She felt as all mothers do, when their daughters have left the parental roof and chosen for themselves one who shall take the place of the dear old home friends, that little remained for her to do now but to pray. Happily for us all, however, there is a power in prayer that makes it worth more to the beloved ones than any gift. And those who pray bring down blessings upon the household, though far away from it in body. One is always near; and the Father of the human family is a prayer-answering God. CHAPTER VIII. "PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE." "What might be done, if men were wise, What glorious deeds, my suffering brother, Would they unite In love and right, And cease their scorn of one another! "Oppression's heart might be imbued With kindling drops of loving kindness, And knowledge pour, From shore to shore, Light on the eyes of mental blindness. "All slavery, warfare, lies and wrongs, All vice and crime, might die together; And wine and corn To each man born Be free, as warmth in summer weather."--C. Mackay. To attend to one's own business, and leave other people's alone, is a maxim that should perhaps generally be obeyed; but not always. It happens sometimes that, wrapping the cloak of selfishness about us, we not only lose an opportunity of doing good, and so forfeit our right to the joy that such an action always brings, but we are also the indirect means of bringing sorrow upon our fellow creatures. Let not that man who sees another going to destruction, either through ignorance, or weakly yielding to temptation, say calmly--"It is no business of mine to interfere." It is everybody's business to care for his brother, and by all possible means help him. It is true that he who thus acts will often find that the world is against him. He will meet with scorn and abuse where he expected thanks; and even those who trust him most may not understand him, or approve of his actions. But his duty is, nevertheless, plain--he is to be a helper of mankind. So at least thought the lighthouse-keeper, one day when his philanthropy was put to the test. Grace was looking from the window of their sitting-room across the sea, when she saw a sight that interested her. All sorts of vessels came within sight of the Farne Islands; but it was very seldom indeed that she saw such a one as that on which her eyes delighted to gaze on this occasion. She thought, indeed, that she had never seen so stately a ship sailing on the waters, with sails all spread, and graceful motion, and a look of wealth about every part of her. "Father, see!" she cried. "Is not this East Indiaman a magnificent ship? She sails along like a swan." Mr. Darling looked, but just for a moment.