Hester Raymount, along with Mary Marston, is one of MacDonald’s few leading ladies who carries a book on her own. Hester’s eventual recognition of the life God has marked out for her comes only with much soul-searching along the way, and some unpleasant revelations about herself. The quest of Falconer’s heart had primarily to do with the truth of the gospel. Hester’s choices, however, focus more specifically on what obedience to the gospel means regarding her fellow man. Interestingly, in the end she and Falconer find themselves engaged in almost the same work. The eventual parallel between Falconer and Mary St. John and Hester and Mr. Christopher is inescapable.

Judy and I find Hester’s story particularly personal. As a musician, Judy was always taught—indeed such is the assumption for musicians, and the clear goal inherent in nearly all music training and studies—that performance is the validating objective of musical pursuits. Performance becomes the be-all and end-all. Judy was shy, however, and uncomfortable in that role. She loved music, but hated “performing.”

After years in various symphonies and teaching (where even she found herself emphasizing performance to her students), it was not until she began taking her harp into hospital rooms to play for the sick and suffering and dying that she realized she had discovered her musical niche. Watching blood pressure numbers drop before her eyes, observing those in pain drift to sleep for a few minutes of peace, seeing tears of healing come to the eyes of a patient…suddenly she saw what had been the heart’s desire of her music all along. It wasn’t performance, but bringing the healing therapeutic power of music into the lives of the suffering.

The progression of Hester’s ministry-vision is identical. She, too, is lauded and praised and encouraged to perform, and even puts on a concert, thinking it’s what musicians are supposed to do. Not only is the concert a disaster, Hester’s personality is not one that thrives on being in the spotlight.

Then comes a change. As she sits beside a woman and child with smallpox not knowing what to do or say, she softly begins to sing. Within minutes both are sleeping peacefully.

It is an epiphany for Hester. Performance is the last thing on her mind. Suddenly she realizes that her music can bring calm, comfort, peace, and even healing. With that eye-opening truth, her vision for help and service and ministry begins to coalesce into a reality.

Hester’s family is a so-called religious one, yet without deep convictions. Hester has grown up in an environment where the words of life were present but had not penetrated into life. The words built up a mere hollow spiritual shell, the vacancy of which is exemplified by her father and the character of one of her brothers. It is this empty pretended spirituality—the unconverted heart that gives hypocritical lip service to faith—which has been “weighed” and found “wanting.”

Hester ultimately discovers fulfillment in laying down her life in service to God’s humanity. She thus personifies one of the most profound lessons MacDonald emphasizes in his books—letting God use you where you are, with the talents you possess, on behalf of those around you.