"Oh that I might have my request, and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!"
Robert knew that he longed for Marie and believed that if he had faith God would answer his prayers. He read again—Job 6:11-13:
"What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?
Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?"
This was a great consolation to Robert. He realized that at last in desperation like Job he must hope and have faith; that his wisdom and strength was in himself and that if he had faith in God and trusted him that he would find Marie; that he would be able to overcome trials and tribulations and would have wisdom and faith to hold on and hope until he realized his dream and again found Marie. Robert remembered reading in the Bible where it said:
"Whom God loveth he chastiseth."
He thought that Marie was chastising him to try his faith and decided that he would not lose patience no matter what happened, that he would seek her to the ends of the earth.
Robert watched the movement of every woman who passed thru the gates of the Union Station for Marie, but each minute brought bitter disappointment. His heart, which but a few hours ago was filled with love and happiness, was sad. Robert looked up as the hands on the clock in the Union Station pointed to 1 o'clock,—the time that he had appointed unto himself to wait without taking some action to try to find Marie. No Marie was in sight. He walked over to the news stand and bought a paper and decided to sit down for a few minutes and try to read. As he slowly turned the pages of the paper looking for something he knew not what, suddenly his eyes fell upon the heading; "The Best Thing on Earth" by R.L. Cole. The first thought that entered Robert's mind was that the best thing on earth was Marie and that the greatest thing in the world was love. He read the entire article.
CHAPTER XII
The Best Thing On Earth