第118章 The Protestant Confessional.(4)

"What do you think of this pear-tree against which I'm leaning?"he asked."You remember I said it owed me a good turn,and perhaps I can get my best fruit from it to-day.""I think it is a pretty tree,"said Ida,wonderingly;"and now Inotice that there are some fine pears on it.""Yes,and they are about ripe.Let us see if we can't reverse the old story with which the Bible commences.The man shall tempt the woman this time,and this shall be a tree of the knowledge of good,not of evil.Poor child,you know enough about that already;"and the old gentleman climbed up on his chair,and with his cane loosened a large yellow pear with a crimson blush on its sunny side.

"Take my hat and catch it,"he had said to Ida;and she did so.

"Now,I've made you an accomplice already,and so you may as well eat the pear while I tell you a bit of history concerning this tree.It may help me to suggest some very encouraging truths."But Ida held her pear and looked wistfully at the speaker.Her heart was still too sore to enter into the half-playful manner by which he sought to give a less gloomy cast to her thoughts.

"Some years ago,"said Mr.Eltinge,resuming his seat,"we had a night of darkness and violent storm like that through which you,poor child,have just passed.The garden fence was blown down,and some stray cattle got in and made sad havoc.This pear-tree was a little thing then,and when I came out in the morning it was in a bad plight,I can tell you.The wind had snapped off the top,and it lay withering on the ground.Worse than this,one of the cattle had stepped on it,bruising it severely,and half breaking it off near the root.I don't know which of the young men you have named this unruly beast typifies--both of 'em,I'm inclined to think."Here Ida shook her head in protest against Van Berg being classed with Sibley,and at the same time could not forbear the glimmer of a smile at the old man's homely imagery.

"Well,according to my creed,"continued Mr.Eltinge,"'while there's life there's hope,'so I lifted up the poor,prostrate little tree,and tied it to a stout stake.Then I got grafting wax and covered the bruises and broken places,and finally tied all up as carefully as I used to my boys'fingers when the cut them,sixty odd years ago.And now mark,my child;I had done all that I could do.Icouldn't make the wounds heal or even a new twig start;and yet here is a stately young tree beginning to bear delicious fruit.

Nature took my sorry-looking little case in hand,and slowly at first,but by and by with increased vigor and rapidity,she developed what you see.I have an affection for this tree,and like to lean against it,and sometimes I half fancy it likes to have me.""I should think it ought to,"said Ida,heartily,with tears in her eyes,but a smile on her lips.

"Well,now,my child,to go on with my parable,what nature was to this pear-tree,nature's God must be to you.We cannot find in nature nor in the happiest human love that which can satisfy our deep spiritual need;but we can find all in him who came from heaven in our behalf.Jesus Christ is the patient,helpful Friend you need.He brings more than joy--even the peace and rest that follow full trust in One pledged to take care of us and make everything turn out for the best.He says of those who come to him,'I give unto them eternal life,and they shall never perish.'If you will take this life from him it will never be a burden to you,and it will always be a blessing to others.""I fear I don't quite understand you,Mr.Eltinge.What is this 'eternal life'--this new,added life which you say Christ offers,and which I'm sure I'd be very glad to take if I knew how?""Let Jesus answer you himself,my child.He said plainly:'This is life eternal,that they might know thee the only true God,and Jesus Christ,whom thou has sent.'Perhaps I can make our Lord's words clearer from your own experience,if you will permit me to refer to your feelings toward the man who,whether worthy or not has won your love.Suppose he is all you imagine,and that he lavished on you the best treasures of his heart;would not life at his side seem life in very truth,and life elsewhere but mere existence?""Yes,"said Ida,with bowed head and pale cheeks."I begin to understand you now.It seems to me that I could welcome sorrow,poverty,and even death,at his side,and call life rich and full.

But as it is--oh,Mr.Eltinge,teach me your faith,lest I give way to despair again!""Poor child!poor child!Don't my white hairs teach you that Iam on the threshold of the home in which 'God shall wipe away all tears'?""I envy you,"cried Ida,almost passionately."Think how far I am from that home!""Well,you are not far from the Divine Friend who leads to that home,and when you come to KNOW him and his love your life will begin to grow richer and sweeter and fuller to all eternity.This is eternal life.It's know the God who loves us and whom we have learned to love.It's not living on and on forever in a beautiful heaven,any more than the earthly life you crave is living on and on in a pleasant home such as the man of your heart might provide.

The true life is the presence of the loved one himself,and all that he is to us and all that he can do for us;and if a mortal and finite creature seems to you so able to impart life,how infinitely more blessed will the life eventually be which comes from a God of boundless power and boundless love!""Alas,Mr.Eltinge,God seems too boundless.""Did God seem too boundless to the little children whom he took in his arms and blessed?""Oh that I had been one of them!"said Ida,with a sudden rush of tears.