When it was Dark

by Guy Thorne

  "Who can say? There's never been a case like it before, you see."

  "Well, the paper doesn't say, but I expect they've got them safe enough in London -- Mr. Schuabe and the other fellow."

  "Just to think of our Mr. Gortre helping to find it out. Pity we ever let him go away from the parish church!"

  "They can't do less than make him a bishop, I should think."

  "Miss Byars, you ought to be proud of your young man. There's many folk blessing him in England this night."

  And so on, and so forth. Simple, homely speeches, not indeed free from a somewhat hard commercial view, but informed with kindliness and gratitude.

  At last, one by one, they went away. It was close on midnight when the last visitor departed.

  The vicar read a psalm to his daughter:

  "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people."

  Basil was to come to them on the morrow for a long stay.

  Epilogue

  Five Years Later

  Two figures walked along the cliffs.

  The day was wild and stormy. Huge clouds, bursting with sombre light, sailed over the pewter-coloured sea. The bleak magnificence of the moor stretched away in endless billows, as sad and desolate as the sea on which no sail was to be seen.

  The wayfarers turned out of the struggle of the bitter wind into a slight depression. A few scattered cottages began to come into the field of their vision.

  Soon they saw the whitewashed buildings of a coastguard station and the high, square tower of a church.

  "So it is all settled, Spence," said one of the men, a tall, noble-faced man, dressed as a clerk in Holy Orders.

  "Yes, Father Ripon," Spence said. "They have offered me The Wire. It was one of Ommaney's last wishes. Of course, we were injured in our circulation by the fact that we were the first to publish the news of the great forgery. But in two years Ommaney had brought the paper to the front again. He was wonderful, the first editor of his age."

  Spence paused for a moment to take in the bleak landscape. "I was there when Ommaney died," he continued. "It was the first time I had ever been in his flat, though we had worked together all these years. The simplest place you ever saw. Just a couple of rooms, where he slept all the daytime. No luxury, hardly even comfort. Ommaney had no existence apart from his work. A goodhearted man, a brilliant editor, but utterly detached from any personal contact with life."

  Father Ripon's keen face, still as eager and powerful as before, set into lines of thought. He sighed a little. "A modern product," he said at length. "A modern product; a sign of the times. Well, Spence, a power is entrusted to you now such as no priest can enjoy. I pray that your editorship of this great paper will be fine. Try to be fine always. I believe the Holy Spirit will be with you."

  "Have you seen Constantine Schuabe?" Spence asked.

  Father Ripon shook his head. "The man, or what remains of the man, is in the county asylum of which he was a benefactor. His mind has gone. He receives few visitors now. His money was confiscated by order of the Government, but they allow two hundred a year for him. Otherwise he would be among the paupers."

  They rose up towards the moor again. "There's the church," said Spence, "where she lies buried. Basil Gortre sees that the grave is kept beautiful with flowers. It was surely an odd impulse of yours to propose this visit."

  "I do odd things sometimes," said Father Ripon, simply. "I thought that the sight of this poor woman's resting place might remind you and me of what has passed, of what she did for the world -- though no one knows it but our group of friends. I hope it will remind us, remind you very solemnly, my friend, in your new responsibility, of what Christ means to the world. The shadows of the time of darkness, when it was dark during the horror of great darkness, have gone from us. And this poor sister did this for her Saviour's sake."

  They stood by Gertrude Hunt's grave as they spoke.

  A slender copper cross rose above it, some six feet high.

  "I wonder how the poor girl managed it," said Spence at length. "Her testimony was wonderfully complete. Sir Michael showed me her letter five years ago when the great deception was exposed. She was wonderfully adroit. I suppose Llwellyn had left papers about or something. But I do wonder how she did it."

  "That," said Father Ripon, "was what she would never tell anybody."

  * * *

  A Sunday evensong. The grim old Lancashire church of Walktown is full of people. The galleries are crowded, every seat in the aisles below is packed.

  This night, Easter night, the church looks less forbidding. The harsh note is gone; something of the supreme joy of Holy Easter has driven it away.

  Old Mr. Byars sits in his stall. He is tired by the long, happy day, and as the choir sings the last verse of the hymn before the sermon he sits down.

  The delicate, intellectual face is a little pinched and transparent. Age has come, but it is to this faithful vicar as the rare bloom on the fruits of peace and quiet.

  The thunderous voices peal in exultation.

  "Alleluia!"

  "Christ is risen!"

  The old man turns his head. His eyes are full of happy tears. He sees his daughter, a young and gracious married woman now, standing in a pew close to the chancel steps. He hears her voice, full of triumph. "Christ is risen!"

  From his oak chair behind the altar rails Dean Gortre comes down towards the pulpit.

  Young still -- strangely young for the title they pressed on him for two years before he would accept it -- Basil ascends the steps.

  "Christ is risen!"

  The organ crashes; there is silence.

  The lights in the church are suddenly lowered to half their height.

  The two candles in the pulpit shine brightly on the preacher's face.

  They all see it filled with holy fire.

  Christ is risen!

  Basil reads the apostle Paul's words to the Corinthian church. "If Christ be not risen your faith is vain."

  The church is absolutely still as the words of the text ring out.

  The people are thinking humbly, with contrite hearts, of the shame five years ago.

  "Christ is risen!" Basil says. "Away with the illusions which may have kept us from Him. Let us also arise and live!"

  "Christ is risen!" the people call back.

  THE END

  More Christian books from White Tree Publishing are on the next pages, some of which are available as both eBooks and paperbacks. More Christian books than those shown here are available in non-fiction and fiction, for adults and younger readers. The full list of published and forthcoming books is on our website www.whitetreepublishing.com. Please visit there regularly for updates.

  White Tree Publishing publishes mainstream evangelical Christian literature in paperback and eBook formats, for people of all ages. We aim to make our eBooks available free for all eBook devices, but some distributors will only list our books free at their discretion, and may make a small charge for some titles -- but they are still great value!

  We rely on our readers to tell their families, friends and churches about our books. Social media is a great way of doing this. Take a look at our range of fiction and non-fiction books and pass the word on. You can even contact your Christian TV or radio station to let them know about these books. Also, please write a positive review if you are able.

  Christian Non-fiction

  Four short books of help in the Christian life:

  So, What Is a Christian? An introduction to a personal faith. Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9927642-2-7, eBook ISBN: 978-0-9933941-2-6

  Starting Out -- help for new Christians of all ages. Paperback ISBN 978-1-4839-622-0-7, eBook ISBN: 978-0-9933941-0-2

  Help! -- Explores some problems we can encounter with our faith. Paperback ISBN 978-0-9927642-2-7, eBook ISBN: 978-0-9933941-1-9

  Running Through the Bible -- a simple understanding
of what’s in the Bible -- Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9927642-6-5, eBook ISBN: 978-0-9933941-3-3

  Be Still

  Bible Words of Peace and Comfort

  There may come a time in our lives when we want to concentrate on God’s many promises of peace and comfort. The Bible readings in this book are for people who need to know what it means to be held securely in the Lord’s loving arms.

  Rather than selecting single verses here and there, each reading in this book is a run of several verses. This gives a much better picture of the whole passage in which a favourite verse may be found.

  As well as being for personal use, these readings are intended for sharing with anyone in special need, to help them draw comfort from the reading and prayer for that date. Bible reading and prayer are the two most important ways of getting to know and trust Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

  The reference to the verses for the day are given, for you to look up and read in your preferred Bible translation.

  eBook ISBN: 978-0-9933941-4-0

  Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9932760-7-1

  116 pages 5x7.8 inches

  A Previously Unpublished Book

  The Simplicity of the Incarnation

  J Stafford Wright

  Foreword by J I Packer

  “I believe in ... Jesus Christ ... born of the Virgin Mary.” A beautiful stained glass image, or a medical reality? This is the choice facing Christians today. Can we truly believe that two thousand years ago a young woman, a virgin named Mary, gave birth to the Son of God? The answer is simple: we can.

  The author says, “In these days many Christians want some sensible assurance that their faith makes sense, and in this book I want to show that it does.”

  In this uplifting book from a previously unpublished and recently discovered manuscript, J Stafford Wright investigates the reality of the incarnation, looks at the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, and helps the reader understand more of the Trinity and the certainty of eternal life in heaven.

  This book was written shortly before the author’s death in 1985. The Simplicity of the Incarnation is published for the first time, unedited, from his final draft.

  eBook ISBN 13: 978-0-9932760-5-7

  Paperback ISBN: 9-780-9525-9563-2

  160 pages 5.25 x 8 inches

  Available from bookstores and major internet sellers

  Bible People Real People

  An Unforgettable A-Z of Who is Who in the Bible

  In a fascinating look at real people, J Stafford Wright shows his love and scholarly knowledge of the Bible as he brings the characters from its pages to life in a memorable way.

  Read this book through from A to Z, like any other title

  Dip in and discover who was who in personal Bible study

  Check the names when preparing a talk or sermon

  The good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly – no one is spared. This is a book for everyone who wants to get to grips with the reality that is in the pages of the Bible, the Word of God.

  With the names arranged in alphabetical order, the Old and New Testament characters are clearly identified so that the reader is able to explore either the Old or New Testament people on the first reading, and the other Testament on the second.

  Those wanting to become more familiar with the Bible will find this is a great introduction to the people inhabiting the best selling book in the world, and those who can quote chapter and verse will find everyone suddenly becomes much more real – because these people are real. This is a book to keep handy and refer to frequently while reading the Bible.

  “For students of my generation the name Stafford Wright was associated with the spiritual giants of his generation. Scholarship and integrity were the hallmarks of his biblical teaching. He taught us the faith and inspired our discipleship of Christ. To God be the Glory.” The Rt. Rev. James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool

  This is a lively, well-informed study of some great Bible characters. Professor Gordon Wenham MA PhD. Tutor in Old Testament at Trinity College Bristol and Emeritus Professor of Old Testament at the University of Gloucestershire.

  eBook ISBN: 978-0-9932760-7-1

  Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9525956-5-6

  314 pages 6x9 inches

  Note: This book is not available in all eBook formats

  Christians and the Supernatural

  J Stafford Wright

  There is an increasing interest and fascination in the paranormal today. To counteract this, it is important for Christians to have a good understanding of how God sometimes acts in mysterious ways, and be able to recognize how he can use our untapped gifts and abilities in his service. We also need to understand how the enemy can tempt us to misuse these gifts and abilities, just as Jesus was tempted in the wilderness.

  In this single volume of his two previously published books on the occult and the supernatural (Understanding the Supernatural and Our Mysterious God) J Stafford Wright examines some of the mysterious events we find in the Bible and in our own lives. Far from dismissing the recorded biblical miracles as folk tales, he is convinced that they happened in the way described, and explains why we can accept them as credible.

  The writer says: When God the Holy Spirit dwells within the human spirit, he uses the mental and physical abilities which make up a total human being . . . The whole purpose of this book is to show that the Bible does make sense.

  And this warning: The Bible, claiming to speak as the revelation of God, and knowing man’s weakness for substitute religious experiences, bans those avenues into the occult that at the very least are blind alleys that obscure the way to God, and at worst are roads to destruction.

  eBook ISBN 13: 978-0-9932760-4-0

  Paperback ISBN 13: 9-780-9525-9564-9

  222 pages 5.25 x 8 inches

  Available from bookstores and major internet sellers

  Howell Harris

  His Own Story

  Foreword by J. Stafford Wright

  Howell Harris was brought up to regard the Nonconformists as "a perverted and dangerously erroneous set of people." Hardly a promising start for a man who was to play a major role in the Welsh Revival. Yet in these extracts from his writings and diaries we can read the thoughts of Howell Harris before, during and after his own conversion.

  We can see God breaking through the barriers separating "church and chapel", and discover Christians of different denominations preparing the country for revival. Wesley, Whitefield, Harris. These great 18th century preachers worked both independently and together to preach the Living Gospel. This book is a vivid first-hand account of the joys, hardships and struggles of one of these men -- Howell Harris (1714-1773).

  eBook only

  ISBN: 978-0-9933941-9-5

  From the Streets of London

  to the Streets of Gold

  The Life Story of

  Brother Clifford Edwards

  A True Story of Love

  by

  Brother Clifford Edwards

  eBook only

  ISBN: 978-0-9933941-8-8

  (A printed copy is available directly from Brother Clifford)

  This is the personal story of Clifford Edwards, affectionately known as Brother Clifford by his many friends. Going from fame to poverty, he was sleeping on the streets of London with the homeless for twenty years, until Jesus rescued him and gave him an amazing mission in life. Brother Clifford tells his true story here in the third person, giving the glory to Jesus.

  Seven Steps to

  Walking in Victory

  Lin Wills

  eBook ISBN: 978-0-9957594-3-5

  Also available as a booklet

  www.lenandlin.com

  How is your Christian life going? Finding it hard and not sure why? Wherever you might be, Seven Steps to Walking in Victory is a very short book to help you see where you are in the Christian life, and help you keep on the right path to the victory that comes through walking closely with Jesus — to live the Christian life you always wanted to
live!

  English Hexapla

  The Gospel of John

  (Paperback only)

  Published to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the Authorized King James Version of the Bible, this book contains the full text of Bagster’s assembled work for the Gospel of John. On each page in parallel columns are the words of the six most important translations of the New Testament into English, made between 1380 and 1611. Below the English is the original Greek text after Scholz.

  To enhance the reading experience, there is an introduction telling how we got our English Bibles, with significant pages from early Bibles shown at the end of the book.

  Here is an opportunity to read English that once split the Church by giving ordinary people the power to discover God’s word for themselves. Now you can step back in time and discover those words and spellings for yourself, as they first appeared hundreds of years ago.

  Wyclif 1380, Tyndale 1534, Cranmer 1539, Geneva 1557,

  Douay Rheims 1582, Authorized (KJV) 1611.

  English Hexapla -- The Gospel of John

  Published by White Tree Publishing

  Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9525956-1-8

  Size 7.5 x 9.7 inches paperback

  Not available as an eBook

  Roddy Goes to Church

  Church Life and Church People

  Derek Osborne

  No, not a children’s book! An affectionate, optimistic look at church life involving, as it happens, Roddy and his friends who live in a small town. Problems and opportunities related to change and outreach are not, of course, unique to their church!

  Maybe you know Miss Prickly-Cat who pointedly sits in the same pew occupied by generations of her forebears, and perhaps know many of the characters in this look at church life today. A wordy Archdeacon comes on the scene, and Roddy is taken aback by the events following his first visit to church. Roddy’s best friend Bushy-Beard says wise things, and he hears an enlightened Bishop . . .