(This very striking incident was given me by a medical friend, who heard it from the lady herself. — Editor.)
My sister took me to call upon an intimate friend of hers„ who has lived for six years in a villa opposite her own. This lady is single, and has no relations and few friends, she lives alone, and leads a very lonely life. Since coming to London six years ago, her great pleasure had been going to the theater, and especially to first performances of new plays. When she came under Christian influence some few years ago, she was converted, and gave up her only earthly amusement — the theater. But on one occasion, feeling extremely low and depressed, she decided to break her rule and go once for a treat to a theater. This she did, but did not feel very happy about it, and found she did not enjoy the play as she expected to. On coming out of the theater after the performance, she found the bus for her suburb waiting as usual to take people home. She went up the steps to the top, expecting as usual to find it crowded, but to her surprise it was empty, and not a soul to be seen, and still more strange, no people were coming up, though, all the other buses were being rapidly filled. She took her seat, alone, as she thought, but suddenly, to her surprise, she saw there was a figure seated just in front of her. The figure looked round at her. In an instant she saw it was the Lord. At once words of regret poured from her lips. “Oh, dear Lord,” she said, “I am so sorry I have been to the theater, are you angry with me?” “No,” said the Lord, “I am not angry with you; did you enjoy it?” “Oh, no,” she said, “I did not enjoy it at all. I am so sorry I went. I shall never go to a theater again. I am so glad you are not angry with me.” In a moment, as she looked, the Lord had vanished, and there was no figure there. Instantly people came crowding up the steps, and in a few moments the top of the bus was packed with people, as it usually was, and the bus started off to its destination in the suburb. She has never been to a theater since, or wished to go. It is remarkable that by some unseen power people were prevented crowding up into this bus, until the Lord had shown Himself and spoken these words to my sister’s friend. This account of her wonderful experience was given me by the lady herself in my sister’s presence.
W.T.O.