She searched my face before she answered.
"How come you to be so strong, and so young, and so - well, so
unlike all this sort of thing? - Have you ever, no you never
have, seen much of sickness and death, and that?"
"No; not much."
"But you look as calm as a field of white clover. I beg your
pardon, my dear; it's like you. And you ain't one of the India
rubber sort, neither. I am glad you ain't, too; I don't think
that sort is fit to be nurses or anything else."
She looked at me inquiringly.
"Miss Yates," I said, "I love Jesus. I am a servant of Christ.
I like to do whatever my Lord gives me to do."
"Oh!" said she. "Well I ain't. I sometimes wish I was. But it
comes handy now, for there's a man down there - he ain't a
going to live, and he knows it, and he's kind o' worried about
it; and I can't say nothing to him. Maybe you can. I've
written his letters for him, and all that; but he's just
uneasy."
I asked, and she told me, which bed held this sick man, who
would soon be a dying one. I walked slowly down the ward,
thinking of this new burden of life-work that was laid upon me
and how to meet it. My very heart sank. I was so helpless. And
rose too; for I remembered that our Redeemer is strong. What
could I do?
I stood by the man's side. He was thirsty and I gave him
lemonade. His eye met mine as his lips left the cup; an eye of
unrest.
"Are you comfortable?" I asked.
"As much as I can be." - It was a restless answer.
"Can't you think of Jesus, and rest?" I asked, bending over
him. His eye darted to mine with a strange expression of
inquiry and pain; but it was all the answer he made.
"There is rest at His feet for all who trust in Him; - rest in
His arms for all who love Him."
"I am not the one or the other," he said shortly.
"But you may be."
"I reckon not, - at this time of day," he said.
"Any time of day will do," I said tenderly.
"I guess not," said he. "One cannot do anything lying here -
and I sha'n't lie here much longer, either. There's no time
now to do anything."
"There is nothing to do, dear friend, but to give your heart
and trust to the Lord who died for you - who loves you - who
invites you - who will wash away your sins for His own sake,
in His own blood, which He shed for you. Jesus has died for
you; you shall not die, if you will put your trust in Him."