"The man at the gate didn't want to let me in; said they had been
obliged to quarantine; but I rushed past him up to the office, threw
myself at a doctor's feet, and begged him for God's sake not to send me
away. He sent for the head nurse; they gave me my dinner, made Baby
nice and clean and comfortable, and pretty soon one of the nurses came
and told me they had found me and Baby a good home, and here I've been,
as you know, ever since. But oh! Mother Roberts, my little Jack is
going to die, he's going to die!...
"Four days since you opened your beautiful eyes and looked at Mother,
Precious. Four long, long days....
"_Mother Roberts, I think I would believe and trust God if he would
only let my baby look at me once more before he goes. I really think I
would."_
"Kneel down with me, Mary, and we'll ask him," I said.
We clasped hands over the foot of that little bed, and if ever I
prayed, I prayed then that the merciful Father would, for the sake of
his Son our Savior, and for his own glory, open the eyes of the babe
once more before the angels took him home. The poor worn-out mother
sobbed herself to sleep, her head resting on little Jack's lifeless
feet. I watched, earnestly and intently watched, for my prayer to be
answered. Toward daylight I observed a slight movement of the little
head. "Wake up! wake up, Mary!" I cried, whilst I shook and continued
to shake her. The voice awoke many of the family, who quickly hastened
to the sick-room. Mary with bloodshot eyes gazed at the baby. Soon his
beautiful eyes opened wide, with a long, loving look at the faithful
mother, then closed; and now the angels had him forever in their
keeping.
"O God, O God, you are good, you are good," sobbed poor Mary. "I'll
never, never doubt you any more." And she never did. From that day,
and, so far as I know, up to the present time, Mary has been one of our
Father's and Savior's loyal subjects.
As soon as able, she took a situation, so as to earn money to pay
Jack's funeral expenses and to purchase the lot where lie his earthly
remains. I was told that her mistress accepted the Savior because of
her faithful daily walk. Later, her brother, returned from the
Philippines, claimed and took her back there with him, where,
doubtless, she is seeking and finding jewels for the Master's crown.
"What became of the grandparents--the ones responsible before God for
her misfortunes?" During the first few weeks of Mary's stay under our
roof, Sister Kauffman and I called on them, hoping so to picture the
Savior's tender mercy and love as to be able to touch their hearts, to
discover to them their self-righteous condition, and to get them to
realize where the blame really lay. All our efforts were fruitless. The
earthquake and fire of San Francisco swept away all their property, and
in all probability they perished in the flames, for they were never
again heard of.
CHAPTER XIII.
SERVICES IN COUNTY JAIL, BRANCH NO. 3.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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