Iftheyweresure,eachone,offindingamansionthere,couldnothebefarmoresure?Hislifehadbeenmorefruitfulthantheirs。
Hehadbeenaleader,afounderofnewenterprises,apillarofChurchandState,aprinceoftheHouseofIsrael。Tentalentshadbeengivenhim,andhehadmadethemtwenty。Hisrewardwouldbeproportionate。
Hewasgladthathiscompanionsweregoingtofindfitdwellingspreparedforthem;buthethoughtalsowithacertainpleasureofthesurprisethatsomeofthemwouldfeelwhentheysawhisappointedmansion。
Sotheycametothesummitofthemoorlandandlookedoverintotheworldbeyond。Itwasavast,greenplain,softlyroundedlikeashallowvase,andcircledwithhillsofamethyst。Abroad,shiningriverflowedthroughit,andmanysilverthreadsofwaterwerewovenacrossthegreen;andtherewerebordersoftalltreesonthebanksoftheriver,andorchardsfullofrosesabloomalongthelittlestreams,andinthemidstofallstoodthecity,whiteandwonderfulandradiant。
Whenthetravelerssawittheywerefilledwithaweandjoy。
Theypassedoverthelittlestreamsandamongtheorchardsquicklyandsilently,asiftheyfearedtospeaklestthecityshouldvanish。
Thewallofthecitywasverylow,achildcouldseeoverit,foritwasmadeonlyofpreciousstones,whichareneverlarge。
Thegateofthecitywasnotlikeagateaall,foritwasnotbarredwithironorwood,butonlyasinglepearl,softlygleaming,markedtheplacewherethewallendedandtheentrancelayopen。
Apersonstoodtherewhosefacewasbrightandgrave,andwhoserobewasliketheflowerofthelily,notawovenfabric,butalivingtexture。
\"Comein,\"hesaidtothecompanyoftravelers;\"youareatyourjourney\'send,andyourmansionsarereadyforyou。\"
JohnWeightmanhesitated,forhewastroubledbyadoubt。
Supposethathewasnotreally,likehiscompanions,athisjourney\'send,butonlytransportedforalittlewhileoutoftheregularcourseofhislifeintothismysteriousexperience?Supposethat,afterall,hehadnotreallypassedthroughthedoorofdeath,liketheseothers,butonlythroughthedoorofdreams,andwaswalkinginavision,alivingmanamongtheblesseddead。Woulditberightforhimtogowiththemintotheheavenlycity?Woulditnotbeadeception,adesecration,adeepandunforgivableoffense?Thestrange,confusingquestionhadnoreasoninit,asheverywellknew;
forifhewasdreaming,thenitwasalladream;butifhiscompanionswerereal,thenhealsowaswiththeminreality,andiftheyhaddiedthenhemusthavediedtoo。Yethecouldnotridhismindofthesensethattherewasadifferencebetweenthemandhim,anditmadehimafraidtogoon。But,ashepausedandturned,theKeeperoftheGatelookedstraightanddeepintohiseyes,andbeckonedtohim。Thenheknewthatitwasnotonlyrightbutnecessarythatheshouldenter。
Theypassedfromstreettostreetamongfairandspaciousdwellings,setinamaranthinegardens,andadornedwithaninfinitelyvariedbeautyofdivinesimplicity。Themansionsdifferedinsize,inshape,incharm:
eachoneseemedtohaveitsownpersonallookofloveliness;
yetallwerealikeinfitnesstotheirplace,inharmonywithoneanother,intheadditionwhicheachmadetothesingularandtranquilsplendorofthecity。
Asthelittlecompanycame,onebyone,tothemansionswhichwerepreparedforthem,andtheirGuidebeckonedtothehappyinhabitanttoenterinandtakepossession,therewasasoftmurmurofjoy,halfwonderandhalfrecognition;asifthenewandimmortaldwellingwerecrownedwiththebeautyofsurprise,lovelierandnoblerthanallthedreamsofithadbeen;andyetalsoasifitweretouchedwiththebeautyofthefamiliar,theremembered,thelong-loved。
Oneafteranotherthetravelerswereledtotheirownmansions,andwentingladly;andfromwithin,throughtheopendoorwayscamesweetvoicesofwelcome,andlowlaughter,andsong。
AtlasttherewasnooneleftwiththeGuidebutthetwooldfriends,DoctorMcLeanandJohnWeightman。Theywerestandinginfrontofoneofthelargestandfairestofthehouses,whosegardenglowedsoftlywithradiantflowers。TheGuidelaidhishanduponthedoctor\'sshoulder。
\"Thisisforyou,\"hesaid。\"Goin;thereisnomorepainhere,nomoredeath,norsorrow,nortears;foryouroldenemiesareallconquered。Butallthegoodthatyouhavedoneforothers,allthehelpthatyouhavegiven,allthecomfortthatyouhavebrought,allthestrengthandlovethatyouhavebestoweduponthesuffering,arehere;forwehavebuiltthemallintothismansionforyou。\"
Thegoodman\'sfacewaslightedwithastilljoy。Heclaspedhisoldfriend\'shandclosely,andwhispered:\"Howwonderfulitis!
Goon,youwillcometoyourmansionnext,itisnotfaraway,andweshallseeeachotheragainsoon,verysoon。\"
Sohewentthroughthegarden,andintothemusicwithin。
TheKeeperoftheGateturnedtoJohnWeightmanwithlevel,quiet,searchingeyes。Thenheasked,gravely:
\"Wheredoyouwishmetoleadyounow?\"
\"Toseemyownmansion,\"answeredtheman,withhalf-concealedexcitement。
\"Istherenotonehereforme?Youmaynotletmeenterityet,perhaps,forImustconfesstoyouthatIamonly——\"
\"Iknow,\"saidtheKeeperoftheGate——\"Iknowitall。
YouareJohnWeightman。\"
\"Yes,\"saidtheman,morefirmlythanhehadspokenatfirst,foritgratifiedhimthathisnamewasknown。\"Yes,IamJohnWeightman,SeniorWardenofSt。Petronius\'Church。Iwishverymuchtoseemymansionhere,ifonlyforamoment。Ibelievethatyouhaveoneforme。
Willyoutakemetoit?\"
TheKeeperoftheGatedrewalittlebookfromthebreastofhisrobeandturnedoverthepages。
\"Certainly,\"hesaid,withacuriouslookattheman,\"yournameishere;
andyoushallseeyourmansionifyouwillfollowme。\"
Itseemedasiftheymusthavewalkedmilesandmiles,throughthevastcity,passingstreetafterstreetofhouseslargerandsmaller,ofgardensricherandpoorer,butallfullofbeautyanddelight。
Theycameintoakindofsuburb,wherethereweremanysmallcottages,withplotsofflowers,verylowly,butbrightandfragrant。
Finallytheyreachedanopenfield,bareandlonely-looking。
Thereweretwoorthreelittlebushesinit,withoutflowers,andthegrasswassparseandthin。Inthecenterofthefieldwasatinyhut,hardlybigenoughforashepherd\'sshelter。