,this e,book was produced by ,joel ,erickson1 ,charles ,franks1 ,juliet ,sutherland ,children's ,edition of ,,touching ,,incidents and ,,remarkable ,,answers ,,to ,,prayer ,,compiled ,,by ,s4 ,b4 ,,shaw ,,first ,,preface ,for many years in our work among children1 we have felt the need of something similar to this book4 ,the cuts are made especially for this work4 ,pictures in this book will suggest thoughts of ,god and heaven and awaken desires to live pure lives which will sooner or later result in the salvation of many of our young readers4 ,god bless all our readers4 --,s4 ,b4 ,shaw ,we are sure these stories will interest you children 7and most older people1 too74 ,especially good and true stories like these4 ,in all that we have selected there are precious lessons of kindness and sympathy and obedience1 gratitude1 courage1 and faithfulness3 then there are two other very important lessons which ,i wish you to learn4 ,the first is that children can be and should be true ,christians1 that is1 have their sins forgiven for ,jesus' sake and their hearts changed so that they love ,god and the right and hate everything that is wrong4 ,the second lesson is that we must be ,christians to be ready to live or ready to die4 ,you will find in this book several accounts of happy deaths of ,christian children1 and you will find also much that tells of the good done by happy ,christian children that lived4 --,mrs4 ,s4 ,b4 ,shaw4 ,,dedication ,when ,i was a little girl about nine years old1 my mother gave me the book1 ,touching ,incidents and ,remarkable ,answers ,to ,prayer1 for children4 ,this book was published by ,brother and ,sister ,shaw4 ,i still have that book1 which is about fifty-nine years old1 and ,i have enjoyed the stories it contained many times4 ,one time while teaching a ,sunday ,school class ,i gave them each one of these books4 ,they liked them very much1 but there came a time when you could not buy these books1 as other modern books took their place4 ,but ,i feel that books like this one are still needed1 and ,i am sure that if ,brother and ,sister ,shaw were living they would like to see the stories sent out again to the children4 ,we are adding a few more true stories4 ,so we are praying ,god's blessings upon this book and dedicating it to the memory of ,brother and ,sister ,shaw who printed the first book in #ahie4 ,yours in ,him1 ,laura ,m4 ,conkle 7,this dedication was written in #aiee for the first reprint edition47 ,,contents ,always ,tell the ,truth ,the ,child ,heroine of ,new ,brunswick ,annie and ,vanie's ,first ,real ,prayer ,god ,heals a ,blind ,girl ,does ,this ,railroad ,lead to ,heaven8 ,the ,young ,martyr ,a ,child's ,prayer ,answered ,the ,converted ,infidel ,the ,stowaway ,the ,golden ,rule ,exemplified ,only ,one ,vote ,how ,a ,little ,girl ,utilized the ,telephone ,jesus ,answers ,ruth's ,prayers ,very ,sick ,the ,dying ,girl's ,prayer for ,her ,drunken ,father ,lost ,treasures ,the ,little ,girl1 ,who ,died to ,save ,her ,father's ,life ,forgotten ,my ,soul ,prevailing ,prayer of a ,child ,the ,dying ,news ,boy ,new ,shoes ,little ,jennie's ,sickness and ,death ,she ,died for ,him ,i ,don't ,love ,you ,now1 ,mother ,little ,mother ,robbie ,goodman's ,prayer ,carletta and the ,merchant ,how ,three ,sunday ,school ,children ,met ,their ,fate ,he ,blesses ,god for the ,faith of ,his ,little ,girl ,a ,wonderful ,children's ,meeting ,they are ,not ,strangers1 ,mama ,jessie ,finds ,jesus ,i'll ,never1 ,steal ,again--,if ,father ,kills ,me for ,it ,six ,months' ,record ,a ,child's ,faith ,triumphant ,death of a ,little ,child ,the ,child's ,prayer ,the ,cat ,came ,back ,how ,god ,answered ,donald's ,prayer ,,always ,,tell ,,the ,,truth ,truthfulness is a mark of ,christianity4 ,the heathen go astray1 speaking lies as soon as they are born4 ,in ,china a mother will give her boy a reward for the best falsehood that he can tell4 ,beginning so early1 and regarding it such a fine thing to tell wrong stories1 they become skillful in falsehoods4 ,some parents in ,christian ,america are very careless in this matter4 ,it made my heart ache one day when ,i saw a lady in a street car trying to keep her little boy awake by telling him that1 if he went to sleep1 that man who had all those teeth in his window 7referring to a dentist's office they had passed7 would come into the car and pull every tooth out of his mouth4 ,the little fellow looked up dreadfully scared1 and did his best to keep awake3 but ,i thought to myself1 when he finds out what a wrong story his mother has told1 he will not believe her even when she tells the truth4 ,he will be like a little fellow of whom ,i heard once1 whose mother told him that if he vent to play in a bank from which the men had been drawing sand for a building1 a bear would come out and eat him up4 ,one day another boy tried to coax him to go there and play1 but he said1 no1 he was afraid of the bears4 ,the other boy said there were no bears4 ,but there be bears cause my mother said there be bears4 ,while they were disputing1 the minister happened to come along1 and they asked him if there were bears in the sand-bank4 ,he told them there were none4 ,but1 said the first little boy1 ,my mother said there be bears there4 ,i am sorry she said so1 said the minister1 but the truth is1 there are none4 ,the child began to cry1 and started for home as fast as he could go4 ,o ,mama6 he said1 ,did you tell me a wrong story8 ,did you tell me there be bears down at the sand-bank when there aren't any8 ,she saw what a dreadful sin she had committed1 and she told him that she was sorry2 but she was afraid that if he played there he would get buried in the sand1 and she told him that to keep him away4 ,but1 ,mama1 it is such an awful thing to tell a wrong story4 ,i know it ,tommy1 ,i know it1 she said1 tears coming into her eyes2 and we will ask ,jesus to forgive me and ,i will never do it again4 ,they knelt down1 and she was just about to pray when he said1 ,wait1 ,mama1 let me ask ,him2 maybe you won't tell ,him truly4 ,that pierced her heart like a dagger4 ,she saw that her little boy had lost confidence in her truthfulness even when she prayed4 --,jennie ,f4 ,willing ,,the ,,child ,,heroine ,,of ,,new ,,brunswick ,we have read a touching incident about three little children1 who1 last autumn late in the season1 wandered alone in a dreary region of ,new ,brunswick4 ,the sun had already sunk in the west and the gloom of evening was spreading itself over the surrounding country4 ,the night came on fast2 and feeling sure that they could not get home before day break1 the eldest 7a girl of only six years7 quietly placed the two little ones in a sheltered nook on the sea-beach2 and fearing the cold chilly night for the younger children1 ,mary stripped off most of her own clothes to keep them warm4 ,she then started off to gather dry sea-weed1 and whatever else she could find1 to cover them with4 ,having tenderly in this way wrought for some time to make them a nest1 she at last fell down exhausted with the cold1 and half bare to the cold inclement night4 ,illustration ,that evening the loving father and tender mother sat up wondering at their children's long absence2 the hours dragged slowly past with anxious watching and silent listening for the well-known little pattering feet4 ,in vain the fond parents' eyes pierced through the darkness4 ,at length they roused the neighbors with their anxious inquiries after their lost ones4 ,all that night was passed in searching and in tears1 till early in the morning1 lying fast asleep and somewhat numbed with cold1 were found little ,johnny and ,lizzie4 ,but oh6 a touching spectacle lay near them2 their young savior was stiff1 cold1 and dead on the sea-weed which the poor little child-heroine had not strength to drag into the nook1 where those she so deeply loved1 and died to save1 were sleeping4 ,thus this little ,new ,brunswick girl died in her successful and self-sacrificing endeavor to save her brother and sister4 ,does not this recall the love of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ to you who read8 ,mary went to the full extent of human love in dying for her little brother and sister4 ,greater love hath no man than this1 that a man lay down his life for his friends4 ,yet the ,lord ,jesus laid down his life for his enemies2 for scarcely for a righteous man will one die2 yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die2 but ,god commendeth ,his love toward us1 etc4 ,he makes no mistakes4 ,yet how many listen to this story with more emotion and interest than they do to the story of the cross1 where the love of ,jesus1 the ,son of ,god1 is told in letters of blood6 --,dawn of the ,morning ,,annie ,,and ,,vanie',s ,,first ,,real ,,prayer ,two sisters1 one about five years of age1 the other one older1 were accustomed to go each ,saturday morning1 some distance from home1 to get chips and shavings from a cooper shop4 ,one morning with basket well filled1 they were returning home when the elder one was taken suddenly sick with cramps or cholera4 ,she was in great pain1 and unable to proceed1 much less to bear the basket home4 ,she sat down on the basket1 and the younger one held her from falling4 ,the street was a lonely one occupied by workshops1 factories1 etc4 ,every one was busy within2 not a person was seen on the street4 ,the little girls were at a loss what to do4 ,too timid to go into any workshop1 they sat a while1 as silent and quiet as the distressing pains would allow4 ,soon the elder girl said3 ,you know1 ,annie1 that a good while ago ,mother told us that if we ever got into trouble we should pray and1 ,god would help us4 ,now you help me to get down upon my knees1 and hold me up1 and we will pray4 ,illustration ,there on the side-walk did these two little children ask ,god to send some one to help them home4 ,the simple and brief prayer being ended1 the sick girl was again helped up1 and sat on the basket1 waiting for the answers to their prayers4 ,presently ,annie saw1 far down the street on the opposite side1 a man come out from a factory1 look around him up and down the street and go back into the factory4 ,o sister1 he has gone in again1 said ,annie4 ,well1 said ,vanie1 perhaps he is not the one ,god is going to send4 ,if he is he will come back again4 ,there he comes again1 said ,annie4 ,he walks this way4 ,he seems looking for something4 ,he walks slow1 and is without his hat4 ,he puts his hand to his head1 as if he did not know what to do4 ,oh1 sister1 he has gone in again2 what shall we do8 ,that may not be the one whom ,god will send to help us1 said ,vanie4 ,if he is1 he will come out again4 ,oh yes1 there he is2 this time with his hat on1 said ,annie4 ,he comes this way2 he walks slowly1 looking around on every side4 ,he does not see us1 perhaps the trees hide us4 ,now he sees us1 and is coming quickly4 ,a brawny ,german in broken accent asks3 ,o children1 what is the matter8 ,o sir1 said ,annie1 ,sister here is so sick she cannot walk and we cannot get home4 ,where do you live my dear8 ,at the end of this street2 you can see the house from here4 ,never mind1 said the man1 ,i takes you home4 ,so the strong man gathered the sick child in his arms1 and with her head pillowed upon his shoulder1 carried her to the place pointed out by the younger girl4 ,annie ran around the house to tell her mother that there was a man at the front door wishing to see her4 ,the astonished mother1 with a mixture of surprise and joy1 took charge of the precious burden and the child was laid upon a bed4 ,after thanking the man1 she expected him to withdraw1 but instead1 he stood turning his hat in his hands as one who wishes to say something1 but knows not how to begin4 ,the mother observing this1 repeated her thanks and finally said3 ,would you like me to pay you for bringing my child home8 ,oh1 no1 said he with tears1 ,god pays me6 ,god pays me6 ,i would like to tell you something1 but ,i speak ,english so poorly that ,i fear you will not understand4 ,the mother assured him that she was used to the ,german and could understand him very well4 ,i am the proprietor of an ink factory1 said he4 ,my men work by the piece4 ,i have to keep separate accounts with each4 ,i pay them every ,saturday4 ,at twelve o'clock they will be at my desk for their money4 ,this week ,i have had many hindrances and was behind with my books4 ,i was working hard at them with the sweat on my face1 in my great anxiety to be ready in time4 ,suddenly ,i could not see the figures2 the words in the book all ran together1 and ,i had a plain impression on my mind that some one in the street wished to see me4 ,i went out1 looked up and down the street1 but seeing no one1 went back to my desk and wrote a little4 ,presently the darkness was greater than before1 and the impression stronger than before1 that someone in the street needed me4 ,again ,i went out1 looked up and down the street1 walked a little way1 puzzled to know what ,i meant4 ,was my hard work and were the cares of business driving me out of my wits8 ,unable to solve the mystery ,i turned again into my shop and to my desk4 ,this time my fingers refused to grasp the pen4 ,i found myself unable to write a word1 or make a figure2 but the impression was stronger than ever on my mind1 that someone needed my help4 ,a voice seemed to say3 ',why don't you go out as ,i tell you8 ,there is need of your help4' ,this time ,i took my hat on going out1 resolved to stay till ,i found out whether ,i was losing my senses1 or there was a duty for me to do4 ,i walked some distance without seeing anyone1 and was more and more puzzled1 till ,i came opposite the children1 and found that there was indeed need of my help4 ,i cannot understand it1 madam4 ,as the noble ,german was about leaving the house1 the younger girl had the courage to say3 ,o mother1 we prayed4 ,thus the mystery was solved1 and with tear-stained cheeks1 a heaving breast1 and a humble1 grateful heart1 the kind man went back to his accounts4 ,i have enjoyed many a happy hour in conversation with ,annie in her own house since she has a home of her own4 ,the last ,i knew of ,annie and ,vanie they were living in the same city1 earnest ,christian women4 ,their children were growing up around them1 who1 ,i hope1 will have like confidence in mother1 and faith in ,god4 --,jeigh ,arrh4 ,annie was the wife of ,james ,a4 ,clayton of ,san ,jose1 ,california4 ,i have enjoyed their hospitality and esteem both very highly4 --,james ,rogers4 ,,god ,,heals ,a ,,blind ,,girl ,one day we went to visit ,ruth's aunt4 ,while there1 a very dear friend of ,ruth's aunt came to visit her1 bringing ,annie1 her little four-year-old girl who was the same age as ,ruth4 ,they had taken ,annie to an eye doctor the day before and he had said that she was blind and would always be blind4 ,the two children played together4 ,ruth would lead her by the hand and this touched her heart very much4 ,after we went home1 she came to me crying1 and said1 ,mama1 ,annie is blind4 ,mama1 ,annie can't see anything4 ,mama1 ,annie can't even see her mama6 ,i 7,ruth's mother7 answered1 ,no1 ,annie can't see anything4 ,can't ,jesus make ,annie see her mama8 ,ruth asked4 ,yes1 ,jesus can do anything1 ,mother told her4 ,i'll never quit praying till ,jesus makes ,annie see her ,mama1 she said4 ,she knelt down and prayed1 and for several days she would come in from her play ever so often and kneel down and pray and ask ,jesus to make ,annie see her mama4 ,in a few days we received word that ,annie said ,oh1 ,i see my mama6 ,from then on she could see4 ,when the girls were eight years old and ,ruth had moved from that state1 her aunt 7who had also moved7 received a letter from ,annie's mother1 saying1 ,annie seems to be losing her eyesight again4 ,she said also that she would like for her to send ,annie a new dress while she could still see it1 and if she knew where ,ruth was to ask her to pray for ,annie that ,jesus would not let her go blind again4 ,ruth was at the home of her aunt when she received this letter4 ,she prayed earnestly again and ,god answered her prayer and gave ,annie her eyesight4 ,it was even better than normal4 ,the last time ,i saw ,annie she was a grown woman around forty1 and she showed me how she could see to read a long way from the light1 which we could not do4 ,surely ,god did a wonderful work in answer to a little girl's prayer4 ,children1 let's pray2 and when we pray1 believe that ,god hears1 and receive the good things that he has to give us and others4 --,essie ,wilson4 ,,does ,,this ,,railroad ,,lead ,,to ,,heaven8 ,in traveling we often meet with persons of different nationalities and languages2 we also meet with incidents of various character1 some sorrowful1 others1 joyful and instructive4 ,one of the latter character ,i witnessed recently while traveling upon the cars4 ,the train was going west and the time was evening4 ,at a station a little girl about eight years old came aboard1 carrying a budget under her arm4 ,she then commenced an eager scrutiny of faces1 but all were strange to her4 ,she appeared weary1 and placing her budget for a pillow1 she prepared to try and secure a little sleep4 ,soon the conductor came along collecting tickets and fare4 ,observing him she asked him if she might lie there4 ,the gentlemanly conductor replied that she might1 and then kindly asked for her ticket4 ,she informed him that she had none1 when the following conversation ensued4 ,said the conductor3 ,where are you going8 ,i am going to heaven1 she answered4 ,who pays your fare8 he asked again4 ,she then said1 ,mister1 does this railroad lead to heaven1 and does ,jesus travel on it8 ,i think not1 he answered1 ,why did you think so8 ,illustration ,why sir1 before my ma died she used to sing to me of a heavenly railroad1 and you looked so nice and kind that ,i thought this was the road4 ,my ma used to sing of ,jesus on the heavenly railroad1 and that ,he paid the fare for everybody1 and that the train stopped at every station to take people on board2 but my ma don't sing to me any more4 ,nobody sings to me now2 and ,i thought ,i'd take the cars and go to ma4 ,mister1 do you sing to your little girl about the railroad that goes to heaven8 ,you have a little girl1 haven't you8 ,he replied1 weeping1 ,no my little dear ,i have no little girl now4 ,i had one once2 but she died some time ago1 and went to heaven4 ,did she go over this railroad1 and are you going to see her now8 she asked4 ,by this time every person in the coach was upon their feet1 and most of them were weeping4 ,an attempt to describe what ,i witnessed is almost futile4 ,some said3 ,god bless the little girl4 ,hearing some person say that she was an angel1 the little girl earnestly replied3 ,yes1 my ma used to say that ,i would be an angel some time4 ,addressing herself once more to the conductor1 she asked him1 ,do you love ,jesus8 ,i do1 and if you love ,him1 ,he will let you ride to heaven on ,his railroad4 ,i am going there and ,i wish you would go with me4 ,i know ,jesus will let me into heaven when ,i get there and ,he will let you in1 too1 and everybody that will ride on ,his railroad--yes1 all these people4 ,wouldn't you like to see heaven and ,jesus1 and your little girl8 ,these words1 so pathetically and innocently uttered1 brought a great gush of tears from all eyes1 but most profusely from those of the conductor4 ,some who were traveling on the heavenly railroad shouted aloud for joy4 ,she asked the conductor3 ,mister1 may ,i lie here until we get to heaven8 ,yes1 dear1 yes1 he answered4 ,will you wake me up then so that ,i may see my ma and your little girl and ,jesus8 she asked1 for ,i do so much want to see them all4 ,the answer came in broken accents but in words very tenderly spoken ,yes1 dear angel1 yes4 ,god bless you4 ,amen6 was sobbed by more than a score of voices4 ,turning her eyes again upon the conductor1 she interrogated him again1 ,what shall ,i tell your little girl when ,i see her8 ,shall ,i tell her that ,i saw her pa on ,jesus' railroad8 ,shall ,i8 ,this brought a fresh flood of tears from all present1 and the conductor knelt by her side1 and1 embracing her wept the reply he could not utter4 ,at this juncture the brakeman called out3 ,h----4 ,the conductor arose and requested him to attend to his 7the conductor's7 duty at the station1 for he was engaged4 ,that was a precious place4 ,i thank ,god that ,i was a witness to this scene1 but ,i was sorry that at this point ,i was obliged to leave the train4 ,we learn from this incident that out of the mouths of even babes ,god hath ordained strength1 and that we ought to be willing to represent the cause of our blessed ,jesus even in a railroad coach4 ,the ,sequel ,brother ,dosh3--,i wish to relieve my heart by writing to you1 and saying that that angel visit on the cars was a blessing to me1 although ,i did not realize it in its fullness until some hours after4 ,but blessed be the ,redeemer1 ,i know now that ,i am ,his1 and ,he is mine4 ,i no longer wonder why ,christians are happy4 ,oh1 my joy1 my joy6 ,the instrument of my salvation has gone to ,god4 ,i had purposed adopting her in the place of my little daughter who is now in heaven4 ,with this intention ,i took her to ,c--b1 and on my return trip ,i took her back to ,s--n1 where she left the cars4 ,in consultation with my wife in regard to adopting her1 she replied1 ,yes1 certainly1 and immediately1 too1 for there is a ,divine providence in this4 ,oh1 said she1 ,i could never refuse to take under my charge the instrument of my husband's salvation4 ,i made inquiry for the child at ,s--n and learned that in three days after her return she died suddenly1 without any apparent disease1 and her happy soul had gone to dwell with her ma1 my little girl and the angels in heaven4 ,i was sorry to hear of her death but my sorrow is turned to joy when ,i think my angel-daughter received intelligence from earth concerning her pa1 and that he is on the heavenly railway4 ,oh6 sir1 me thinks ,i see her near the ,redeemer4 ,i think ,i hear her sing6 ,i'm safe at home1 and pa and ma are coming1 and ,i find myself sending back the reply3 ,yes1 my darling we are coming and will soon be there4 ,oh1 my dear sir1 ,i am glad that ,i ever formed your acquaintance2 may the blessing of the great ,god rest upon you4 ,please write to me1 and be assured1 ,i would be most happy to meet you again4 --,j4 ,m4 ,dosh1 in ,christian ,expositor ,,the ,,young ,,martyr ,on the afternoon of ,august #i1 #ahec1 a little ,norwegian boy1 named ,kund ,iverson1 who lived in the city of ,chicago1 ,illinois1 was going to the pastures for his cow as light-hearted1 ,i suppose1 as boys usually are when going to the pasture on a summer afternoon4 ,he came at length to a stream of water where there was a gang of idle1 ill-looking1 big boys2 who1 when they saw ,kund1 came up to him2 and said they wanted him to go into ,mr4 ,elston's garden and steal some apples4 ,no1 said ,kund promptly2 ,i cannot steal1 ,i am sure4 ,well1 but you've got to1 they cried4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,cries ,,of ,,the ,,drowning ,,child ,,grew ,,fainter ,,and ,,fainter ,they threatened to duck him1 for these wicked big boys had often frightened little boys into robbing gardens for them4 ,little boys1 they thought1 were less likely to get found out4 ,the threat did not frighten ,kund1 so to make their words good1 they seized him and dragged him into the river1 and in spite of his cries and struggles1 plunged him in4 ,but the heroic boy even with the water gurgling and choking in his throat1 never flinched1 for he knew that ,god had said3 ,thou shalt not steal1 and ,god's law he had made his law2 and no cursing1 or threats1 or cruelty of the big boys would make him give up4 ,provoked by his firmness1 ,i suppose1 they determined to see if they could conquer him4 ,so they ducked him again but it still was1 ,no1 no2 and they kept him under water4 ,was there no one near to hear his distressing cries1 and rescue the poor child from their cruel grip8 ,no2 there was none to rescue him2 and gradually the cries of the drowning child grew fainter and fainter1 and his struggles less and less1 and the boy was drowned4 ,he could die1 but would not steal4 ,a ,german boy who had stood near1 much frightened by what he saw1 ran home to tell the news4 ,the agonized parents hastened to the spot1 and all night they searched for the lifeless body of their lost darling4 ,it was found the next morning2 and who shall describe their feelings as they clasped the little form to their bosoms8 ,early piety had blossomed in his little life4 ,he loved his ,bible and his ,savior4 ,his seat was never vacant at ,sunday school1 and so intelligent1 conscientious and steadfast had he been4 ,perhaps the little boy used often to think how1 when he grew up1 he would like to be a preacher or a missionary1 and do something for his ,lord and ,master4 ,he did not know what post he might be called to occupy1 even as a little child2 and as he left home that afternoon and looked his last look in his mother's face1 he thought he was only going after his cows2 and other boys1 and the neighbors1 if they saw him1 thought so1 too4 ,they did not then know that instead of going to the pasture he was going to preach one of the most powerful sermons of ,bible law and ,bible principles the country ever heard4 ,they did not know that he was going to give an example of steadfastness of purpose and of unflinching integrity1 such as should thrill the heart of this nation with wonder and admiration4 ,he was then only a ,norwegian boy1 ,kund ,iverson1 only thirteen years old1 but his name was soon to be reckoned with martyrs and heroes4 ,and as the story of his moral heroism winged its way from state to state1 and city to city1 and village to village1 how many mothers cried with full hearts3 ,may his spirit rest upon my boy6 ,and strong men have wept over it and exclaimed3 ,god be praised for the lad6 ,and rich men put their hands into their pockets and said1 ,let us build him a monument2 let his name be perpetuated1 for his memory is blessed4 ,may there be a generation of ,kund ,iversons1 strong in their integrity1 true to their ,bibles ready to die rather than do wrong4 --,the ,cynosure ,a ,,child',s ,,prayer ,,answered ,the following touching incident which drew tears from my eyes1 was related to me a short time since1 by a dear friend who had it from an eyewitness of the same4 ,it occurred in the great city of ,new ,york1 on one of the coldest days in ,february4 ,a little boy about ten years old was standing before a shoe-store in ,broadway barefooted1 peering through the window1 and shivering with cold4 ,a lady riding up the street in a beautiful carriage1 drawn by horses finely caparisoned1 observed the little fellow in his forlorn condition and immediately ordered the driver to draw up and stop in front of the store4 ,the lady richly dressed in silk1 alighted from her carriage1 went quickly to the boy1 and said3 ,my little fellow why are you looking so earnestly in that window8 ,i was asking ,god to give me a pair of shoes1 was the reply4 ,the lady took him by the hand and went into the store1 and asked the proprietor if he would allow one of his clerks to go and buy half a dozen pairs of stockings for the boy4 ,he readily assented4 ,she then asked him if he could give her a basin of water and a towel1 and he replied3 ,certainly1 and quickly brought them to her4 ,she took the little fellow to the back part of the store1 and1 removing her gloves knelt down1 washed those little feet and dried them with the towel4 ,illustration ,by this time the young man had returned with the stockings4 ,placing a pair upon his feet1 she purchased and gave him a pair of shoes1 and tying up the remaining pairs of stockings1 gave them to him1 and patting him on the head said3 ,i hope my little fellow1 that you now feel more comfo rtable4 ,as she turned to go1 the astonished lad caught her hand1 and looking up in her face1 with tears in his eyes answered her question with these words3 ,are you ,god's wife8 --,parish ,register ,,the ,,converted ,,infidel ,some two miles from the village of ,c4 on a road that wound in among the hills stood a great white house4 ,it was beautifully situated upon a gentle slope facing the south1 and overlooking a most charming landscape4 ,away in the distance1 a mountain lifted itself against the clear blue sky4 ,at its base rolled a broad1 deep river4 ,nestling down in a valley that intervened1 reposed the charming little village with its neat cottages1 white church1 little red school house and one or two mansions that told of wealth4 ,here and there in the distance a pond was visible2 while farm houses and humbler dwellings dotted the picture in every direction4 ,such was the home of three promising children1 who for the last three months had been constant members of the village ,sunday ,school4 ,the eldest was a girl of some fourteen years4 ,john1 the second1 was a bright1 amiable lad of eleven4 ,the other the little rosy-cheeked1 laughing ,ella1 with her golden curls and sunny smile had just gathered the roses of her ninth summer4 ,the father of these interesting children was the rich ,captain ,lowe4 ,he was a man of mark1 such1 in many respects as are often found in rural districts4 ,strictly moral1 intelligent and well read1 kind-hearted and naturally benevolent1 he attracted all classes of community to himself and wielded great influence in his town4 ,but1 not withstanding all these excellences1 ,mr4 ,lowe was an infidel4 ,he ridiculed in his good-natured way1 the idea of prayer1 looked upon conversion as a solemn farce1 and believed the most of professing ,christians were well-meaning but deluded people4 ,he was well versed in all the subtle arguments of infidel writers1 had studied the ,bible quite carefully1 and could argue against it in the most plausible manner4 ,courteous and kind to all1 few could be offended at his frank avowal of infidel principles1 or resent his keen1 half-jovial sarcasms upon the peculiarities of some weak-minded1 though sincere members of the church4 ,but ,mr4 ,lowe saw and acknowledged the saving influence of the ,,morality of ,christianity4 ,he had especially1 good sense enough to confess that the ,sunday ,school was a noble moral enterprise4 ,he was not blind to the fact1 abundantly proved by all our criminal records1 that few children trained under her influences ever grow up to vice and crime4 ,hence his permission for his children to attend the ,sunday ,school4 ,among the many children who knelt as penitents at the altar in the little vestry1 one bright beautiful ,lord's ,day1 were ,sarah ,lowe and her brother and sister4 ,it was a moving sight to see that gentle girl1 with a mature thoughtfulness far beyond her years1 take that younger brother and sister by the hand1 and kneel with them at the mercy-seat--a sight to heighten the joy of angels4 ,when the children had told their mother what they had done and expressed a determination to try to be ,christians2 she1 too1 was greatly moved4 ,she had been early trained in the principles and belief of ,christianity1 and had never renounced her early faith4 ,naturally confiding1 with a yielding1 conciliatory spirit1 she had never obtruded her sentiments upon the notice of her husband1 nor openly opposed any of his peculiar views4 ,but now1 when her little ones gathered around her and spoke of their new love for the ,savior1 their joy and peace and hope1 she wept4 ,all the holy influences of her own childhood and youth seemed breathing upon her heart4 ,she remembered the faithful sermons of the old pastor whose hands had baptized her4 ,she remembered1 too1 the family altar1 and the prayers which were offered morning and evening by her sainted father4 ,she remembered the counsels of her good mother now in heaven4 ,all these memories came crowding back upon her and under their softening influences she almost felt herself a child again4 ,illustration3 ,it was a moving sight to see that gentle girl take that younger brother and sister by the hand and kneel with them at the mercy seat--a sight to heighten the joy of angels4 ,when ,mr4 ,lowe first became aware of the change in his children1 he was sorely puzzled to know what to do4 ,he had given his consent for them to attend the ,sunday ,school1 and should he now be offended because they had yielded to its influence8 ,ought he not rather to have expected this8 ,and after all1 would what they called religion make them any worse children8 ,though at first quite disturbed in his feelings1 he finally concluded upon second thought to say nothing to them upon the subject1 but to let things go on as usual4 ,but not so those happy young converts4 ,they could not long hold their peace4 ,they must tell their father also what they had experienced4 ,mr4 ,lowe heard them1 but he made no attempt to ridicule their simple faith1 as had been his usual course with others4 ,they were ,,his children1 and none could boast of better4 ,still1 he professed to see in their present state of mind nothing but youthful feeling1 excited by the peculiar circumstances of the last few weeks4 ,but when they began in their childish ardor to exhort him also to seek the ,lord1 he checked their simple earnestness with a peculiar sternness which said to them3 ,the act must not be repeated4 ,the next ,sunday the father could not prevent a feeling of loneliness as he saw his household leave for church4 ,the three children1 with their mother and ,joseph1 the hired boy1 to drive and take care of the horse2 all packed into the old commodious carriage and started off4 ,never before had he such peculiar feelings as when he watched them slowly descending the hill4 ,to dissipate these emotions he took a dish of salt and started up the hill to a mountain pasture where his young cattle were enclosed for the season4 ,it was a beautiful day in ,october1 that queen month of the year4 ,a soft melancholy breathed in the mild air of the mellow ,indian summer1 and the varying hues of the surrounding forests1 and the signs of decay seen upon every side1 all combined to deepen the emotions which the circumstances of the morning had awakened4 ,his sadness increased2 and as his path opened out into a bright1 sunny spot far up on the steep hillside1 he seated himself upon a mossy knoll and thought4 ,before him lay the beautiful valley guarded on either side by its lofty hills1 and watered by its placid river4 ,it was a lovely picture2 and as his eye rested upon the village1 nestling down among its now gorgeous shade-trees and scarlet shrubbery1 he could not help thinking of that company who were then gathered in the little church1 with its spire pointing heavenward nor of asking himself the question3 ,why are they there8 ,while thus engaged1 his attention was attracted by the peculiar chirping of a ground sparrow near by4 ,he turned1 and but a few feet from him he saw a large black snake1 with its head raised about a foot above its body1 which lay coiled upon the ground4 ,its jaws were distended1 its forked tongue played around its open mouth1 flashing in the sunlight like a small lambent flame1 while its eyes were intently fixed upon the bird4 ,there was a clear1 sparkling light about those eyes that was fearful to behold--they fairly flashed with their peculiar bending fascination4 ,the poor sparrow was fluttering around a circle of some few feet in diameter1 the circle becoming smaller at each gyration of the infatuated bird4 ,she appeared conscious of her danger1 yet unable to break the spell that bound her4 ,nearer and still nearer she fluttered her little wings to those open jaws2 smaller and smaller grew the circle1 till at last1 with a quick convulsive cry2 she fell into the mouth of the snake4 ,as ,mr4 ,lowe watched the bird he became deeply interested in her fate4 ,he started a number of times to destroy the reptile and thus liberate the sparrow from her danger1 but an unconquerable curiosity to see the end restrained him4 ,all day long the scene just described was before him4 ,he could not forget it nor dismiss it from his mind4 ,the last cry of that poor little bird sinking into the jaws of death was constantly ringing in his ears1 and the sadness of the morning increased4 ,illustration ,returning to his house1 he seated himself in his library and attempted to read4 ,what could be the matter8 ,usually he could command his thoughts at will1 but now he could think of nothing but the scene on the mountain1 or the little company in the house of ,god4 ,slowly passed the hours1 and many times did he find himself1 in spite of his resolution not to do so1 looking down the road for the head of his dapple gray to emerge from the valley4 ,it seemed a long time before the rumbling of the wheels was at length heard upon the bridge which crossed the mountain stream1 followed shortly by the old carry-all creeping slowly up the hill4 ,the return of the family somewhat changed the course of his thoughts4 ,they did not say any thing to him about the good meeting they had enjoyed1 and who had been converted since the last ,lord's day2 but they talked it all over among themselves1 and how could he help hearing8 ,he learned all about how good farmer ,haskell talked1 and how humble and devoted ,esquire ,wiseman appeared1 and how happy ,benjamin and ,samuel were2 though he seemed busy with his book and pretended to take no notice of what was said4 ,it was1 indeed1 true then that the old lawyer had become pious4 ,he had heard the news before1 but did not believe it4 ,now he had learned it as a fact4 ,that strong-minded man who had been a skeptic all his days1 had ridiculed and opposed religion1 was now a subject of the children's revival4 ,what could it mean8 ,was there something in religion after all8 ,could it be that what these poor fanatics1 as he had always called them1 said about the future world was correct8 ,was there a heaven1 and a hell1 and a ,god of justice8 ,were his darling children right1 and was he alone wrong8 ,such were the thoughts of the boasted infidel1 as he sat there listening to the half-whispered conversation of his happy children4 ,little ,ella came and climbed to her long accustomed place upon her father's knee1 and throwing her arms around his neck1 laid her glowing cheek1 half-hidden by the clustering curls1 against his own4 ,he knew by her appearance she had something to say but did not dare to say it4 ,to remove this fear1 he began to question her about ,sunday ,school4 ,he inquired after her teacher and who were her classmates1 what she learned1 etc4 ,gradually the shyness wore away1 and the heart of the innocent praying child came gushing forth4 ,she told him all that had been done that day--what her teacher had said of the prayer meeting at noon1 and who spoke1 and how many went forward for prayers4 ,then folding her arms more closely around his neck1 and kissing him tenderly1 she added3 ,oh1 father1 ,i do wish you had been there6 ,why do you wish ,i had been there1 ,ella8 ,oh1 just to see how happy ,nellie ,winslow looked while her grandfather was telling us children how much he loved the ,savior1 and how sorry he was that he did not give his heart to his heavenly ,father when he was young4 ,then he laid his hand on ,nellie's head1 who was sitting by his side1 and said3 ',i thank ,god that he ever gave me a little praying granddaughter to lead me to the ,savior4' ,and1 father1 ,i never in all my life saw anyone look so happy as ,nellie did4 ,mr4 ,lowe made no reply--how could he8 ,could he not see where the heart of his darling ,ella was8 ,could he not see that by what she had told him about ,esquire ,wiseman and his pet ,nellie1 she meant ,,he should understand how happy ,,she should be if ,,her father was a ,christian8 ,ella had not said so in words--,,that was a forbidden subject--but the language of her earnest loving look and manner was not to be mistaken2 and the heart of the infidel father was deeply stirred4 ,he kissed the rosy cheeks of the lovely girl1 and taking his hat1 left the house4 ,he walked out into the field4 ,he felt strangely4 ,before he was aware of the fact he found his infidelity leaving him1 and the simple1 artless religion of childhood winning its way to his heart4 ,try as hard as he might he could not help believing that his little ,ella was a ,christian4 ,there was a reality about her simple faith and ardent love that was truly the evidence of things not seen4 ,what should he do8 ,should he yield to thin influence and be led by his children to ,christ8 ,what6 ,captain ,lowe1 the boasted infidel overcome by the weakness of excited childhood6 ,the thought roused his ,,pride and with an exclamation of impatience at his folly1 he suddenly wheeled about1 and retracing his steps1 with altered appearance1 he re-entered his house4 ,his wife was alone with an open ,bible before her4 ,as he entered he saw her hastily wipe away a tear4 ,in passing her he glanced upon the open page1 and his eye caught the words ,,ye ,,must ,,be ,,born ,,again6 ,they went like an arrow to his heart4 ,,truth1 said a voice within1 with such fearful distinctness that he started at the fancied sound2 and the influence which he had just supposed banished from his heart returned with ten-fold power4 ,the strong man trembled4 ,leaving the sitting-room1 he ascended the stairs to his chamber4 ,passing ,sarah's room1 a voice attracted his attention4 ,it was the voice of prayer4 ,he heard his own name pronounced1 and he paused to listen4 ,oh1 ,lord1 save my dear father4 ,lead him to the ,savior4 ,let him see that he ,,must ,,be ,,born ,,again4 ,oh let not the ,,serpent ,,charm ,,him6 ,save1 oh1 save my dear father6 ,he could listen no longer1 ,let not the serpent charm him6 ,was he then like that helpless little bird1 who fluttering around the head of the serpent1 fell at last into the jaws of death8 ,the thought shot a wild torrent of newly awakened terror through his throbbing heart4 ,hastening to his chamber he threw himself into a chair4 ,he started6 ,the voice of prayer again fell upon his ear4 ,he listened4 ,yes1 it was the clear1 sweet accents of his little pet4 ,ella was praying--,,was ,,praying ,,for ,,him6 ,o ,lord1 bless my dear father4 ,make him a ,christian1 and may he and dear mother be prepared for heaven6 ,illustration3 ,they came from their places of prayer1 where they had lifted up their voices to ,god who had said3 ,whatsoever ye shall ask the ,father in my name ,he will give it you4 ,deeply moved1 the father left the house and hastened to the barn4 ,he would fain escape from those words of piercing power4 ,they were like daggers in his heart4 ,he entered the barn4 ,again he hears a voice4 ,it comes from the hay-loft1 in the rich silvery tones of his own noble boy4 ,john had climbed up the ladder1 and kneeling down upon the hay ,,was ,,praying ,,for ,,his ,,father4 ,o ,lord1 save my father6 ,it was too much for the poor convicted man1 and1 rushing to the house he fell1 sobbing upon his knees by the side of his wife and cried3 ,o ,mary1 ,i am a poor1 lost sinner6 ,our children are going to heaven1 and ,i--,i--,,am ,,going ,,down ,,to ,,hell6 ,oh1 ,wife1 is there mercy for a wretch like me8 ,poor ,mrs4 ,lowe was completely overcome4 ,she wept for joy4 ,that her husband would ever be her companion in the way of holiness1 she had never dared to hope4 ,yes1 there was mercy for even them4 ,come unto me1 and find rest4 ,christ had said it1 and her heart told her it was true4 ,together they would go to this loving ,savior1 and their little ones should show them the way4 ,the children were called in4 ,they came from their places of prayer1 where they had lifted up their hearts to that ,god who had said ,,whatsoever ,,ye ,,shall ,,ask ,,the ,,father ,,in ,,my ,,name ,,he ,,will ,,give ,,it ,,you4 ,they had asked the ,spirit's influence upon the hearts of their parents1 and it had been granted4 ,they gathered around their weeping1 broken-hearted father and penitent mother1 and pointed them to the cross of ,jesus4 ,long and earnestly they prayed1 and wept and agonized4 ,with undoubting trust in the promises1 they waited at the mercy-seat1 and their prayers were heard4 ,faith conquered4 ,the ,spirit came and touched these penitent hearts with the finger of love2 and then sorrow was turned to joy--their night1 dark and cheerless and gloomy1 was changed to blessed day4 ,illustration ,they arose from their knees1 and ,ella sprang to the arms of her father1 and together they rejoiced in ,god4 --,brother ,h4 ,p4 in ,christian ,advocate ,,the ,,stowaway ,on board an ,english steamer a little ragged boy1 aged nine years1 was discovered on the fourth day of the voyage out from ,liverpool to ,new ,york1 and carried before the first mate1 whose duty it was to deal with such cases4 ,when questioned as to his object in being stowed away1 and who had brought him on board1 the boy1 who had a beautiful sunny face1 that looked like the very mirror of truth1 replied that his step-father did it1 because he could not afford to keep him nor pay his passage to ,halifax where he had an aunt who was well off1 and to whose house he was going4 ,the mate did not believe his story1 in spite of the winning face and truthful accents of the boy4 ,he had seen too much of stowaways to be easily deceived by them1 he said2 and it was his firm conviction that the boy had been brought on board and provided with food by the sailors4 ,illustration ,the little fellow was very roughly handled in consequence4 ,day by day he was questioned and requestioned1 but always with the same result4 ,he did not know a sailor on board1 and his father alone had secreted and given him the food which he ate4 ,at last the mate1 wearied by the boy's persistence in the same story1 and perhaps a little anxious to inculpate the sailors1 seized him one day by the collar1 and dragging him to the fore1 told him that unless he told the truth1 in ten minutes from that time he would hang from the yard arm4 ,he then made him sit under it on the deck4 ,all around him were the passengers and sailors of the midway watch1 and in front of him stood the inexorable mate1 with chronometer in his hand1 and the other officers of the ship by his side4 ,it was a touching sight to see the pale1 proud1 scornful face of that noble boy2 his head erect1 his beautiful eyes bright through the tears that suffused them4 ,when eight minutes had fled the mate told him that he had but two minutes to live1 and advised him to speak the truth and save his life4 ,but he replied with the utmost simplicity and sincerity1 by asking the mate if he might pray4 ,the mate said nothing1 but nodded his head1 and turned as pale as a ghost1 and shook with trembling like a reed in the wind4 ,and then all eyes turned on him1 the brave and noble fellow-- this poor boy whom society owned not1 and whose own step-father could not care for--knelt with clasped hands and eyes upturned to heaven4 ,there then occurred a scene as of ,pentecost4 ,sobs broke from strong1 hard hearts1 as the mate sprang forward and clasped the boy to his bosom1 and kissed him1 and blessed him1 and told him how sincerely he now believed his story and how glad he was that he had been brave enough to face death and be willing to sacrifice his life for the truth of his word4 --,illustrated ,weekly ,telegraph ,,the ,,golden ,,rule ,,exemplified ,early one morning while it was yet dark1 a poor man came to my door and informed me that he had an infant child very sick1 which he was afraid would die4 ,he desired me to go to his home1 and1 if possible help them4 ,for1 said he1 ,i want to save its life1 if possible4 ,as he spoke thus his tears ran down his face4 ,he then added3 ,i am a poor man2 but1 ,sir1 ,i will pay you in work as much as you ask if you will go4 ,i said3 ,yes1 ,i will go with you as soon as ,i take a little refreshment4 ,oh1 sir1 said he1 ,i was going to try to get a bushel of corn1 and get it ground to carry home1 and ,i am afraid the child will die before ,i get there4 ,i wish you would not wait for me2 and then he added3 ,we want to save the child's life if we can4 ,illustration ,it being some miles to his house1 ,i didn't arrive there until the sun was two hours high in the morning1 when ,i found the mother holding her sick child1 and six or seven little boys and girls around her1 with clean hands and faces1 looking as their mother did1 lean and poor4 ,on examining the sick child1 ,i discovered that it was starving to death6 ,i said to the mother3 ,you don't give milk enough for this child4 ,she said3 ,i suppose ,i don't4 ,well1 said ,i1 you must feed it with milk4 ,she answered3 ,i would1 sir1 but ,i can't get any to feed it with4 ,i then said3 ,it will be well1 then1 for you to make a little water gruel1 and feed your child4 ,to this she replied3 ,i was thinking ,i would if my husband brings home some ,indian meal4 ,he has gone to try to get some and ,i am in hopes he will make out4 ,she said this with a sad countenance4 ,i asked her with surprise3 ,why madam1 have you not got anything to eat8 ,she strove to suppress a tear1 and answered sorrowfully3 ,no sir2 we have had but little these some days4 ,i said3 ,what are your neighbors1 that you should suffer among them8 ,she said1 ,i suppose they are good people1 but we are strangers in this place1 and don't wish to trouble any of them1 if we can get along without4 ,wishing to give the child a little manna ,i asked for a spoon4 ,the little girl went to the table drawer to get one1 and her mother said to her3 ,get the longest handled spoon4 ,as she opened the drawer1 ,i saw only two spoons1 and both with handles broken off1 but one handle was a little longer than the other4 ,i thought to myself this is a very poor family1 but ,i will do the best ,i can to relieve them4 ,while ,i was preparing the food for the sick child1 ,i heard the oldest boy 7who was about fourteen71 say3 ,you shall have the biggest piece now1 because ,i had the biggest piece before4 ,i turned around to see who it was that manifested such a principle of justice1 and ,i saw four or five children sitting in the corner1 where the oldest was dividing a roasted potato among them4 ,and he said to one3 ,you shall have the biggest piece now1 etc4 ,but the other said3 ,why1 brother1 you are the oldest1 and you ought to have the biggest piece4 ,no1 said the other1 ,i had the biggest piece4 ,i turned to the mother1 and said3 ,madam1 you have potatoes to eat1 ,i suppose8 ,she replied1 ,we have had1 but this is the last one we have left2 and the children have now roasted that for their breakfast4 ,on hearing this1 ,i hastened home1 and informed my wife that food was needed for the sick family4 ,i then prescribed a gallon of milk1 two loaves of bread1 some butter1 meat and potatoes1 and sent my boy with these2 and had the pleasure to hear in a few days that they were all well4 --,selected4 ,,only ,,one ,,vote ,a local option contest was going on in ,w--1 and ,mrs4 ,kent was trying to influence her husband to vote ,no ,license4 ,willie ,kent1 six years old1 was1 of course on his mamma's side4 ,the night before election ,mr4 ,kent went to see ,willie safe in bed1 and hushing his prattle1 he said3 ,now1 ,willie1 say your prayers4 ,papa1 ,i want to say my own words1 tonight1 he replied4 ,all right1 my boy1 that is the best kind of praying1 answered the father4 ,fair was the picture1 as ,willie1 robed in white1 knelt at his father's knee and prayed reverently3 ,o dear ,jesus1 do help papa to vote ,no ,whiskey tomorrow4 ,amen4 ,morning came1 the village was alive with excitement4 ,women's hands1 made hard by toil1 were stretched to ,god for help in the decision4 ,the day grew late and yet ,mr4 ,kent had not been to the polls4 ,willie's prayer sounded in his ears1 and troubled conscience said3 ,answer your boy's petition with your ballot4 ,at last he stood at the polling place with two tickets in his hand-- one1 license2 the other1 ,no ,license4 ,sophistry1 policy1 avarice said3 ,vote ,license4 ,conscience echoed3 ,no ,license4 ,after a moment's hesitation1 he threw from him the ,no ,license ticket and put the ,license in the box4 ,the next day it was found that the contest was so close that it needed but one vote to carry the town for prohibition4 ,in the afternoon1 ,willie found a ,no ,license ticket1 and1 having heard only one vote was necessary1 he started out to find the man who would cast this one ballot against wrong1 and in his eagerness he flew along the streets4 ,the saloon men were having a jubilee1 and the highways were filled with drunken rowdies4 ,little ,willie rushed on through the unsafe crowd4 ,illustration ,hark6 a random pistol-shot from a drunken quarrel1 a pierced heart1 and sweet ,willie ,kent had his death wound-- ,they carried him home to his mother4 ,his father was summoned1 and the first swift thought that came to him1 as he stood over the lifeless boy1 was3 ,willie will never pray again that ,i vote ,no ,whiskey4 ,with a strange still grief he took in his own the quiet little hand chilling into marble coldness1 and there between the fingers1 firmly clasped1 was the ,no ,license ballot with which the brave little soul thought to change the verdict of yesterday4 ,mr4 ,kent started back in shame and sorrow4 ,that vote in his hand might have answered the prayer so lately on his lips now dumb1 and perhaps averted the awful calamity4 ,fathers1 may not the hands of the thousands slain make mute appeal to you8 ,your one vote is what ,god requires of you4 ,you are responsible for it being in harmony with ,his law as if on it hung the great decision4 --,the ,issue ,how a ,little ,girl ,utilized the ,telephone ,a mother living not very far from the post-office in this city1 tired with watching over a sick baby1 came down stairs for a moment the other day for a few second's rest4 ,she heard the voice of her little1 four-year-old girl in the hall by herself1 and1 curious to know to whom she was talking1 stopped for a moment at the half-opened door4 ,she saw that the little thing had pulled a chair in front of the telephone1 and stood upon it1 with the piece against the side of her head4 ,the earnestness of the child showed that she was in no playing mood1 and this was the conversation the mother heard1 while the tears stood thick in her eyes2 the little one carrying on both sides1 as if she were repeating the answers3 ,illustration ,hello4 ,well1 who's there8 ,is ,god there8 ,yes4 ,is ,jesus there8 ,yes4 ,tell ,jesus ,i want to speak to him4 ,well8 ,is that you1 ,jesus8 ,yes4 ,what is it8 ,our baby is sick1 and we want you to let it get well4 ,won't you1 now8 ,no answer1 and statement and question again repeated1 and finally answered by a ,yes4 ,the little one put the ear-piece back on its hook1 clambered down from the chair1 and with a radiant face1 went for her mother1 who caught her in her arms4 ,the baby whose life had been despaired of1 began to mend that day and got well4 --,elmira ,free ,press ,jesus ,answers ,ruth's ,prayer ,i went to sit up all night with a very sick neighbor4 ,i took ,ruth1 my little five-year-old girl along4 ,when ,i started to leave the next morning1 the folks told me to leave ,ruth there and they would send her home when she awakened4 ,being very busy1 they forgot about the child for some time1 and she got up and started home by herself4 ,she started up the fence which she thought led home1 but she took the wrong fence and it led out into a large pasture where there were deep canyons1 bad cattle1 wolves1 and other dangers4 ,the neighbors missed ,ruth and sent their son to find out if ,ruth had got home all right4 ,her parents became alarmed when they were told that she had left two hours before4 ,her father started out to find his precious child1 asking ,god to direct him to her4 ,after going some distance1 he heard someone talking4 ,he stopped and listened4 ,his heart was so glad1 for he knew it was his child4 ,she was kneeling by a post praying4 ,and this is what he heard her say1 ,o sweet ,jesus1 please send my papa to find me6 ,i'm not afraid6 ,i know that you wouldn't let nothing hurt your little girl1 but if my papa didn't find me1 my mama would cry herself to death and my papa would almost cry his self to death4 ,so please1 sweet ,jesus1 send my papa to find me4 ,here ,i am1 ,ruth1 ,papa said1 as he walked toward her4 ,oh1 ,papa1 ,i knew ,jesus would send you to find me6 ,ruth said as she quickly jumped up and ran to her father1 throwing her arms around him4 ,mother was very happy when she saw father coming with their child1 and thanked ,god for caring for her4 --,essie ,wilson ,,very ,,sick ,mother1 ,mrs4 ,oats is very sick6 ,ruth said as she came in the door1 looking very sad4 ,mama1 she is sick2 she is awful sick4 ,i'm sorry for her4 ,what shall we do for her8 ,let's go into the other room and pray and ask ,jesus what he wants me to do4 ,so ,mother and her little girl went into the other room and knelt down4 ,ruth began to pray and ask ,jesus what she should do for ,mrs4 ,oats4 ,and all of a sudden she jumped up and said1 ,jesus told me what to do4 ,he told me to go over and lay my hands on her and pray for her1 and he would heal her4 ,and without an answer1 ,ruth1 who was just six years old ran out the door and didn't stop running till she was at ,mrs4 ,oat's bedside4 ,turn over here1 ,mrs4 ,oats1 ,ruth said1 as she laid her hand on ,mrs4 ,oats' shoulder4 ,i came over here to pray for you and ,jesus is going to heal you4 ,mrs4 ,oats replied1 ,well1 pray for me1 you blessed little angel2 if the ,lord would hear anyone's prayers1 he would hear yours4 ,ruth laid her hands on her and prayed for her and the ,lord instantly healed her4 ,she got up and dressed and came over and told ,ruth's mother what ,ruth had done4 --,essie ,wilson ,,the ,,dying ,,girl',s ,,prayer ,,for ,,her ,,drunken ,,father ,a child from a poor family had an intemperate father1 who often used to abuse his wife and children4 ,this child had been to the ,sunday ,school-- had become pious4 ,the physician told the father that his little girl would die4 ,no6 he did not believe it4 ,yes1 she will--she must die in a few hours4 ,the father hastened to the bedside2 would not part with her1 he said4 ,yes1 father1 you must part with me2 ,i am going to ,jesus4 ,promise me two things4 ,one is1 that you won't abuse mother any more1 and will drink no more whiskey4 ,he promised in a solemn1 steady manner4 ,the little girl's face lighted up with joy4 ,the other thing is1 promise me that you will ,,pray1 said the child4 ,illustration ,i cannot pray2 don't know how1 said the poor man4 ,father1 kneel down1 please4 ,there1 take the words after me4 ,i will pray-- ,i learned how to pray in ,sunday ,school and ,god has taught me how to pray1 too2 my heart prays1 and you must let your heart pray4 ,now say the words4 ,and she began in her simple language to pray to the ,savior of sinners4 ,after a little he began to repeat after her2 as he went on his heart was interested1 and he broke out into an earnest prayer for himself2 bewailed his sins1 confessed and promised to forsake them2 entered into covenant with ,god2 light broke out in his darkness2 how long he prayed he did not know2 he seemed to have forgotten his child in his prayer4 ,when he came to himself he raised his head from the bed on which he had rested it2 there lay the little speaker1 a lovely smile was upon the face1 her hand was in that of the father1 but she had gone to be among the angels4 --,power of ,prayer by ,prime4 ,,lost ,,treasures ,come1 ,mamie1 darling1 said ,mrs4 ,peterson1 before you go into the land of dreams you will kneel at my knee and thank your heavenly ,father for what he has given you today4 ,mamie came slowly towards her mother1 and said1 ,i've been very naughty1 and ,i can't pray1 ,mama4 ,if you've been naughty dear1 that is the more reason that you need to pray4 ,but1 ,mama1 ,i don't think ,god wants little girls to come to ,him when they are naughty4 ,you are not naughty now1 my dear1 are you8 ,no1 ,i am not naughty now4 ,well1 then come at once4 ,what shall ,i say to ,god about it1 ,mama8 ,you can tell ,god how very sorry you are4 ,what difference will that make8 ,when we have told ,god that we are sorry1 and when he has forgiven us1 then we are as happy as if we had not done wrong2 but we cannot undo the mischief4 ,then1 ,mama1 ,i can never be quite as rich as if ,i had not had a naughty hour today4 ,never1 my dear2 but the thought of your loss may help you to be more careful in the future1 and we will ask ,god to keep you from sinning against him again4 --,selected ,,the ,,little ,,girl ,,who ,,died ,,to ,,save ,,her ,,father',s ,,life ,illustration ,my dear little friend3 ,i want to tell you about a little girl in ,switzerland who died to save her father's life4 ,i hope it will lead you to think of ,him who died a dreadful death on the cross1 that we might be saved from sin and sorrow here1 and at last dwell with ,him in bright mansions in the skies4 ,this little girl lived near a deep ravine at the foot of one of the mountains in ,switzerland4 ,a huge rock had fallen down the mountain side1 and lodged in the ravine1 and thus made a natural bridge1 so that those who wished to pass from one side of the mountain to the other1 could cross the bridge4 ,the mother of the child was an earnest ,christian1 and often told her daughter about the blessed ,savior1 who died in the place of sinners1 who deserved to be punished that they might be forgiven and saved in heaven4 ,and she told her also that unless she came to ,jesus1 and trusted in ,him1 she would be lost forever4 ,at first the little girl did not care very much about what her mother said1 but at last the mother's prayer was answered4 ,her little one felt herself to be a lost sinner1 and that ,christ alone could save her4 ,god's spirit taught her that ,jesus had paid the debt1 and that ,he stood with open arms ready to receive her1 and wash her sins away4 ,then she felt sure that heaven would be her home forever4 ,her father was not a ,christian4 ,he never gathered his loved ones around the family altar4 ,one day when about to cross the deep ravine upon the rock bridge1 the mother saw that it was just ready to fall4 ,the frost had loosened it4 ,she told her little child that if she ever crossed it again it would fall1 and she would be dashed in pieces4 ,illustration ,the next day the father told his child that he was going over to the other side across the bridge4 ,she told him it was not safe1 but he only laughed at her4 ,he said he had been across it before she was born1 and that he was not afraid4 ,when the dear little thing saw that he was determined to go she asked if she could go with him4 ,while they were walking along together1 she looked up into her father's face1 and said3 ,father1 if ,i should die1 will you promise to love ,jesus and meet me in heaven8 ,pshaw6 he said1 what put such a wild thought into your head8 ,you are not going to die1 ,i hope4 ,you are only a wee thing and will live many years4 ,yes1 but if ,i should die1 will you promise to love ,jesus just as ,i do1 and meet me in heaven8 ,but you are not going to die4 ,don't speak of it1 he said4 ,but if ,i should die1 do promise1 ,father1 you will be a good ,christian and come up and live with ,jesus and me in heaven4 ,yes1 yes6 he said at last4 ,when they came near the crossing-place1 she said3 ,father1 please stand here a minute4 ,she loved him dearly and was willing to run the risk of dying for him4 ,strange as it may seem she walked quickly and jumped upon the loose rock1 and down it went with the girl4 ,she was crushed to death4 ,the trembling parent crept to the edge1 and eyes dimmed with tears1 gazed wildly upon the wreck4 ,then he thought of all his little child had told him about how ,jesus had died to save us4 ,he thought he had never loved her so much4 ,but he began to see that he had far more reason to love ,jesus who had suffered much more to save him from the bottomless pit4 ,and then he thought of the promise he so carefully made to his daughter4 ,what could he do but kneel down and cry to ,god to have mercy upon him8 ,if they meet in heaven1 do you think that daughter will be sorry that she sacrificed her life for her father's sake8 ,can you not imagine that tears often filled the eyes of that father when he spoke of his sainted little one8 ,you would say that he would have been a very wicked man if he had not loved the memory of his child4 ,but is it not a thousand times more wicked for you not to love ,him who has loved you so much more than that little one loved her father8 ,how can you help loving such a precious ,savior8 ,will you not ask ,him to forgive you and help you to live for ,him the rest of your life8 --,the ,way of ,faith ,,forgotten ,,my ,,soul ,mother1 you have forgotten my soul1 so said a little girl1 three years old as her kind and careful mother was about to lay her in bed4 ,she had just risen from repeating the ,lord's prayer4 ,but1 ,mother1 she said1 you have forgotten my soul4 ,what do you mean1 ,anna8 ,why1 ',now ,i lay me down to sleep1 ,i pray the ,lord my soul to keep6 ,if ,i should die before ,i wake1 ,i pray the ,lord my soul to take4' ,we have not said that4 ,the child meant nothing more1 yet her words were startling4 ,and1 oh6 from how many rosy lips might they come with mournful significance6 ,illustration ,you1 fond mother1 so busy hour after hour preparing and adorning garments for their pretty little form1 have you forgotten the soul8 ,do you commend it earnestly to the care of its ,god and ,savior8 ,are you leading it to commit itself1 in faith and love to his keeping8--,selected4 ,,prevailing ,,prayer ,,of ,a ,,child ,at the close of a prayer-meeting1 the pastor observed a little girl about twelve years of age remaining upon her knees1 when most of the congregation had retired4 ,thinking the child had fallen asleep1 he touched her and told her it was time to return home4 ,to his surprise he found that she was engaged in prayer1 and he said3 ,all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer1 believing1 ye shall receive4 ,she looked up at the pastor earnestly1 and inquired3 ,is that so8 ,does ,god say that8 ,illustration ,he took up a ,bible and read the passage aloud4 ,she immediately began praying3 ,lord1 send my father here2 ,lord1 send my father to the chapel4 ,thus she continued for about half an hour1 attracting by her earnest cry the attentions of persons who had lingered about the door4 ,at last a man rushed into the chapel1 ran up the aisle and sank upon his knees by the side of his child1 exclaiming3 ,what do you want of me8 ,she threw her arms about his neck1 and began to pray3 ,oh1 ,lord1 convert my father6 ,soon the man's heart was melted and he began to pray for himself4 ,the child's father was three miles from the chapel when she began praying for him4 ,he was packing goods in a wagon and felt impressed with an irresistible impulse to return home4 ,driving rapidly to his house1 he left the goods in his wagon and hastened to the chapel1 where he found his daughter crying mightily to ,god in his behalf2 and he was led there to the ,savior4 --,foster's ,encyclopedia ,,the ,,dying ,,news ,,boy ,in a dark alley in the great city of ,new ,york1 a small1 ragged boy might be seen4 ,he appeared to be about twelve years old1 and had a careworn expression on his countenance4 ,the cold air seemed to have no pity as it pierced through his ragged clothes1 and made the flesh beneath blue and almost frozen4 ,illustration3 ,i am dying now1 because ,i feel so queer2 and ,i can hardly see you4 ,i can kinder see the angels holding out their hands for me to come to that beautiful place they call heaven4 ,this poor boy had once a happy home4 ,his parents died a year before1 and left him without money or friends4 ,he was compelled to face the cold1 cruel world with but a few cents in his pocket4 ,he tried to earn his living by selling newspapers and other such things4 ,this day everything seemed to go against him1 and in despair he threw himself down in the dark alley1 with his papers by his side4 ,a few boys gathered around the poor lad1 and asked in a kind way 7for a street ,arab73 ,say1 ,johnny1 why don't you go to the lodges8 7,the lodge was a place where almost all the boys stayed at night1 costing but a few cents47 ,but the poor little lad could only murmur that he could not stir1 and called the boys about him1 saying3 ,i am dying now1 because ,i feel so queer3 and ,i can hardly see you4 ,gather around me closer boys4 ,i cannot talk so loud4 ,i can kinder see the angels holding out their hands for me to come to that beautiful place called heaven4 ,goodbye1 boys4 ,i am to meet father and mother4 ,and1 with these last words on his lips1 the poor lad died4 ,next morning the passers-by saw a sight that would soften the most hardened heart4 ,there1 lying on the cold stone1 with his head against the hard wall1 and his eyes staring upward1 was the poor little frozen newsboy4 ,he was taken to the chapel near by1 and was interred by kind hands4 ,and those who performed this act will never forget the poor forsaken lad4 --,golden ,dawn ,,new ,,shoes ,i wonder if there can be a pair of shoes in it6 ,little ,tim sat on the ground close beside a very ugly dark-colored stone jug4 ,he eyed it sharply1 but finding it quite impossible to see through its sides1 pulled out the cork and peered anxiously in4 ,can't see nothin'1 but it's so dark in there ,i couldn't see if there was anything4 ,i've a great mind to break the hateful old thing4 ,he sat for awhile thinking how badly he wanted a pair of shoes to wear to the ,sunday ,school picnic4 ,his mother had promised to wash and mend his clothes1 so that he might go looking very neat indeed2 but the old shoes were far past all mending and how could he go barefoot8 ,then he began counting the chances of his father being very angry when he should find his jug broken4 ,he did not like the idea of getting a whipping for it1 as was very likely1 but how could he resist the temptation of making sure about those shoes8 ,the more he thought of them1 the more he couldn't4 ,he sprang up and hunted around until he found a good size brick-bat1 which he flung with such vigorous hand and correct aim that the next moment the old jug lay in pieces before his eyes4 ,how eagerly he bent over them in the hope of finding not only what he was so longing for but1 perhaps1 other treasure6 ,but his poor little heart sank as he turned over the fragments with trembling fingers4 ,nothing could be found among the broken bits1 wet on the inside with a bad-smelling liquid4 ,tim sat down again and sobbed as he had never sobbed before2 so hard that he did not hear a step beside him until a voice said3 ,well1 what's all this8 ,he sprang up in great alarm4 ,it was his father1 who always slept late in the morning1 and was very seldom awake so early as this4 ,illustration ,who broke my jug8 he asked4 ,i did1 said ,tim1 catching his breath half in terror and half between his sobs4 ,why did you8 ,tim looked up4 ,the voice did not sound quite so terrible as he had expected4 ,the truth was his father had been touched at sight of the forlorn figure1 so very small and so sorrowful1 which had bent over the broken jug4 ,why1 he said1 ,i was looking for a pair of new shoes4 ,i want a pair of shoes awful bad to wear at the picnic4 ,all the other chaps wear shoes4 ,how came you to think you'd find shoes in a jug8 ,why ,mama said so4 ,i asked her for some new shoes and she said they had gone into the black jug1 and that lots of other things had gone into it1 too--coats and hats1 and bread and meat and things--and ,i thought if ,i broke it ,i'd find them all1 and there ain't a thing in it--and ,mama never said what wasn't so before--and ,i thought 'twould be so--sure4 ,and ,tim1 hardly able to sob out the words1 feeling how keenly his trust in mother's word had added to his great disappointment1 sat down again1 and cried harder than ever4 ,his father seated himself on a box in the disorderly yard and remained quiet for so long a time that ,tim at last looked timidly up4 ,i am real sorry ,i broke your jug1 ,father4 ,i'll never do it again4 ,no1 ,i guess you won't1 he said1 laying a hand on the rough little head as he went away leaving ,tim overcome with astonishment that his father had not been angry with him4 ,two days after1 on the very evening before the picnic1 he handed ,tim a parcel1 telling him to open it4 ,new shoes6 new shoes6 he shouted4 ,oh1 ,father1 did you get a new jug and were they in it8 ,no1 my boy1 there isn't going to be a new jug4 ,your mother was right all the time--the things all went into the jug2 but you see getting them out is no easy matter so ,i am going to keep them out after this4 --,new ,york ,observer ,,little ,,jennie',s ,,sickness ,,and ,,death ,little ,jennie was eight years old1 ,march #cj1 #ahhf4 ,the ,april following she was taken very sick1 and from that time until ,june #d1 she seemed a little suffering angel4 ,then ,jesus1 who had so blessedly sustained her during all her sufferings took her to ,himself4 ,she would say1 when able to talk3 ,mama1 ,i do not care what ,i suffer1 ,god knows best4 ,when she was very low1 we would often see her dear lips moving1 and listening1 hear her praying4 ,she would finish her prayer and after saying ,amen having noticed that we were listening to her1 would look up into our faces to see if we wanted anything4 ,this patience and devotion characterized her whole life4 ,often1 when she was at play with her sister1 who was the older by five years1 when some little trouble would arise1 she would take her sister by the hand and say3 ,kitty1 let's tell ,jesus4 ,then bowing her little head1 she would pour out her whole heart in prayer to ,god1 with the fervency that is shown by a true ,christian4 ,about three weeks after she was taken ill her little body was paralyzed and drawn all out of shape it seemed4 ,then in a few days her little limbs were so we could almost straighten them4 ,what suffering she endured all that time1 no one knows but those who were with her4 ,may #beth1 which was ,tuesday1 while suffering terribly1 she said3 ,mama1 play and sing4 ,i took my guitar1 and without stopping to think what to sing1 began that beautiful song in the ,gospel ,hymns3 ,nearer my home1 today1 than ,i have been before4 ,i could praise ,god just then1 for ,i was filled with ,his ,spirit4 ,she lay there looking at me with her little blue eyes and trying in her weak voice to help me4 ,at last she seemed soothed by the music4 ,but we knew that ,jesus in his infinite love1 had quieted her for a time1 because we were willing to submit to ,his will4 ,we had said all the time3 ,lord1 not my will1 but thine4 ,she rested quite well until about three o'clock in the afternoon2 then suddenly she spoke and her voice sounded quite strong4 ,she said3 ,oh1 ,mama see those people1 how funny they look6 ,they look like poles4 ,she was lying so that she could look out of the window and as she spoke her eyes seemed to rest on some object there4 ,then she spoke louder2 ,,oh1 ,,mamma1 ,,come ,,and ,,see ,,the ,,little ,,children6 ,i never saw so many in my life4 ,i sat down on the front of the bed and said3 ,jennie1 is there any there that you know8 ,she looked them over so earnestly1 then said3 ,no1 not one4 ,i asked her how they looked4 ,she said3 ,mama1 every one has a gold crown on its head1 and they are all dressed in white4 ,i thought that ,jesus was coming for her then4 ,after telling me that there were none that she knew she sank back on the pillows exhausted4 ,but in a few moments she raised up again and said3 ,oh1 ,mama1 hear that music6 ,did you ever hear such grand music8 ,now1 do not shut the windows tonight1 will you8 ,i told her that ,i would not4 ,the next morning she called ,kittie into the room and said3 ,kittie1 ,i want to tell you what ,i saw last night4 ,she then proceeded to tell her the same as she had told me the evening before4 ,then she said3 ,now1 ,kittie1 you will forgive me for ever being cross to you won't you8 ,kittie answered1 ,little darling1 you have never been cross to me4 ,will you forgive me1 sister1 for being cross to you8 ,darling sister1 she said1 that is all right4 ,thursday night she was paralyzed in her left side so that she had no use of it4 ,friday all day she lay unconscious1 and that night the same4 ,saturday1 about ten o'clock1 she commenced to whisper4 ,we could hear her say3 ,papa1 ,mama4 ,we tried to understand her1 but at first could not4 ,she kept whispering plainer1 and finally we heard her say3 ,take--me-- upstairs4 ,i--want--to--lie--on--my--own--bed--onc e--more4 ,but of course we could not move her4 ,suddenly she said aloud3 ,i am going to die6 kiss me quick1 ,mama4 ,i bent down and kissed her1 and she looked so wretched4 ,i said3 ,jennie1 you will not have to go alone2 ,jesus will take you4 ,she answered3 ,i know it4 ,i wish that ,he would come this minute4 ,kiss me again1 ,mama4 ,i did so2 then she wished us to sing4 ,again1 without giving one thought1 ,i commenced singing the same words that ,i sang the ,tuesday before4 ,she raised her right hand arm's length1 and began to wave it and bow her head4 ,oh6 she was so happy4 ,then she said3 ,play4 ,they brought the guitar1 and she continued to wave her little hand1 while ,i played and sang the whole piece4 ,one of her aunts1 standing near the bed took hold of her hand to stop it1 but it moved just the same2 and ,i said3 ,ollie1 let go of her hand1 that is the ,lord's doings4 ,after ,i finished1 she kissed her father1 mother1 and sister and bade them goodbye2 then called four other very dear friends and told them goodbye after kissing them4 ,she then called for a book and wanted the music teacher1 who was present1 to play and sing a piece which she dearly loved4 ,before she was sick she would have little prayer meetings1 and her sweet little face would shine with happiness4 ,she would say3 ,oh1 ,mama1 how the ,lord has blessed me4 ,illustration3 ,they brought the guitar1 and she continued to wave her little hand1 while ,i played and sang the whole piece4 ,while the dear teacher was playing and singing her favorite she was waving her little hand4 ,we sang three or four other pieces around her bed4 ,we all thought that ,jesus would take her then4 ,oh1 what joy6 it was heaven below4 ,jesus was there and the room was filled with glory on account of of ,his presence4 ,two of her aunts said that it seemed as though they were in heaven4 ,she never spoke after that1 but would try to make us understand by motioning when she wanted anything4 ,sometimes it would take us a long time1 but she would be so patient4 ,she was ready and waiting4 ,she had peace that the world cannot give1 and1 praise ,god6 that the world cannot take away4 ,the dear little one lived until the next ,tuesday afternoon1 and went to ,jesus about three o'clock4 ,that was the time she saw the vision the ,tuesday before4 ,tuesday morning before daylight she tried to tell me something4 ,i said ,sing8 ,she looked so happy and bowed her head4 ,i began singing3 ,i am ,jesus' little lamb4 ,she bowed her head again4 ,in the forenoon she kept looking at her aunts1 ,ollie and ,belle1 and pointing up4 ,oh6 it meant so much4 ,it seemed to me that she was saying1 that it meant3 ,meet me in heaven4 ,finally she motioned for me to raise the window curtain4 ,i did so and she looked out the window so eagerly1 as though she was expecting to see the little children4 ,then the little blue eyes closed to open no more in this world1 but in heaven4 --,mrs4 ,l4 ,jones4 ,,she ,,died ,,for ,,him ,illustration ,a poor emigrant had gone to ,australia to make his fortune1 leaving a wife and little son in ,england4 ,when he had made some money1 he wrote home to his wife3 ,come out to me here2 ,i send the money for your passage2 ,i want to see you and my boy4 ,the wife took ship as soon as she could1 and started for her new home4 ,one night1 as they were all asleep there sounded the dreaded cry of ,fire1 fire6 ,everyone rushed on deck and the boats were soon filled4 ,the last one was just pushing off then a cry of there are two more on deck1 arose4 ,they were the mother and her son4 ,alas6 ,only room for one1 the sailors shouted4 ,which was to go8 ,the mother thought of her far away home1 her husband looking out lovingly and longingly for his wife4 ,then she glanced at the boy1 clinging frightened to her skirts4 ,she could not let him die4 ,there was no time to lose4 ,quick6 quick6 ,the flames were getting around4 ,snatching the child1 she held him to her a moment4 ,willie1 tell ,father ,i died for you6 ,then the boy as lowered into the sailor's willing arms4 ,she died for him4 --,selected4 ,i ,,don',t ,,love ,,you ,,now1 ,,mother ,a great many years ago1 ,i knew a lady who had been sick for two years1 as you have seen many a one1 all the while slowly dying with consumption4 ,she had one child--a little boy named ,henry4 ,one afternoon ,i was sitting by her side and it seemed as if she would cough her life away4 ,her little boy stood by the post of the bed1 his blue eyes filled with tears to see her suffer so4 ,by and by the terrible cough ceased4 ,henry came and put his arms around his mother's neck1 nestled his head in his mother's bosom1 and said1 ,mother1 ,i do love you2 ,i wish you wasn't sick4 ,an hour later1 the same loving1 blue-eyed boy came in all aglow1 stamping the snow off his feet4 ,oh1 ,mother1 may ,i go skating8 it is so nice--,ed and ,charlie are going4 ,henry1 feebly said the mother1 the ice is not hard enough yet4 ,but1 ,mother1 very pettishly said the boy1 you are sick all the time-- how do you know8 ,my child1 you must obey me1 gently said his mother4 ,it is too bad1 angrily sobbed the boy1 who an hour ago had so loved his mother4 ,i would not like to have my little boy go1 said the mother1 looking sadly at the little boy's face1 all covered with frowns2 you said you loved me--be good4 ,no1 ,i don't love you now1 ,mother1 said the boy1 going out and slamming the door4 ,again that dreadful coughing came upon her1 and we thought no more of the boy4 ,after the coughing had commenced1 ,i noticed tears falling thick upon her pillow1 but she sank from exhaustion into a light sleep4 ,in a little while muffled steps of men's feet were heard coming into the house1 as though carrying something2 and they were carrying the almost lifeless body of ,henry4 ,angrily had he left his mother and gone to skate--disobeying her2 and then broken through the ice1 sunk under the water1 and now saved by a great effort1 was brought home barely alive to his sick mother4 ,i closed the doors feeling more danger for her life than the child's and coming softly in1 drew back the curtains from the bed4 ,she spoke1 ,i heard them--it is ,henry2 oh1 ,i knew he went--is he dead8 ,but she never seemed to hear the answer ,i gave her4 ,she commenced coughing--she died in agony--strangled to death4 ,the poor mother6 ,the boy's disobedience killed her4 ,after a couple of hours ,i sought the boy's room4 ,illustration ,oh1 ,i wish ,i had not told mother ,i did not love her4 ,tomorrow ,i will tell her ,i do1 said the child sobbing painfully4 ,my heart ached2 tomorrow ,i knew we must tell him she was dead4 ,we did not till the child came fully into the room1 crying1 ,mother1 ,i do love you4 ,oh6 may ,i never see agony like that child's1 as the lips he kissed gave back no kiss1 as the hands he took fell lifeless from his hand1 instead of shaking his hand as it always had1 and the boy knew she was dead4 ,mother1 ,i do love you now1 all the day he sobbed and cried1 ,o ,mother1 ,mother1 forgive me4 ,then he would not leave his mother4 ,speak to me1 ,mother6 but she could never speak again1 and he--the last words she had ever heard him say1 were1 ,mother1 ,i don't love you now4 ,that boy's whole life was changed2 sober and sad he was ever after4 ,he is now a gray haired old man1 with one sorrow over his one act of disobedience1 one wrong word embittering all his life--with those words ever ringing in his ears1 ,mother1 ,i don't love you now4 ,will the little ones who read this remember1 if they disobey their mother1 if they are cross and naughty1 they say every single time they do so1 to a tender mother's heart1 by their actions if not in the words of ,henry1 the very same thing1 ,i don't love you now1 ,mother4 ,,little ,,mother ,she was a clear-eyed1 fresh-cheeked little maiden1 living on the banks of the great ,mississippi1 the oldest of four children1 and mother's little woman always4 ,they called her so because of her quiet1 matronly care of the younger ,mayfields--that was the father's name4 ,her own name was the beautiful one of ,elizabeth1 but they shortened it to ,bess4 ,she was thirteen when one day ,mr4 ,mayfield and his wife were called to the nearest town1 six miles away4 ,be mother's little woman1 dear1 said ,mrs4 ,mayfield as she kissed the rosy face4 ,her husband added3 ,i leave the children in your care1 ,bess2 be a little mother to them4 ,bess waved her old sun-bonnet vigorously1 and held up the baby ,rose1 that she might watch them to the last4 ,old ,daddy ,jim and ,mammy had been detailed by ,mr4 ,mayfield to keep an unsuspected watch on the little nestlings1 and were to sleep at the house4 ,thus two days went by1 when ,daddy ,jim and ,mammy begged to be allowed to go to the quarters where the ,negroes lived1 to see their daughter1 ,jennie1 who was pow'ful bad wid the toothache4 ,they declared they would be back by evening1 so ,bess was willing4 ,she put the little girls to bed and persuaded ,rob to go2 then seated herself by the table with her mother's work-basket1 in quaint imitation of ,mrs4 ,mayfield's industry in the evening time4 ,but what was this8 ,her feet touched something cold6 ,she bent down and felt around with her hand4 ,a pool of water was spreading over the floor4 ,she knew what it was2 the ,mississippi had broken through the levee4 ,what should she do8 ,mammy's stories of how homes had been washed away and broken in pieces were in her mind4 ,oh1 if ,i had a boat6 she exclaimed4 ,but there isn't anything of the sort on the place4 ,she ran wildly out to look for ,mammy2 and stumbled over something sitting near the edge of the porch4 ,a sudden inspiration took her4 ,here was her boat6 a very large1 old-fashioned1 oblong tub4 ,the water was now several inches deep on the porch and she contrived to half-float1 half-row the tub into the room4 ,without frightening the children she got them dressed in the warmest clothes they had4 ,she lined the oblong tub with a blanket1 and made ready bread and cold meat left from supper4 ,with ,rob's assistance she dragged the tub upstairs4 ,there was a single large window in the room1 and they set the tub directly by it1 so that when the water rose the tub would float out4 ,there was no way for the children to reach the roof1 which was a very steep1 inclined one4 ,it did not seem long before the water had very nearly risen to the top of the stairs leading from below4 ,bess flung the window open1 and made ,rob get into their novel boat2 then she lifted in ,kate1 and finally baby ,rose1 who began to cry1 was given into ,rob's arms1 and now the little mother1 taking the basket of food1 made ready to enter1 too2 but1 lo6 there was no room for her with safety to the rest4 ,bess paused a moment1 drew a long breath1 and kissed the children quietly4 ,she explained to ,rob that he must guard the basket1 and that they must sit still4 ,goodbye1 dears4 ,say a prayer for sister1 ,rob4 ,if you ever see father and mother1 tell them ,i took care of you4 ,then the water seized the insecure vessel1 and out into the dark night it floated4 ,illustration3 ,the next day ,mr4 ,mayfield1 who1 with his neighbors1 scoured the broad lake of eddying water that represented the ,mississippi1 discovered the tub lodged in the branches of a sycamore with the children weeping and chilled1 but safe4 ,and ,bess8 ,ah1 where was ,bess1 the little mother1 who in that brief moment resigned herself to death8 ,they found her later1 floating on the water with her brave childish face turned to the sky2 and as strong arms lifted her into the boat1 the tears from every eye paid worthy tribute to the little mother4 --,detroit ,free ,press ,,robbie ,,goodman',s ,,prayer ,what can be the matter with ,walter1 thought ,mama ,ellis as she sat sewing in her pleasant sitting-room4 ,he came in so very quietly1 closed the door gently and ,i think ,i even heard him go to the closet to hang up his books4 ,oh6 dear4 ,i hope he isn't going to have another attack of ',grippe1' and ,mrs4 ,ellis shivered as she glanced out at the snow-covered landscape4 ,as her eyes turned once more to the warm1 luxurious room in which she was seated1 the portieres were pushed aside and a little boy of ten years of age entered4 ,little ,walter was all that remained of four beautiful children1 who1 only a year ago1 romped gaily through the large halls4 ,that dread disease1 diphtheria1 had stolen the older brother and laughing little sisters in one short week's time1 so that now1 as the sad anniversary came near to hand1 ,mrs4 ,ellis' heart ached for her lost birdlings and yearned more jealously than ever over her remaining little one4 ,today his usually merry face was very grave and he looked very thoughtful as he gave his mother her kiss and allowed himself to be drawn upon her lap4 ,what ails mother's ,pet8 ,is he sick8 she asked anxiously4 ,no1 ,mother dear1 ,i'm not sick1 but ,i feel so sad at heart4 ,you see1 he continued in answer to her questioning look1 ,robbie ,goodman and ,i always walk together going and coming from school1 and ,i have noticed that he has never worn any overcoat this winter1 but you know its been unusually warm and ,i thought perhaps his mother did not make him wrap up like you did me1 but this morning it was so cold and he was just shivering1 but he never had on any overcoat--just his mittens and muffler and cap were his wraps4 ,of course ,i noticed it1 for nearly everyone else was all bundled up2 but ,i didn't say anything as ,i did not want to be impolite4 ,after awhile he said1 ',my1 ,i am so cold1' and ,i said3 ',where's your overcoat8' ,then he told me it was too small and his papa can't buy him any this winter so he is afraid he will have to stop school4 ,his mama says she would cut his papa's up for him1 only then he would not have any2 and of course he must have one to wear when he goes to the chapel and to see sick people4 ,even that one is thin and patched4 ,he says he and his little sisters have been praying so hard for an overcoat for him and shoes for them1 but they did not come at ,christmas like they thought they would1 and they are real discouraged4 ,tonight1 ,mother1 continued ,walter1 he had an awful cold and coughed just like our ,harry did last year1 and the long pent up tears flowed from the child's eyes4 ,as mother and son dried their tears1 the child looked up with perfect confidence as he said1 ,the ,lord will answer ,robbie's prayer1 won't he4 ,mama8 ,illustration ,yes darling1 said ,mrs4 ,ellis2 and sent the child off to the play room4 ,by the way1 my dear1 remarked ,mrs4 ,ellis as they sat chatting at the tea-table after ,walter had retired1 what has become of that preacher ,goodman who preached for us once on trial8 ,oh1 he has a mission down on the other side of the city1 but he lives on this side as ,moore gives him the house rent free4 ,i met him the other day4 ,he looked very needy4 ,the man had wonderful talents and might have a rich congregation and improve himself2 but he is persistent in his ideas concerning this holiness movement1 and of course a large church like ours wants something to attract and interest instead of such egotistical discourses4 ,i1 for one1 go to sleep under them4 ,and ,mr4 ,ellis drew himself up with a pompous air as he went into the library1 whither his wife presently followed4 ,he had picked up a newspaper and was apparently absorbed1 but ,mrs4 ,ellis had not had her say1 so she continued ,walter was telling me about the little boy4 ,he-- ,oh1 yes1 interrupted her husband1 he met me in the hall and poured out the whole story4 ,the child's nerves were all wrought up1 too4 ,he should not be allowed to worry over such things4 ,he wants me to give up buying him the fur-trimmed overcoat and get a coat and shoes for ,goodman's children1 as they were praying so hard for them1 but ,i have enough to do without clothing other people's children4 ,if ,goodman would quit his cranky notions and use his talents for people who could understand him1 instead of preaching to those ragamuffins he might now be receiving a magnificent salary and clothing himself and family decently4 ,but ,paul1 said ,mrs4 ,ellis1 ,surely you would not have ,mr4 ,goodman sacrifice his convictions simply for money and praise1 when you yourself1 are convinced that his doctrines are sound8 ,besides he must be doing a good work down among the poor classes of the city as it appears the rich don't want him4 ,then let the poor give enough to keep him4 ,they do give far beyond their means but the ,lord calls on such as us to give4 ,i know it has been an unusually hard year but the ,lord has blessed us and ,he will hold us to an account4 ,i feel very sad as the anniversary of our darlings' departure draws near and ,i dread to think of any little ones suffering while we could so easily help them4 ,i don't see how you can feel that we have been so blessed4 ,when the house is so quiet and ,i think of those white graves in the cemetery ,i confess ,i feel very bitter4 ,paul1 my dear husband1 don't feel that way4 ,just think of our three treasures in heaven1 an added claim to that glorious realm1 away from this cold and suffering4 ,remember also that we have one left1 to live for1 to train4 ,and1 ,paul1 let us train him for the ,master and in such a way that we may never have the feeling that it were better if he1 too1 had departed when he was pure and innocent4 ,let us encourage benevolence and gentleness and if he wishes to go without the fur-trimmed coat1 why not do as he asks8 ,mrs4 ,ellis kissed her husband and quietly left the room4 ,long and late1 ,paul ,ellis sat there and many things1 ghosts of the past1 rose before him4 ,as the midnight chimes rang out he knelt and prayed4 ,oh1 ,lord1 forgive me4 ,i have gone astray and turned to my own way4 ,i have been prejudiced4 ,it was my influence which turned the tide against ,robert ,goodman4 ,thou knowest4 ,now1 if ,thou wilt only forgive and help me ,i will walk in the light as ,thou sendest it1 even consenting to be called a 'holiness crank4' ,illustration3 ,a few days afterward ,robert ,goodman received a large package from an unknown friend containing a warm overcoat and three pairs of shoes4 ,his father also received a present4 ,it came through the mail and was an honest confession of a wrong done him1 also a check for one hundred dollars4 ,one year later this church gave a unanimous call to ,brother ,goodman and the revival which broke out that winter was unprecedented in the annals of that church4 ,verily1 ,a little child shall lead them4 --,luella ,watson ,kinder1 in ,christian ,witness ,,carletta ,,and ,,the ,,merchant ,if ,i could only have your faith1 gladly would ,i--but ,i was born a skeptic4 ,i cannot look upon ,god and the future as you do4 ,so said ,john ,harvey as he walked with a friend under a dripping umbrella4 ,john ,harvey was a skeptic of thirty years standing and apparently hardened in his unbelief4 ,everybody had given him up as hopeless4 ,reasoning ever so calmly made no impression on the rocky soil of his heart4 ,alas6 it was sad1 very sad6 ,but one friend had never given him up4 ,when spoken to about him-- ,i will talk with and pray for that man until ,i die1 he said2 and ,i will have faith that he may yet come out of darkness into the marvelous light4 ,and thus whenever he met him 7,john ,harvey was always ready for a talk17 ,mr4 ,hawkins pressed home the truth4 ,in answer1 on that stormy night1 he said3 ,god can change a skeptic1 ,john4 ,he has more power over your heart than you1 and ,i mean still to pray for you4 ,oh1 ,i have no objections1 none in the world--seeing is believing1 you know4 ,i'm ready for any miracle2 but ,i tell you it would take nothing short of a miracle to convince me4 ,let's change the subject4 ,i'm hungry and it's too far to go up town to supper on this stormy night4 ,here's a restaurant3 let us stop here4 ,how warm and pleasant it looked in the long1 brilliant dining saloon6 ,the two merchants had eaten1 and were just on the point of rising when a strain of soft music came through the open door--a child's sweet voice4 ',pon my word1 that is pretty1 said ,john ,harvey2 what purity in those tones6 ,out of here1 you little baggage6 cried a hoarse voice1 and one of the waiters pointed angrily to the door4 ,let her come in1 said ,john ,harvey4 ,we don't allow them in this place1 sir1 said the waiter1 but she can go into the reading-room4 ,well1 let her go somewhere4 ,i want to hear her1 responded the gentleman4 ,all this time the two had seen the shadow of something hovering backwards and forwards on the edge of the door2 now they followed a slight little figure1 wrapped in a patched cloak1 patched hood1 and leaving the mark of wet feet as she walked4 ,curious to see her face--she was very small--,john ,harvey lured her to the farthest part of the great room where there were but few gentlemen1 and then motioned her to sing4 ,the little one looked timidly up4 ,her cheek was of olive darkness1 but a flush rested there1 and out of the thinnest face1 under the arch of broad temples1 deepened by masses of the blackest hair looked two eyes whose softness and tender pleading would have touched the hardest heart4 ,that little thing is sick1 ,i believe1 said ,john ,harvey1 compassionately4 ,what do you sing1 child8 he added4 ,i sing ,italian or a little ,english4 ,john ,harvey looked at her shoes4 ,why1 he exclaimed1 and his lips quivered1 her feet are wet to her ankles2 she will catch her death of cold4 ,by this time the child had begun to sing1 pushing back her hood1 and folding before her her little thin fingers4 ,her voice was wonderful2 and simple and common as were both air and words1 the pathos of the tones drew together several of the merchants in the reading-room4 ,the little song commenced thus3 ,there is a happy land1 ,far1 far away4 ,never could the voice1 the manner1 of that child be forgotten4 ,there almost seemed a halo around her head2 and when she had finished1 her great speaking eyes turned toward ,john ,harvey4 ,look here1 child2 where did you learn that song8 he asked4 ,at the ,sunday ,school1 ,sir4 ,and you don't suppose there is a happy land8 ,i know there is2 ,i'm going to sing there1 she said1 so quickly1 so decidedly that the men looked at each other4 ,going to sing there8 ,yes1 sir4 ,mother said so4 ,she used to sing to me until she was very sick4 ,then she said she wasn't going to sing any more on earth1 but up in heaven4 ,well--and what then8 ,and then she died1 sir1 said the child2 tears brimming down the dark cheek now ominously flushed scarlet4 ,john ,harvey was silent for a few moments4 ,presently he said3 ,well1 if she died1 my little girl1 you may live1 you know4 ,oh1 no1 sir6 no1 sir6 ,i'd rather go there2 and be with mother4 ,sometimes ,i have a dreadful pain in my side and cough as she did4 ,there won't be any pain up there1 sir2 it's a beautiful world6 ,how do you know8 faltered on the lips of the skeptic4 ,my mother told me so1 sir4 ,words how impressive6 manner how child-like1 and yet so wise6 ,john ,harvey had had a praying mother4 ,his chest labored for a moment-- the sobs that struggled for utterance could be heard even in their depths--and still those large1 soft1 lustrous eyes1 like magnets impelled his glance toward them4 ,child you must have a pair of shoes4 ,john ,harvey's voice was husky4 ,hands were thrust in pockets1 purses pulled out1 and the astonished child held in her little palm more money than she had ever seen before4 ,her father is a poor1 consumptive organ-grinder1 whispered one4 ,i suppose he's too sick to be out tonight4 ,along the soggy street went the child1 under the protection of ,john ,harvey1 but not with shoes that drank the water at every step4 ,warmth and comfort were hers now4 ,down in the deep den-like lanes of the city walked the man1 a little cold hand in his4 ,at an open door they stopped2 up broken1 creaking stairs they climbed4 ,another doorway was opened1 and a wheezing voice called out of the dim arch1 ,carletta6 ,o ,father6 ,father6 see what ,i have brought you6 ,look at me6 ,look at me and down went the silver1 and venting her joy1 the poor child fell2 crying and laughing together1 into the old man's arms4 ,was he a man8 ,a face dark and hollow1 all overgrown with hair black as night and uncombed--a pair of wild eyes--a body bent nearly double--hands like claws4 ,did he give you all this1 my child8 ,they all did1 ,father2 now you shall have soup and oranges4 ,thank you1 sir--,i'm sick1 you see--all gone1 sir6--had to send the poor child out1 or we'd starve4 ,god bless you1 sir6 ,i wish ,i was well enough to play you a tune1 and he looked wistfully towards the corner where stood the old organ1 baize-covered1 the baize in tatters4 ,one month after that the two men met again as if by agreement1 and walked slowly down town4 ,treading innumerable passages they came to the gloomy building where lived ,carletta's father4 ,no--not lived there1 for as they paused a moment out came two or three men bearing a pine coffin4 ,in the coffin slept the old organ-grinder4 ,it was very sudden1 sir1 said a woman1 who recognized his benefactor4 ,yesterday the little girl was took sick and it seemed as if he drooped right away4 ,he died at six last night4 ,the two men went silently up stairs4 ,the room was empty of everything save a bed1 a chair and a nurse provided by ,john ,harvey4 ,the child lay there1 not white1 but pale as marble1 with a strange polish on her brow4 ,well my little one1 are you better8 ,oh no1 sir2 ,father is gone up there and ,i am going4 ,up there6 ,john ,harvey turned unconsciously towards his friend4 ,did you ever hear of ,jesus8 asked ,john ,harvey's friend4 ,oh yes4 ,do you know who he was8 ,good ,jesus1 murmured the child4 ,hawkins1 this breaks me down1 said ,john ,harvey and he placed his handkerchief to his eyes4 ,don't cry1 don't cry2 ,i can't cry1 ,i'm so glad1 said the child exultingly4 ,what are you glad for1 my dear8 asked ,john ,harvey's friend4 ,to get away from here1 she said deliberately4 ,i used to be so cold in the winter1 for we didn't have fire sometimes2 but mother used to hug me close and sing about heaven4 ,mother told me to never mind and kissed me and said if ,i was ,his1 the ,savior would love me and one of these days would give me a better home1 and so ,i gave myself to ,him1 for ,i wanted a better home4 ,and1 oh1 ,i shall sing there and be so happy6 ,with a little sigh she closed her eyes4 ,harvey1 are faith and hope nothing8 asked ,mr4 ,hawkins4 ,don't speak to me1 ,hawkins2 to be as that little child ,i would give all ,i have4 ,and to be like her you need give nothing--only your stubborn will1 your skeptical doubts1 and the heart that will never know rest till at the feet of ,christ4 ,there was no answer4 ,presently the hands moved1 the arms were raised1 the eyes opened--yet1 glazed though they were they turned still upward4 ,illustration ,see6 she cried2 ,oh1 there is mother6 and angels6 and they are all singing4 ,her voice faltered1 but the celestial brightness lingered yet on her face4 ,there is no doubting the soul-triumph there1 whispered ,mr4 ,hawkins4 ,it is wonderful1 replied ,john ,harvey1 looking on both with awe and tenderness4 ,is she gone8 ,he sprang from his chair as if he would detain her2 but the chest and forehead were marble now1 the eyes had lost the fire of life2 she must have died as she lay looking at them4 ,she was always a sweet little thing1 said the nurse softly4 ,john ,harvey stood as if spell-bound4 ,there was a touch on his arm2 he started4 ,john1 said his friend1 with an affectionate look1 shall we pray8 ,illustration ,for a minute there was no answer--then came tears2 the whole frame of the subdued skeptic shook as he said--it was almost a cry3 ,yes1 pray1 pray6 ,and from the side of the dead child went up agonizing pleadings to the throne of ,god4 ,and that prayer was answered--the miracle was wrought-- the lion became a lamb--the doubter a believer--the skeptic a ,christian6 --,a ,tract4 ,,how ,,three ,,sunday ,,school ,,children ,,met ,,their ,,fate ,illustration3 ,the children saw their fate4 ,they then knelt down and commenced to pray4 ,when the ,lawrence ,mills were on fire a number of years ago--,i don't mean on fire1 but when the mill fell in--the great mill fell in1 and after it had fallen in1 the ruins caught fire1 there was only one room left entire1 and in it were three ,mission ,sunday ,school children imprisoned4 ,the neighbors and all hands got their shovels and picks and crowbars and were working to set the children free4 ,it came on night and they had not yet reached the children4 ,when they were near them1 by some mischance the lantern broke1 and the ruins caught fire4 ,they tried to put it out1 but could not succeed4 ,they could talk with the children1 and even pass to them some refreshments1 and encourage them to keep up4 ,but1 alas1 the flames drew nearer and nearer to the prison4 ,superhuman were the efforts made to rescue the children2 the men bravely fought back the flames2 but the fire gained fresh strength1 and returned to claim its victims4 ,then piercing shrieks arose when the spectators saw that the efforts of the firemen were hopeless4 ,the children saw their fate4 ,they then knelt down and commenced to sing the little hymn we have all been taught in our ,sunday ,school days4 ,oh6 how sweet3 ,let others seek a home below1 which flames devour and waves overflow4 ,the flames had now reached them2 the stifling smoke began to pour into their little room1 and they began to sink1 one by one1 upon the floor4 ,a few moments more and the fire circled around them1 and their souls were taken into the bosom of ,christ4 ,yes1 let others seek a home below if they will1 but seek ye the ,kingdom of ,god with all your hearts4 --,moody's ,anecdotes ,,he ,,blesses ,,god ,,for ,,the ,,faith ,,of ,,his ,,little ,,girl ,i came home one night very late1 says ,brother ,matthew ,hale ,smith 7in his ,marvels of ,prayer71 and had gone to bed to seek needed rest4 ,the friend with whom ,i boarded awoke me out of my first refreshing sleep1 and informed me that a little girl wanted to see me4 ,i turned over in bed and said3 ',i am very tired1 tell her to come in the morning and ,i will see her4' ,my friend soon returned and said3 ',i think you had better get up4 ,the girl is a poor little suffering thing4 ,she is thinly clad1 is without bonnet or shoes4 ,she has seated herself on the doorstep and says she must see you and will wait till you get up4' ,i dressed myself and opening the outside door ,i saw one of the most forlorn-looking little girls ,i ever beheld4 ,want1 sorrow1 suffering1 neglect1 seemed to struggle for the mastery4 ,she looked up to my face and said3 ',are you the man that preached last night and said that ,christ could save to the uttermost8' ',yes4' ',well1 ,i was there1 and ,i want you to come right down to my house and try to save my poor father4' ',what's the matter with your father8' ',he's a very good father when he don't drink4 ,he's out of work and he drinks awfully4 ,he's almost killed my poor mother2 but if ,jesus can save to the uttermost1 ,he can save him4 ,and ,i want you to come right to our house now4' ,i took my hat and followed my little guide who trotted on before1 halting as she turned the corners to see that ,i was coming4 ,oh1 what a miserable den her home was6 ,a low1 dark1 underground room1 the floor all slush and mud--not a chair1 table1 or bed to be seen4 ,a bitter cold night and not a spark of fire on the hob and the room not only cold but dark4 ,in the corner on a little dirty straw lay a woman4 ,her head was bound up1 and she was moaning as if in agony4 ,as we darkened the doorway a feeble voice said3 ',oh1 my child6 my child6 why have you brought a stranger into this horrible place8' ,her story was a sad one1 but soon told4 ,her husband1 out of work1 maddened with drink and made desperate1 had stabbed her because she did not provide him with a supper that was not in the house4 ,he was then upstairs and she was expecting every moment that he would come down and complete the bloody work he had begun4 ,while the conversation was going on the fiend made his appearance4 ,a fiend he looked4 ,he brandished the knife1 still wet with the blood of his wife4 ,the missionary1 like the man among the tombs1 had himself belonged to the desperate classes4 ,he was converted at the mouth of a coal pit4 ,he knew the disease and the remedy--knew how to handle a man on the borders of delirium tremens4 ,subdued by the tender tones1 the mad man calmed down1 and took a seat on a box4 ,but the talk was interrupted by the little girl1 who approached the missionary1 and said3 ',don't talk to father2 it won't do any good4 ,if talking would have saved him1 he would have been saved long ago4 ,mother has talked to him so much and so good4 ,you must ask ,jesus1 who saves to the uttermost1 to save my poor father4' ,rebuked by the faith of the little girl1 the missionary and the miserable sinner knelt down together4 ,he prayed as he never prayed before2 he entreated and interceded1 in tones so tender and fervent that it melted the desperate man1 who cried for mercy4 ,and mercy came4 ,he bowed in penitence before the ,lord and lay down that night on his pallet of straw a pardoned soul4 ,relief came to that dwelling4 ,the wife was lifted from her dirty couch1 and her home was made comfortable4 ,on ,sunday1 the reformed man took the hand of his little girl and entered the infant class to learn something about the ,savior 'who saves to the uttermost4' ,he entered upon a new life4 ,his reform was thorough4 ,he found good employment1 for when sober he was an excellent workman2 and next to his ,savior1 he blesses ,god for the faith of his little girl1 who believed in a ,savior able to save to the uttermost all that come unto ,god by him4 ,a ,,wonderful ,,children',s ,,meeting ,illustration3 ,she had not talked long until nearly every child in the room was in tears4 ,several years ago1 when residing at ,g----1 we became acquainted with ,sister ,w---- who was especially fond of children4 ,her own were grown1 and desiring to make a home for some homeless child1 she went to the county farm1 where there were several1 in search of one4 ,among the children there she found a beautiful1 little1 bright-eyed girl1 about nine years old1 named ,ida4 ,her heart went out to her at once and she expressed to the lady in charge her desire to take ,ida1 and her willingness to care for her as she would if she were her own child4 ,but the matron said ,oh1 you have no idea what a terrible child she is6 ,we can do nothing with her1 she is stubborn and has an awful temper and it is impossible to control her4 ,we are intending to send her to the ,girl's ,reform ,school4 ,sister ,w---- who was an earnest ,christian1 was surprised but not discouraged4 ,she could not bear the thought of such a little child being sent to such a place and so she said to the matron3 ,well1 ,i'd like to take her with me and see if ,i cannot help her to be good4 ,well1 said the matron1 you can try her if you want to1 but you will be glad to bring her back again4 ,acting upon this permission1 ,sister ,w---- talked with ,ida and easily gained her consent to go with her4 ,not many days had passed before she found that there was considerable reason for what the matron had said4 ,ida was hard to control and at times became terribly angry without cause2 but ,sister ,w---- prayed for her and dealt patiently and tenderly with her and told her how ,jesus loved her1 and would help her to be good if she would only give him her heart4 ,her prayers and loving labor were not in vain and it was not very long until little ,ida was converted4 ,the change was so great that all who were with her could plainly see that ,jesus had indeed given her a new heart4 ,soon after this we had charge of a children's meeting held in a mission hall in ,g----4 ,among the children gathered there were many of the worst boys in town4 ,little ,ida was present4 ,we knew how much ,jesus had done for her and felt led of the ,spirit to ask her to lead the meeting4 ,she looked up at us much surprised but her little heart was full of the love of ,god and she consented to do the best she could4 ,words cannot describe what followed4 ,in tears1 ,ida told1 in her own touching way1 how ,jesus had saved her--just what a naughty girl she had been before she was converted but how ,jesus had taken the angry all away and given her a new heart so that she loved everybody and loved to do what was right4 ,then she pled with them to give their hearts to ,god1 and told them how ,jesus died on the cross for them1 and how ,he loved them and wanted to save them4 ,she had not talked long until nearly every child in the room was in tears1 and how shall we describe that touching scene8 ,we had an altar service4 ,ida knelt with those who were seeking and prayed for them and told them how to find ,jesus2 and right there many were converted and gave bright1 clear testimonies that their sins were forgiven and ,jesus had given them new hearts4 ,thus did ,god that day honor a little girl's testimony and exhortation and fulfill ,his own work1 ,a little child shall lead them4 ,very often do we call to mind that scene1 and we find it one of the sweetest of the memories of years of evangelistic work4 --,editor4 ,,they ,,are ,,not ,,strangers1 ,,mama ,not long ago ,i stood by the death-bed of a little girl4 ,from her birth she had been afraid of death4 ,every fiber of her body and soul recoiled from the thought of it1 ,don't let me die1 she said2 don't let me die4 ,hold me fast ,oh1 ,i can't go6 ,jennie ,i said1 ,you have two little brothers in the other world1 and there are thousands of tenderhearted people over there1 who will love you and take care of you4 ,but she cried out again despairingly3 ,don't let me go2 they are strangers over there4 ,she was a little country girl1 strong limbed1 fleet of foot1 tanned in the face2 she was raised on the frontier1 the fields were her home4 ,in vain we tried to reconcile her to the death that was inevitable4 ,hold me fast1 she cried2 don't let me go4 ,but even as she was pleading1 her little hands relaxed their clinging hold from my waist1 and lifted themselves eagerly aloft2 lifted themselves with such straining effort1 that they lifted the wasted little body from its reclining position among the pillows4 ,her face was turned upward1 but it was her eyes that told the story4 ,they were filled with the light of ,divine recognition4 ,they saw something plainly that we could not see2 and they grew brighter and brighter1 and her little hand quivered in eagerness to go1 where strange portals had opened upon her astonished vision4 ,but even in that supreme moment she did not forget to leave a word of comfort for those who would gladly have died in her place3 ,mama1 she was saying1 ,mama1 they are not strangers4 ,i'm not afraid4 ,and every instant the light burned more gloriously in her blue eyes till at last it seemed as if her soul leaped forth upon its radiant waves2 and in that moment her trembling form relapsed among its pillows and she was gone4 --,chicago ,woman's ,world ,,jessie ,,finding ,,jesus ,a little girl in a wretched tenement in ,new ,york stood by her mother's death-bed1 and heard her last words3 ,jessie1 find ,jesus4 ,when her mother was buried1 her father took to drink1 and ,jessie was left to such care as a poor neighbor could give her4 ,one day she wandered off unnoticed1 with a little basket in her hand1 and tugged through one street after another1 not knowing where she went4 ,she had started out to find ,jesus4 ,at last she stopped from utter weariness1 in front of a saloon4 ,a young man staggered out of the door1 and almost stumbled over her4 ,he uttered passionately the name of ,him whom she was seeking4 ,where is ,he8 she inquired eagerly4 ,he looked at her in amazement4 ,what did you say8 he asked4 ,will you please tell me where ,jesus ,christ is8 for ,i must find ,him--this time with great earnestness4 ,the young man looked at her curiously for a minute without speaking1 and then his face sobered2 and he said in a broken1 husky voice1 hopelessly3 ,i don't know1 child2 ,i don't know where he is4 ,illustration ,at length the little girl's wanderings brought her to the park4 ,a woman evidently a ,jewess1 was leaning against the railing1 looking disconsolately at the green grass and the trees4 ,jessie went up to her timidly4 ,perhaps she can tell me where ,he is1 was the child's thought4 ,in a low1 hesitating voice1 she asked the woman3 ,do you know ,jesus ,christ8 ,the ,jewess turned fiercely to face her questioner and in a tone of suppressed passion1 exclaimed3 ,jesus ,christ is dead6 ,poor ,jessie trudged on1 but soon a rude boy jostled against her1 and snatching her basket from her hand1 threw it into the street4 ,illustration ,crying1 she ran to pick it up4 ,the horses of a passing street car trampled her under their feet--and she knew no more till she found herself stretched on a hospital bed4 ,when the doctors came that night1 they knew she could not live until morning4 ,in the middle of the night1 after she had been lying very still for a long time1 apparently asleep1 she suddenly opened her eyes and the nurse1 bending over her1 heard her whisper1 while her face lighted up with a smile that had some of heaven's own gladness in it3 ,oh1 ,jesus1 ,i have found you at last6 ,then the tiny lips were hushed1 but the questioning spirit had received an answer4 --,selected4 ,i',,ll ,,never ,,steal ,,again--,,if ,,father ,,kills ,,me ,,for ,,it ,a friend of mine1 seeking for objects of charity1 got into the room of a tenement house4 ,it was vacant4 ,he saw a ladder pushed through the ceiling4 ,thinking that perhaps some poor creature had crept up there1 he climbed the ladder1 drew himself up through the hole and found himself under the rafters4 ,there was no light but that which came through a bull's-eye in the place of a tile4 ,soon he saw a heap of chips and shavings1 and on them a boy about ten years old4 ,boy1 what are you doing there8 ,hush6 don't tell anybody--please1 sir4 ,what are you doing here8 ,don't tell anybody1 sir2 ,i'm hiding4 ,what are you hiding from8 ,don't tell anybody1 if you please1 sir4 ,where's your mother8 ,mother is dead4 ,where's your father8 ,hush6 don't tell him6 don't tell him6 but look here6 ,he turned himself on his face and through the rags of his jacket and shirt my friend saw the boy's flesh was bruised and the skin broken4 ,illustration ,why1 boy1 who beat you like that8 ,father did1 sir4 ,what did your father beat you like that for8 ,father got drunk sir1 and beat me 'cos ,i wouldn't steal4 ,did you ever steal8 ,yes1 sir1 ,i was a street thief once4 ,and why don't you steal any more8 ,please1 sir1 ,i went to the mission school1 and they told me there of ,god and of ,heaven and of ,jesus and they taught me1 ',thou shalt not steal1' and ,i'll never steal again1 if father kills me for it4 ,but1 please sir1 don't tell him4 ,my boy1 you mast not stay here2 you will die4 ,now you wait patiently here for a little time2 ,i'm going away to see a lady4 ,we will get a better place for you than this4 ,thank you sir1 but please1 sir1 would you like to hear me sing a little hymn8 ,bruised1 battered1 forlorn2 friendless1 motherless2 hiding away from an infuriated father he had a little hymn to sing4 ,yes1 ,i will hear you sing your little hymn4 ,he raised himself on his elbow and then sang3 ,gentle ,jesus1 meek and mild1 ,look upon a little child2 ,suffer me to come to ,thee4 ,fain would ,i to ,thee be brought1 ,gracious ,lord1 forbid it not2 ,in the ,kingdom of ,thy grace ,give a little child a place4 ,that's the little hymn1 sir2 ,goodbye4 ,the gentleman went away1 came back again in less than two hours and climbed the ladder4 ,there were the chips and there was the little toy with one hand by his side and the other tucked in his bosom underneath the little ragged shirt--dead4 -,john ,b4 ,gough4 ,,six ,,months' ,,record ,very tiny and pale the little girl looked as she stood before those three grave and dignified gentlemen4 ,she had been ushered into ,brother ,gordon's study1 where he was holding counsel with two of his deacons1 and now1 upon inquiry into the nature of her errand a little shyly she stated that she desired to be baptized4 ,you are quite too young to be baptized1 said one of the deacons1 you had better run home1 and let us talk to your mother4 ,she showed no sign of running however1 as her wistful blue eyes traveled from one face to another of the three gentlemen sitting in their comfortable chairs2 she only drew a step nearer to ,brother ,gordon4 ,he arose1 and with gentle courtesy that ever marked him1 placed her in a small chair close beside himself4 ,now1 my child1 tell me your name1 and where you live4 ,winnie ,lewis sir1 and ,i live on ---- ,street4 ,i go to ,sunday school4 ,you do2 and who is your teacher8 ,miss ----4 ,she is very good to me4 ,and you want to be baptized4 ,the child's face glowed as she leaned eagerly toward him1 clasping her hands1 but all she said was1 ,yes1 sir4 ,she cannot be more than six years old1 said one of the deacons1 disapp rovingly4 ,brother ,gordon said nothing1 but quietly regarded the small1 earnest face1 now becoming a little downcast4 ,i am nine years old2 older than ,i look1 she said4 ,it is unusual for anyone to be baptized so young1 he said1 thoughtfully1 ,we might pray for you though4 ,illustration ,the brother did not seem to hear as he asked1 ,you know what being baptized means1 ,winnie8 ,yes sir2 and she answered a few questions that proved she comprehended the meaning of the step she wished to take4 ,she had slipped off her chair1 and now stood close to ,brother ,gordon's knee4 ,i want to obey all of ,god's ,word4 ,you said last ,sunday1 sir1 that the lambs should be in the fold4 ,i did1 he answered1 with one of his own lovely smiles4 ,it is surely not for us to keep them out4 ,go home now1 my child4 ,i will see about it4 ,the cloud lifted from the child's face1 and her expression1 as she passed through the door he opened for her1 was one of entire peace4 ,the next week ,winnie's desire was granted4 ,except for occasional information from ,miss ---- that she was doing well1 ,brother ,gordon heard no more of her for six months4 ,then he was summoned to her funeral4 ,it was one of ,june's hottest days4 ,as the minister made his way along the narrow street where ,winnie had lived1 he wished for a moment that he had asked his assistant to come in his place2 but as he neared the house1 the crowd filled him with wonder2 progress was hindered1 and as perforce he paused for a moment1 his eye fell on a crippled lad crying bitterly as he sat on a low door-step4 ,did you know ,winnie ,lewis1 my lad8 he asked4 ,know her1 is it sir8 ,never a week passed but what she came twice or thrice with a picture or book1 mayhaps an apple for me1 an' it's owing to her an' no clargy at all that ,i'll ever follow her blessed footsteps to heaven4 ,she'd read me from her own ,bible whenever she came1 an' now she's gone there'll be none at all to help me1 for mother's dead an' dad's drunk1 an' the sunshine's gone from ,mike's sky intirely with ,winnie1 sir4 ,a burst of sobs choked the boy2 ,brother ,gordon passed on1 after promising him a visit very soon1 and made his way through the crowd of tear-stained1 sorrowful faces4 ,the ,brother came to a stop on the narrow passageway of the little house4 ,a woman stood beside him drying her fast falling tears while a wee child hid his face in her skirts and wept4 ,was ,winnie a relative of yours8 the brother asked4 ,no1 sir2 but the blessed child was at our house constantly1 and when ,bob here was sick she nursed and tended him and her hymns quieted him when nothing else seemed to do it4 ,it was just the same with all the neighbors4 ,she took tracts to them all and has prayed with them ever since she was converted1 which was three years ago1 when she was but six years of age1 sir4 ,what she's been to us all no one but the ,lord will ever know and now she lies there4 ,recognized at last1 ,brother ,gordon was led to the room where the child lay at rest1 looking almost younger than when he had seen her in his study six months before4 ,an old bent woman was crying aloud by the coffin4 ,i never thought she'd go afore ,i did4 ,she used regular to read an' sing to me every evening1 an' it was her talk an' prayers that made a ,christian of me3 you could a'most go to heaven on one of her prayers4 ,mother1 mother come away1 said a young man putting his arm around her to lead her back4 ,you'll see her again4 ,i know1 ,i know3 she said she'd wait for me at the gate1 she sobbed as she followed him2 but ,i miss her sore now4 ,it's the old lady as ,mrs4 ,lewis lived with sir1 said a young lad standing next to ,brother ,gordon1 as one and another still pressed up towards the little casket for a last look at the beloved face4 ,she was a ,unitarian1 and she could not hold out against ,winnie's prayers and pleadings to love ,jesus1 and she's been trusting in ,him now for quite awhile4 ,a mighty good thing it is1 too4 ,you are right1 my lad1 replied the minister4 ,do you trust ,him1 too8 ,winnie taught me1 sir1 the lad made answer1 and sudden tears filled his eyes4 ,illustration3 ,mother1 mother1 come away4 said a young man1 putting his arm around her to lead her back4 ,you'll see her again4 ,a silence fell on those assembled1 and1 marveling at such testimony1 ,brother ,gordon proceeded with the service feeling as if there was little more he could say of one whose deeds thus spoke for her4 ,loving hands had laid flowers all around the child who had led them4 ,one tiny lassie placed a dandelion in the small waxen fingers and now stood1 abandoned to grief beside the still form that bore the impress of absolute purity4 ,the service over1 again and again was the coffin lid waved back by some one longing for another look1 and they seemed as if they could not let her go4 ,the next day a good-looking man came to ,brother ,gordon's house and was admitted into his study4 ,i am ,winnie's uncle1 sir1 he said simply4 ,she never rested till she made me promise to get saved1 and ,i've come4 ,will you tell me about it1 my friend8 said ,brother ,gordon4 ,well1 you see1 sir1 it was this way4 ,winnie always had been uncommonly fond of me2 and so was ,i of her1--his voice broke a little--and ,i'd never been saved1 never felt1 as ,i believed1 quite right4 ,yet ,i knew her religion was true enough1 and a half hour before she died she had the whole family with her1 telling them she was going to ,jesus1 and she took my hand between her little ones and said1 ',uncle ,john1 you will love ,jesus and meet me in ,heaven1 won't you8' ,what could ,i do8 ,it broke me all up1 and ,i've come to ask you1 sir2 what to do so's to keep my promise to ,winnie1 for she was an angel if there ever was one4 ,why1 sir1 we were all sitting with her in the dark1 and there was a light about that child as though it shone from ,heaven4 ,we all noticed it1 every one of us1 and when she drew her last breath and left us1 the radiance went1 too2 it was gone1 quite gone4 ,the man wept like a child1 and for a minute ,brother ,gordon did not speak4 ,within a month the uncle was thoroughly converted1 baptized1 and a sincere follower of ,christ4 ,in the evening after this baptism1 ,brother ,gordon sat reading in his study1 thinking of his little child4 ,it is truly a wonderful record6 ,would we had more like her4 ,why do we not help the children to get saved1 letting them feel that they are really one with us8 ,we need their help fully as much as they need ours4 ',take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones2 for ,i say unto you1 ,that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my ,father which is in ,heaven4' --,l4 ,c4 ,w4 ,copyright by ,b4 ,wood1 #ahie4 ,a ,,child',s ,,faith ,johnny ,hall was a poor boy4 ,his mother worked hard for their daily bread4 ,please give me something to eat1 for ,i am very hungry1 he said to her one evening4 ,his mother let the work that she was sewing fall upon her knees1 and drew ,johnny toward her4 ,as she kissed him the tears fell fast on his face1 while she said1 ,johnny1 my dear1 ,i have not a penny in the world4 ,there is not a morsel of bread in the house1 and ,i cannot give you any tonight4 ,johnny did not cry when he heard this4 ,he was only a little fellow but he had learned the lesson of trusting in ,god's promises4 ,he had great faith in the sweet words of ,jesus when he said1 ,whatsoever ye shall ask the ,father in my name he will give it you4 ,never mind1 mama2 ,i shall soon be asleep1 and then ,i shall not feel hungry4 ,but you must sit here and sew1 hungry and cold4 ,poor mama6 he said1 as he threw his arms around her neck and kissed her many times to comfort her4 ,then he knelt down at his mother's knee to say his prayers after her4 ,they said ,our ,father1 till they came to the petition1 ,give us this day our daily bread4 ,the way in which his mother said these words made ,johnny's heart ache4 ,he stopped and looked at her1 and repeated with his eyes full of tears4 ,give us this day our daily bread4 ,illustration4 ,when they got through he looked at his mother and said1 ,now mother1 do not be afraid4 ,we shall never be hungry any more4 ,god is our ,father4 ,he has promised to hear us1 and ,i am sure he will4 ,then he went to bed4 ,before midnight he woke up1 while his mother was still at work1 and asked if the bread had come yet4 ,she said ,no2 but ,i am sure it will come4 ,in the morning1 before ,johnny was awake1 a gentleman called who wanted his mother to come to his house and take charge of his two motherless children4 ,she agreed to go4 ,he left some money with her4 ,she went out at once to buy some things for breakfast2 and when ,johnny awoke1 the bread was there1 and all that he needed6 ,johnny is now a man1 but he has never wanted bread from that day2 and whenever he was afraid since then1 he has remembered ,god's promises1 and trusted in him4 --,lutheran ,herald ,,triumphant ,,death ,,of ,a ,,little ,,child ,some years ago we knew a ,brother and ,sister ,g----1 who told of the remarkable experience of their little girl1 only seven years old1 who had a short time ago gone home to heaven4 ,the parents were devoted ,christians who had taught their children to love and honor ,god4 ,during little ,ella's illness she manifested wonderful patience and told of her love for ,jesus4 ,the morning she died she called her papa and mama to her side and said3 ,i have been in heaven all night4 ,my room is full of angels and ,jesus is here4 ,i'm going to heaven4 ,then she asked them to promise to meet her there4 ,as soon as they could control their feelings they made her the promise4 ,then she kissed them and called for her little brother and sister and other friends4 ,she talked with each one in turn1 telling them in substance1 the same she had told her papa and mama1 asking each one to make her the same promise1 and kissing each one good-bye4 ,that was a touching scene4 ,those who were there said it seemed more like heaven than earth to be in her presence4 ,in the midst of many tears all promised her they would surely meet her in that bright and beautiful home to which she was going4 ,just before she died she asked her mama to dress her in white and also to dress her doll in white and put it by her side in her coffin4 ,then she folded her own little hands and closed her eyes and said1 ,jesus is calling me and ,i must go now4 ,good-bye1 and she was gone4 ,little ,ella's death was glorious and she is not the only one that has left us such bright1 joyous testimony4 ,we have ourselves known of many children and older ones who had quite similar experiences4 ,and though we may not all see1 before we die1 all that ,ella saw1 if we love ,jesus and do what he asks us to1 he will surely fulfill to each of us his promise3 ,i go to prepare a place for you4 ,and if ,i go and prepare a place for you1 ,i will come again1 and receive you unto myself2 that where ,i am1 there you may be also4 --,editor ,illustration3 ,i have been in heaven all night4 ,my room is full of angels and ,jesus is here4 ,,the ,,child',s ,,prayer ,illustration4 ,into her chamber went ,a little girl one day1 ,and by a chair she knelt1 ,and thus began to pray3-- ,jesus1 my eyes ,i close1 ,thy form ,i cannot see2 ,if ,thou art near me1 ,lord1 ,i pray ,thee to speak to me4 ,a still1 small voice she heard within her soul-- ,what is it child8 ,i hear thee2 tell the whole4 ,i pray thee1 ,lord1 she said1 ,that ,thou wilt condescend ,to tarry in my heart ,and ever be my ,friend4 ,the path of life is dark1 ,i would not go astray2 ,oh1 let me have ,thy hand ,to lead me in the way4 ,fear not2 ,i will not leave thee1 child1 alone4 ,she thought she felt a soft hand press her own4 ,they tell me1 ,lord1 that all ,the living pass away2 ,the aged soon must die1 ,and even children may4 ,oh1 let my parents live ,till ,i a woman grow2 ,for if they die1 what can ,a little orphan do8 ,fear not1 my child2 whatever ill may come ,i'll not forsake thee till ,i bring thee home4 ,her little prayer was said1 ,and from her chamber now ,she passed forth with the light ,of heaven upon her brow4 ,mother1 ,i've seen the ,lord1 ,his hand in mine ,i felt1 ,and1 oh1 ,i heard ,him say1 ,as by my chair ,i knelt-- ',fear not1 my child2 whatever ill may come ,i'll not forsake thee till ,i bring thee home4' ,,the ,,cat ,,came ,,back ,jimmy was lying on an old cot out in the orchard1 getting some of the nice spring sunshine on his thin body4 ,there was an anxious frown on his face now1 and every little while he would turn on his side1 look through the orchard1 and call ,kittv kitty6 kitty6 ,annette1 ,come1 ,ann-ette4 ,but ,annette did not come4 ,his mother came and reminded him that ,annette was very old indeed1 and it might be that she would never come again4 ,she was here yesterday1 ,mother1 he answered her1 and the big tears came to his eyes ,she felt perfectly fine then4 ,i know1 but she's an old cat4 ,she never strays away of her own accord1 and certainlv no one would steal an old blind cat4 ,later on during the day a man came walking up to their house4 ,he introduced himself as the new neighbor who just moved across the little creek4 ,he made inquiries as to where he could buy fresh vegetables and milk4 ,and just as he was about to leave he remarked1 ,i did a strange thing early this morning4 ,there was an old cat came over to my place4 ,one ear was almost gone and it was blind4 ,i'm not much of a hand to make way with things1 but ,i felt so sorry for that poor old animal that ,i killed it4 ,oh6 ,with a strangled sob ,jimmy quickly left the room4 ,his mother explained to the man it had been their old pet4 ,he was very sorry1 but of course that did not bring the cat back4 ,when ,i saw it1 ,i just banged it over the head with a stick and then buried it4 ,you will never know how badly ,i feel about it4 ,when he was gone1 mother went out to find ,jimmy and comfort him4 ,he was out in the orchard on his knees4 ,quietly she went up and knelt beside him1 slipping her arm about his shoulder4 ,he turned to her at once4 ,mother1 there's something funny about ,annette4 ,i've been praying and ,i feel all happy inside4 ,it's just as if she wasn't dead at all6 ,what would we ever do without our ,comforter1 son8 she said4 ,he does help us bear our burdens in a wonderful way4 ,i'll say he does4 ,this morning ,i felt so bad ,i didn't know what to do1 and then when that man said--he had killed ,annette--,i thought ,i just could not stand it4 ,and here ,i am happy as anything again4 ,and just because ,i took it all to ,jesus4 ,i think ,annette is all right now4 ,she was very old1 son4 ,it wouldn't have been much longer anyway4 ,why--why--,jimmy6 ,but ,jimmy was running swiftly across the field toward an old blind cat that was staggering in his direction4 ,apparently the new neighbor had only stunned the cat and she had dug her way out of the shallow hole and come home again4 ,it was years before she really died1 and long before she presented ,jimmy with a very tiny kitten with two whole ears and two very bright eyes4 ,this story may sound strange to you1 so perhaps ,i had better add that it is really true4 --,mary ,m4 ,naylor4 ,,how ,,god ,,answered ,,donald',s ,,prayer ,god often uses children to win grown folks for ,christ4 ,little children not only have a deep faith but a childlike trust in believing that ,god answers their prayers4 ,all that ye ask in my name1 believing1 that ye shall receive4 ,as a young girl1 ,i went to ,sunday ,school and learned about ,jesus4 ,although ,i knew about my ,savior and what ,he had done to save me1 yet ,i never accepted ,him as my own ,redeemer and ,friend4 ,as years went by1 ,i went into sin and shared in the common sins of worldly people4 ,i knew better than to do the things ,i did1 but sin is a miry clay pulling its victims down deeper and deeper4 ,for ten years ,i never entered a church house except to attend my father's funeral4 ,i saw him go into eternity without being able to point him to the ,lamb of ,god which taketh away the sin of the world4 ,during these years ,i had married and ,god had given us a dear little boy4 ,donald began to attend ,sunday ,school early in years4 ,often on ,sunday mornings he would get ready for ,sunday ,school after a sleepless night4 ,wild parties were a part of the ungodly life we lived in our home4 ,sometimes ,i took him to the church house door and there he would beg me to come in and meet the ,christian people who1 he said1 would be so glad to see me4 ,donald learned much of the ,scriptures4 ,he would pray and ask ,god's blessings at the table4 ,in ,aug4 #aicb we were living in ,minneapolis4 ,one evening in particular ,i shall not forget4 ,i was in an apartment below the one in which we lived1 partaking in a drunken party4 ,donald was then #ab years old4 ,he suffered over my sins and came to the door to call me4 ,i promised him to come up soon1 but ,i continued on for some hours with the drunken crowd4 ,when ,i did come up to our apartment ,i found ,donald on his knees by his bed with his ,testament and an old hymn book of my mother-in-law's4 ,the books were open on the bed4 ,he looked up through his tears and said1 ,mother1 ,i am praying for you4 ,i looked at the ,testament and hymnal which were wet with tears that he had shed for his ungodly mother4 ,on ,september #aeth1 following this experience ,i went to a mission4 ,that night a group of ,christians united in asking ,god for my soul4 ,when the song1 ,lord1 ,i'm coming home1 was sung after the service ,i made my way to the altar4 ,while kneeling there ,i felt someone very close to my side4 ,it was ,donald who was praying for his mother4 ,god heard my prayer to be saved4 ,he was merciful and washed away my sins4 ,psalm #ea has become precious to me4 ,god saved me for service4 ,i marvel at his grace and mercy toward me4 ,i cannot cease to thank ,him for picking me up out of the miry clay4 ,i am thankful also for my little boy who never ceased to pray for his mother4 ,now1 my life is in ,god's hands4 ,i want to help others find the ,savior4 ,i am especially burdened for others in the bondage of sin as ,i was4 ,but even more than that1 ,i am burdened for children who have no opportunity of knowing ,jesus as their personal ,savior4