“Well, friends,” interposed Father Waite, “it is to take up for earnest consideration just such questions as Mr. Haynerd propounds, that I have my suggestion to make, namely, that we meet together once or twice a week, or as often as we may agree upon, to search for––” his voice dropped to a whisper––“to search for God, and with this young girl as our guide. For I believe she is very close to Him. The world knows God only by hearsay. Carmen has proved Him.
“Men ask why it is,” he went on, “that God remains hidden from them; why they can not understand Him. They forget that Jesus revealed God as Love. And, if that is so, in order to know Him all mankind must love their fellow-men. But they go right on hating one another, cheating, abusing, robbing, slaying, persecuting, and still wondering why they don’t know God, regardless of the only possible way of ever working out from the evils by which they are beset, if we believe that Jesus told the truth, or was correctly reported.” He paused and reflected for a moment. Then:
“The ancient prophet said: ‘Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your hearts.’ It is my proposal that we bind ourselves together in such a search. To it we can bring diverse talents. To our vast combined worldly experience, I bring knowledge of the ancient Greek and Latin Fathers, together with Church history. Mr. Hitt brings his command of the Hebrew language and history, and an intimate acquaintance with the ancient manuscripts, and Biblical interpretation, together with a wide knowledge of the physical sciences. Madam Beaubien, Miss Wall, and Mr. Haynerd contribute their earnest, searching, inquisitive spirit, and a knowledge of the world’s needs. Moreover, we all come together without bias or prejudice. And Carmen––she contributes that in which we have all been so woefully lacking, and without which we can never know God, the rarest, deepest spirituality. She is a living proof of her faith. Shall we undertake the search, my friends? It means a study of her thought, and the basis upon which it rests.”
The Beaubien raised her hand to her moist eyes. She was thinking of that worldly coterie which formerly was wont to meet nightly in her magnificent mansion to prey upon their fellows. Oh, how different the spirit of this little gathering!
“You will meet here, with me,” she said in a broken voice. “I ask it.”
There were none there unacquainted with the sorrows of this penitent, broken woman. Each rose in turn and clasped 15 her hand. Carmen threw her arms about her neck and kissed her repeatedly.
“You see,” said the Beaubien, smiling up through her tears, “what this child’s religion is? Would the swinging of incense burners and the mumbling of priestly formulæ enhance it?”
“Jesus said, ‘Having seen me ye have seen God,’” said Father Waite.
“And I say,” replied the Beaubien, “that having seen this child, you have indeed seen Him.”