"The Lord forbid!" said the old man fervently, and shaking his head gravely. "Doubtless the Lord hath need of such as thy father, and Fox, and Barclay; but if there were no Quakers save those who preached the word, the enemy would speedily make an end of us as a people, for the gates of death would close upon us, an there were none left to nourish and succour those who were in prison. It hath sorely exercised me and others of our Society, what was to be done in the great calamity that hath befallen our brethren, for we needs must nourish their families while they are suffering for the truth's sake; but we are an impoverished people, for with fines and imprisonment, and the support of those left to the mercy of a world lying in wickedness, we are brought low indeed, so that the counsel thou hast brought concerning this matter is as the shining of a light in a dark place." "And thou wilt search for a man who can help us in this craft of hat-making?" said the girl, who did not want to stay longer than was needful, talking further about this. "Yea, verily, that will I, and I doubt not that he will be found ere long. It will be good news to tell to the brethren also, how that the Lord hath wrought by thee such great things for our help. We were fearing that Friend Drayton would find himself ruined when he came out of prison, for this hath happened more than once to our brethren who have suffered for the truth, but now that will be spared us, I trow, by thy help. Truly, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings the Lord hath perfected praise!" concluded the old man, as he went to the door with Bessie, and charged her to deliver all sorts of kind messages to Dame Drayton, and to assure her that the brethren would pray for her continually in her affliction. [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER VII. SIR WILLIAM PENN. BESSIE WESTLAND went back, feeling that, after all, the work she had felt disposed to despise at first might be as needful for the help and growth of the Society of Friends as preaching itself. Certainly if their friends in prison were to be supported by those outside, someone must work for their daily bread, and the thought that in this way she could be of real service to her own mother and father was a great comfort to the girl. She had been to Bridewell to see her mother, and to Newgate to see her father, and she knew how both were looking forward to meeting her and the little ones in some colony across the sea; but how this was to be accomplished Bessie did not know, and it seemed altogether too good to expect that there would be a place where Quakers could live unmolested this side of heaven. But as she reached the door she resolved to do what she could in the present, leaving the future in God's hands, for she could do nothing beyond helping to make hats as diligently as she could.