A Little Pilgrim by Mrs. Oliphant

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And as she went along, not only did she pass through many other
villages, but met many on the way who were travelling towards the great
city, and would greet her sweetly as they passed, and sometimes stop to
say a pleasant word, so that the little Pilgrim was never lonely
wherever she went. But most of them began to speak to her in the other
language, which was as beautiful and sweet as music, but which she could
not understand: and they were surprised to find her ignorant of it, not
knowing that she was but a new-comer into these lands. And there were
many things that could not be told but in that language, for the earthly
tongue had no words to express them. The little Pilgrim was a little
sad not to understand what was said to her, but cheered herself with the
thought that it should be taught to her by one whom she loved best. The
way by the riverside was very cheerful and bright, with many people
coming and going, and many villages, some of them with a bridge across
the stream, some withdrawn among the fields, but all of them bright and
full of life, and with sounds of music, and voices, and footsteps: and
the little Pilgrim felt no weariness, but moved along as lightly as a
child, taking great pleasure in everything she saw, and answering all
the friendly greetings with all her heart, yet glad to think that she
was approaching ever nearer to the country where it was ordained that
she should dwell for a time and succour the strangers, and receive those
who were newly arrived. And she consoled herself with the thought that
there was no need of any language but that which she knew. As this went
through her mind making her glad she suddenly became aware of one who
was walking by her side, a lady who was covered with a veil white and
shining like that which Ama had worn in the beautiful city. It hung
about this stranger's head so that it was not easy to see her face, and
the sound of her voice was very sweet in the Pilgrim's ear, yet startled
her like the sound of something which she knew well, but could not
remember. And as there were few who were going that way, she was glad,
and said, "Let us walk together, if that pleases you." And the stranger
said, "It is for that I have come," which was a reply which made the
little Pilgrim wonder more and more, though she was very glad and joyful
to have this companion upon her way. And then the lady began to ask her
many questions, not about the city, or the great things she had seen,
but about herself, and what the dear Lord had given her to do.

"I am little and weak, and I cannot do much," the little Pilgrim said.
"It is nothing but pleasure. It is to welcome those that are coming,
and tell them. Sometimes they are astonished and do not know. I was so
myself. I came in my sleep, and understood nothing. But now that I know,
it is sweet to tell them that they need not fear."

"I was glad," the lady said, "that you came in your sleep: for sometimes
the way is dark and hard, and you are little and tender. When your
brother comes you will be the first to see him, and show him the way."

"My brother! is he coming?" the little Pilgrim cried. And then she said
with a wistful look, "But we are all brethren, and you mean only one of
those who are the children of our Father. You must forgive me that I do
not know the higher speech, but only what is natural, for I have not yet
been long here."

"He whom I mean is called--" and here the lady said a name which was the
true name of a brother born, whom the Pilgrim loved above all others.
She gave a cry, and then she said trembling, "I know your voice, but I
cannot see your face. And what you say makes me think of many things. No
one else has covered her face when she has spoken to me. I know you, and
yet I cannot tell who you are."

The woman stood for a little without saying a word, and then very
softly, in a voice which only the heart heard, she called the little
Pilgrim by her name.

"MOTHER," cried the Pilgrim, with such a cry of joy that it echoed all
about in the sweet air: and flung herself upon the veiled lady, and drew
the veil from her face, and saw that it was she. And with this sight
there came a revelation which flooded her soul with happiness. For the
face which had been old and feeble was old no longer, but fair in the
maturity of day; and the figure that had been bent and weary was full of
a tender majesty, and the arms that clasped her about were warm and soft
with love and life. And all that had changed their relations in the
other days and made the mother in her weakness seem as a child, and
transferred all protection and strength to the daughter, was gone for
ever: and the little Pilgrim beheld in a rapture one who was her sister
and equal, yet ever above her--more near to her than any, though all
were so near--one of whom she herself was a part, yet another, and who
knew all her thoughts and the way of them before they arose in her. And
to see her face as in the days of her prime, and her eyes so clear and
wise, and to feel once more that which is different from the love of
all, that which is still most sweet where all is sweet, the love of
one--was like a crown to her in her happiness. The little Pilgrim could
not think for joy, nor say a word, but held this dear mother's hands and
looked in her face, and her heart soared away to the Father in thanks
and joy. They sat down by the roadside under the shade of the trees,
while the river ran softly by, and everything was hushed out of
sympathy and kindness, and questioned each other of all that had been
and was to be. And the little Pilgrim told all the little news of home,
and of the brothers and sisters and the children that had been born, and
of those whose faces were turned towards this better country; and the
mother smiled and listened and would have heard all over and over,
although many things she already knew. "But why should I tell you? for
did not you watch over us and see all we did, and were not you near us
always?" the little Pilgrim said.

"How could that be?" said the mother; "for we are not like our Lord, to
be everywhere. We come and go where we are sent. But sometimes we knew
and sometimes saw, and always loved. And whenever our hearts were sick
for news it was but to go to Him, and He told us everything. And now, my
little one, you are as we are, and have seen the Lord. And this has been
given us, to teach our child once more, and show you the heavenly
language, that you may understand all, both the little and the great."

Then the Pilgrim lifted her head from her mother's bosom, and looked in
her face with eyes full of longing. "You said 'we,'" she said.

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
noble 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 nobler 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.

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