March 1932
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suspense, stepped into the hall. Marian heard him, and called, “Nelson, pome here. Bob has come back.” He was in the room in two steps, and one look at the face of Bob Linton showed him a different man from the one he had known. “Glad to see you, Bob,” he greeted cordially. “Awfully glad to see you back.” There were more questions, and then Cousin Rhetta came into the room. “I see you’ve come back, Marian,” she said. “I guess you and Bob don’t need me any more tonight. The spare room is all ready when he wants to go to bed. Good night, children.” And with the gentle patter of her footsteps, she disappeared up the back stairs. Only then, Marian remembered David and Joyce. She found them on the porch settee, and they did not seem at all in a hurry even to meet the long-missing brother. It was not until the next day that Marian remembered and laughed merrily at the way David explained, with the most profound sincerity, that they had not minded in the least being forgotten. After a little while, the two young men went away together and Joyce went upstairs, leaving the brother and sister for a heart-to-heart talk. Bob had saved some money to make a payment on the amount he thought he owed. He was deeply touched to find that his father had sacrificed much to straighten out his debts, and that the matter had never become public at all. This made it possible for him to go back to his old associations, though it brought a fresh pang of grief to think that his long exile from his family was altogether unnecessary. He insisted that the money he had saved belonged to Marian. The next few days were full of activity, and the girls were several times at the college. To David Hillman, each day was golden. He had found the one girl in all the world for him, and she seemed shyly aware of it and not at all unwilling. But Marian carried a secret heartache. While Nelson attended the little village church regularly and seemed interested, he had never told her where he stood. One eve ning, he asked her to take a walk with him. They had been walking slowly down one of the pretty tree-bordered streets, without a spoken word, content with the beauty of the night and the joy of each other’s companionship. Then Nelson broke the sweet silence with a strangely puz zling remark: “Marian, I must tell you something. I have waited as long as I dare, because—-because I was afraid you would— you might—think something I did not want you to think.” “Why, Nelson, what a funny speech from you!” Mar ian’s laugh rang out merrily. “Do you remember that first evening we met here, and I told you I did not know, when you asked me whether I had come back to God ? That was true, and yet it wasn’t true. I had not really known God at all, and how could I come back to Him? That is one of the things I have iearried from David Hillman. Do you know, we can go on and on and argue forever about this arid that and get nowhere, but as soon as we come to God Himself, in faith, He takes care of the questions! David had an awful time to get me to see it, but It is true.' He said my part was to come to God with the sin question, and then God would take care of all the rest. And, Marian,” he added after a moment, “He has.”.
“All your questions, Nelson?” she asked with bated breath. “Yes, I mean just that. Of course there are many things I do not understand, and I suppose there always will be, but they do not trouble me now. I know they will be cleared up sometime; or if not, I am willing to admit that God may know a good many things that I do not. You never could have made me believe itK-no, you never could, that a lot of those things I thought were honest and truly questions were—only the devil’s blind to keep me from seeing the truth.” “And do you really believe now in Christ as the Son of God and our Saviour from sin?” “I certainly do.” It would seem as though he were echoing David’s own words. “And the Bible, Nelson, with all those inaccuracies and contradictions you used to talk about?” She continued to probe deeply, yet in fear and trembling, lest she uncover some hidden unbelief. “Do you accept it now as God’s own Book, supernatural, and different from ail other writings ?” He felt and recognized the almost incredulous note in her voice, and it hurt him, but he could not blame her. She had heard those words so often glibly drop from his lips, it was no marvel that she thrust them in his face now. “It is impossible to believe anything else,” he answered with quiet conviction. “How else can we account for it? How in any other than a supernatural way could a book be the work of some thirty-six different writers, through a period of almost sixteen centuries, and yet make one Book that millions.have found, to their comfort and joy, to be perfect and complete and agreeing in every part ? There is no explaining that, except to admit that the Holy Spirit of God is Himself the Author. And—oh, Marian, I know how strange it must sound to you to have me talk like this, but I simply must tell you. When I stopped my attitude of antagonism and unbelief arid came to the Bible with humility and faith, I found it the most wonderful Book in the world. It had a message from God to my own heart, and,” his voice dropped lower still, “I believe. it,..and love it, and I always shall.” Hot tears sprang to Marian’s eyes. There was no doubt ing or questioning his sincerity now. “How can you account, then, for the.uribelief that so
A New Story! THE HANDMAID OF THE LORD By Grace Livingston Hill Mrs. Hill’s charming novels are read by old and young alike. She has given to T he K ing ’ s B usiness a fascinating bit of imagery with a setting in Bible times. While it may be dangerous to add imaginative material to the inspired record, Mrs. Hill has done her work reverently, carefully, and with a desire to confirm the truth of the Virgin Birth which is being so widely denied today. Watch for the story in an early issue of THE KING'S BUSINESS
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