or she knew none of these friends had the joy of conscious salvation,
and she told me afterwards she had thirst and hunger for them. But they
listened unimpressed. Then we had prayer and a quiet time; sometimes the
Spirit works most in quiet, and we rose expectantly; but there was no
sign of life.

After the meeting was over they gathered round us again. They are always
so loving and friendly in these little villages; but they could not
understand what it was that troubled us. Were they not all _Christians_?

Shortly afterwards they came, as their kindly custom is, to bring us
fruit and wreaths of flowers on New Year's Day. I missed my first friend
of that evening, and asked for her. "That widow you talked to?" said the
old catechist, "three days ago fever seized her, and"--He broke off and
looked up. Then I longed to hear how she had died, but no one could tell
me anything. Oh, the curtain of silence that covers the passing of
souls!

We went soon afterwards to the village, sure that at last the people
would be stirred; for she had been a leader among the women, and her
call, even in this land of sudden calls, had been very sudden. But we
did not find it had affected anyone. They all referred to her in the
chastened tone adopted upon such occasions, and, sighing, reminded each
other that God was merciful, and she had always been, up to the measure
of her ability, a very good woman.

We felt as if we were standing with each one of those people separately,
in the one little standing space we were sure of, before that curtain,
and we spoke with them as you speak with those whom you know you may
never see again on this side of it. But they looked at us, and wondered
what was the matter with us. Were they not _Christians_? Did they not
believe in God? Did they not pray regularly night and morning for
forgiveness, protection, and blessing? So they could not understand.

Was it that the power to understand had been withered up within them?
Was the soul God gave them dead--"sentenced to death by disuse"? Dead
they are in apathy and ignorance and putrefying customs, and the false
security that comes from adherence to the Christian creed without vital
connection with Christ. These poor Christians are dead.

"Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should
raise the dead?" Lord, it is not a thing incredible. Thou hast done it
before. Oh, do it again. Do it soon!

I have told you how much we need your h