A Woman's Life-Work — Labors and Experiences of Laura S. HavilandHaviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith)
Religion
A Woman's Life-Work — Labors and Experiences of Laura S. Haviland
Haviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith)
Freed persons; Haviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith), 1808-1898; Underground Railroad
At another time a request was left with my hostess to go to see a very
sick woman, who was thought nigh unto death; but for a little girl that
heard the request I should not have received it. She said, these poor
white trash would curse me in health, and when they thought they were
going to die, they were ready then to send for me to pray for them;
and, as I was tired enough to rest after teaching all day, she did not
think I ought to go for their calls. I told her if she would be so kind
as to deliver all errands of that character I would be very thankful,
and hastened to the bedside of an old soldier of the cross, who, with
her aged companion, were visiting their children. She said she did not
expect to remain much longer in this world of checkered scenes; but her
son had been here a short time only, and had not formed any
acquaintances among Christian people, and their hired girl said "she
was passing your school-house one morning and heard you opening your
school with prayer, and I told her to find your boarding-place, and
leave word for you to come after your school closed, as I wanted to
hear the voice of prayer once more." I read a chapter and offered
prayer by her bedside. She and her weeping husband and children thanked
me for the call, and desired me to call the day following, after
school. I found her somewhat improved, and the next door neighbor said
Dutch Mary was in the adjoining room, and seemed much affected, and
said that was the first she heard read from the Bible in seven years,
and the first prayer she had heard in that time, and she would be glad
to see me, but she would not disgrace me by coming to her house. Then
the woman told her she would ask me to see her in her room, and send
for her when I came to see the sick woman.
I met her in great distress of mind. She told me of the wicked life she
had spent during the last seven years of her widowhood, and wanted to
know if I thought there was any hope whatever for her. "Do you think
God can forgive me? I have never so much as opened my Bible that lies
in the bottom of my chest all these seven years, until yesterday I went
home and took my Bible for the first time to read in these years; and I
felt so condemned after I read awhile that I laid it back, and didn't
know whether it was of any use; for I have lived such a wretched life
so long I doubt whether God can forgive me, for I feel worse and worse.
Do you believe he can?"
"Certainly he is able to save to the uttermost. It is the enlightening
influence of God's Holy Spirit that is showing you the exceeding
sinfulness of sin."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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