One day, a
distinguished
lady arrived at
the Spiritist
Center and
wanted to donate
books to the
organization's
library.
Received with
kindness by Lucy,
one of the
collaborators,
the lady
introduced
herself and
explained:
 |
- Nice to meet
you, Lucy. The
books belonged
to my father,
who had much
appreciation for
them. However,
my father passed
away recently
and, as I live
far away and do
not have enough
space in my
apartment, I
thought there
would be nothing
better than to
donate them to
those who can
make good use of
the treasure
they are. As you
can see, Lucy,
they are rare
books, works of
great value that
my father kept
with extreme
care.
After presenting
her condolences
to the visitor
for her father's
departure to the
World's
Spiritual, Lucy
said: |
- We are
grateful that
you thought of
us to donate
your father's
library. You can
rest assured
that we will
take great care
of his books.
- Some of them
need the cover
to be glued back
on, others have
some loose pages...
but, as I said,
there are
rarities among
them.
- Don't worry.
We have a person
who is
specialized in
restoring books.
They'll be fine.
Thus, it was
agreed that the
lady, because
she had urgency
in returning
home, would send
as soon as
possible a
courier to bring
the books.
The next day a
van full of
books arrived.
Lucy, who was
waiting for them,
had the books
placed on a
table in a
rarely used room,
so they could
check their
condition and do
the job of
restoring those
which needed it.
Lucy, delighted,
found that they
were all
valuable
Spiritist books
because many
were no longer
being published.
She returned
home happy.
Certainly the
participants and
attendees of the
Spiritist Center
would be
thrilled with
those treasures.
The next day,
arriving at the
Spiritist Center,
Lucy went
straight to the
room where they
put the books.
However,
entering the
room she was
startled.
|
- Oh! ... Where
are the books?
...
She ran through
the halls
looking for
someone who
could explain
what had
happened. She
found a very
obliging young
man who liked to
help by running
errands.
- Bernard, do
you know where
the books that
were on a table
in the last room
of the corridor
|
 |
|
where put? |
|
Satisfied with
his readiness to
help, the boy
replied:
- Yes, I do,
Lucy. They were
so old that I
thought they
were trash. So I
put everything
in big garbage
bags and left
them on the
street for the
garbage man to
take! - he said
with a satisfied
expression,
thinking he had
done a good
thing to the
institution.
Lucy turned pale.
Taking her hands
to her head she
said in a
trembling voice:
- Has the
garbage truck
come yet?... -
while she ran
out of the
building to see
if the books
could be saved.
The boy ran
after her, not
understanding
what was
happening and
why she looked
so upset.
- Did I do
something wrong,
Lucy?
Reaching the
sidewalk they
saw, with great
relief, that the
trash bags were
still there.
However, the
garbage
collection truck
was already
waiting, as the
garbage man
approached one
of the bags to
pick it up.
Lucy shouted:
- No, please! Do
not take these
bags!
The garbage man
was surprised
but responded to
her request.
Then she asked:
- Bernard, help
me. Let's take
everything back
inside.
After that, Lucy
opened the bags
and taking out
the books she
put them back on
the table.
The boy, who was
watching the
care with which
she |
 |
|
dealt with
those old books,
said: |
|
- I'm sorry,
Lucy. I thought
these books
would not have
any value! After
all, they are so
old!
The woman looked
at him and said:
- Bernard, the
value of a book
is not measured
by the beauty of
the cover,
because they are
new or the
exquisite colors.
It's its content
that counts. The
Spiritist book
is like a light
that illuminates
those who read
them. The cover
may be old, worn
out by use but
the teachings it
contains
continue to help,
rescue, soothe,
guide and
enlighten all
concerned.
The boy picked
up one of those
books, now with
different eyes,
and stroked the
cover, taken
with the true
understanding of
how much it
meant. Then he
took it to his
lips and kissed
it with respect.
Two weeks later,
after a joint
effort, the
books were
already restored
and placed on
the shelf of the
library
alongside other
books, to
everyone's
satisfaction.
MEIMEI
(Psychographed
by Celia X. de
Camargo on
18.03.2013.)
