“It is what he said to Rollin and me at the grave that day. Virginia, how wonderful that we have seen and talked with Jesus!”

“And that he has loved us and told us so. Oh, I am so happy! We want to serve him all our lives and give our lives completely to him.”

After a silence, Virginia rose to go and Rachel asked, “When will you be married?”

“Very soon. We see no reason for waiting long.”

“No. You have waited so long all these years, it would be too sad to wait any longer!”

Virginia laughed, kissed Rachel and little Frank, and went away.

The boy turned to his mother and said, “Mamma, what makes Auntie Virgie so beautiful today?”

“Love. It is the great beautifier of life.”

“Is that what makes you so beautiful too?”

“Bless you, my son, it must be,” said Rachel as she clasped the boy to her heart and thought of Eloise and Rollin.

At about the same time in the day that Virginia was “confessing” to Rachel, Stanton was with Mr. Maxwell in his study at his house. They had been reviewing that wonderful week which would remain in their personal history as the most astonishing experience they would ever know on earth.

“What has been left as a result of his short stay with us?” Stanton asked.

“It is simply overwhelming. I can understand now why it was not necessary for Jesus to live a long period of years on the earth in order to leave a deathless influence. Do you realize what courage and power the visit of Jesus put into the ministers? All over town yesterday, everyone was talking about the wonderful sermons heard on Sunday. People said there was nothing like it in all church history in Raymond.”

“I’m sure,” Stanton said warmly. “We had a wonderful sermon in our church. Mr. Maxwell, I never heard such a powerful sermon in all my life as you preached the day before yesterday.”

Mr. Maxwell’s eyes glistened. He had already had great love for his assistant, and his words of praise pleased him. “Thank you, Stanton. But what man could help preaching, after all we have seen and heard? The coming of Jesus and his message put such heart and hope into the church and into all Christian discipleship that it is not possible to measure its value. It will all lead shortly to a real and powerful union of the denominations in Raymond and all over the country. And that will mean a new and wonderful chapter in Christianity.”

“But how can we live without him, Mr. Maxwell? In the short week he was with us, how we all learned to love him! I would give anything right now to see and hear him. What will befall him in New York and Washington? How will he be received there?”

“It is impossible to say. I cannot help thinking of the quiet, unconcerned way in which he simply ignored the press representatives who crowded into Raymond. And they hardly realize yet that, without in any way seeming to avoid them, he succeeded in foiling all their impertinent efforts to exploit him for their own sensational purposes.”