“Quite right. I am to remain in the office. I am to be in your place, Jenkins.”
“You’ll occupy a better position in it, sir, than I ever did. But you will not be all alone, surely?”
“Young Bartlett is coming to be under me. Mr. Galloway has made final arrangements to-day. We shall go on all right now.”
“Ay,” said Jenkins, folding his thin hands upon the counterpane, and speaking as in self-commune; “we must live near to God to know His mercy. It does seem almost as if I had asked a favour of any earthly person, so exactly has it been granted me! Mr. Arthur, I prayed that I might live to see you put right with Mr. Galloway and the town, and I felt as sure as I could feel, by some inward evidence which I cannot describe, but which was plain to me, that God heard me, and would grant me my wish. It seems, sir, as if I had been let live for that. I shan’t be long now.”
“While there is life there is hope, you know, Jenkins,” replied Arthur, unable to say anything more cheering in the face of circumstances.
“Mr. Arthur, the hope for me now is, to go,” said Jenkins. “I would not be restored if I could. How can I tell, sir, but I might fall away from God? If the call comes to-night, sir, it will find me ready. Oh, Mr. Arthur, if people only knew the peace of living close to God—of feeling that they are READY! Ready for the summons, let it come in the second or third watch!”
“Jenkins!” exclaimed Arthur, as the thought struck him: “I have not heard you cough once since I came in! Is your cough better!”
“Oh, sir, there’s another blessing! Now that I have grown so weak that the cough would shatter me—tear my frame to pieces—it is gone! It is nearly a week, sir, since I coughed at all. My death-bed has been made quite pleasant for me. Except for weakness, I am free from pain, and I have all things comfortable. I am rich in abundance: my wife waits upon me night and day—she lets me want for nothing; before I can express a wish, it is done. When I think of all the favours showered down upon me, and how little I can do, or have ever done, for God, in return, I am overwhelmed with shame.”
“Jenkins, one would almost change places with you, to be in your frame of mind,” cried Arthur, his tone impassioned.
“God will send the same frame of mind to all who care to go to Him,” was the reply. “Sir,” and now Jenkins dropped his voice, “I was grieved to hear about Mr. Roland. I could not have thought it.”