CHAPTER XIV

THE GARDEN

David and Ruth journeyed onward hand in hand. The Burning Mountain was now almost invisibly remote, and they knew that they must be near the Garden for which they sought. Soon they met a company of young people, who immediately recognized the two as strangers.

One, who seemed to be the leader, spoke to them, saying: “You are welcome, strangers. Will you not join us? for we are on our way to the Temple of Wisdom, and shall be glad to have you accompany us.”

“That is indeed kind,” said David, and they joined the little company and became one with them.

“How came you here?” asked their new-found friend.

“I will tell you gladly,” said David, “if you will tell me first where we are.”

“Where?” repeated the other. “Why, you are on the borders of the Garden.”

“The Garden in the midst of the Forest?” said David questioningly.

“Yes,” replied the other.

“There is a tree in its midst, is there not?” asked David.

“A more beautiful Tree than the mind of man can imagine,” answered their guide.

“So we have understood,” said David, “and we wish to find it.”

“How came you here?” repeated their companion. “Did you come by yourselves, alone?”

David smiled. “We came alone,” he answered, “but not by ourselves, for we were guided and led here. Years ago I saw a Blue Bird and heard it sing. Once seeing and hearing it, I had to follow it. It led me to Ruth. Then, one day, it sang for us again. Its message was very clear, and again I had to follow it. I left Ruth; it led me to her a second time, for she was in trouble and needed me. We had thought that I could cut the trail here to the Garden and then return for her. But it could not be: we found that we must seek it together.”

“But the Blue Bird never comes to the borders of the Garden: he only remains within it,” said the stranger. “You must have come to this point alone.”

“No, no!” said David and Ruth in one voice. “The Wingèd Horse brought us here!”

As they conversed, the country through which they journeyed grew more and more beautiful. Its wonders unfolded before their eyes as they talked together.

“One never does anything alone,” said David. “I mean, of one’s own power. One is always guided, led, or helped. Only when one cannot clearly see or understand does one make the mistake of thinking of one’s power as coming from one’s self.”

As he spoke they passed through a series of lovely groves--first, trees of heavy wood such as cedar, oak, pine, and chestnut; then fruit trees, apple, orange, pear; then nut trees of varied kinds. As they walked on they noticed that the series of groves grew in such a pattern as to form a spiral of huge dimensions, toward the center of which they were now journeying. Soon they beheld such scenes as neither David nor Ruth had ever imagined or pictured. Here and there were charming and lovely little houses built in the midst of beautiful groves, each house surrounded by a garden filled with sweet-scented flowers. The delicious fragrance reminded David of the odours he had caught that first day when he had entered the Country that lay just the other side of the little door in the tree trunk, only now it was much stronger, sweeter, and nearer. Here were also olive trees, sweet-scented shrubs, and rose trees.

“You will find your house in time,” said the stranger. “For it is in the Garden somewhere.”

“Our house!” said Ruth. “How beautiful that will be.”

They journeyed on. The light grew more and more brilliant. It was not the kind of light that dazzles the eye and pains: it gave an effect more like that which one feels in watching the sun rise, when the first streaks of dawn come in the sky and every moment brings more light, makes all objects more distinct and vivid. It seemed as if each step took them nearer and nearer to the serene splendour of noontime.

At last they came to a Temple surrounded by trees, flowers, and shrubs of every sort, built within this wonderful and beautiful Garden.

“This is the Temple of Wisdom,” said their guide.

“The Tree--?” questioned David.

“The Tree stands within the courtyard of the Temple,” answered the stranger, “for the Temple has been built around it.”

“May we enter?” asked David.

“All who desire to enter are welcome,” said the stranger.

A sound broke forth through the sweetness of the fragrant air. It was the joyous song of the Blue Bird!

David and Ruth looked into one another’s eyes. The song re-echoed in their hearts. The stranger and his friends had left them, and they were quite alone.

They looked about. The Bird sang again. The music drew them forward in the direction whence it came. Before them they saw a rose-covered cottage. The door opened, and the beautiful little old woman of the Mansion of Happiness stood before them, smiling.

“Welcome, children,” she said. “Welcome to your cottage.”

* * * * *

David and Ruth had reached the end of their long, long journey. Through it all they had been learning to love one another, so that they were worthy to become husband and wife.

They live in the little rose-covered cottage, within the shadow of the Temple of Wisdom. Many, many times they have entered the Temple and seen the wonderful Tree; and many, many times to come, they shall enter it again.

So we must think of them as living in their rose-covered home built within the Garden that lies in the midst of the Forest Beyond the Woodlands.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Forest Beyond the Woodlands, by Mildred Kennedy