The value of a praying motherByrum, Isabel C. (Isabel Coston)
Religion
The value of a praying mother
Byrum, Isabel C. (Isabel Coston)
Prayer
With throbbing heart Bessie ran to her room, which was already getting
hot from the fire: she fell upon her knees by the window where she could
see the flames leaping from tree to tree, and began to call mightily
upon God. "O God!" she prayed, "do send rain or change the wind." After
repeating this prayer several times, she noticed some large drops of
water upon the window pane. She knew what it meant: once before God had
sent rain to help her in time of danger. Hastening down stairs, she
said, "Mama, it's raining." "Thank God!" said Mrs. Worthington, "I knew
he wouldn't let baby and me burn up."
By that time the rain was pouring down; the wind had ceased; and the
danger was over. The rain did not put out the fire, but so checked it
that, by hard work, it could be kept under control until it died out.
Little Clement lived only a short time after the fire; but just before
he died, he looked into his weeping mother's face and smiled three
times. As he had never smiled before, Mrs. Worthington always thought
that God took that way to encourage her heart.
CHAPTER XIX.
LOST IN THE WOODS.
As Leroy was too young to drive the cows home in the evening, Bessie
enjoyed many a long walk in search of them. One evening she had some
difficulty in finding them. It was one of those evenings when everything
is quiet and sound travels a long distance. After listening carefully
for the tinkling of the cow-bells, Bessie was bewildered, for she could
seemingly hear them in every direction. At last, thinking she had
located the sound, she set out in that direction. When she had walked
about two miles, she stopped to listen again. The bells were still
tinkling, but they seemed to be just as far away. She knew, though, that
the cows sometimes went a long distance. She had been following the
road, but thinking the sound came from the woods, she started off in
that direction. She saw that the sun was just going down behind the
trees; that she was on an unfamiliar path, and was getting farther and
farther from home. But she must get the cows, and on she went, stopping
now and then to locate the sound of the bells.
She suddenly found herself standing upon a point of land where a deep,
wide ravine extended on either side. The distance across the ravine she
could not see on account of the shadow and the trees. What should she
do? A few minutes previously she had thought about its being late, but
had hoped to find the cows and to make them guide her home. This hope
failing, she did not know what to do. The bells were still tinkling
ahead of her; but she did not dare to try to cross the ravine in the
darkness, now fast gathering around her, and how could she return
through those dense woods! She thought of calling for help, but as
quickly realized how useless the effort would be, since there were no
houses near.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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