Jewel's Story Book Part 63

"'To what end?' asked Purity, her wondering eyes sad. 'One does not gain the Heavenly Country by slaying. We must wait now, until Love drives out all else.'

"The repentant man hung his head and looked at the broad chasm. 'Would that I had not willed to kill the creature,' he said, 'for I am loath to lose my own life, and it is less good than the deer's.'

"Purity smiled upon him and slid her hand into his, and again the deer bounded before them, followed this time by its mate.

"The child fondled them. 'Mount upon its back,' she said to the man, indicating the larger animal. He obeyed, though with trembling, while the smaller deer kneeled to the child and she took her seat.

"Then the creatures planted their feet unerringly and stepped to a lower jutting point of rock, from whence with flying leaps they bridged the chasm and scrambled to firm earth on the other side.

"'Our hearts' best thanks, loved ones,' said Purity, as the deer bounded away.

"The man was trembling. 'I have slain many of G.o.d's creatures for my pleasure,' he faltered. 'May He forgive me!'

"'If you do so no more you will forgive yourself; but only so,' returned Purity.

"They moved along again and the man spoke earnestly and humbly of the wonders that had befallen them.

"'To Love, all things are possible,' returned the child; 'but to Love only;' and her companion listened to all she said, with a full heart.

"By noon that day, an inaccessible cliff stared the travelers in the face.

Its mighty crags bathed their feet in a deep pool, and up, up, for hundreds of feet, ran a smooth wall of rock in which no one might find a foothold.

"The man stared at it in silence, and it seemed to frown back inexorably.

His companion watched his face and read its mute hopelessness.

"'Have you still--_still_ no faith?' she asked.

"'I cannot see how'--stammered the man.

"'No, you cannot see how--but what does that matter?' asked the child. 'Let us eat now,' and she sat down, and the man with her, and they ate of the fruits and nuts she had gathered along the way and carried in her white gown.

"While they ate, a pair of great eagles circled slowly downward out of the blue sky, nor paused until they had alighted near the travelers.

"'Welcome, dear birds,' said Purity. 'You know well the Heavenly Country, and we seek your help to get there, for we have no wings to fly above those rocky steeps.'

"The eagles nestled their heads within her little hands, in token of obedience, and when she took her seat upon one, the man obeyed her sign and trusted himself upon the outstretched wings of the other.

"Up, up, soared the great birds, over the sullen pool, up the sheer rock.

Up, and still up, with sure and steady flight, until, circling once again, the eagles alighted gently upon a land strewn with flowers.

"The man and his guide stood upon the green earth, and Purity kissed her hands gratefully to the eagles as they circled away and out of sight.

"'This is a beautiful country,' said the man, and he gathered a white flower.

"'Yes,' returned Purity, smiling on him, 'you begin to see it now.'"

Mrs. Evringham paused. Jewel's eyes were fixed on her unwinkingly. "Go on, please, mother," she said.

"I think I've told enough," replied Mrs. Evringham.

"Oh, but you finish it, mother. You can tell it just beautifully."

"Thank you, dear, but I think it is your turn."

"Yes, Jewel," said her father, "it's up to you now."

"But I don't think a little girl _can_ tell stories to grown-up people."

"Oh, yes, on her birthday she can," returned her father. "Go on, we're all listening; no one asleep except Topaz."

Jewel's grandfather had been watching her absorbed face all the time, between his half-closed lids. "I think they've left the hardest part of all to you, Jewel," he said,--"to tell about the dragon."

"Oh, no-o," returned the child scornfully, "that part's easy."

The broker raised his eyebrows. "Indeed?" he returned.

In honor of her birthday, Jewel was arrayed in her silk dress. The white ribbons, Anna Belle's gift, were billowing out behind her ears. She presented the appearance, as she sat on the wicker ha.s.sock, of a person who had had little experience with dragons.

"Well," she said, after a pause, smiling at her grandfather and lifting her shoulders, "shall I try, then?"

"By all means," returned the broker.

So Jewel folded her hands in her silken lap and began in her light, sweet voice:--

"When the man looked around on the flowers and lovely trees and brooks, he said, 'This is a beautiful land.'

"And Purity answered: 'I'm glad that you see it is. You remember I told you it was.'

"'It was the Valley of Vain Regret we were talking about then,' said the man. 'If you had known more about it, you wouldn't have called _that_ beautiful.'

"Then the little girl smiled because she knew something nice that the man didn't know yet; but he was going to.

"So they journeyed along and journeyed along through pleasant places, and while they walked, Purity told the man about the great King--how loving He was and everything like that, and the man had hold of her hand and listened just as hard as he could, for he felt sure she was telling the truth; and it made him glad, and his heart that had been wizzled up just like a fig, had grown to be as big as--oh, as big as a watermelon, and it was full of nice feelings.

"'I'm happy, Purity,' he said to the little girl.

"I'm glad,' she answered, and she squeezed his hand back again, because she loved him now as much as if he was her grandpa.

"Well, they went along, and along, and at last they came to some woods and a narrow path through them. The man was beginning to think they might need the squirrels again, when suddenly"--Jewel paused and looked around on her auditors whose faces she could barely see in the gathering dusk,--"suddenly the man thought he saw the dragon he had heard so much about; and he shivered and hung back, but Purity walked along and wondered what was the matter with him.

"'There's the dragon!' he said, in the most _afraid_ voice, and he hung back on the girl's hand so hard that she couldn't move.

"When she saw how he looked, she patted him. 'I don't see anything,' she said, 'only just lovely woods.'

"'Oh, Purity, come back, come back, we can't go any farther!' said the man, and his eyes kept staring at something among the trees, close by.