第85章

As The Don read the letter he began to swear deep oaths.

"Stop, Don.You mustn't swear.Now listen to me.I think she has a perfect right to do as she has been doing.But--Lloyd"--Shock seemed to get the name out with difficulty,--"was my friend, and I think he has not been fair.""Fair!" burst out The Don."The low down villain!""But listen.The question with me has been how to forgive him, for Imust forgive him or keep far from Him who has forgiven me, and that I cannot afford to do.Now read." And The Don took up the Bible from the little table beside Shock's bed, and read that most touching of all tales told of the Saviour of the sinful.

"'Wherefore I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.'"As The Don finished reading, a sound of sobbing broke the silence in the room.

"Who is that? Is that you, Nell?" said Shock."What is the matter, Nell? That is for you, too.Now we will have Don read it again." And once more, with great difficulty, The Don read the words, so exquisitely delicate, so divinely tender.

"That is for you, too, Nell," said Shock.

"For me?" she cried."Oh, no, not for me!""Yes, Nell, my sister, it is for you."

"Oh," she cried, with a tempest of sobs, "don't call me that.It cannot be.I can never be clean again.""Yes, Nell, He says it Himself.'Her sins, which are many, are forgiven,' and He can make you clean as the angels.We all need to be made clean, and He has undertaken to cleanse us."It was a very humble and chastened man that went out from Shock's presence that evening.Through the days of the week that followed The Don went about his work speaking little, but giving himself with earnestness and in a new spirit, more gentle, more sympathetic, to his ministry to the sick in the camps and shacks round about.But still the gloom was unlifted from his heart.Day by day, however, in response to Shock's request he would read something of the story of that great loving ministration to the poor, and sick, and needy, and of infinite compassion for the sinful and outcast, till one day, when Shock had been allowed for the first time to sit in his chair, and The Don was about to read, Shock asked for the story of the debtors, and after The Don had finished he took from his pocket Brown's letter and said:

"Now, Don, forgive me.I am going to read something that will make you understand that story," and he read from Brown's letter the words that described Betty's last hour.

The Don sat white and rigid until Shock came to the words, "God forgives us all, and we must forgive," when his self-control gave way and he abandoned himself to the full indulgence of his great sorrow.

"It was not to grieve you, Don," said Shock, after his friend's passion of grief had subsided."It was not to grieve you, you know, but to show you what is worth while seeing--the manner of God's forgiveness; for as she forgave and took you to her pure heart again without fear or shrinking, so God forgives us.And, Don, it is not worth while.in the face of so great a forgiveness, to do anything else but forgive, and it is a cruel thing, and a wicked thing, to keep at a distance such love as that.""No, no," said The Don, "it is not worth while.It is wicked, and it is folly.I will go back.I will forgive."