第176章 A New Year's Dawn (1)

And the murky planets, I perceived, were but cradles for the infant spirits of the universe of light....And in sight of this immeasurability of life no sadness could endure....And I exclaimed, Oh! How beautiful is death, seeing that we die in a world of life and of creation without end!

And I blessed God for my life upon earth, but much more for the life in those unseen depths of the universe which are comprised of all but the Supreme Reality, and where no earthly life or perishable hope can enter.

Richter For many weeks Erica had scarcely a conscious interval.Now and then she had been dimly aware that Brian was in the room, or that Aunt Jean, and Mrs.MacNaughton, and her many secularist friends were nursing her; but all had been vague, dream-like, seen through the distorting fever-mist.On night, however, she woke after a sleep of many hours to see things once more as they really were.

There was her little room with its green-paneled walls, and its familiar pictures, and familiar books.There was Aunt Jean sitting beside the fire, turning over the pages of an "Idol-Breaker," while all the air seemed to be ringing and echoing with the sound of church bells.

"Auntie," she said, "what day is it?"

Aunt Jean came at once to her bedside.

"It is New Year's day," she said; "it struck twelve about five minutes ago, dear."Erica made no comment though the words brought back to her the sense of her desolation brought back to her, too, the remembrance of another New Year's day long ago when she had stood beside her father on the deck of the steamer, and the bells of Calais had gayly pealed in spite of her grief.She took the food her aunt brought her, and promised to go to sleep once more.

"I shall have to wake up again in this misery!" she thought to herself."Oh, if one could only sleep right on!"But God sometimes saves us from what we have most dreaded; and when at sunrise Erica woke once more, before any recollection returned to her mind, she became conscious of One who said to her, "Lo, I am with you always! Behold, I make all things new!"Streaks of golden light were stealing in between the window curtains.She lay quite still, able to face life once more in the strength of that Inner Presence; able to endure the well-known sights and sounds because she could once more realize that there was One who made even "the wrath of man to praise" Him; who, out of blackest evil and cruelest pain, could at length bring good.

Presently, passing from the restfulness of that conscious communion, she remembered a strange dream she had had that night.