Electronic Book page

The difficulty had been to obtain from him any response
whatever. He did not seem able to rouse sufficiently to notice
anything going on around him. But those words, 'by God's grace,'
appeared to take hold of him and find immediate echo in his inner
consciousness. I heard him repeat them once or twice, and then
change them to 'with the abundance of Thy grace.' Then he turned his
head slowly on the pillow, and what one could see of his face seemed
transformed. He said: 'Now I remember it, and the music is this';
and his hands moved on the bedclothes, as if forming chords. Then,
in a very low voice, but quite clearly, he repeated the second verse
of the VENI, CREATOR SPIRITUS. I knew it, because I used to sing it
as a chorister in my father's church at home. You remember?"
"'Enable with perpetual light
The dulness of our blinded sight.
Anoint and cheer our soiled face
With the abundance of Thy grace.
Keep far our foes; give peace at home;
Where Thou art Guide, no ill can come.


Pages:
218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242