E-text prepared by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Josephine Paolucci, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net/) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 17152-h.htm or 17152-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/7/1/5/17152/17152-h/17152-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/7/1/5/17152/17152-h.zip) ROSA'S QUEST Or The Way to the Beautiful Land by ANNA POTTER WRIGHT The Moody Press 153 Institute Place Chicago Copyright, 1904, by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago Printed in United States of America. _To my mother,_ _who abides in the "beautiful land,"_ _I dedicate this, my first book._ CONTENTS. CHAPTER. PAGE I. "How Much is the Fare?" 9 II. Esther's Perplexity 19 III. Rosa's Mother Moves 26 IV. Life with Mrs. Gray 37 V. The Way Sought 51 VI. The Way Found 68 VII. Victory! 91 VIII. Dust to Dust 105 IX. "A Little Child Shall Lead Them" 112 Afterword 121 [Illustration] I. "HOW MUCH IS THE FARE?" "Rosa! Rosa!" "Yes'm, Mis' Gray, I'm coming." "Well, fer land sakes then, hurry up, you lazy girl! I've been a-hollerin' till my throat's sore. You're always underfoot when you ain't wanted, then when you are wanted, you're no place to be found. If you wuz my girl, you'd be learnt to know more'n you know now, I can tell you that. I believe in young uns amountin' to somethin', but it's mighty little you know." "But, Mis' Gray," faltered poor little Rosa, "mother was coughing awful, and I didn't hear you." "Yes, your ma ag'in. I don't know what you'll have fer an excuse when she's gone, or what'll become of you either. I know one thing, though; I won't have you. But it'd be a heap sight better fer you if I would, and a real blessin', too." "Why, where's mother going, Mis' Gray?" asked Rosa with wide-open and frightened eyes. "There, there, Sary, don't talk to the child so! Never mind, Rosa dear, Sary don't mean it. Sary's a good woman, yes, a very good woman."