FACE READING SHORT STORY -

The Princess and the Gardener

Alabaster straightened his legs and shook the dust from his hands. He was hidden behind the ferns in the fountain he was planting for the emperor. At one time he had been a brave knight leading troops into battle, but his face had been burned and scarred in one siege. So, he wore a mask to cover his deformity so that he would not frighten the children and the women would not pity him. The court artist had woven the mask to resemble the face Alabaster had had before the burns. The king had given him the role of Royal Gardener for the palace. At least he was still useful to his to his liege, so he was happy.

His finger went to rest on the hoe as he watched the scene at the far end of the courtyard.  Princess Lisette was being led by her maid to a stone bench surrounded by his Glory roses.  Her woven long hair was filled with sunshine. The pink silk and damask laced gown was the color of her blushing cheeks as each suitor approached her. The runners had spread the word though the provinces that the Princess was seeking a husband, so men – brave and tall, short and pudgy, merchants and princes came forward. Some of the knights boasted of their conquests, others flaunted velvet jackets and a laced neck shirts. And some became mute when they saw her beauty. She regarded all with quiet humility. Princess Lisette listened, nodded and smiled. But she refused them all. 

Her father, the king, paced before her seat, “Darling, you have 

to accept one of them! I need an heir. Please!”

Lisette replied, “Papa, I need to find someone I love. I refuse to marry someone I don’t love.” A similar discussion between them ensued week after week. The king would shake his head and pace with exasperated sighs.

The Princess looked forlorn. She was firm, but being loving and kind by nature, she really wanted to please her father. Alabaster noted with admiration her skin, her hands and her modest smile. He had memorized each of her gowns and silently and secretly adored her. 

This afternoon as he was planting the Glory red roses, he heard a quiet weeping coming from her direction. Immediately, he stopped and turned to see the Princess sighing and softly dabbing her eyes with a lace clothe. He wanted to comfort her with all his heart but was hesitant as he 

was only the gardener. Then he realized the real reason was that he was ashamed of his facial burns and the mask he wore to cover them. 

So, he placed himself near her chair, but remained hidden. “My lady, I am only the gardener, but I wish to know why you weep. Please tell me the reason for your sadness.”

Princes Lisette turned to the area of the ferns to see a tall and muscular man in simple garb. His hands were large and strong, but his face was obscured by the foliage.

“Sir, for weeks my father, the King, has been trying to find a suitor for my hand in marriage. Though many men have come to me, none of them move my heart.” She inhaled a sob.

Alabaster’s facial burns had deepened his sensitivity to other’s sorrows and unfulfilled longings. In his heart he had lived a million lives in his one body, and his heart had seen and touched it all.

”My lady,” he began, “I understand the heart’s longing for pure love.

“Pure love alone can satisfy. Divine Love alone can heal. It is worth waiting for such a love.”

Comforted that someone understood her inner feelings, the princess turned to him and asked, “And how is it a gardener speaks with such wisdom? Will you tell me your story and how you have come to know of such things?” And so began many conversations and a friendship between the two.  Every week Alabaster would put a perfect Glory on her chair. His heart would quicken when he saw her satin gowns entering his floral cave. Sometimes they would talk between suitors. She understood his thoughts and shared his observations. And they laughed.  Week after week his secret love for her grew.

“Love can heal. Love can change you. It is worth waiting for such a love.”

By fall the leaves were red and yellow canopies above the alcove. All week he would go over the words he would say to her. He reviewed her mannerisms, her smiles. And even though he told her “Love can heal,” in his own heart, he knew she could never love him. His face was burned beyond recognition, and he was afraid to be seen without his mask. 

The princes from the outlining provinces had come and gone on horseback. The king was going bald from tearing out his hair, and the Queen had stopped eating for her worry over Lisette. The Princess was given an ultimatum that she must choose a husband or be banished to that outer forest with her maid. 

When Alabaster brought her morning beverage, Lisette spoke up, “My friend, we have spent months talking and coming to understand each other’s inner hearts. I know you are noble and true. You voice is the one I hear in my mind when I go to sleep and when I awaken at dawn. But, Alabaster, I so long to see your face as it really is. Please show me.”

The gardener was shocked by her request and felt deep sorrow. “Princess, what we have now must be enough. I cannot show you my face as in battle it was scarred and changed. I fear that if you really saw me, you would be horrified and banish me from your sight. My heart would break if I could not be your friend.”

Lisette looked at him with a firm gaze, “I know who you are inside, Alabaster. That is enough for me. Please take off your mask so that my fingers might stroke your wounds and give you comfort. Your burns must make you feel lonely, and I seek to give back to you a portion of the love you have given me.” And she became quiet and waited.

“Love can heal. Love can change you. It is worth waiting for such a love.”

So for the first time since his battle, he reached for the artificial covering over his face and carefully removed the mask. He waited for her shock and horror. He waited for a gasp or scream. And nothing came. He looked up into her deep eyes to a smiling face.

“My beloved,” she said lovingly,” Your face has become the same as the mask.” 

“Love can heal. Love can change you. It is worth waiting for such a love.”

To the joy of the king and all the land, the royal gardener was wedded to the princess. The king got a wig. The country gave a huge banquet for the wedding, and the queen started eating again. 

(c) Copyright, Barbara Roberts, 2009. All rights reserved.

Amazon.com Book Review on FACE READING - HOW TO KNOW ANYONE AT A GLANCE

"This is THE book to read to learn about yourself, your purpose and your gifts. It's absolutely fascinating how accurate this information is and also very beneficial to learn about the people in your life, how to understand and communicate effectively with them. This book opened my eyes to a whole new perspective and helped me increase my level of discernment as to what relationships are in my best interest and those that just do not serve me. Barbara is amazingly gifted as an expert face reader and Holistic Health Nurse offering valuable advice on natural remedies for optimal health and well being! She also does personal readings which I highly recommend as she did one of the most incredible readings for me that I've ever experienced! I'm embarking on a new career and Barbara helped me to gain clarity and confidence on my chosen path, offering recommendations for those that would benefit most from my services and where to focus my marketing efforts to connect with my Tribe. I'm so very grateful and appreciate Barbara for dedicating her life to serving others highest good by sharing her incredible gifts helping others tap into their gifts!! I highly recommend this book and her personal readings - go to facereading1.com and book one now, it will be time well spent and could save you years of challenges and anxiety entertaining relationships that do not serve your best interests!!" Carol Peterson

From my 1st client from Taiwan tonight's Face Reading session:

"Thank you so much for your time and encouraging words, Barbara! Such an honor to be witnessed during sensitive time like this. You are not only amazingly accurate on the things you shared with me through face reading, but I so enjoyed your guidance and deep inner wisdom. I'm in the transitional period and I feel overwhelmed quite often, but like you said, I will continue to breathe in and be compassionate with myself while marching forward on this journey.

I will do the prayer as recommended from now on, and continue to trust the process while opening up to divine guidance. Thank you so much!!" JY

Abraham Lincoln Chooses His Cabinet

Abraham Lincoln emerged from the War Room tired and sick at heart. He had just come from the battlefield where he visited the tents of the surgeons. His mind held the continuous image of timelessly sobbing widows in black long dresses. Hopeless, sons and daughters cried at the doors of the homes waiting for their fathers who would never return. 

Although he had surrounded himself politically with those who had opposed him and wished for his nation to be open to all men and all views, the president was acutely aware of that political incompetence meant wounded soldiers and dead men. His heart was filled with quiet grieving, and the Great War never left his heart for a moment.

“To even have a healthy son reach adulthood was a miracle of God,” he reflected. “So many epidemics of flu or cases of consumption. Even a body soaked with rain on a wintry day might be lost by nightfall.”

So that some of the city’s young bucks dreamed of the ‘battle cry’ and fighting to prove their manhood angered him deep in his soul. That the young people romanticized war gave him lingering sadness. If only they saw what he had seen. Brothers in battle together – one kneeling over his dying loved on. And no grieving, they say, can compare to a parent who has lost a son. He had Todd, and he knew what the all encompassing love of a father could be. Protective and tender at the same time. 

And how cruel men and nature could be to the human flesh. Some was Fate. War was choice. He was determined to end the War as quickly as he could. Send just one son home to his Mama - one son who might never have had a chance on the battlefield. It would be worth one son - whole and well.

So much rested on the integrity and capabilities of the men he chose for his Cabinet. His leaders must be of the highest caliber. Strong, fearless and true. They must be understanding of his people, their children, and the future of a great nation. Everything was at stake now. Of the Cabinet he had chosen, some were from different states and had different backgrounds. He liked that about them. He chose them by looking closely at their military records, their letters of accommodation, and by reading their characters. He tried not to miss anything. As president he could not control much, but he could hand-select his men who would make national decisions. That was his job. The destiny of a nation at War depended on it. He must not fail his people.

When he was younger the Illinois lawyer had met with one obstacle after another. Some eight at least, he reflected. Many elections lost. To others he seemed like a complete failure. But in each political skirmish he had learned to look at people closely and assess their nuances of personality. So their behavior or decisions would never surprise him. He knew more about some people than they knew about themselves, but he kept his own council. He studied the ancient system of physiognomy (Face Reading). Ten feet from a prospective juror or witness in a trial, he could turn the fate of a legal outcome. Lincoln could laugh and weave a good story with the best of them, but inside he had the instincts of a cougher. He looked at people and saw them – beyond artifices, fancy verbiage and fine clothes. He would laugh at a child’s story and shun an arrogant general.

One afternoon as his Cabinet assembled in the White House, the sun’s hot fierceness poured through the room. Men were loosening their neck clothes and removing their bulky jackets, wiping their forehead with large white hankies. All stood as Lincoln entered the room. His hands rose palms down to motion them to be seated.

“I understand that today we are reviewing the application for

Lt. James Need, who wishes to be Secretary of the Treasury. Will those of you who have letters of accommodation, military files and written testimonials abut him, please step forward.” Lincoln seated himself behind the mahogany desk and opened his right hand to receive the papers. Letters from Generals, teachers, red wax sealed missives about Lt. McNeed were handed over. The pile was so high that by the time Lincoln had read them all, the sun was setting. The men were eager to get into their carriages and return home to their wives and dinners.

“Well,” Lincoln began, “he seems an ideal candidate form these dossiers. His war record is impeccable, and I can find no fault with anything I have read about this man. Let us meet him now, so we might to return to a quiet evening with our families. Bring Lt. James McNeed to me please.”

The side door opened, and the attending army aide ushered a man in uniform into the room. He came to stand directly in front of Abraham Lincoln. The president’s gaze was powerful and searching as he regarded the officer. Lincoln was reviewing McNeed’s facial features, as system called Face Reading, which he had learned when he was a young lawyer. It helped him to accurately read a person’s character. In his mind, Lincoln made note of Lt. McNeed's features: a dimpled chin that was short, a chin which receded back to tuck behind forward thrusting front teeth, an uneven forehead hairline, a tiny, tight mouth (that looked like a man set on a vinegar drink), strange ears which protruded out from his head at odd angles, a mouth that upturned like a joker (but McNeed wasn’t smiling), and a thick unibrow eyebrow. The president reflected that he looked like a rat. And then Lincoln  remembered the words of Aristotle, the first great scholar in science of physiognomy: “If you look like an animal, you are it!” (You will have the temperament of that animal.)

What was curious about Mr. McNeed, Lincoln thought, was that as he answered each direct question, his eyes would shift, almost retract visibly. Then they would become clear and present. It seemed to happen when the questions involved his military record. Lincoln had learned to recognize this eye change as “cloaking,” and he had seen it often in spies of all sorts. The president paced up and down, his head down and reflective before his men.

He made his decision and turned to the group, “Please leave us, Mr. McNeed.” 

And after the man disappeared down the corridor, Lincoln turned to the curious Cabinet members and said, “I don’t want this man anywhere close to me.” Lincoln pounded his open flat hand onto his desk as the astonished group gasped and was riveted to attention. “Show me a man who is forty who is not responsible for his face.” With that he pulled in his vest and with long strides left the room.

Weeks later a news bulletin emerged from a Border state with an artist’s rendering of an escaped convict, Walter McNeed, who had been incarcerated for killing his brother, Lt. James McNeed, and stealing his military papers. The murdered brother, Lt. James McNeed had been a valiant soldier, decorated in battle. And for those who studied the facial drawing closely, the man who had stood before Lincoln had been none other than Walter McNeed.

(c) Copyright, Barbara Roberts, September, 2017. All rights reserved.