Experiences with the Harshness Family

Now, some time after Mercy and Hope had been at this place they heard a most pitiful moaning in the way beneath them, and knowing that it must be some of the escaped ones who had met with some danger, they descended for a short distance into the darkness. There they found three sweet maidens lying among the rocks wounded and bleeding. Their names were Love-Good, Honesty, and Seek-Truth who upon hearing the blast from the trumpet, had started on a pilgrimage to find from whence the sound came. They had come from a village called Dim Light which lieth somewhat to the left side of the mountain pathway. Now they had never been on the mountain height before but had been worshiping with a little holiness band, who were also seeking to know the way more perfectly, and although they had never reached daylight point, they were striving to find the way thereto.

Now, as these three maidens were feeling their way up the mountain side, they had come upon a cave at the mouth of which sat a man in the garb of the Shepherds. Then they inquired of him the way to the place where the trumpet was being sounded. He then told them that he had been stationed at that place for the express purpose of entertaining inquirers and helping them on their way to the heights. And he called his mother and two sisters to welcome the new-comers.

Now the truth about this family was that they were not the King’s servants at all, but they were of the Apostasy family, and had been stationed at that place to turn pilgrims back into the darkness, or if they had no mind to turn back, to put an end to them if possible. His name was Mr. Harshness, his mother’s name Cruelty, and his two sisters, Mote Picker and Inquisition. Soon after the arrival of the three maidens at the cave did Miss Mote Picker approach them, saying that she would like to be of some benefit and encouragement to them, and went on to say that she felt there must be something very wrong about them, otherwise they would never have lived in the village of Dim Light, and she had noticed by their conversation that they were still under the law and of course no one could be saved and believe that kind of nonsense. Whereupon the maidens in sorrow and astonishment said that they were born and brought up in Dim Light, therefore how could they help living there, and as to the law, why, they had been taught from childhood that it was their Christian duty to keep the Sabbath and to do other things contained in the law; but that if they knew that it was God’s will, they were willing to change their ways.

Now was Miss Mote Picker in such a rage that she was deaf to all their explanations and then did she call to the rest of the family, saying, “Here, see these crooks, imposters, children of the devil, let us rid ourselves of them.”

“No, let us beat them,” said the mother. “Torture them,” responded Miss Inquisition. Then did “Brother” Harshness say many insulting things to them. They give themselves to weeping and said, “How much better if we had never heard that trumpet, for then would we have been content to dwell back in Dim Light.”

Then did Miss Inquisition place thumbscrews upon their hands and try to force them to confess many things of which they had not so much as dreamed. And Mr. Harshness then accused them of the sin of accusation and division, because he had overheard them saying that they had never seen the like of this in Dim Light. Then, one day, as Miss Inquisition had failed to draw from them the required confession, she called the other members of the family to see if they could diagnose the case, to which Mote Picker answered that she could see by their faces that they had no love for her nor for the other members, who were The Church of the Living God. She said also that she never heard any expressions of joy from them, especially of late.

Then did Harshness stand forth with a great club in his hand, and said with a roaring voice that made the maidens shrivel up in a corner, “If you don’t ove us, we’ll beat you until you do; and more than that, if I don’t hear you take to shouting ‘Glory’ soon, I’ll raze you to the ground.” Now their quietness had caused Mr. Harshness much anxiety, because he liked in all outward things to imitate the camp at the mountaintop. In fact, this family did dress so plainly that at first sight they would be mistaken for one of the faithful ones; and so did they in many other of the outward ordinances.

This they did that they might the better draw into their cave those pilgrims to whom Mr. Love-the-World’s bazaar did not appeal. For, even in Dim Light, the people had light on the dress subject, and there have been pilgrims all along who could not be enticed into that bazaar. However, the maidens were too sad to shout or sing for joy, and they were too sincere to feign joy, so they said, “How can we be joyful in such a place as this?” This saying, of course, cast a reflection upon the work of the Harshness family, and therefore did they cast the maidens out, but not until they had beaten them, cut them with sharp arrows, and broken them.

Then were the three sisters in a most pitiful plight and one said, “Would that we had been content to stay in Dim Light, for now we will be ashamed to return.”

“And,” said Seek-Truth, “I cannot say that I am content to return there, I still believe that there is something better than we have yet seen.”

At this they did begin to look about them, still moaning from their wounds and bruises. And, a short way above them did they discover a row of white pillars as of a boundary line, and upon each of the pillars was an inscription. Then did they read upon the first one: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.”* (Isaiah 2:2) Then did they perceive that they were still off the mountain here referred to. This would have been very disheartening had they not at that moment seen two figures coming toward them, and in the most gentle tones offering to help them up the pathway. Then were their hearts comforted and well nigh overjoyed to find the way. And then did Mercy lead them to the laver, while she and Hope bound up their wounds. And they did lead them into the camp of the faithful, where they received such a welcome that they forgot all their former sorrows.