of all her faculties was sleep or not she knew not, but it was such as in all her life she had never known. When she came back to herself, it was by the sound of many voices calling her, and many people hastening past and beckoning to her to join them.

"Come, come," they said, "little sister: there has been great trouble in the other life, and many have arrived suddenly and are afraid. Come, come, and help them--come and help them!"

And she sprang up from her soft seat, and found that she was no longer by the riverside, or within sight of the great city or in the arms of those she loved, but stood on one of the flowery paths of her own border-land, and saw her fellows hastening towards the gates where there seemed a great crowd. And she was no longer weary, but full of life and strength, and it seemed to her that she could take them up in her arms, those trembling strangers, and carry them straight to the Father, so strong was she, and light, and full of force. And above all the gladness she had felt, and all her pleasure in what she had seen, and more happy even than the meeting with those she loved most, was her happiness now, as she went along as light as the breeze to receive the strangers. She was so eager that she began to sing a song of welcome as she hastened on. "Oh, welcome, welcome!" she cried; and as she sang she knew it was one of the heavenly melodies which she had heard in the great city: and she hastened on, her feet flying over the flowery ways, thinking how the great worlds were all watching, and the angels looking on, and the whole universe waiting till it should be proved to them that the dear Lord, the Brother of us all, had chosen the perfect way, and that over all the evil and the sorrow He was the Conqueror alone.

And the little Pilgrim's voice, though it was so small, echoed away through the great firmament to where the other worlds were watching to see what should come, and cheered the anxious faces of some great lords and princes far more great than she, who were of a n.o.bler race than man; for it was said among the stars that when such a little sound could reach so far, it was a token that the Lord had chosen aright, and that His method must be the best. And it breathed over the earth like some one saying, Courage! to those whose hearts were failing; and it dropped down, down, into the great confusions and traffic of the Land of Darkness, and startled many, like the cry of a child calling and calling, and never ceasing, "Come! and come! and come!"

THE END.

LIBRARY EDITION. In Nine Vols.

1. EARLY POEMS.

2. EARLY POEMS.

3. IDYLLS OF THE KING.

4. THE PRINCESS, AND MAUD.

5. ENOCH ARDEN, AND IN MEMORIAM.

6. BALLADS, and other Poems.

7. QUEEN MARY, AND HAROLD.

8. BECKET, and other Plays.

9. DEMETER, and other Poems.

POETICAL WORKS. Peoples Edition.

1. JUVENILIA AND LADY OF SHALOTT.

2. A DREAM OF FAIR WOMEN AND LOCKSLEY HALL.

3. THE PRINCESS.

4. WILL WATERPROOF AND ENOCH ARDEN.

5. IN MEMORIAM.

6. MAUD AND THE BROOK.

7. IDYLLS OF THE KING, I.

8. " " " " II.

9. " " " " III.

10. THE LOVER'S TALE AND RIZPAH.

11. THE VOYAGE OF MAELDUNE AND THE SPINSTER'S SWEET-ARTS.

12. DEMETER AND THE DEATH OF OENONE.

POETICAL WORKS. In Twenty-three Vols.

1. JUVENILIA.

2. THE LADY OF SHALOTT, and other Poems.

3. A DREAM OF FAIR WOMEN, and other Poems.

4. LOCKSLEY HALL, and other Poems.

5. WILL WATERPROOF, and other Poems.

6. THE PRINCESS. Books I. to III.

7. THE PRINCESS. Book IV. to end.

8. ENOCH ARDEN, and other Poems.

9. IN MEMORIAM.

10. MAUD, THE WINDOW, and other Poems.

11. THE BROOK, and other Poems.

12. IDYLLS OF THE KING: THE COMING OF ARTHUR, GARETH AND LYNETTE.

13. IDYLLS OF THE KING: THE MARRIAGE OF GERAINT, GERAINT AND ENID.

14. IDYLLS OF THE KING: BALIN AND BALAN, MERLIN AND VIVIEN.

15. IDYLLS OF THE KING: LANCELOT AND ELAINE. THE HOLY GRAIL.

16. IDYLLS OF THE KING: PELLEAS AND ETTARRE, THE LAST TOURNAMENT.