THE POWER OF PRAYER
- No," said the lawyer, "I will not make your accusation against this man; you can look for another lawyer to handle the case or else withdraw the accusation. It's up to you to decide.
- Do you think you won't get much out of the case?
- I know there is some money; and that money will be the result of the sale of the small house that he calls his home! But I don't want to take care of this case anyway.
- Are you afraid, huh?
- No, it's not that.
- Then I suppose the fellow has come to beg you not to go on.
- Yes, he did.
- And moved him?
- Yes, he did.
- By God! What have you done?
- I think I shed some tears.
- And the old man begged with determination, did he not?
- No, he didn't say a word to me.
- Well, may I then ask who he addressed in his presence?
- To God Almighty.
- Ah! You prayed, didn't you?
- You see, I found the little house very easily. I knocked on the door, which was open, but no one heard me; so I went into the little hall and saw, through the crack in the door, a well-arranged room, and on a bed, with a gray head on pillows, an old lady, who looked immensely like my mother, the last time I saw her in this world. Well, just as she was about to hit, I heard her say, "Come on, talk. I'm ready." On his knees beside him was an old man, gray-haired, even older than his wife, as I could judge. I no longer had the courage to hit. But he started. First he reminded him that they were God's submissive children, and whatever trial He imposed on them, they should not rebel against His will. No doubt, it would be very hard for them to be homeless in old age, especially the poor woman, so sick and defenseless. Ah! How different it would have been if at least one of the boys had been spared. Then his voice as if broken, and a white hand, coming out from under the covers, caressed his gray hair. But he went on, saying that nothing else would be as cruel as the loss of his three children - unless he and his wife had to separate. But, finally, he started comforting himself with the idea that the Lord well knew that it wasn't because of his or his wife's fault that they were now threatened to lose their dear home, which meant begging or the asylum, the place where God would free them from entering, if it was His will. Then he quoted a number of promises about the safety of those who put their trust in God. In fact, it was the most moving petition I have ever been given to hear. Finally, he asked God to bless all those in need of justice.
And the lawyer continued, with an even louder voice:
- And believe me, I'd rather go to the asylum myself tonight than stain my heart and my hands with such a cause.
- Are you afraid to make the old man's prayer unheard?
- By God, man! It can't be left unheard," said the lawyer. - I tell you, he submitted everything to God's will, but he declared that we could make our wishes known to God; I have never heard a prayer like that. You see, I was taught that in my childhood. Anyway, why did I have to hear those prayers? I'm sure I don't know. But I have to give up the case.
- I wish you wouldn't tell me any more about that old man's pleas," said the restless client.
- Why?
- Well, I'm only interested in the money that the case can give me; but I was educated in the teachings of the Bible and I don't want to contradict it either. I wish I hadn't heard a word about it, and again I will close my ears to such requests.
The lawyer smiled.
- My dear friend," he said, "you are still wrong once. This is for my ears and yours. It was God who so determined. My mother, I still remember, used to sing a song about the mysterious ways God chooses.
- My mother too," said the client loudly, as she kneaded the papers between her fingers. And she added: - You can go to that old man's house and tell him that the judicial complaint has been suspended.
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