It was a good summer. The Bowman stayed on for perhaps six weeks of it. Besides Linda’s visit, Mary Jane and Ellen each had a week in the city in exchange. Although there was a lack of appreciation of the Lord’s things with her, they had some nice times together. It wasn’t hard to remember back to days, not far gone, when they had felt so much the same way about many things. And Linda was new amongst them.
One beautiful Autumn evening, the children came in from the chores. Mamma looked grave.
“Where’s Daddy? Do you think he’ll be finished soon?” she asked.
Before anyone could answer, Daddy himself stepped in the door.
“Right here, Mom. Something wrong?”
“Helen French had to cancel our reading today. Joe is sick. In fact, she sounded so worried, that I expect she’s called the doctor by now. You don’t suppose –?”
“Now I thought I saw ole Doc’s car driving down the lane along about 4:30 this afternoon. Curious, too. I’ve had Joe on my heart all afternoon. We’ll make it a matter of special prayer; and I think I’ll run up there come mornin’ and see if he’ll talk to me.”
Mary Jane had a special thing to say, too, that evening. She had been wanting to take her place at the Lord’s table in answer to His request to remember Him and show forth His death to the world until He comes. Now that she enjoyed settled peace, she felt that she wanted to do this very much. Dear Daddy and Mamma wiped tears of joy away when she found her opportunity to talk of it. Their hearts were full. A fervent prayer of thanksgiving was made; and afterward, a special request was added for Joe French. Simultaneously with the “amen” the Hillman’s long and short rang. Daddy hastened to answer.
“That you, Helen? I hear Joe’s purty sick. Is that so? No need to ask – I was already aimin’ to come up tomorrow. Thanks for callin’. It’s a promise. Tell him to mind what ole Doc said. Bye!”
“Well, the doctor come out, all right. Says he’s got ‘milk leg’ or ‘flee-bitus,’ I think she said. That’s a blood clot hung up in there and it could be serious. She asked me to come up – says Joe’s different, and she thinks he’ll see me.”
“Oh, I hope so! Maybe you ought not to wait. What if –?” Mamma was worried.
“She said the doctor ordered absolute quiet. I thought of that too, but perhaps it’d be too much tonight. It’s in the Lord’s hands, Mom. Now don’t worry.”
For Mr. Hillman to make a social call on Joe French was heretofore unheard of. Their relationship up to this time was strictly business, and that as brief as possible. Mr. Hillman did try at times to bring about a “thaw.” It was just that Joe couldn’t stand Ned’s clear, honest gaze and the “religion” he stood for. But today Joe received his old neighbor with almost pitiful eagerness. He seemed grateful when, after a few pleasantries, an offer was made to read to him from the Bible. Mr. Hillman thought best to avoid ‘preaching’ and limited his time to reading clear gospel passages. At the end, Mr. Hillman asked, “Joe, would you like to have this peace we’ve been reading about? Would you like to know your sins completely washed away?”
The large eyes never left the speaker’s. He listened as if fearing to miss a single word. Here was a man in desperate earnest.
“Yes, Ned. I would. I’m an awful sinner.”
“Do you believe these words I have read, that they are the true Word of God to you, Joe?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you understand, from what I’ve read to you, that all God requires is for you to give to Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, your load of sin and, by simple faith, just take His salvation? ‘If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thy heart that God has raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved’ (Rom. 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)). The blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son cleanseth us from all sin’ (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)).
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you believe that Jesus Christ, God’s eternal Son died on Calvary’s cross for you – that He bore God’s holy wrath against your sins so that you might have a clean slate?”
The big eyes closed. It seemed almost too much to take in.
“He did all that for – how can I be sure it was for me?”
The big eyes turned upward.
“Thank You, Lord.” And then they turned to Ned. “Thank you.” His strength seemed almost gone. Mr. Hillman slipped quietly’ out of the room.
Driving the short distance home was completely automatic.
“I just cain’t hardly take it in! Joe French – saved!” he kept saying over and over. “Mercy has broke all bounds!”
Back in the presence of his eagerly awaiting wife, he still felt he was in a dream – that soon he would have to awaken to reality.
“Well, Mom. Good news! That is, unless I’m walkin’ in my sleep –.” He sat down and told her word for word just what had been said.
“Praise, oh praise the Lord!” was all Mamma could say between her tears. At last she sighed happily. “My cup runneth over, truly! Last night Mary Jane’s asking to be received at the Lord’s table, and today, Joe saved. Remember, I said I thought he would be some day?”
“Yes, Mom. You had the faith. I confess to doubt. In fact it’s mighty hard fer me to believe it – now that it’s happened.”
“Just think – when he’s well – they can be baptized together!”
“Yep! That’ll be the day! Now, do you suppose you could touch ground long enough to get us some lunch on? I just remembered Cliff needs help out there in the field.”
Mamma laughed happily and set herself to putting out the lunch things. All day the house rang with songs of praise. Telephone conversations confirmed the news – that Joe was indeed rejoicing in Christ as his Savior. He tried to persuade Helen to read to him from the Bible most of the time and she was torn between her joy to do so and the doctor’s strict orders for absolute quiet.
“He seems to really be getting stronger, Eva,” she said happily. “I think the Lord is raising him up.”
That is why it was such a shock the next morning when Mamma heard her dear sister’s tense voice on the phone saying, “Eva! He’s gone! My Joe’s gone – to be with Christ!”
Quietly in the night God had called his spirit to Himself. She had found him with a smile on his face.
Daddy heard the news sadly. “I had hoped that Joe would be with us a while and have an opportunity to witness for the Lord since he’d been such an influence the other way in these parts. Saved ‘so as by fire’! That’s what you’d call it, I guess. Brought to the Lord on Wednesday and called to Himself on Thursday. That’s mighty close! But we must not question the Lord’s wisdom. You know, Mom, I was thinkin’ it all over last night. Poor old Joe had a mighty hard row ahead. He’d be left with almost no way to make his livin’, seein’ as how he’d have to give up the boot-leggin’ – bein’ a Christian now. He didn’t know the first thing about teachin’ those boys o’ his to farm. Oh, Balzar makes a fairly honest stab at it, but it’d be starvation rations at the rate they’ve been farmin’. I kinda believe that boy Balzar might be the Lord’s all right. I aim to help the lad all I kin. Looks to me like the Lord delivered poor old Joe out of a well-nigh impossible situation – him bein’ a hunch back cripple and all. At any rate, God in His wisdom handled it this away. His goodness and mercy has surely broke all bounds. But I shore wouldn’t advise anyone to wait as long as Joe did. No chance at all for sendin’ up a reward. The thief on the cross made a confession to the world at a time when all was against the blessed Lord and the record is there fer all ages to read. Just that last testimony to his children and brother is all the chance Joe had. We’d surely ought to value and use the time the Lord has give to us.”
The children were solemnized. At last Jennie spoke.
“Daddy, I’ll have to confess, like you, I doubted that he’d ever be saved. I was reading just this morning in Isaiah 40:1111He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:11): ‘He shall gather the lambs in His arms.’ I thought of Joe so crippled and bent over, a babe in Christ now. I was looking forward to showing him love and kindness. Before, I had a hard time not to despise him for being so mean all the time.”
“Yes, Jennie,” Daddy repeated. “ ‘He shall gather the lambs in His arms.’ “ He wiped a tear away. “He’s already took that one literally to His arms. One by one He gathers ‘em in.”
A little thrill shivered through Lori. “Makes you just wonder what wonderful thing the Lord will show us next! His presence is – well, like the Lord was really walking among us.”
The rest of the day duties were done rather automatically. A placid moon arose large and round over the French’s house to the east and soft sage-scented breezes played through the dry autumn grasses. When the last chore was finished, Lori spoke, “I feel like a little walk would – sort of clear my head. Who wants to go too?”
Jennie, Ellen and Mary Jane spoke almost together, “The very thing! Let’s go.”
“What an unspeakably gorgeous night it is!” Lori breathed. “The air is so fresh, and that moon! Don’t you feel close to the Lord since all these things have happened? And in His wonderful creation too! I love these old prairies – especially in the moonlight.”
Just then a far-away plaintive call of a lonely coyote wafted over from the big hills to the south.
“The time was when that sound made me shiver to my boot heels.” Ellen remarked. “But when you’re sure you’re the Lord’s, nothing seems too scarey.”
“Isn’t that the truth? Why I almost like to hear the wind moan in the eaves at night now. It used to make me groan with some nameless dread.” Mary Jane observed.
“Why don’t we sit down here,” Jennie suggested, “and just enjoy the peace of God and the beauty of the sky-scape and landscape. There’s hardly room in the sky for all those stars.”
As Mary Jane drew her knees up to a comfortable position, she noticed a little weed caught in her shoe. Pulling it free, she saw in the bright moonlight an old friend, a sprig of lamb’s quarters. “Lamb’s quarters – look girls! Jennie you were reading ‘He gathers the lambs’ – this weed speaks to us Hillmans of feeding them, and then – like Joe French – He carries them home –.”
“Let’s sing,
‘How good is the God we adore,
Our faithful, unchangeable Friend –’” Ellen suggested warmly.
The four girls joined in a harmony of heartfelt praise to God. Down on the back porch sat Daddy, gently petting Bruno, as he meditated.
“Mom, step out here a minute,” he called. As she did so he pointed to the little group up the hill. The sweet strains of the hymn carried on the breezes unusually well. “Now, that’s mighty sweet music! A feller just cain’t keep still at a time like this.” And he and Mamma joined in on the last verse, “‘Tis Jesus the First and the Last, Whose Spirit shall guide us safe home; We’ll praise Him for all that is past, And trust Him for all that’s to come.”
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