Robin13 came out into the veranda14 of “Paradise” to enjoy the scent15 of the wet earth, the sight of Nature reviving under the heavy rainfall, and the sound of plashing water. Miranda was there; she had come for the same purpose. The air had slightly blown back the chaddar of the fair girl, and with the rose-tint which the comparative coolness had brought to her cheek, and the brightness which pleasure gave to her eyes, Miranda looked beautiful in the mellowed16 light from a cloudy sky. The young girl did not retreat when Robin appeared; she was not shy with her bhai and tutor, for during Alicia’s attacks of fever Robin had adopted her pupil. Miranda had under his tuition made great progress, being eager to surprise her beloved sister with her acquirements in English as well as Gurmuki. She could even put short English words together, and read Panjabi with fluent ease.
The conversion17 of his fair pupil was the daily subject of Robin’s prayers, as of those of the other missionaries18 of Talwandi. As the youth looked now on Miranda’s lovely form and face, his whole heart rose in fervent19 supplication20 for her who had been so wonderfully brought to share Alicia’s home. Robin then, advancing towards Miranda, said, “What are you looking at, my little sister?”
“The rain—the good rain. See how the thirsty ground is drinking it in!”
“Who sends the good rain, little sister?”
“Should we not thank God for the rain?” asked Robin.
“All thank God—trees, birds, earth,” was the reply.
“But we have more reason to thank God than have the trees, the birds, and the earth. Do you not remember what you have heard so often about the best, the greatest of gifts?”
Miranda looked down and did not reply.
Robin suddenly changed the conversation, while keeping the one point at which he was aiming in view.
“Miranda, I heard from your Kashmiri bhai yesterday.” A slight smile came to the girl’s lips, and she raised her head to listen. “Kripá Dé asked me to tell his sister that he never forgets that she saved his life by her timely warning.”
“Premi is glad,” said Miranda softly.
“When you called out to Kripá Dé not to drink from the poisoned cup, did you think that your giving such a warning would bring you into trouble and danger?”
“I thought that I should be beaten, and I was so,” Miranda replied.
“You did a brave and kind action,” said Robin, “and I am sure that Kripá Dé is not ungrateful.” Miranda blushed like a rose at the praise. “But suppose,” continued Robin, “that you could only have saved your bhai by drinking the poison yourself, Miranda, would you have drunk it?”
A strange expression flitted over the lovely face. Miranda did not reply at once; then she said, in a hesitating tone, avoiding meeting the questioner’s gaze, “I think that I should have drunk it.”
“And you would in dying have expected, and justly expected, to be ever gratefully remembered by him for whom you had sacrificed life?”
“And yet how coldly you seem to regard the greatest sacrifice that ever was made! Many who thank God for rain, which descends24 at His simple command, never thank Him for the unspeakably greater gift of His only Son. There are those who read, or hear without interest, without love, that Christ tasted death for every man. Do you understand what that means?”
“I suppose that it was like drinking poison,” said the girl.
“Yes, like drinking poison, the deadliest poison, for every believer. I should think that for each individual there was a separate pang25 to be borne. I believe that when Christ hung on the cross He was drinking the deadly cup instead of me, instead of you, till the whole terrible draught26 of poison was finished, the cup drained of the last deadly drop.”
“And I have never loved Him, never thanked Him,” murmured Miranda, the soft tears rising to her eyes.
“Do you love Him, do you thank Him now?” exclaimed Robin.
The brimming eyes overflowed27; Miranda covered her face with both her hands, and Robin, with delight, caught the whispered words, “I do! I do!”
Oh, blessed rain that comes at last! Thank God for the blessed rain—that which maketh the heart to blossom and bud, that which brings life to the dead in sin! Thank God for the rain which drops from heaven—the dew of His Holy Spirit!
Robin was too full of joyful28 hopes not to hurry into “Paradise” to let Alicia share them. Harold’s young wife was still a prisoner to her sofa after an attack of fever, but she was rejoicing, like every one else, in the beginning of the season of rain.
“Robin, is not this change delightful?” said Alicia.
“Most delightful!” echoed her brother; but he was not thinking of the weather.
Robin was beginning to tell his deeply-sympathizing listener of the impression which at last had been made on the heart of Miranda, when Harold entered, with a packet of letters in his hand which he had just taken from the dripping postman.
“Two English letters for me, one Indian one for my wife, and a registered despatch29 for you, Robin,” said Harold, distributing his little budget. “The postman is waiting in the veranda for your signature to the paper.”
Robin sprang forward, in his eagerness almost snatched the letter from the hand of his brother, and was out of the room in a moment.
“A registered letter is a novelty to Robin,” observed Alicia, smiling, as she broke open the envelope in her hand; “I never knew him to receive one before.”
“Nor dart30 away in such a hurry when the English mail was about to be opened,” said Harold. “This is Clarence’s handwriting, this Ida’s neat little hand; their letters will be interesting, as telling us what success they have had in collecting money for the purchase of the fort.”
Harold and Alicia were engaged in reading their letters, when Robin returned to the room, his face radiant with pleasure.
“I hope, Robin, that your despatch has been as cheering as ours,” said Harold.
“First, let me tell you of mine,” cried Alicia. “Here’s a cheque for fifty rupees for our work; you will never guess who sent it.”
“Would you think it? the cheque is from Mr. Thole, with a nice little note besides.”
“And so much money has been collected by friends in England,” said Harold, “that we have almost enough to purchase the fort; only about a hundred rupees are wanting.”
“Then take the fort at once, and plant on it the red-cross banner,” cried Robin gaily: “here is the powder and shot which is lacking,” and with the joyousness32 of a boy he tossed to Harold a currency note for a hundred rupees.
So Robin’s secret was out. He had entered the literary arena33, and with a success that surprised himself.
“I did but write a simple account of our adventures in Arabia,” said he, in reply to a question from Harold. “I thought that when it was too hot to dig in the garden, go out to shoot a pheasant, or come home to cook it, I might earn a trifle by my pen. I am astonished to receive a hundred rupees, and mightily34 pleased by the publisher’s note: ‘We shall be glad to have further contributions from R. H.’”
“And do you wish to give the whole of this to the mission?” asked Harold, glancing at the currency note which he held in his hand.
“Of course,” replied Robin simply; “the first-fruits are always the Lord’s.”
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1
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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copious
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| adj.丰富的，大量的 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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dwellers
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| n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 ) | |
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6
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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7
spout
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| v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱 | |
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gutter
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| n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟 | |
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croaked
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| v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
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10
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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pervaded
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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13
robin
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| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
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14
veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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16
mellowed
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| （使）成熟( mellow的过去式和过去分词 )； 使色彩更加柔和，使酒更加醇香 | |
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conversion
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| n.转化，转换，转变 | |
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18
missionaries
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| n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) | |
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19
fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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supplication
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| n.恳求，祈愿，哀求 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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23
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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24
descends
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| v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 )；下去；下降；下斜 | |
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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26
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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overflowed
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| 溢出的 | |
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28
joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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29
despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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30
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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31
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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32
joyousness
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| 快乐，使人喜悦 | |
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33
arena
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| n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台 | |
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mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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