Winter Is Past by Ruth Axtell Morren Read Free Book Online Page B

of?”
    â€œIt’s about the Jewish people winning a battle. Papa knows the story better. We didn’t light them this December. I was ill.”
    Althea nodded, then walked over to the pianoforte. She sat down, wondering what to play. She played a few scales to get her fingers warmed up. The sheet music in front of her was a hymn of worship written by Charles Wesley. She played the first few bars, then continued, enjoying the uplifting sounds. The second time she played it through she began singing the words. She finished that one and began to play and sing another she had been practicing: “‘Come, my soul, thou must be waking/Now is breaking/O’er the earth another day: Come to Him who made this splendor…’”
    She turned toward Rebecca with a smile. “Would you like to hear any more?”
    â€œOh, yes, please. Those are such cheerful songs.”
    Althea played a few more hymns, then glanced at the girl. Her eyes were closed and her dark head leaned against the back of the chair. Althea rose from the instrument.
    She stood gazing down at Rebecca. The child looked fragile and wan against the bright, brocaded pattern of the upholstery. Her burgundy hair ribbon slipped across a pale cheek like a rivulet of blood. Her thin hands lay over the blanket, the veins blue bumps upon the snowy skin.
    â€œI’m not asleep, Miss Althea.” Her lips curved in a smile and she opened her eyes. “I was just listening to the music.” After a pause, she continued, “It was all about God, wasn’t it?”
    â€œYes, it was.”
    Rebecca looked toward the garden. “Do you believe in God?”
    â€œYes, dear.”
    The little girl gave Althea a straightforward look. “ Abba doesn’t.”
    â€œHow do you know?”
    â€œI’ve heard him say God is an outdated notion and no rational mind can accept Bible stories as anything but myths.”
    Althea considered the parroted words, shocked despite herself. “Do you believe in God, Rebecca?”
    Rebecca tilted her head back against the chair. “I don’t know.”
    Hiding her concern, Althea eased herself onto the arm of the chair and touched the top of Rebecca’s head. “Why is that?”
    Rebecca turned her eyes up to her. “I’ve never seen Him. I’ve never heard Him. Who is to say He is really there?”
    Althea nodded. “You are absolutely right. If you have never felt His presence, you cannot say for certain He is.”
    Rebecca studied her. “You have felt His presence, haven’t you?”
    â€œYes, dear,” she answered with a smile, her hand stroking Rebecca’s hair.
    â€œWhat does that mean, ‘feel His presence’?”
    Althea pursed her lips, considering how best to reply. “I’ll show you.” Gently, she placed both her hands against the sides of Rebecca’s head and turned it away from her, toward the garden. Then she removed her hands completely from Rebecca. “You can’t see me, can you?”
    Rebecca shook her head.
    â€œYou can’t feel me touching you anywhere, can you?”
    Again she shook her head.
    â€œNow I shall stop speaking and you won’t be able to hear me. Let’s do that, shall we?”
    Rebecca nodded her head.
    Althea waited silently a little while, not moving. As the silencestretched out, she forgot Mrs. Coates’s earlier scorn, the impossible task Simon had assigned her, and the myriad distractions that had clouded her real purpose in this household. As God’s peace descended upon her, she gazed out the windows at the black outline of espaliered trees against the brick wall enclosing the garden. The ground was a patchwork of snow and brown grass between the gravel paths.
    â€œMiss Althea?”
    â€œHow do you know I’m still here?”
    Rebecca turned toward her a face radiant with discovery. “I can feel your presence, can’t