{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_12042/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_12042","id":"gutenberg_12042","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12042","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Parenthood & Family Relations","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Prayer"],"text":"THE VALUE OF A PRAYING MOTHER\n\nBY ISABEL C. BYRUM\n\nGOSPEL TRUMPET COMPANY\n\nFirst Printing 1911\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE.\n\nThis book has a purpose: it is sent forth as precious seed, with the\nprayer that it will fall into \"good soil\" in many hearts and bring forth\nan hundredfold.\n\nAll parents with natural affection desire the best things for their\nchildren. Such fathers and mothers have high hopes that from their home\nwill go forth noble men and women--yes, even heroes. Many fail to\nrealize the attainment of this ideal in their children, because of a\nlack of the knowledge necessary to bring about the desired development\nin the child-life.\n\nThe following pages were written with the fervent hope that they would,\nat least in some measure, be a help in developing the young lives\nentrusted to your care. If your harvest-time is past; if your children\nhave grown up and have left the old home, you may be able to help some\none who still has little ones to train.\n\nOne object in relating actual experiences was that the reader might be\nguided in the application of those principles of child-training which,\nif merely stated in the abstract, might be hard to understand and\ndifficult of application. The principles herein stated are not mere\ntheories, but they have the commendation of having stood the test of\nuse. Two other objects of this simple story of home life are that the\nthoughtful mother may get a view of the effects of certain extreme\nenvironments on the child-life and, by observing the substantial results\naccomplished by a praying mother, she may discover the secret of\nsuccess.\n\nThe incidents of this little home story are all true, even to minute\ndetails, as far as memory serves one of the actors in this drama of home\nlife after the lapse of many years; but as most of the principal\ncharacters are still living, the correct names have, for the most part,\nbeen withheld. Should one of your children ask, \"Mama, who was Bessie\nWorthington?\" you can truthfully answer, \"She was a little girl who\nlived in Michigan; and she and her papa and mama are still living.\"\n\nIf, by reading this little book, any mother shall see wherein she can\nimprove upon her past teaching, and thus be able to do more for the\nspiritual and moral well-being of her children, the writer will feel\namply rewarded. May the blessing of God attend it as it goes forth.\n\n  Yours in Him,\n    Isabel C. Byrum.\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\n  CHAPTER I.\n  Two Scenes\n\n  CHAPTER II.\n  A Praying Mother\n\n  CHAPTER III.\n  Early Training\n\n  CHAPTER IV.\n  God's Care\n\n  CHAPTER V.\n  Consecration\n\n  CHAPTER VI.\n  Conscience\n\n  CHAPTER VII.\n  A Downward Step\n\n  CHAPTER VIII.\n  A Wise Decision\n\n  CHAPTER IX.\n  Self-Control\n\n  CHAPTER X.\n  Parental Control\n\n  CHAPTER XI.\n  Christian Experience\n\n  CHAPTER XII.\n  The Beautiful Secret\n\n  CHAPTER XIII.\n  Blessing and Trial\n\n  CHAPTER XIV.\n  The Surprise Party\n\n  CHAPTER XV.\n  Leroy's Healing\n\n  CHAPTER XVI.\n  Explaining the Divine Life\n\n  CHAPTER XVII.\n  Temptations\n\n  CHAPTER XVIII.\n  Answers to Prayer\n\n  CHAPTER XIX.\n  Lost in the Woods\n\n  CHAPTER XX.\n  Novel-Reading\n\n  CHAPTER XXI.\n  Glad Tidings\n\n  CHAPTER XXII.\n  The Meetings\n\n  CHAPTER XXIII.\n  Bessie Sees Her Duty\n\n  CHAPTER XXIV.\n  Reverie\n\n  CHAPTER XXV.\n  A Plea to Mothers\n\n  CHAPTER XXVI.\n  Parental Duty\n\n  CHAPTER XXVII.\n  Useful Hints\n\n\n\n\nTHE VALUE OF A PRAYING MOTHER\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\n\nTWO SCENES.\n\nHow delightful to step into the home where God is counselor of both\nparent and child! How blessed the companionship in such a home! There\nGod counsels in sweet, tender tones. He teaches his will and gives the\nneeded wisdom. God is man's truest and best teacher. James says, \"If any\nof you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally\n... and it shall be given him.\" Be the home ever so beautiful, if it is\nnot a house of prayer, it is not a place of true happiness. Parents\nshould often commune with the Lord; especially the mother, with her many\ncares and perplexities, if she would do justice to the little ones\nentrusted to her care.\n\nA beautiful picture now comes to my mind--a picture of an ideal mother\nof olden time. She dwelt in Ramah of Palestine. Her lonely home nestled\namong the lonely hills. She loved to commune with the Lord, for deep in\nher bosom she carried a sorrow that only he could help her to bear. Her\nhome lacked that sweet sunlight which innocent childhood brings. She\nlonged and prayed for a little life to guide and direct in the ways of\nthe Lord.\n\nOnce every year she went with her husband to Shiloh, where sacrifices\nwere offered, and there publicly worshiped the Lord. When at the house\nof the Lord one day, she prayed long and earnestly that God would grant\nthe desire of her heart. \"O Lord of hosts,\" she prayed, \"if thou wilt\nindeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and\nnot forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man\nchild, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and\nthere shall no razor come upon his head.\"\n\nA scene like this must have been rare even to the priest of God; for he\nmistook this sad woman for one drunken with wine. She begged him not to\nlook upon her as such. When the man of God saw by her modest, earnest\nwords that she was not drunken as he had supposed, he changed his\nreproof into a blessing. \"Go in peace,\" he said, \"and the God of Israel\ngrant thy petition that thou hast asked of him.\" With perfect confidence\nthat God had heard and answered prayer, the woman arose and returned\nwith her husband to their home in Ramah.\n\nThe next year she did not go up to Shiloh; for God had granted her\npetition and had given her a little son. Her husband was willing for her\nto remain at home, but he cautioned her not to forget her promise to the\nLord. He feared, perhaps, that the mother might become so attached to\nher child that she would be unwilling to part with him as she had\npromised. His warning was unnecessary.\n\nAs soon as Samuel (for this is what the mother named her son) was old\nenough to be useful, she took him to the house of God and presented him\nto the Lord. It must have sounded to the aged priest (who soon would\nhave to cease his work upon earth) like a voice from heaven, when the\nhappy mother, pointing to her child, said: \"For this child I prayed; and\nthe Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: therefore also\nI have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to\nthe Lord.\"\n\nAgain the mother prays; this time not in sorrow, but from a heart filled\nwith thanksgiving. She feels no regret because of her vow. Her child\nbecame a great blessing to many people, and the Lord gave her other sons\nand daughters to cheer her heart.\n\nBy reading the story we find that \"the child Samuel grew and was in\nfavor both with the Lord and also with men.\" Why was this? In answer to\nhis devoted mother's prayer, the Holy Spirit hovered over that child,\nshielding him from the cruel darts and arrows of the enemy. He had been\ntaught the ways of the Lord from his cradle and his life was fully\nconsecrated to God.\n\nA different scene comes before me now--a scene that brings a shudder.\nUpon a ship sailing along the shores of France were a man and his wife\non their way to join a band of villainous people in India. Being on a\nsecret mission, they traveled slowly and carefully. It was a tedious and\ndangerous journey. One stormy day, on the Bay of Biscay, a child was\nborn to them.\n\nNo loving welcome from the lips of a prayerful parent awaited this poor\nlittle innocent child; instead, curses were his portion, and, by the\norder of his mother, he was cast aside in a pile of rubbish to die. By\nchance the father passed that way and, finding his child's poor little\nperishing form, picked it up, took it to his wife, and commanded her to\nsee that it was cared for.\n\nAs the child grew and developed in this atmosphere of sin and\ndegradation, is it strange that he partook of his parents' nature and\ndeveloped even worse habits than they? Unless the proper home influence\nis thrown around a child, he can not help suffering from the inherited\nsins of his parents.\n\nWhen this child became a man, he knew nothing of virtue and honesty.\nHis life was enveloped in a shroud of darkest crimes. Leaving India, he\nwent to Europe and from there sailed to America. Each year found him\nbetter acquainted with court proceedings and prison walls. It was a\ncommon thing for him to break into a man's house and steal every\nvaluable that he could find.\n\nI recently met this man and heard from his own lips the dark story of\nhis life. As he was relating an account of a desperate burglary, I asked\nhim what he would have done if the man of the house had awakened.\n\"Please do not ask me.\" he answered. \"I was always armed, and a man's\nlife was no more to me than a dog's. There are scenes that I can not, I\ndare not, recall, for I am a changed man now.\"\n\nThank God, he is a changed man. He had not been too vile for God to\nfind. Jesus had cleansed his heart from all desire to do evil. Having\nconfessed his crimes and given himself up to be punished, he had been\nsent to prison, but because of good behavior had been soon pardoned. He\nis now spending his life among the lower class, whom he understands so\nwell and pities so much, trying to show them the way of salvation.\n\nNote the atmosphere that surrounded the cradle of each of the babes of\nwhom we have been speaking. In the first home we find prayer, love,\nhope, and tenderness; in the last, sin, hatred, crime, and villainy. Oh\nthat mothers everywhere would take warning! If only these two pictures\ncould be framed and hung in the recesses of every mother's heart where\nthey might teach their silent lesson! If only mothers might see how\npowerful for good or evil is their influence; how the affections and the\nmental powers may be moulded by prayer and maternal love, and how the\ngroundwork for the future of the child may be laid in its early\ntraining!\n\nA sensible mother has a charm and wields an influence that takes a fast\nhold on the hearts of those who are dear to her. The kindly sympathy of\nyouth, the deep affection of manhood, can be traced to influences that\nbegan at mother's knee.\n\nWhat true, prayerful mother does not feel as her child closely nestles\nto her bosom that she is invested with a divine, mysterious power, an\ninfluence which she can not understand? Then it is that she sees her\nimperfections and longs for wisdom to know how to guide her child. God\nalone can supply that understanding. She is her child's book of wisdom,\nlove, and, beauty, but she should be of God's writing.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\n\nA PRAYING MOTHER.\n\nStill another mother comes before my mind--an earnest, zealous, pious\nmother, who fashioned her life and example continually by God's Word and\nendeavored daily to teach her children the deep truths of salvation in\nlanguage so simple that they could understand, to seek out the causes of\ntheir failures and discouragements, and to give them timely advice and\ninstruction.\n\nAs I trace a few of her experiences, which are all true incidents, I\ntrust they may sink into some perplexed mother's heart and enable her to\nwield the instruments of love and prayer about her darlings and to be\nmore able to guide their tender hearts in the right course.\n\nMrs. Worthington lived in the great city of Chicago, in a small cottage\non Portland Avenue near Thirty-first Street. Nothing about the dwelling\nwas elaborate; everything was simple, but very neat. Pretty vines\ntrailed gracefully over the porch and windows, and a few flower beds\nfilled up the dull nooks and corners. In front of the house was a grassy\nlawn enclosed by a picket fence. Here the children could play apart from\nthe rough waifs that thronged the street. Within the cottage the same\nquiet taste was in evidence.\n\nEvery day in her cozy sitting-room Mrs. Worthington talked with her\nlittle girls, Bessie and Louise. In times of trouble and perplexity she\nbowed with them in prayer. How much the children enjoyed their mother's\ncomradeship and counsel! The mother realized the importance of these\nearly impressions made on the child's mind. She had promised God to do\nall in her power to train her children for heaven. She had commenced\nearly, even from the time she had first looked into the depths of their\ninnocent eyes.\n\nShe had taught them that when any trouble arose between them, they were\nto kneel in prayer and ask God to help the one who had done wrong. Once\nshe heard Bessie say, \"Louise, I have prayed for you three times, and I\nbelieve I shall have to pray for you again.\" Louise was not a bad child;\nshe had as sweet and happy a disposition as Bessie; but, as with all\nsmall children, little difficulties arose between them.\n\nWishing to know what her two little girls would do on such an occasion,\nshe watched them. Bessie quietly took her little sister's hand, lead her\naside, and knelt with her in prayer. Then with all earnestness she\nprayed, \"O Lord, help Louise to to be good, for Jesus' sake. Amen.\" The\nprayer, though short, was effectual; for both went back to their play\nwith happy faces, and they had no more trouble that day.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\n\nEARLY TRAINING.\n\nAs the daily teaching continued, Mrs. Worthington taught her children\nmany helpful lessons. She told them of the great necessity of a Savior\nand of his mission to humanity. She taught them how God looked upon\ndisobedience, and always illustrated her talks with interesting Bible\nstories and their every-day experiences. In this way she taught them not\nonly the evil effects of wrong-doing but also the sure reward of\nright-doing.\n\nOne summer, while the family was spending their vacation in Michigan at\nthe pretty country home of an aunt, something happened that helped the\nchildren to apprehend their mother's meaning. This incident, although in\nsome measure painful to Mrs. Worthington, impressed the lesson upon\ntheir young minds almost better than anything else could have.\n\nThe house was situated upon a hill that sloped gradually down to the\nshore of a lake. In many ways this lake was very attractive, especially\nto the two little girls, who were then at the ages of two and four\nyears. Mrs. Worthington carefully warned the children of the danger of\nplaying near the lake shore; but, not realizing the greatness of their\ntemptation, she trusted them too far. Time after time they made their\nway down to the water's edge. Something must be done; but what?\n\nOne morning Mr. Worthington noticed his little daughters standing in\nfront of the house. Although he could not hear their words, he clearly\nperceived that they were talking about a trip to the forbidden lake.\nThey hesitated some time, but at last walked slowly down the hillside to\nthe lake. Again they hesitated. Finally descending the steps of the\nboat-house, they stepped into the sparkling water. How dainty the\nripples about their feet, and how clear the water!\n\n\"Surely there can be no harm or danger,\" thought Bessie; but she\nremembered the oft-repeated warnings of her parents and aunt. The\nshells lost their beauty when she remembered hearing her father say that\nbears sometimes travel up and down the shores. What if a bear should\nsome that morning? She gave a quick, searching glance among the trees,\nbut, seeing nothing, she tried to forget about bears. She might have\nbeen able to forget about them, but she could not forget that she was\ndisobedient. Her conscience would not let her; the more she tried to\nforget, the louder it talked. She was just about to take her little\nsister back to the house, when she heard a rustling among the branches\nof a tall tree directly above the path over which she must pass. The\nnext moment she thought she heard a low growl. \"O Louise,\" she cried, \"I\ndo believe that is the bear papa told us about.\" The tree then began to\nsway from side to side and they heard another growl, louder than the\nfirst. Seizing her little sister's hand, Bessie hastened to help her out\nof the water. By this time both were thoroughly frightened; for while\nvisiting one of the parks in Chicago once, they had seen a bear hug his\nkeeper until he could not stand. Bessie remembered the incident and\ntried to help Louise to hurry; but when the tree shook again, this time\njust above her, she screamed wildly and ran a few steps alone. When she\ngot past the danger-point her reason returned, and, looking back, she\nsaw her sister's great danger, as she stood just beneath the fatal tree.\nRushing back, she almost carried Louise (while the growling continued),\nand they were soon up the hill. In the house they told of their strange\nexperience, the substance of the story being, \"The bear; The bear!\"\n\nMr. Worthington soon joined the excited circle and secretly explained to\nhis wife that he had been the supposed bear and that he had taken this\ncourse to teach the children a lesson. His plan was successful, for\nafter that the children did not care to go to the lake alone.\n\nMrs. Worthington, however, was very sad because her children had been\ndeceived. Unlike her husband, who was not a Christian, she believed in\nkeeping the confidence of her children and in praying with them when\nthey were disobedient. She decided to be more prompt and watchful in the\nfuture and to shield them from temptation as much as possible.\n\nShe improved the opportunity for some wholesome instruction. From the\nstories of Jonah and King Saul she brought forth some excellent lessons\non disobedience. She told the children that, although they might think\nwhen tempted to disobey that nobody saw them, yet there was one whose\neye was ever beholding their deeds, whether good or bad. Then she knelt\nin prayer with her children, praying with a full heart to that God who\nis everywhere present and from whom all our strength must come, that he\nwould teach her how to guide the precious souls entrusted to her care.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\n\nGOD'S CARE.\n\nConsidering this mother's deep piety, do you think it strange that she\nsaw God's hand in everything that befell her, and ascribed praise to him\nfor it all?\n\nAfter the return of the family to their home in Chicago the father\nbecame very ill. His sickness was so severe and so long continued that\npoverty began to threaten them. Mr. Worthington could not take the\nresigned view of their circumstances that his wife took, but often gave\nway to complaining. But Mrs. Worthington thanked God that things were no\nworse and ever encouraged her husband with the promises that God would\nprovide.\n\nAt last Christmas morning came and found them in extreme poverty. Mr.\nWorthington still weak from his illness, but able to go around a little,\ncame in from his morning walk very gloomy and feeling that his friends\nwere very few. \"This is the saddest Christmas I have ever known,\" he\nsaid to Mrs. Worthington. \"It is almost more than I can bear to know\nthat I have nothing to give the children today, and barely enough in the\nhouse to eat. I did not realize it so keenly until I saw an old man\ntrudging along Thirty-first Street with a large pack upon his back. That\nman was surely going to surprise some of his friends. How much we need a\nfriend like that!\" \"Never mind,\" said Mrs. Worthington softly; \"God has\npromised to be a friend in time of need, and I believe he will care for\nus today.\"\n\nAs she finished speaking, a rap was heard at the door. Mr. Worthington\narose slowly, wondering who could be their early caller. When he opened\nthe door, he was greatly surprised to see the aged man with the pack and\nto find him to be his own father. Mr. Worthington had entered the house\ntoo soon to see his father turn the corner and enter the yard.\n\nAs the large burden was laid upon the floor and unpacked, there seemed\nto be no end to the good things. A turkey, cake, pies, in fact, all that\nwas needful for a generous Christmas dinner, as well as a gift for each\none. It was a very thankful family that gathered around the table that\nday.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\n\nCONSECRATION.\n\nIn regard to her children, Mrs. Worthington had passed through a deep\nconsecration. She fully realized that they were only lent her by the\nLord, entrusted to her care to be trained for usefulness in his service,\nand she was determined to do all in her power to prepare them as the\nLord intended. In all sincerity, she had placed her children upon the\naltar of consecration, promising God never to let her will interfere\nwith his designs concerning them.\n\nI do not think a child of God ever makes a consecration that is not\ntested in some form or other. This mother's consecration was tested.\n\nA wealthy aunt, having lost all her children and being very lonely,\nthought to fill the vacancy in her heart and home by adopting a little\nchild. After several vain attempts to find a suitable child, she sought\nthe home of her niece, Mrs. Worthington. She came with many misgivings.\nWhen she made her errand known, her niece said: \"Auntie, my children are\nno longer mine; I have given them to the Lord, and whatever is his will\nconcerning them shall be mine. You will have to obtain my husband's\nconsent.\" Thus far Aunt A. was delighted with her success, and she\neagerly sought the father. She tried to point out to Mrs. Worthington,\nwho was heartbroken at the prospect of losing her child, how abundantly\nable she (the aunt) was to provide for the child and spoke of the\nextreme poverty of the Worthington home. The mother knew all this, but\nshe knew too that God's Spirit does not always rule in wealthy homes.\nWould she do right to let her child slip from under her parental care?\nMany thoughts of this nature surged through her brain, and many\ntemptations to say no came to her; but instead of giving a decisive\nanswer she sought counsel from the all-wise Counselor. While in prayer\nshe thought of faithful Abraham's trial regarding Isaac, and she felt\nthat God was just as able to carry her through temptation or test, if\nshe submitted all to his will.\n\nMr. Worthington gave his consent for one of the children to go for a\nvisit. The aunt having chosen Bessie, hasty preparations were made for\ntheir departure. As the mother kissed her curly-haired little girl\ngood-by, her heart seemed bursting with sorrow. She tried to control her\nfeelings, but only God knew the wound that her aunt's parting words\nmade. \"Use your influence in my behalf, Niece, with your husband, in\ncase we want to keep Bessie,\" she had said, and then the great train\nmoved slowly from the station. Abraham was all the mother could think of\non her return home. Oh! would God give her back her child?\n\nLetter after letter came, each telling how fond the aunt and her husband\nwere of Bessie and how happy she was in her new home, but not a word\nabout her return. Four, five, six weeks passed. Then one day a letter\ncame stating that they had decided not to adopt a child now and that, as\nBessie was getting homesick, the parents might expect her home the next\nday. Then, it had been only a test! Oh, how glad Mrs. Worthington was\nthat she had been faithful. Yes, her God was the very same God that\nAbraham had served centuries before. It was hard to wait until\ntrain-time the next day. When once more the loving mother held her\ndarling child in her arms, the tears that could not flow for weeks\nstreamed freely.\n\nBessie was glad to be at home again. After the cold, formal, loveless\nlife at her aunt's, she appreciated her own humble home more than ever\nbefore.\n\nBut a far greater test was waiting the dear mother--one that would call\nfor more than human strength to bear.\n\nAfter Bessie's return Mrs. Worthington put forth every effort to teach\nher children more about heavenly things. She bore in mind the\nscripture, \"Train up a child in the way it should go; and when it is\nold, it will not depart from it.\" As she did not want to fail along this\nline, she spent every spare moment with her children. And she seldom let\nthem go from home to visit unaccompanied by her; but one day, being very\nbusy, she let them go alone to their grandmother's. The distance was not\ngreat, and Bessie, now nearly six years old, knew the way perfectly. All\nwould have been well had their grandmother been at home. She being away,\nthe girls stopped to watch some children at play. These children were\nbreaking old bottles that they had picked up in the alley. As the little\ngirls stood watching the sport, a large brown bottle was brought forth\nand with a heavy stroke of the hammer was broken. Small pieces of the\nglass flew in every direction. One piece struck Louise on the palm of\nthe hand just below the thumb, knocking off the skin, but not producing\na wound deep enough to bleed. Her grandmother, who appeared on the\nscene just at this time, examined the wound. She though it would soon be\nall right, but bound it up with a cloth to satisfy the child. The\nchildren played as usual and then returned home in time for supper.\n\nWhen they came in, their mother, who had been very busy through the day\nat housecleaning, was preparing a hasty supper, and she gave them no\nspecial attention. The family were soon seated around the supper-table.\nThey had not been there long until Mrs. Worthington noticed that Louise\nwas not eating. She asked the child why she did not eat, but received no\nreply. On being asked if her throat was sore, Louise nodded her head.\nStill the mother did not think the child's condition serious; and, after\npinning a flannel around the child's neck, she did the evening work and\nprepared to attend a prayer-meeting. She had noticed the rag upon\nLouise's hand, but Bessie had laughed about the little cut and said,\n\"Grandma tied it up just to please Louise.\"\n\nAlthough the meeting that night was unusually good, Mrs. Worthington\ncould not forget the expression on her child's face as they had kissed\neach other good-by. It seemed to be before her all the time; so she\nreally felt relieved when the meeting closed and she could return.\n\nUpon entering her home she immediately asked her husband, \"How is\nLouise?\" He answered that she had been very naughty and cross and that\nhe had been obliged to punish her. This news increased the mother's\nfears. Feeling of the child's head, she found it hot and feverish.\n\nAs Louise continued to grow worse, at two o'clock in the morning Mrs.\nWorthington thought it best to examine the child's throat; but when the\nmother asked the little girl to open her mouth, she said, \"Mama, I\ncan't.\"\n\n\"What!\" exclaimed the mother, \"you can not open your mouth! Why, child,\nwhat is the matter with you?\" Although Louise tried repeatedly to open\nher mouth, she could force her teeth apart only about an eighth of an\ninch, and only with great difficulty could she speak.\n\nBy this time Mr. Worthington had fully awakened to the fact that\nsomething serious was troubling his child, and he sprang to her side. As\nsoon as possible they summoned a doctor. He found that the cut on her\nhand had caused lockjaw, but said that there was no cause for alarm. The\nparents, however, felt very anxious and called in several doctors for\nconsultation. They found that it was too late to do anything for the\nchild. \"The course of this disease,\" said the doctors, \"is usually very\nrapid; and we are sorry that we can offer no hope.\"\n\nWhen Mrs. Worthington heard the doctors' verdict, anguish such as she\nhad never experienced before filled her soul. Her thoughts went back to\nthe previous night. Oh! why had she not examined the child closely\nthen? In her distress she cried to the Lord, saying, \"Dear Lord, what\ncan this mean? Must I go through another test with one of my children?\nIf so, help me to say amen to thy will!\"\n\nEverything possible was done for the comfort of the little sufferer. The\nlittle life was swiftly nearing its close. Even when the doctors\ninjected medicine into her arm to relieve her pain, she did not murmur.\nForgetful for a moment of her suffering, she looked into her mother's\neyes and said, \"Mama, I love you\"; then turning to her father, \"Papa, I\nlove you\"; and then to the doctors and friends, \"I like all these\nfolks.\"\n\nWhat a beautiful testimony? She had only kindly feelings in her heart\nfor all, even for the doctors, who seemed to be her enemies. Her words\nwere as a message sent from God as they fell into that mother's heart.\nThey seemed as sweet incense and a soothing balm to her troubled spirit.\nGazing into the child's face, the mother read of the tender,\ncompassionate love of God for suffering humanity; she read of the depth\nof Christ's love for the innocent and pure; and, by the heavenly smile\nthat lighted the little face as her darling sank into unconsciousness,\nshe saw that the child realized her Savior's presence.\n\nSlowly the tide is going out; the soul of the child is passing from the\nmother's presence into life immortal. \"O my darling, speak to me once\nmore!\" The large blue eyes slowly unclose; a look of disappointment\ncomes into them as she says, \"Where has Jesus gone?\" The dear eyes\nsoftly close; she sinks again into unconsciousness; the beautiful\nexpression of happiness returns; the mother knows that her darling is in\nthe arms of Jesus and is content.\n\nMrs. Worthington did not sorrow as those who have no hope; for she knew\nthat her heavenly Father knew best, and she could look up with\nconfidence and say, \"The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away:\nblessed be the name of the Lord.\" With the father it was different. Up\nto this time he had never had any serious thoughts of a future life. He\nknew that his wife was a good woman, but he considered her religious\nviews rather strange. She had seen so much error among the popular\nreligious denominations and had felt such bondage when meeting with\nthem, that she worshiped with a few spiritual people in a little\nprayer-meeting. Because of this peculiarity, he had even feared that her\nmind was affected; but now, when he saw her fortitude under deep trial,\nhe felt that surely there was an unseen power supporting her--a power\nthat he secretly longed to possess, although the time for attaining it\nhe set indefinitely in the future.\n\nAs Louise had been his idol, his grief was deep. It stirred his whole\nbeing. Her last testimony had convinced him that there is a Savior, that\nhe is interested in mankind, and that he is able to keep in every\naffliction. Standing by the cold, lifeless form of his little daughter,\nhe promised God that he would meet her in heaven.\n\nAfter these things Mrs. Worthington realized more keenly than ever the\nvalue of confidence between children and parents. With renewed energy\nshe sought daily to strengthen that cord which now seemed to her almost\ndivine. Her daily talks now contained a richer and deeper meaning to\nBessie, whose understanding of heavenly things was growing clearer since\nher sister's death. Through her mother's teaching she gained a knowledge\nof God and spiritual life that would have taken her many, many years to\ncomprehend had she been left to herself.\n\nMrs. Worthington was surprised and pleased to note Bessie's confidence\nin her mother's teaching. One day, in answer to the assertion of a\nlittle neighbor girl that Louise was not alive, but dead and buried,\nBessie said, \"I know Sister's body is dead and buried, but her soul is\nliving with Jesus. He was waiting for her when she died and took her\nsoul away with him.\"\n\n\"I am glad, my child,\" said her mother, sometime after this\nconversation, \"that you love to come to me with things that trouble you;\nfor as you're going to school now, you can not help hearing and seeing\nmany things that I would rather keep from you until you're older. You'll\nsee and hear many things that you should allow no place in your life;\nbut if you'll always come to me, I'll instruct you so that they'll not\nbe harmful to you. When I was a child, how I longed for some one in whom\nI could confide! My mother was a good woman, but she didn't realize how\nI often longed to unburden my heart to her. Father understood this\ndesire, and we often had confidential talks.\n\n\"I shall never forget my gratitude when he took me upon his knee one day\nand told me about many dangers young girls must meet and explained how I\nmight avoid them. His words were just in time; for I had often been\nallowed to spend the evening at the home of a little friend, who, like\nmyself, was not taught how to meet danger. At first our play had been\ninnocent sports, but a short time before my father's talk a cousin had\ncome to board with the family and attend school. He at once encouraged\nus to play a game of cards with him. As I knew nothing of the evil of\ncard-playing, I was eager to learn; for he gave me much praise and\nallowed me to win very often, always rewarding me with a pile of candy.\nThe appearance of so much candy in my possession had led to my father's\ntalk. As father unfolded the nature of card-playing and gambling, a\nhorror for them that has never left me came into my heart. After this I\noften sought my father's counsel; his faithful admonitions and tender\nwords of encouragement caused me to have more and more confidence in\nhim.\"\n\nMrs. Worthington sighed deeply as she continued, \"The memory of my dear\nfather is sacred, Bessie. Many times I've thanked the Lord that my\nfather knew the worth of prayer and the value of the confidence of his\nchildren. He helped me to tide over the most critical period of my life,\nand I love to recall the encouragement of his devoted life.\"\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\n\nCONSCIENCE.\n\nOne day when Bessie was about eight years old, she said: \"Mama, you've\noften told me that if I'd listen to the voice of conscience it would\nkeep me out of danger. What is conscience? I don't understand.\"\n\n\"My dear child,\" answered her mother, \"your happiness depends upon a\npure conscience, one that is void of offense. By the Lord's help, I will\ngladly explain. Conscience is that which causes us to feel bad when we\ndo what we've been taught to be wrong. At first it is very tender and\nactive. Then, no matter how enticing the temptation, the conscience will\nwarn one not to yield. You've heard your conscience speaking to you,\nhaven't you, Bessie?\"\n\n\"Yes, Mama,\" answered Bessie; \"that was why I wanted to know more about\nit. I thought at first it was some person speaking; but when I\nremembered you had told me that we each have a conscience to tell us to\ndo right, I knew it must be the voice of conscience.\"\n\n\"When it speaks, you must listen,\" said Mrs. Worthington. \"Give heed to\nits warnings. This little story will show you how careful we should be\nto heed the warning voice of conscience.\n\n\"'Wishing to arise at an early hour each morning, a gentleman purchased\nan alarm-clock. He took it home, and, having set it, went to bed and\nslept soundly. In the morning, to the gentleman's great delight, the\nclock aroused him, so that he was able to get to work in time.\n\n\"'For a time he would spring out of bed as soon as the alarm sounded,\nand the clock never failed to wake him. One morning, however, on hearing\nthe clock sound its usual alarm, he awoke, but, feeling a little sleepy,\nhe lay back on his pillow, thinking that he would get up in a short\ntime. In a few minutes he fell asleep, and did not awake again until\nvery late. He dressed hastily, and, missing his breakfast, hurried away\nto his work. He resolved not to be so foolish again, and for a time did\nbetter; but in a few days he had again overslept. He became more and\nmore neglectful, failing time after time to heed the alarm. At length it\nonly partially aroused him, and he soon slumbered again. Day by day it\ndisturbed him less, until at last it did not arouse him at all, although\nit sounded as loudly as ever.'\n\n\"So will it be with your conscience. If you don't heed its voice, you'll\nhear it speaking less loudly each day until its voice will at last cause\nyou no discomfort. You'll then be in a very dangerous moral condition.\nNo one but God can help you out. This is one reason why, Bessie, many\npeople can do things that you can not.\n\n\"Satan aimed his first blow at the conscience; for if he can silence it,\nthen he can lead the soul deeper and deeper into sin.\"\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\n\nA DOWNWARD STEP.\n\n\"I have good news for you, Bessie,\" said Mrs. Worthington as Bessie came\nskipping into the room from her play. \"Your papa and I have decided to\nleave our little home here in Chicago and buy a home in Michigan.\"\n\n\"Oh, how nice!\" exclaimed Bessie, who was still in her eighth year.\n\"Shall we live with Aunt Emma again?\"\n\n\"Yes, or rather she will live with us,\" said her mother, smiling. \"Your\nauntie's health is very poor, and she is tired of the responsibility of\nfarming; so we'll relieve her.\"\n\nThe following weeks were happy ones for Bessie. The Lord had been good\nto her in many ways. He had given her a little baby brother to love and\ncare for, and now she was about to have a pleasant home in the country.\nShe had not forgotten the good times she had enjoyed on the farm with\nher little sister, and she was very eager for the month of August to\ncome, the time when the family was to move. At last the time came to\nstart. With beating heart Bessie counted the hours that must pass before\nshe could run in the orchard and eat the luscious fruit.\n\nIt was late in the afternoon when the Worthington family arrived at\ntheir new home. The greetings over, Bessie was contemplating a ramble\nwhere she had noticed some large red apples hanging; but just then her\naunt said, \"Bessie, you must not pick any of the fruit on the place this\nsummer, as the farm is rented and the fruit does not belong to us.\" This\nwas such a disappointment to the little girl that she could not restrain\nher tears.\n\nAs the days passed by, she often looked longingly toward the tree where\nhung the beautiful apples, but she never once thought of pulling one,\nfor her mother had carefully taught her the great evil of stealing. \"But\noh!\" thought Bessie, \"if only one of the apples would fall upon the\nground, I could pick it up, and I wouldn't be stealing it.\" With this\nwish in her heart, she daily watched the trees in hopes that just one\nwould fall.\n\nAt last her hope was realized. Walking through the orchard one day after\na hard wind-storm, she spied several large red apples lying in the soft\nsand. With a fast-beating heart, she hastened to pick them all up; and,\nplacing them carefully in her apron, she hurried to the house, oft\nrepeating to herself, \"I didn't steal them, for the wind blew them off.\"\n\nAs she entered the house, she began to tell how she came by the apples,\nbut stopped in dismay, for she saw her mother's look of disapproval.\nVery tenderly Mrs. Worthington took her little daughter aside and,\nsitting down by her, said: \"My dear, you don't understand what you've\ndone: those apples are as truly stolen as if you had picked them from\nthe tree. You must take them to Mrs. S. and explain that you didn't\nknow you were stealing them. Taking little things and trying to ease the\nconscience by saying, 'It doesn't amount to anything,' causes the\nconscience to fall asleep and to cease its activity. Thus the evil habit\nof taking what doesn't belong to us becomes a part of our nature, and\nstep by step we fall into greater sin.\n\n\"I once heard of a young man who was about to be hanged upon the\ngallows. Just before the fatal moment he received permission to speak to\nany of his friends, if he desired. Calling for his aunt, who had reared\nhim, he moved forward as if to speak to her, but instead he bit off her\near. Amid the exclamations of horror that followed, the young man said:\n'You think what I have done is cruel. Let me tell you that, had my aunt\ndone her duty by me, I should not be here today. Had she taken the pains\nto inquire where I obtained the lead pencils, knives, handkerchiefs, and\nother small articles which I brought home from time to time; had she\nnot accepted the flimsy excuse that I had found them; had she warned me\nof my danger, and not praised me for \"finding\" the things I had\nstolen,--I might have escaped this awful end.'\n\n\"So, Bessie, you can see the danger of allowing anything like\nthis--though it does appear a trifle--to pass by unnoticed. You may go\nand return the apples to Mrs. S., who is now in the orchard.\"\n\nThe lesson was severe and lasting; and as Bessie returned the apples to\ntheir rightful owner, it settled deep into her heart.\n\nParents, beware. Through neglect, the habit of lying begins. An untruth\nis passed over carelessly and the child allowed to cover up its sins\nwithout realizing their sinfulness. Likewise, many other evil habits\nthat have wrecked lives and brought sorrow and disgrace into homes may\nbe traced to the same carelessness on the part of parents and friends.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\n\nA WISE DECISION.\n\nThe lake in front of the Worthington home, though nearly five miles in\nlength, had too small a harbor to permit the entrance of the large\nChicago boats. It was therefore necessary, each evening in summer, for\nsmall steamboats to gather up the fruit from the farms along the lake\nand to carry it to the nearest port for large steamers. It was\ninteresting to see the piles of berry crates loaded upon the steamer\nfrom the docks extending out into the lake. At such times a crowd of\nyoung people frequently arranged to go for a pleasant ride on Lake\nMichigan, and a few times Bessie had gone.\n\nThere was to be such an excursion on the occasion of which I wish to\nspeak, and the young people expected to attend a circus in a city close\nto the haven to which they were going. Bessie wished very much to go.\nShe soon obtained her father's consent, but went to her mother with many\nmisgivings, for she knew that her mother never went to a circus and that\nshe had always spoken against her going at other times.\n\nMrs. Worthington was very busy, but she always had time to advise her\ndaughter and to hear her requests. She listened carefully to every word\nher daughter had to say, and then remained silent for a few minutes. At\nlength she said: \"Bessie, there are many things to consider about your\ngoing. You know how I love to have you go for a ride on the water when I\nknow you are in good company. I also love to have you attend places of\ninterest to you, when I know there's nothing to defile your mind or lead\nyou from the path of purity. But, Daughter, there are many things in the\nworld that look beautiful to the eye but tend to lead the soul astray.\nDo you think Jesus would go to a circus? Do you think you could get any\ngood should you go? You have passed your tenth birthday. I think you're\nold enough to take this matter to God in prayer and let him decide it\nfor you. Go and ask him to direct you to some passage of Scripture that\nwill open your understanding and help you to know what he wants you to\ndo.\"\n\n\"Oh, mama,\" said Bessie, who had felt strange about the matter, \"please\ntell me yes or no, and I'll say no more about it.\"\n\n\"No, Bessie; it will, in many ways, be better for you to do as I've\nsaid,\" answered her mother tenderly but decisively.\n\nVery reluctantly Bessie left the room, and, taking her Bible, whispered\na prayer that she might open it to something that would help her to\ndecide. As she opened the book, her eyes fell upon these words: \"Vanity\nof vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.\"\nHurriedly she turned the pages, thinking that she might perhaps have\nopened to that passage anyway. Next she read, \"I said in mine heart, Go\nto now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore, enjoy pleasure: and\nbehold this also is vanity.\" Returning to her mother, she read the\nwords, but ended by saying, \"I might have turned to that anyway.\"\n\n\"Bessie,\" said Mrs. Worthington, \"those words were written by the wisest\nman the world has ever known, one who had the privilege of enjoying\nevery known pleasure under the sun. But when he had tried them all, he\nsat down and wrote the words you have just read, and also said, 'All is\nvanity and vexation of spirit.' Now you have my view of the subject, and\nyou have Solomon's; but if you are still in doubt, go and pray.\"\n\nBessie was not satisfied. She slipped away the second time and fell upon\nher knees. She cried, \"O Lord, you once answered Gideon with a sign; now\nplease give me a sign and help me to know whether I should stay at home\nor not. If you don't want me to go, make it rain.\" Though simple and\nshort, the prayer came from the heart. She was determined to know God's\nwill concerning her; and to such God never turns a deaf ear.\n\nThe next morning she went to the door and looked at the sky. The day was\nperfect. The sun was shining brightly, and a cool, gentle breeze was\nblowing. Just one tiny cloud was in the sky, and that seemed to be\nfloating toward the sun. As she watched the cloud, she saw it gradually\nincrease in size, and at last down came the rain in great drops. Nothing\nfurther was needed to convince Bessie that God wanted her to remain at\nhome; and now her staying was no longer a cross to her.\n\nShe ran to her father and explained that God did not want her to go,\ntelling him about her prayer and its answer. Her childish words and\nsimple faith touched her father's proud heart, but all he said was,\n\"It's all right, Bessie; but you'll go down to the landing and say\ngood-by to your friends, won't you?\"\n\nAs she told the girls why she could not go with them and watched the\ngay party leave the shore, she was not sad, but happy. She kept thinking\nhow kind the dear Lord had been to answer her prayer so wonderfully.\nWhen bedtime came, she rested sweetly, having no wounded conscience to\ntrouble or accuse her.\n\nBut how about the excursion party? They had an ideal trip on Lake\nMichigan, attended the show, and started to return. The breeze that had\nbeen so gently blowing through the day began to increase at sunset, and\nby the late hour of their return it had become a gale. But not realizing\nthe fierceness of the storm, they started home. When they reached their\nown harbor, they found that they could not enter with safety; so they\nanchored the boat and spent the remainder of the night on the wildly\ntossing waves. In the morning the wind gradually died away, and the\nweary, seasick crowd made their way home.\n\nWhen Bessie learned of their serious experience, she appreciated more\nthan ever the Lord's goodness in leading her to stay at home.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\n\nSELF-CONTROL.\n\nMrs. Worthington was greatly encouraged when she saw what a blessing her\nlittle girl had received from what appeared to be a sore trial. She felt\nthat the time was opportune to plant the seed of self-control within the\nyoung heart. In a little while she found an opportunity to begin.\n\n\"Bessie,\" she began when ready for the talk, \"I have some important\nthings to tell you today. I wish to speak of your future. There comes a\ntime in the life of every girl when she must change from childhood to\nwomanhood; she can not always remain a child. Until this time arrives,\nshe is very dependent and must lean entirely upon her parents' advice;\nbut as her mind begins to mature, she should be taught the necessity of\nweighing matters well and of finding out God's will.\n\n\"Until the present time all you have done has been at the suggestion of\nyour parents, but it will be different in the future. With your\nteaching, you are able to look to God for a part of your direction. I\nshall continue to advise, and, if necessary, to punish you; but I want\nyou to take things to the Lord in prayer and become satisfied within\nyour heart that my advice is according to the Word of God. You must not\nthink you haven't needed the teaching and the guidance you've had thus\nfar in life; and you'll need more careful training than you've ever had.\nThe point I want to impress upon your mind is that there's an element\nwithin you, called self, that you must learn to control. At times self\nwill arise and cause you to feel that you know some things even better\nthan Mama. That is the time to remember that Mama has had more\nexperience than you; that her judgment is better than yours; and that\nyou must rely upon it until God helps you to see a matter as she sees\nit. That was the way you gained the blessing from that experience a few\ndays ago. In this way you will learn the lessons that are so important\nto your future.\n\n\"There are many other things, my dear, that I want to talk to you about\nsoon, but you must be patient a little longer. In the meantime, however,\nyou may ask me any question you please, and I'll answer you. Don't go to\nother girls with these things, but come to me. I'm always glad to\nexplain to you anything that seems strange. When you're old enough to\ndesire the knowledge and to form the questions, you're old enough to\nreceive an answer to your questions. Come to me often: what seems\nstrange to both of us we can take to God in prayer, and let him teach\nus.\n\n\"Another thing you must do is to turn away from bad associates. Avoid\ngirls who say, 'I'll tell you something if you'll promise not to tell\nyour mother.' Remember that anything you could not tell me would not be\nworth hearing; for it's sure to be something unclean or vulgar.\nConversing with such girls won't help you to draw close to the Lord nor\nto know his will concerning you. Much less would it help you to meditate\nupon the pure and holy things of God. To elevate your soul, Bessie, you\nmust become serious, and seek only those companions whose conversation\nis kind, gentle, and modest. I believe your desire is to become more\nlike Jesus and to prepare for heaven. So, my child, meditate upon God,\nand you will grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. Misspent moments\nare so much of life and character thrown away; be careful to use them\nall in God's service.\n\n\"Here's a little poem you may learn. It may help you to control self and\nto value your moments as you should.\"\n\n\nMY MOMENTS.\n\n_Oh, my precious little moments,\n  Gliding now so swiftly by;\nMay I each one spend for Jesus\n  Ere I see them past me fly.\n\nMay I lade each one with something\n  To be borne to God above,\nFill each full of deeds worth counting,\n  That will prove my perfect love.\n\nFor I would not have them enter\n  Through those portals bright and fair\nBearing not a single token\n  For my Master waiting there.\n\nGolden moments, as you carry\n  Trophies on your upward flight,\nTake my character to Jesus;\n  For I've kept it clean and white._\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\n\nPARENTAL CONTROL.\n\nMrs. Worthington was not only a prayerful mother, but a mother wise in\nhome government. Her wisdom, however, came from God. Many a time she\nfelt incapable of giving the advice her young daughter needed; but she\nalways remembered the scripture which reads, \"If any of you lack wisdom,\nlet him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth\nnot; and it shall be given.\" After she had spent a season in prayerful\nmeditation, God would supply the words and understanding. Thus she could\nsay with the apostle Paul, that her strength was made perfect in\nweakness, because her dependence was in Christ.\n\nO mothers, let us learn that God, the Author of home and families, is\nalways interested in the quality and the training of the children. He\ndoes not create to cast aside. Neither does anything come by chance. He\nwills that each tender human plant be nourished and cherished until\nwell fitted to fill its place and calling in life. In childhood's\ndependent days, the parents should be all to the children that they can\nnot be to themselves. It is not enough that your child be well fed and\nclothed; its young mind must be guided into proper channels. What work\nis more noble, more elevating than the teaching of the undeveloped mind?\nLet not the duties of life nor the claims of society so press upon you\nas to cause you to neglect your child's character or its education in\neither temporal or spiritual matters.\n\nAs Solomon says, \"Take away the little foxes that destroy the vines.\" It\nis the little things passed carelessly by that grow larger and larger,\nand stronger and stronger, within the young heart until at last the\nunsuspecting parents awake in alarm to behold their child in dreadful\nbondage. Beware! Guard your child every moment it is under your care.\nYou can not go as companion to your child upon the street or to school,\nbut your influence may attend his every path through life. Do not be\ndiscouraged should you hear him use a slang word, but take him at once\nand tenderly tell him what slang phrases will lead to. Do not speak\nharshly, but explain in the most loving manner possible. In this way you\nwill cultivate in him a distaste for impure language. A pure, refined\nnature will be the result. Moreover, as that child realizes through your\nfaithful instruction, the true meaning of sin, he will make you his\nconfidant and will come to you rather than seek the counsel of younger\ncompanions. Thus you will be able to control his mind and to instil\nwithin his mind pure and upright desires.\n\nWithin your home is the place to shine for God. There is no greater\nfield of labor. A Christian mother's influence among the young can not\nbe too highly valued. No one can fill your place in the hearts of your\nchildren. Another can provide their temporal needs, but nobody can take\nthe place of Mother. No one else can enter into the daily trials as you\ncan. Nothing else can soothe the wounded feelings as well as a tender\nembrace or a word from mother. Be liberal, dear mothers, with these\ntokens of sympathy, so sweet to your child; and think not for one moment\nthat you are not fulfilling God's plan concerning you or that moments\nthus spent are wasted. It is only a short time at best that we can be\nblessed with the privilege of instructing our children.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\n\nCHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.\n\nAs Bessie grew older, Mrs. Worthington chose the twilight hour for\nconfidential talks with her daughter. Both looked forward to these times\nwith pleasure. Each evening after the daily duties were ended, Bessie\nmight be found sitting at her mother's feet. Here she related the many\nhappenings of the day and in turn received instruction and advice from\nthe one who held her confidence. Here the mother taught her child the\nsecret of true devotion. She instructed Bessie that prayer, good\nreading, and meditation are the keys to use to unlock God's great\nstorehouse of blessings. She pointed to the Bible as a pattern by which\nto fashion one's life, pointing out to her the many scriptures bearing\nupon different subjects and telling her how every modest, earnest\nChristian ought to dress and act in order to adorn the gospel of\nChrist. She encircled the word \"purity\" with such a halo of glory that\nshe awakened within the heart of her child a determination ever to live\nso pure a life that she would not only keep herself stainless but also\nhelp others to that sacred and elevated plane.\n\nUpon one of these occasions, when Bessie was in her twelfth year, she\nsaid: \"Mama, why don't we go to the meetings that are being held at the\nschoolhouse on Sunday? The girls have asked me several times, and I have\ntold them I didn't know. They have a minister from a distance, and he\nhas taken the names of all who want to join the church.\"\n\n\"That is a deep subject, my child,\" said Mrs. Worthington. \"I have often\nwished to explain to you my reasons for not attending the public\nservices held in our neighborhood by the different denominations, but\nhave feared you were still too young to understand, for the matter seems\nhard even for some older persons to comprehend. But I will tell you and\ntrust the Lord to make it plain.\n\n\"My parents taught me that it was my duty to attend religious services\nat least once a week. This I did, and professed to be a Christian until\nI was a young woman. I knew that I loved the Lord and wanted to do\nright, but found that I could not always do right in my own strength. I\nwas daily doing things that displeased the Lord. I became so troubled\nabout my condition that one day I went to the minister, and, telling him\nhow I felt, requested him to pray for me and to help me to get a real\nBible experience. In answer to my request, he only smiled and said, 'You\nare too particular. You might as well try to split a hair as to try to\nlive a holy life in this world.'\n\n\"As I returned home that day, I was very sad indeed. Oh, how much I\nlonged to be like Jesus, whom God had given me as an example! I knew the\nBible taught that if we expect to enter heaven we must live a pure and\nholy life. I was determined to do this--but how was I to do it? To whom\ncould I go for help? Most of the church-members were so worldly-minded\nthey thought of little else than a good time, and the few spiritual ones\nwere afraid to tell how they felt, for fear of their minister's\ndispleasure.\n\n\"At last I decided to seek from God and his Word what my soul was\nlonging for. As I sought, I began to see I had been deceived. I found\nthat as God looked upon mankind, he could see only two classes of\npeople--the righteous and sinners; and I saw that I was a sinner.\n\n\"By reading the twelfth chapter of First Corinthians, I learned that\nChrist's body is the church; that to become a member of the church my\nname must be written in heaven; that every Christian in the world is my\nbrother or sister in Christ; the Lamb's book of life is the only\nclass-book in which our names need to be recorded; and that our names\nare removed only because of our turning again to sin. To me these\nthoughts were both new and marvelous. I saw that every saved person in\nthe different denominations is a Christian and a member of God's true\nchurch, but I knew that such persons were unable to worship God aright\nfor fear of displeasing their ministers or of breaking some of the\nchurch-rules. And when I read in 2 Cor. 6:14 that we are not to be\nunequally yoked together with unbelievers, I felt that I must come out\nand stand alone. This I promised God to do at any cost, and asked him to\ngive me a Bible experience. He answered my prayer; and I was so happy\nthat I walked the floor for a long time, clapping my hands and praising\nGod.\n\n\"Because of the course I had taken many misunderstood me and thought I\nwas partially insane. Even your dear papa thinks so still, but I dare\nnot grieve God by going back.\n\n\"I have had some dreams that have greatly encouraged me. The first was\ngiven while I was wondering why I could not find any one who believed\nthe whole Bible. I seemed to be standing in a meeting-house; the service\nwas ended and nearly every one had gone home. I noticed a woman in great\ndistress. Going to her, I found that she had a very sore hand and that\nshe was alone, with no one to help her home through the darkness. With\nher consent, I quickly picked her up in my arms and carried her safely\nthrough a long, dark, narrow passage. As we passed along, I spoke words\nof encouragement to her. Suddenly we came out into a large open field\ncarpeted with flowers, and there I laid her down, saying, 'How nicely we\nhave gotten along alone.' Then I awoke.\n\n\"For some time I could not see the meaning of the dream. At last I\nunderstood that the afflicted woman was I myself and that the Savior\nwanted to carry me through the dark and dangerous way of life alone.\n\n\"At another time I dreamed I was riding on a locomotive. Again I was\nalone. The seat that I was sitting on was so small I had to be very\ncareful lest I be injured by the machinery around me. I didn't think of\ndanger while the train was in motion; but as it drew up at a certain\nstation, I began to consider my position. The thought came, 'What will\npeople think of me? They will certainly say I am stealing a ride.' I\nremembered my ticket, and, placing my hand upon it, I felt satisfied. At\nthe next station I could see inside of the passenger coaches. I had a\ngood view of the passengers in one of the coaches, and I recognized the\nprominent members of the denomination I had lately left. As they sat in\ntheir cushioned seats, carelessly talking to one another, they all\nseemed happy and contented. My own condition then arose before me, and I\nfelt lonely indeed and thought, 'I will step down from my little seat\nand enter the coach with the rest.' I was just about to do this--even\nhad my hand upon the door knob--when I realized that I had left my\ndress in the little seat, and again I awoke.\n\n\"The dream seemed very plain in every way. My ticket was my experience\nand title to heaven, and the dress left up in the tiny seat was the robe\nof Christ's righteousness. While alone and contented, I was all right,\nbut to return to the denomination would mean to leave both robe and\ntitle behind.\n\n\"Still, God has given me some devoted Christian friends, who are willing\nto live as the Bible directs, and with these I worship as you know,\ndear, in our little weekly prayer-meetings. I trust that some day your\nfather will see and will understand me better, and that we can worship\nGod together. But I will be faithful even though I should be forced to\nwalk alone.\n\n\"Now, dear, I trust you can see that the true church is Christ's body\nand that every soul is a member as long as he continues to live a pure\nand holy life. Whether he is a member of some sect or not, sin will cut\nhim off; and if he continues to profess as I did, he is a hypocrite in\nGod's sight. 'Come out from among them and be ye separate' is a command\nthat every Christian should obey.\"\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\n\nTHE BEAUTIFUL SECRET.\n\nThe mother's talks about her own Christian experience enabled Bessie to\nunderstand the beautiful secret of salvation--an influence that was to\nbeautify her character and to mold her whole subsequent career. Bessie's\ndeveloping mind was able to grasp firmly the golden thread of religious\ntruth, which, unraveling from the tangle of sectism, had guided her\nfaithful mother into the fulness of divine truth.\n\nThus it was--\n\n    _In the gentle hush of evening,\n      When the sun sank in the west;\n    When the little bird was nestling\n      In its quiet, sheltered nest;\n    When the stars were brightly shining\n      From the lofty sky above,\n    Bessie learned the lovely secret\n      Of her Savior's perfect love._\n\n    _In the twilight's deep'ning shadows,\n      At her loving mother's feet,\n    Sat she often on a hassock,\n      Hearing words of counsel sweet.\n    Sacred season was this hour\n      To the twain in waiting there,\n    Each the burden of the other\n      Sought to know and ofttimes share.\n\n    As the loving mother listened\n      To the record of the day,\n    To the questions of her daughter--\n      Spoken oft in childish way,\n    She in tenderness instructed\n      With the wisdom of the Lord,\n    Gained by prayer and careful study\n      Of his precious, holy Word.\n\n    There the character was strengthened;\n      Bessie's heart was made to feel\n    Greater love for her Creator,\n      For his work a deeper zeal.\n    And she saw God's plan for pardon,\n      To the feet of Jesus came,\n    And was able, like her mother,\n      Full salvation then to claim._\n\n    _Ah! fond mother, learn the secret\n      That will win thy children dear;\n    Draw them gently to thy bosom,\n      Ever seek their hearts to cheer.\n    From thy home exclude all worry,\n      Fretful cares, and sad'ning gloom;\n    But God's sunshine bid a welcome,\n      Let it shine in ev'ry room_.\n\n    _As a spring within a desert,\n      Thou mayst water each plant small;\n    But the plant itself must blossom--\n      Thou canst tend it, that is all.\n    Tiny human plants will flourish\n      In an atmosphere like this,\n    And will yield good, fruitful blossoms\n      That will bring true happiness_.\n\n    _Children always thirst for knowledge,\n      And ere long 'tis surely gained;\n    If not from a faithful mother,\n      'Tis from evil source obtained.\n    Blameless never is the mother\n      Who will not the trouble take\n    To instruct her precious children,\n      Close companions of them make_.\n\n    _Like a florist wise and zealous,\n      Guard thou well each blossom fair,\n    Lest the perfume and the sweetness\n      Vanish for the lack of care.\n    Choose thou then some place at even\n      When the daily toils are done,\n    Where life's many cares and blessings\n      May be numbered one by one.\n\n    God will give thee wisdom, mother,\n      To supply thine ev'ry need,\n    As thou givest wholesome knowledge,\n      When the childish voices plead.\n    Their young minds, so pure, unfolding,\n      Will reveal the secret fair\n    That will prove how great the value\n      Of a mother's love and pray'r._\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\n\nBLESSING AND TRIAL.\n\nNow that Bessie had learned the secret of a Christian life, she longed\nto see others enjoying the love of God. She felt the greatest burden for\nher father. Oh, if she could see him enjoying salvation! She often\npoured out her desire in prayer, with childlike trust and confidence.\nGod heard her prayers.\n\nOne morning as she was passing the barn on her way to school, she heard\nsome strange sounds. Peering through a window, she beheld a sight that\nmade her wonder if she saw aright. There stood her beloved father, great\ntears streaming from his eyes, his countenance beaming with heavenly\npeace and joy, and praises to God pouring from his lips. What did it\nmean? In a weak voice she said, \"Papa dear, what is the matter!\"\n\nTurning he exclaimed: \"Oh, Bessie, God has saved me! I am so happy! Run\nquick and tell your mother!\" Bessie ran to the house to tell the glad\nnews, but her father was there nearly as soon, saying, \"Oh, I'm saved!\nYou're right, wife. I know now that you're right, and I see things just\nas you do! I'm so happy and feel so different. Oh, help me to praise the\ndear Lord.\"\n\nLet us leave them in their happiness and follow Bessie to school. Her\nfather's words rang as sweet music in her ears. How good the dear Lord\nwas to answer her in her father's behalf! She felt that no good thing\nwould be withheld from them that walk uprightly. But Bessie was soon to\nmeet a severe and unexpected trial.\n\nHer mother had made her a school-dress. Though neat and pretty, it was\nof a material commonly used for men's shirts. Bessie knew this, but\nthought nothing of it until some of her schoolmates gathered round her\nat recess and said, \"O girls, Bessie has a new dress like her father's\nshirt.\" Another said, \"Perhaps it is his shirt.\" The remarks were\ncertainly unkind, and Bessie felt them keenly; but she laughed and said,\n\"Yes; I know it.\" Nothing more was said. But oh, that dress! How she\ndisliked to wear it! At times she could hardly start to school with it\non; but then she would think, \"I know Mama thought it was pretty when\nshe got it for me; and I thought it was nice until the girls made those\nremarks. I will try to like it for Mama's sake.\"\n\nWith such thoughts in her mind she returned home from school one\nevening. When she reached the house, she saw that no one was at home;\nbut, knowing where the key was kept, she easily gained admittance.\nFinding herself alone in the house, she thought: \"Now is the time to\nlearn to like my dress, and I'm going to do it. Mother shall not know\nhow I have felt about it.\" She hastened into the parlor and stood before\na large mirror.\n\nNow, Bessie knew that she did not have a pretty face, and she had gained\nthe victory over that; but she did want to feel that her clothes looked\nwell on her, and that was the battle she meant to fight that evening. As\nshe slowly turned from side to side viewing herself intently, she liked\nthe dress better and better. At last she thought it very pretty and\nbecoming, and she knelt down and thanked God for giving it to her. As\nshe changed it for her work-dress, she wondered why she had allowed the\nchildren's remarks to affect her so much and had not appreciated the\ndress more. No more remarks were ever made about the dress, and Bessie\ncontinued to admire it until it was worn out. No one but herself and the\nLord knew of the struggle through which she passed.\n\nThrough the trial concerning the dress, Bessie learned several valuable\nlessons: first, the less notice one takes of unkindness, the better;\nsecond, God's grace can keep in time of temptation; third, one should\nnot murmur because of persecution; and, last, and best of all, God\nusually gives his children some great blessing before a severe trial,\nand the close relationship between the two makes them almost one in\neffect. She could now say with real appreciation:\n\n    _A little trial often tries,\n    But proves a blessing in disguise.\n    Just as the rough rock holds the gem,\n    The trial holds my diadem_.\n\nBut a still greater trial was awaiting her. Bessie had a thirst for\nknowledge. She was doing well in school and wanted to do better. Instead\nof taking exercise during the daily intermissions, she often spent them\nin hard study. Her system, naturally frail, could not stand the strain.\nShe contracted a fever and for three months despaired of life. In the\nthird month dropsy of the chest set in; and, on account of smothering\nspells, she had to be bolstered up in bed with pillows.\n\nOne day as Mrs. Worthington stood beside her child she felt that God\nwanted to heal her. Kneeling beside the bed, she prayed, \"Dear Lord,\nheal my child, and grant that she may be spared to work for thee.\" From\nthat time Bessie began to improve. She had no more smothering spells,\nand before long she was well and strong.\n\nBessie found a blessing even in this trial. She saw that, had she been\nable to push ahead as she had desired, she might have lost sight of\nJesus, and she now understood that her Savior cared for her body as well\nas for her soul.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\n\nTHE SURPRISE PARTY.\n\nAs soon as Bessie was strong enough to go out, she was invited to stay\nall night with a friend. She supposed she was to be the only guest, but\nfound that a surprise had been planned for her. A goodly number of her\nfriends and schoolmates were present.\n\nThe young folks spent a few hours very pleasantly in playing games, and\nBessie enjoyed that part of the evening very much. But late in the\nevening some one proposed dancing, and the boys began to choose their\npartners. A very strange feeling came over Bessie when some one asked\nher to dance. She shook her head and said, \"No; I do not know how to\ndance.\" Several urged her to try, but she said, \"No; I would rather\nnot.\"\n\nShe was the only one that did not dance. As she sat watching the others,\nshe wondered if it were right for boys and girls to act as these were\nacting. She had never heard that it is wrong to dance, but it did not\nlook or seem right to her. She decided that on reaching home she would\nask her mother.\n\nWhen Bessie got home the next morning, her mother asked, \"Well, dear,\ndid you have a good time?\"\n\n\"Oh, yes,\" answered Bessie; \"most of the time I did.\" Then she told\nabout the surprise party and about all that had happened, and concluded\nby asking, \"Mama, is it right to dance?\"\n\n\"I have been thinking for a long time, Bessie, that I ought to have a\ntalk with you about dancing and tell you of some of the evils to which\nit leads,\" answered her mother. \"Dancing is an amusement that many girls\nconsider very attractive. When asked why they think so, they hardly know\nwhat to answer, but generally speak of the music and the graceful\nmotions.\"\n\n\"Oh, Mama, the motions they made at the party last night were anything\nbut graceful. I know you wouldn't have allowed me to do as they did,\nand I don't want to. It wasn't modest. I never want to go to a dance\nagain.\"\n\n\"I'm so glad, Bessie, you feel as you do about dancing; but, dear, to\nthose who learn, there is something very fascinating about it. Some\ngirls have said they would rather dance than eat; and, with a great\nmany, I believe it is true.\n\n\"Men of low character and of evil inclinations regard the dance-hall as\na favorable place to betray unsuspecting girls and frequent it for that\nvery purpose. Their victims are usually the sweetest and most trusting\ngirls. Their beauty attracts undesirable attention, and their ignorance\nmakes them an easy prey. O Bessie, there are so many unprincipled men in\nthe world who love to win and betray the confidence of young innocent\ngirls.\n\n\"Philosophers tell us that 'perfect happiness comes only from a pleasure\nattractive to our moral nature in its purity and perfection. If we\ndelight in pleasures of the other sort, our moral natures are degraded.'\n\n\"You have noticed the immodest positions taken by those who dance, and\nyou feel a deep sense of shame for them. Should you try to partake of\ntheir pleasure, your moral nature would be degraded, and you would in\ntime lose that sense of shame and be as eager for the pleasure as any of\nthe others. Thus yielding, one step at a time, you would cease to look\nupon the dance as immodest and would find real enjoyment in it, and\nperhaps would be led into greater sin. It is in this way that many girls\nlose their virtue. Then they are shunned by their old associates, who\nare really but a step higher in morality. Forsaken by friends, hopeless\nas to their future, deserted even by those who wrought their downfall,\nthese poor girls sink lower and lower, and lead lives of shame and\nmisery.\n\n\"No spiritual-minded person will take part in worldly amusements, for he\ncan not enjoy them. Christians who indulge in dancing turn away from\nGod and seek fellowship with the world. Such are sure to lose the grace\nof God from their hearts.\"\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\n\nLEROY'S HEALING.\n\nBessie's little brother, Leroy, now past five years of age, was far from\nbeing rugged. Though he had a full, round face and a large head, his\nbody was emaciated and did not develop properly. He could go only a few\nsteps without falling. He had fainting spells, which gradually increased\nin frequency and duration.\n\nMany times as Mrs. Worthington looked at her poor little boy, she lifted\nher heart to God in earnest prayer to know his will concerning the\nchild. Many friends remarked that she would never be able to bring him\nup; but she knew that, if for the best, God could heal the child and\ngive him right development.\n\nAt last his illness became very serious. One night his head was burning\nwith fever, while his body was cold and clammy. It seemed but a question\nof time until he would pass away.\n\nAs Mrs. Worthington looked at her child, she remembered the words,\n\"Man's extremity is God's opportunity,\" and \"The prayer of faith shall\nsave the sick.\" She wondered why God had brought them to her mind. She\nbegan to ask herself: \"Do I believe that God can heal that child? If it\nis God's will to take him, can I submit?\" To the first question she\nanswered, \"Yes; God made him,\" and to the second, \"Thy will be done, O\nGod.\" Then she breathed an earnest prayer for his healing. The sweet\nassurance came that her prayer was answered; that the child would grow\nwell and strong. She felt that she could lie down by his side and trust\nhim in the hands of the One who gave him.\n\nShe placed a wet cloth on his head, lay down by his side, and knew no\nmore until the next morning. Both slept soundly. When she awoke, she\nsaw that the child was breathing naturally and that the fever was\nentirely gone. Then she fully realized that God had healed him. With a\ngrateful heart she thanked the Lord for his tender love. It was indeed\ntrue that Leroy was well. About ten o'clock his mother carried him to\nthe lake and, having Bessie to row the boat, gave him a pleasant\nboat-ride. The fever never returned; his head stopped growing; and he\nbecame a strong, healthy boy. The friends who had thought that he would\nsurely die said they could not understand the change that had taken\nplace, but Mrs. Worthington understood, and gave God all the praise.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\n\nEXPLAINING THE DIVINE LIFE.\n\nAfter Bessie's conversion Mrs. Worthington's talks to her were often on\nthe subject of the divine life within--how to care for it and nourish\nit, so that it might not die nor become blighted. She sometimes compared\nthe young Christian's experience to that of a new-born babe. \"You know,\"\nsaid she, \"the little one must be carefully fed, and tenderly guarded\nagainst everything harmful. Even a slight breeze blowing upon its little\nbody, if unprotected, might result in death. But as the child grows\nolder and stronger, it gradually becomes accustomed to the rude elements\nabout it and can, with comparative safety, be brought in contact with\nthem. The Christ life, new-born in the human heart, is just as sensitive\nand needs the same tender care. Guard it carefully, Bessie. It must be\nconstantly nourished by prayer and the Word of God. Seek to become\nestablished by the grace of sanctification; then you will be better\nable to meet temptation and persecution. Christ is your shepherd, and he\nwants to lead you, his lamb, into green pastures and beside still\nwaters.\n\n\"A person may profess to be a Christian, Bessie; but unless he has a\nchange of heart and affections, he is what the Bible terms a wolf in\nsheep's clothing, and not one of the gentle lambs of the Savior's fold.\nThe profession does not amount to anything when the heart is full of\nenvy, hatred, jealousy, love of self, and a drawing toward the world. A\nperson with a profession only, may appear for a time to be quite\nlamb-like; but sooner or later the old nature will manifest itself, for\nit can not be hidden long.\"\n\n\"I think, Mama,\" said Bessie, \"I understand you--but you spoke of the\nexperience of sanctification; please tell me what that means.\"\n\nAs briefly as possible, the mother explained that the second cleansing\nof the heart takes away that evil nature which causes man to want to\ndisobey God.\n\nNot long after this talk Bessie had an experience in school that helped\nher to comprehend her mother's words. To be put back in her studies was\nhard, but to have to give up her old teacher, to whom she was strongly\nattached, was harder still. Her regret on the latter account, however,\nwas of short duration; for her new teacher was even more lovable than\nthe old one, and, best of all, she was a Christian. She and Bessie not\nonly got along well, but became warm friends and enjoyed sweet\nfellowship in the Spirit. One day, however, something happened that\nseverely tested their love, but, in the end, only deepened it.\n\nBessie's seatmate, a girl named Nora, about Bessie's own age, was very\nmischievous. She did so many things deserving punishment that the\nteacher was often perplexed to know what course to take with her. Some\none has said that \"misery likes company.\" This was certainly true of\nNora. She knew that the teacher and Bessie were good friends, and she\nlonged to see Bessie get into trouble and receive some punishment.\nKnowing that Bessie tried hard to obey the rules of the school, Nora saw\nthat she should have to lay some cunning plan or she should not realize\nher wish. She began to watch for an opportunity.\n\nA streamlet ran past the schoolhouse. While Bessie and Nora were playing\nnear it one day, Bessie fell down in some mud. Just as she fell, the\nschool-bell rang and they had to hurry back to their lessons. Fearing\nthat some of the mud might have splattered on her face, Bessie asked if\nher face was clean. Nora answered quickly, \"Oh yes; do hurry up.\" Nora\nfelt that her chance had come, and she made up her mind to get her\nseatmate into trouble, if possible. Hurrying into the schoolroom, she\nwhispered to one of the boys, telling him to ask Bessie as she passed\nwhat was the matter with her face, but to say nothing more. When Bessie\ncame down the aisle, she saw this boy looking at her with an amused\nexpression, and gave him close attention. As she passed him, he\nwhispered, \"Bessie, what is the matter with your face?\" and then turned\nquickly away. Fully convinced that her face was dirty, Bessie sat down\nvery much ashamed. Nora knew how her seatmate would feel and prepared\nherself for the question that she was sure would be asked. As it was\ntime for the writing-lesson, she stuck her finger in inks of different\ncolors; and, when Bessie asked where her face was dirty, she quickly\npointed out the places, each time leaving a large spot of ink. Bessie,\nwholly unconscious of the ink-spots on her face, thought what a dreadful\nsight she must be, and asked permission of the teacher to wash. When the\nteacher turned, she saw, not mud, but ugly ink-spots. Supposing that\nBessie had put them there, she shook her head. Her surprise was great.\nShe felt that she ought to do something about it; but, being undecided,\nshe turned away.\n\nBessie became much worried; for many eyes were turned upon her, and some\nof the pupils were laughing. She wanted to hide, but could not, and kept\nwondering why a little mud should cause so much amusement. One girl,\nAnna, tried secretly to pass her a wet handkerchief, but this Nora\nquickly caught from her and hid. Poor Bessie was now ready to cry, and\nagain asked permission to wash her face; but her teacher answered, \"No;\nyou must go to writing.\"\n\nBessie naturally had a high temper and was inclined to be stubborn when\nshe felt that she was being imposed upon; but she had always held her\ntemper in subjection, as she knew it to be wrong to give way to anger.\nOn this occasion, however, it seemed impossible to control herself. When\nthe teacher said, \"Go to writing,\" Bessie obeyed; but she was so angry\nthat she hardly knew what she was doing. Suddenly she thought, \"If I\ndaub a lot of ink on my face, perhaps she will let me wash\"; and she\nrubbed some on with her finger. But alas! this did not work as she had\nexpected. The teacher saw her put it on and concluded that she had put\nthe other on also; so she said, \"Bessie, you may go and sit in my\nchair.\" As she said this, all the stubbornness in Bessie's nature arose.\nShe did not move; and when the teacher said sternly, \"Are you going to\nobey?\" she shook her head and caught hold of the seat. At this moment\nNora whispered, \"If that were me, she'd make me go.\" The teacher heard\nthe words and looked first at Nora and then at Bessie. She hesitated for\na moment, then walked over to Bessie, took her by the shoulders and\njerked her from the seat, and then dragged her up to the chair and set\nher down, telling her to study. \"I have no book,\" retorted Bessie. The\nteacher ordered one brought, and, leaving her, went to her other duties.\n\nWhat a moment for Bessie! Too angry to study, she sat there thinking of\nthe dreadful scene she had created. Her heart burned with shame. Oh!\nwhat could she do?\n\nAnna, the girl who had tried to hand her the wet handkerchief, had\nnoticed all of Nora's actions and had determined to help Bessie, if\npossible. On pretext of looking up a word in the dictionary, Anna went\nforward, laid a wet rag where Bessie could reach it, and returned to her\nseat. Bessie eagerly took the rag and rubbed her face. She was surprised\nto see the different colors of ink appear upon it. How they came to be\nthere she did not know; but she did not think about them long, for\nsomething far worse began to trouble her. She knew that she had lost the\ngrace of God out of her heart. Oh, how wretched she felt! Would God\nforgive her again? Yes; she knew he would; for she had read that, \"The\nLord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be\nof a contrite spirit.\" This thought was a great comfort to her. But, oh!\nwhat about her teacher? How could her teacher ever love and respect her\nagain? She would ask her pardon as soon as possible, but would she\nforgive her?\n\nIt was not long until the teacher went to her desk for something, but\nshe took no notice of Bessie. Beaching out very timidly, Bessie touched\nher and said, \"O Miss Harrington, won't you please forgive me?\" But the\nteacher pretended not to hear her, and turned quickly away. The next\nthought was, \"What will Mama think and say? Oh, if only she did not have\nto know about it!\" With these thoughts coursing through her mind, Bessie\nwas unable to study; and by the time school closed, she was in great\ndistress.\n\nAfter closing the school, the teacher paid no attention to Bessie for\nsome time; but when she had finished her evening duties and all the\npupils except Nora, Anna, and Bessie had left the building, she turned\nto Bessie, fell upon her knees, and threw both arms around her. Bessie\nsobbed, \"Oh, please forgive me! please forgive me!\" For some time the\nteacher made no reply, and Nora muttered, \"Catch me asking her\nforgiveness!\" At last the teacher, looking up through tearful eyes,\nsaid, \"Bessie dear, it is you who must forgive me. I should have been a\nbetter example to you this afternoon. Let us pray.\" Then two sad hearts\nwere lifted to God in humble, earnest prayer that he would forgive them\nfor Jesus' sake. God heard their prayers, gave back the sweet peace that\nthey had lost out of their souls, and bound their hearts together in\nChristian love and fellowship.\n\nNora went her way, provoked with her seatmate and angry because the joke\nhad not worked quite as she had expected. Anna, slipping her arm through\nBessie's walked home with her and told her all that Nora had done.\nBessie was surprised. She understood why things had taken the course\nthey had; but, knowing it was really Satan, who had been trying to\noverthrow her own soul, she did not censure her seatmate.\n\nHer only thought now was of how sad her mother would feel. Bessie\ndecided that the occurrence was too dreadful to tell her about and that\nshe would keep it a secret. This was her decision until she saw her\nmother coming down the walk to meet her. Having always told her mother\neverything, Bessie did not know how it would seem to keep a secret from\nher; so when they met, she forgot all about her decision and began at\nonce to tell her mother all that had happened.\n\nMrs. Worthington listened very carefully to Bessie's story and then\nsaid: \"Bessie, I am so glad you have told me all this yourself, and have\nheld nothing back nor blamed Nora. God will take care of the matter, and\nI believe that your lesson is a lasting one. And now, my child; you can\nsee your great need of sanctification. Had that ugliness and\nstubbornness been taken out of your heart, you would have been spared\nmuch suffering. I trust that you will earnestly seek and obtain this\ngrace.\"\n\nIt was well that Bessie told her mother everything, for Nora did all in\nher power to circulate the story and to make it as bad as possible.\nNora's mother, thinking it best to tell Mrs. Worthington about Bessie's\nmisbehavior, made a special call at the Worthington home for that\npurpose. Bessie's mother listened to what her neighbor's story was and\nthen smilingly replied, \"Yes, I know all about it; Bessie told me before\nshe reached home. I am so glad that I have the confidence of my child.\nWe are companions; I love her company, and she loves mine.\" These words\nsounded strange to the visitor. She could not understand. \"It seems\nstrange,\" said she, \"that Bessie loves to stay at home and to be with\nyou so much. Doesn't she ever get lonesome? Nora is restless and tired\nwhen she has to stay at home, and says I am too old for her.\"\n\nAh! here was the secret of the difference between the two girls. One\nmother had allowed her daughter to choose her own company and had not\ninquired into their plays and talks; whereas the other knew the secrets\nof her child's heart and could advise and instruct her in any matter.\nBetween Bessie and her mother there was a tie of which Nora and her\nmother knew nothing. \"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when\nhe is old he will not depart from it.\" Prov. 22:6.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\n\nTEMPTATIONS.\n\nAt Christmas time Bessie received the following letter from one of her\nfriends:\n\n     Dear Bessie:\n\n     I have long wondered what to send you as a Christmas gift,\n     and it seemed a hard problem to solve. I fear you will\n     wonder at what I am sending; but, knowing that you are\n     nearly thirteen years old and must be growing very fast, I\n     have decided to send you a corset. I hope you will like and\n     appreciate it enough to wear it.\n\n     Lovingly your friend,\n\n     Lizzie.\n\nOn receiving the package, Bessie looked at the corset and said, \"Mama,\nshall I wear it?\"\n\nMrs. Worthington looked anxiously at her daughter; for she knew that\nBessie would have strong temptations along this line, as she did not\nhave a pretty form, and was growing rapidly. She had hoped, however,\nthat the subject would not be mentioned for some time. Silently she\nbreathed a little prayer for wisdom to answer the question, and then\nsaid:\n\n\"Bessie, God used great wisdom in forming your body. He knew just what\nshape it would have to be in order to perform its natural functions. Do\nyou think it would be proper to try to change it? Do you wonder why\nsomething snug around your waist could be harmful? Listen, dear, and I\nwill tell you. Let us take the corset and examine it. It certainly looks\nvery innocent and pretty, but just see how stiff it is. These steel ribs\nand this whalebone make it more like a piece of harness than anything\nelse I can think of. When worn about the waist, it produces pressure\nupon the vital organs and thus deforms the body. These long strings at\nthe back are often drawn so tightly as to cause the misplacement and\nderangement of those organs whose functions are most necessary to health\nand happiness. As a consequence, many a woman has to suffer long years\nof torture.\n\n\"Many women say they don't wear the corset tight, and think, therefore,\nthat no harm results; but, let one of them put a snug-fitting bandage on\nany other part of the body, and she will see how quickly the muscles of\nthat part will weaken and decrease in size. Should a young woman who has\nnever worn a corset attempt to wear one about her waist as loosely as\nthey are ever worn, she would, if honest with herself, cast it aside as\nan abominable thing.\n\n\"The reason why Lizzie wants you to begin wearing a corset while you're\nyoung is that, if you'll bind your waist before you've reached your full\ngrowth, your waist will never attain the size it would have attained\nunder natural conditions. In other words, you would be deformed.\"\n\n\"I don't think I shall ever wear it, Mama, if that's the effect it has\nupon the body. If God takes such particular care of us that he numbers\nour very hairs, he must be very much grieved to see any one put a corset\nabout her waist.\"\n\n\"I'm glad for your decision, my child, but you'll soon meet greater\ntemptations. Some mothers don't think it worth while to warn their girls\nof the dangers that threaten them in regard to love and marriage; but I\nwant to see you, Bessie, fully prepared, so that you may safely pass\nthis dangerous period.\n\n\"Most girls at your age have some strange idea regarding love. In the\nschoolroom, perhaps, a girl notices some particular boy who has a\nwinning way. At first she simply thinks he is nice; is glad to see him\npromoted, receive honor, etc. Gradually her mind becomes filled with\nqueries concerning his opinion of her. She dares not own that she loves\nto appear well in his eyes, but it is true nevertheless. During his\nabsence she misses him, and upon his return her heart beats with\nemotion. If he pays her little attentions, she dwells upon them until\nshe becomes eager for them. Her playmates notice a change in her, for\nshe can no longer hide her feelings. She blushes when mention is made\nof her preference for him. The couple seek to be together as much as\npossible, and are soon meeting together secretly. When reproved, they\nmay promise not to let the thing happen again, only to repeat it in a\nshort time. The secrecy of these meetings make them more enjoyable, and\ntheir length and frequency are unconsciously increased.\n\n\"Satan, who is never asleep upon such occasions, makes reproof his\ncompanion to push them forward. Friendly warnings are unheeded; and if\nforce be used to prevent the meetings, the couple may think of eloping.\nThey may not have thought of marriage until this time; but when the girl\nrealizes what she has done, she consents to the hasty marriage. Such\nmarriages, Bessie, seldom result happily.\n\n\"The place to stop was at the beginning. She should have gained control\nof her wandering affections. Young girls who lavish their love upon boys\nof their own age or older lose relish for other things, and their minds\nbecome dwarfed and weakened by being taxed with thoughts that are not\nfit for them to consider at so early an age.\n\n\"It is all right to form in your mind an ideal for your affections, if\nyou don't have in mind some particular person; but your common sense\nshould be your guide. Two rowboats passing each other upon the water are\nall right as long as they are far enough apart; but let these boats\ndrift or be guided too close together, and there is great danger of a\ncollision. Your affections are to you what the rudder is to the boat,\nand reason is your pilot. They will guide you aright if you will let\nthem.\"\n\n\"Mama,\" said Bessie, \"there's a girl in our school, only a few months\nolder than I, that says she is to be married in a short time. The man\nshe's to marry is nearly twice as old as she is, too. We told her that\nshe ought to wait until she wore long dresses before she talked about\ngetting married. Don't you think that is dreadful?\"\n\n\"Yes, dear, it is. No girl should ever be married while she is so\nyoung.\"\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVIII.\n\n\nANSWERS TO PRAYER.\n\nDuring the summer Bessie's cousin John and a boy friend came to visit\nher. They spent many pleasant hours on the lake. One day while they were\nabout two miles from home, a fierce storm arose. They noticed the sky\ngrowing dark and tried very hard to reach home; but, when still some\ndistance from the shore, they could see that instead of making any\nheadway they were drifting before the wind.\n\nIt was a serious moment. As the great waves dashed up over them, each\nadding to the amount of water in the boat, Bessie looked first at her\ncousin toiling away at the oars, the great drops of perspiration\ncoursing down his face, then at their friend nearly wild with terror,\nand then at the western sky. \"John,\" said she to her cousin, \"I believe\nthat's rain coming toward us.\" Until then the boy, who was a little\nolder than Bessie, had been brave; but as he turned to look, his face\nblanched with terror, and he said, \"Bessie, if that is rain, it will\ncertainly sink our boat; for, see, it is nearly half full of water now.\"\n\nThe situation was certainly critical, but Bessie felt that it was not\nthe time to despair. She remembered that in olden times Jesus had calmed\nthe sea. Believing that he could still do the same, she prayed for help\nfrom heaven. Then, encouraging her cousin to do his best, she, assisted\nby their friend, began to bale out the water as rapidly as they could.\nIn a few moments the great drops of rain were dashing down upon them.\nWithout speaking, all kept at their work for what seemed to them an\nhour, but which was really but a short time. Suddenly it ceased raining;\nand, looking about them, they saw that the lake was perfectly\nquiet--not a ripple could be seen. With trembling voice Bessie said,\n\"John, God must have sent the rain to quiet the water, for I asked him\nto help us.\" It was a very wet but thankful crowd that reached home that\nnight.\n\nIn the spring that Bessie was fourteen years old, her father sold the\nbeautiful home where she had spent so many happy days, and bought a\ntract of land in a dense wood farther up the lake. On account of the\ndense forest, the place appeared very dismal. As the purchaser of their\nold home wanted possession as soon as possible, Mr. Worthington had time\nto build only a barn before removing his family. In this building they\nlived during the first summer. Though these circumstances were\ndiscouraging, the Worthingtons tried hard to be brave. By fall a house\nwas ready for them.\n\nMany good things were lacking in this new forest home; but God knew\nthis, and he put it into the hearts of friends and neighbors to supply\nthe family with fruit and vegetables and also chickens. So generously\nwere these supplied that there was no lack.\n\nDuring the winter following much wood was cut, hauled, and piled out\nalong the roadside in front of the house; but still there was standing\ntimber nearly everywhere one might look, and to the south and west it\nextended for many miles.\n\nThe next summer Bessie learned how dangerous an enemy a large forest\ncould become. There was so little rain during the hot months that things\nbecame dry and brittle. One day she heard the cry of \"Fire! Fire!\"\nLooking away to the southwest, she beheld a sight that made her feel\nfaint with fear. The woods were ablaze, and the fire was coming directly\ntoward her home.\n\nHer father came to her, explained their danger, told her to warn her\nmother and then to do all she could to put out any sparks that might\nfall around the woodpiles, house, or barn. This said, he hastened to\njoin the men in their desperate battle with the fire. When Bessie\nentered the house, she saw her mother weeping over her little baby, who\nhad been born during the winter months and who had known nothing but\nsickness and suffering. When Mrs. Worthington heard the news, she\ncontinued to weep, and said, \"Well, dear, do all you can to put out the\nsparks; for I think your little brother is dying, and I can not leave\nhim.\"\n\nBy much hard work, the fire was held in check until evening. Bessie made\nher rounds with a pail of water and a dipper until her eyes became so\npainful on account of the smoke and heat that she was forced to lie down\non the ground until they quit hurting. As soon as possible, however, she\nreturned to her task, informing her mother frequently of the progress of\nthe fire.\n\nAt last word came that nothing more could be done; that the house could\nnot be saved. Seeing that further effort was useless and that each\nmoment increased the danger of their own lives, the men left off\nfighting the fire, in order to save themselves and to help, if possible,\nthe Worthington family. They soon reached the house. The next question\nwas, where to go. The lake seemed to be the nearest place of safety.\nConfusion was everywhere, but through it all Mrs. Worthington sat\nquietly holding her dying baby.\n\n\"O Mama,\" said Bessie, \"aren't you going with the rest?\"\n\n\"No,\" answered her mother positively; \"I shall remain right here with my\ndying child. I can not move him now and add to his suffering. I know\nthat God can take care of me here as well as anywhere else. Why, Bessie,\nwhere is your faith? God can yet send rain and put out the fire.\"\n\n\"Oh! but if God doesn't send rain, you will burn up; for the fire is\nalmost here,\" cried Bessie. \"Do come as far from the house as you can,\nwon't you?\"\n\n\"No, Bessie, I told you, no. I shall sit just where I am,\" answered Mrs.\nWorthington; and Bessie knew that it would be useless to press the\nmatter further.\n\nWith throbbing heart Bessie ran to her room, which was already getting\nhot from the fire: she fell upon her knees by the window where she could\nsee the flames leaping from tree to tree, and began to call mightily\nupon God. \"O God!\" she prayed, \"do send rain or change the wind.\" After\nrepeating this prayer several times, she noticed some large drops of\nwater upon the window pane. She knew what it meant: once before God had\nsent rain to help her in time of danger. Hastening down stairs, she\nsaid, \"Mama, it's raining.\" \"Thank God!\" said Mrs. Worthington, \"I knew\nhe wouldn't let baby and me burn up.\"\n\nBy that time the rain was pouring down; the wind had ceased; and the\ndanger was over. The rain did not put out the fire, but so checked it\nthat, by hard work, it could be kept under control until it died out.\n\nLittle Clement lived only a short time after the fire; but just before\nhe died, he looked into his weeping mother's face and smiled three\ntimes. As he had never smiled before, Mrs. Worthington always thought\nthat God took that way to encourage her heart.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIX.\n\n\nLOST IN THE WOODS.\n\nAs Leroy was too young to drive the cows home in the evening, Bessie\nenjoyed many a long walk in search of them. One evening she had some\ndifficulty in finding them. It was one of those evenings when everything\nis quiet and sound travels a long distance. After listening carefully\nfor the tinkling of the cow-bells, Bessie was bewildered, for she could\nseemingly hear them in every direction. At last, thinking she had\nlocated the sound, she set out in that direction. When she had walked\nabout two miles, she stopped to listen again. The bells were still\ntinkling, but they seemed to be just as far away. She knew, though, that\nthe cows sometimes went a long distance. She had been following the\nroad, but thinking the sound came from the woods, she started off in\nthat direction. She saw that the sun was just going down behind the\ntrees; that she was on an unfamiliar path, and was getting farther and\nfarther from home. But she must get the cows, and on she went, stopping\nnow and then to locate the sound of the bells.\n\nShe suddenly found herself standing upon a point of land where a deep,\nwide ravine extended on either side. The distance across the ravine she\ncould not see on account of the shadow and the trees. What should she\ndo? A few minutes previously she had thought about its being late, but\nhad hoped to find the cows and to make them guide her home. This hope\nfailing, she did not know what to do. The bells were still tinkling\nahead of her; but she did not dare to try to cross the ravine in the\ndarkness, now fast gathering around her, and how could she return\nthrough those dense woods! She thought of calling for help, but as\nquickly realized how useless the effort would be, since there were no\nhouses near.\n\nAs she stood wondering what to do, these words from a psalm she had\ncommitted to memory a short time before, came to her mind: \"If I say,\nSurely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about\nme. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the\nday; the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.\" Two more\nprecious promises came to her mind: \"I will guide thee with mine eye\"\nand \"He leadeth me beside still waters.\" Oh, what encouragement those\nwords were to Bessie! Surely God would guide her home. With a thankful\nheart, Bessie started to return. As she had passed through several\nclearings in her search for the cows, she had no little difficulty in\nfinding her way; but the moon rose early and gave her considerable\nlight, and as she neared home, she began to recognize some familiar\nobjects.\n\nBut, in the meantime, how were her parents feeling? The cows returned\nearly and were milked. Mrs. Worthington wondered why Bessie did not come\nwith them, but thought she might have been delayed and would come soon.\nShe prepared supper; but when she got it ready, Bessie was still absent.\n\n\"What can be keeping Bessie tonight?\" Mrs. Worthington said anxiously to\nher husband. \"She should have come home an hour ago.\"\n\n\"Oh, I suppose she has stopped somewhere to play,\" said Mr. Worthington\ncarelessly.\n\n\"No; I don't think so,\" replied his wife. \"Bessie always tries to be\nprompt, and I'm afraid something has happened. If she doesn't come soon,\nyou had better go to look for her.\"\n\n\"Well, wait until dark,\" said Mr. Worthington; \"and, if she isn't here\nthen, I'll get some men and we'll search in different directions. Did\nyou notice which way she went!\"\n\n\"No,\" answered his wife, \"but I think she went east.\"\n\nAt dark Mr. Worthington started out with the searching party. Mrs.\nWorthington tried not to worry; but when nine o'clock passed and\nhalf-past nine came, she felt a great anxiety creeping into her heart.\nMany times she offered an earnest prayer for Bessie's protection. After\nputting Leroy to bed she stationed herself in front of the house to\nwatch.\n\nAbout ten o'clock some one returned to say that he could find no trace\nof Bessie.\n\nWith straining eyes, Mrs. Worthington looked in the direction in which\nBessie had gone, and at last thought that she could see some one\napproaching. As the figure drew nearer, she could see that it was her\nchild, and with a glad cry ran to meet her. \"O Bessie,\" cried the\nmother, \"what has happened to detain you? Your father and a company of\nmen are out searching the woods for you. Dear child, where have you\nbeen?\"\n\nBessie was very tired and hungry; but she related all that had happened\nand said: \"I'm sorry I couldn't go farther; for I believe the cows were\njust a short distance beyond the point where I turned back. But I did\nnot dare to cross the swampy place and go into the woods on the other\nside.\"\n\n\"Why, the cows have been home a long, long time, Bessie; and that is\nwhat had made your delay seem so strange,\" said her mother. \"But were\nyou not afraid, dear, when you found that you were so far from home!\"\n\nBessie explained how she had felt and how the Lord had encouraged her\nand helped her to be brave.\n\n\"What time was that?\" asked her mother; and when she learned, she said,\n\"Bessie, that was when I was so earnestly praying for you. Surely our\nGod is a mighty God and one who is ever faithful.\"\n\nWhen the searching party returned, they were all glad to know that\nBessie was safe at home.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XX.\n\n\nNOVEL-READING.\n\nAs Bessie approached her sixteenth year, Mrs. Worthington became very\nanxious about her. The mother thought that she could notice a change in\nher daughter's actions and disposition. Instead of being confiding and\nhappy, she seemed listless, forgetful, and nervous. At first the mother\ncould not understand this change; but by close observation she found\nthat her daughter was indulging in light reading.\n\nSome magazines and weekly papers containing continued love-stories had\nfound their way into the Worthington home. At first they were not\nattractive to Bessie. She would merely glance through the pages; but she\ngradually came to overlook the good, substantial reading and to enjoy\nthe part that stimulated the romantic and imaginative part of her\nnature. The effect upon her mental and moral powers was much the same\nas that produced upon the digestive organs by rich and stimulating\nfoods. Her mind was thus weakened and robbed of its relish for wholesome\nreading. She was ever looking forward for something to excite or satisfy\nher abnormal desire for the romantic or the dreadful.\n\nAs soon as Mrs. Worthington realized her daughter's danger, she sought\nan opportunity to instruct her on the dangers of novel-reading. \"Some\neffects of novel-reading,\" said she, \"are worse even than those produced\nby dancing. Many novels are hurtful because of the many false ideas\ninterwoven in the stories. Some novels attract the pure-minded by their\nmorality; but it is unsafe to read them, for the reason I have already\ngiven you, and because, as with any bad habit, the exciting influences\nmust be constantly increased. In this way some persons are deceived and\ndrawn into many of Satan's snares.\n\n\"In most novels there is much that is good and true; but the immoral,\nthe worldly, and the untrue are so interwoven with it that the reader\nunconsciously finds himself taking pleasure in thoughts which, before he\nbegan reading novels, would have been disgusting. In this way the\nreader's sense of right is lowered and an appetite created--an appetite\nthat can not be satisfied; the more it is fed, the more depraved and\nexacting it becomes. Gradually the desire for the romantic increases\nuntil the novel-reader longs to have a romance of her own. Her sense of\nduty is so blunted and her better judgment so blinded that she often\nagrees to a secret marriage with some one who is wholly unfit to be her\nlife companion. It is in this way that many a girl has been deceived and\nled into sin. Many times, too, habits have been formed, from which\nnothing but the grace of God could deliver. In looking back over a\nwasted life, many a person can see that his or her downfall had its\norigin in the first novel.\n\n\"My dear child, there are many good books that you will find both\nhelpful and interesting, but the Bible should be the pattern of your\nlife. Let it be the principal food for your mind and soul. Your time all\nbelongs to God, and you should waste none of it in reading unwholesome\nliterature.\"\n\nAs Mrs. Worthington finished speaking, she was glad to see a changed\nlook in Bessie's face. She knew that God was talking to her daughter;\nand as she arose to go, she said: \"Bessie, do not forget from whom you\nmay expect strength. I am praying that God will entirely take away the\nunnatural appetite which you have been fostering.\"\n\nIt was not long until Bessie rejoiced in full deliverance from her taste\nfor novel-reading, and her interest in her mother's talks returned. As\nthey read the Bible together and praised God for the precious truths it\ncontained, cherishing them within their hearts as priceless treasures,\nBessie's understanding seemed to open, and she was able to comprehend\nmany of the deep truths of God's Word. The reading of God's Word gave\nher such unbounding joy, such complete spiritual happiness, that nothing\ncould compare with it. Its truths, so simple and yet so grand, were at\nonce a guide and a reproof to keep her feet from straying from the\nnarrow way.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXI.\n\n\nGLAD TIDINGS.\n\nIn a small house about two miles from Bessie's home lived a very old\nlady. She loved the Lord and enjoyed telling of his goodness and of his\ndealings with her. Bessie, who was now about sixteen years of age,\nenjoyed these talks very much.\n\nOne day while Bessie and her mother were visiting this aged saint, she\nbrought forth a much-worn paper and handed it to Mrs. Worthington,\nsaying, \"My daughter sent me this paper. You may take it home, if you\nlike,\" she continued; \"but I must ask you to return it, as my daughter\nwants it again.\" As Mrs. Worthington took the paper, Bessie saw at the\ntop of the page, in large letters, \"The Gospel Trumpet.\" After reading a\nfew minutes Mrs. Worthington exclaimed: \"This paper is certainly the\nwork of a people who understand the plan of salvation. Things are fully\nexplained here that have been plain to me for years--things that I\ndared not mention publicly lest I be thought fanatical.\"\n\nOn their return home Mrs. Worthington said: \"It must have been in answer\nto prayer that Sister Moore let me see that paper. I have prayed for\nmany years that God would help me to find a people who were not afraid\nto preach his whole Word. I believe we have found them. Who knows but\nthis is God's way of starting a series of meetings here. Oh, the\nwonderful God we serve! I shall subscribe for the paper at once and also\nsend my poem on sectism to see if they will publish it.\" The\nsubscription was sent, and the poem soon appeared in the paper.\n\nMrs. Worthington was truly thankful to find that God had others in the\nworld who were willing to teach the whole Bible without construing any\npart to suit their own ideas.\n\nIt was not long until a testimony appeared from a minister living a few\nmiles away; and, agreeably with Mrs. Worthington's request, a series of\nmeetings was started in the neighborhood.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXII.\n\n\nTHE MEETINGS.\n\nThe news of the good meetings spread rapidly, and the attendance\nconstantly increased. The gospel as preached was a new message to the\npeople, and yet it was the very same that Jesus and his disciples\ntaught. Every point of doctrine presented had a \"thus saith the Lord\" to\nconfirm it.\n\nMany saw that the Bible had been misunderstood and had been misconstrued\nby mankind to prove minor points, while the deep and vital truths had\nbeen so covered over with prejudice and unbelief that the majority of\nthe people were blind to the true meaning of the Word; and that, in\ntheir confusion, each had gone to the denomination that seemed most\nnearly to correspond to his clouded views. It was also clearly shown\nthat there is no way to heaven except the straight and narrow way that\nJesus taught, and that God's Word is the only true measure of a\nChristian experience.\n\nMrs. Worthington felt now that her cup of joy was full since she could\nhear the way of salvation and the true church explained from the pulpit\njust as God had revealed them to her. She was also glad that Bessie, who\nwas now old enough to understand deep spiritual truths for herself, was\nin perfect harmony and fellowship with her.\n\nAbout forty souls were saved in the meetings; some gained the experience\nof sanctification; and the Spirit of the Lord worked mightily upon the\nhearts of many others.\n\nOh, the deep and wonderful love of God! Oh, the richness and fulness of\nhis grace! How glorious Bessie now found her walk with God! How\nprecious to commune with him and feel that she was growing deeper into\nhis love! Truly it was a taste of heaven!\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXIII.\n\n\nBESSIE SEES HER DUTY.\n\nAmong those converted in the meetings was a girl a little younger than\nBessie. Her name was Cora. Being an orphan and living in the home of an\ninfidel uncle, where she had no one to understand or sympathize with her\nviews, she often sought Bessie for counsel and advice. The uncle did not\noppose his niece, but others in his family did.\n\nAs time went on, the two girls became anxious to be doing something for\nthe Lord. While they were pondering over the matter, a company of\nministers came to the place to hold another series of meetings. From\nthem the girls learned that _The Gospel Trumpet_ was published by\nconsecrated labor, that the workers received no stated salary, but that\nthey trusted the Lord for their food and clothing.\n\nIt seemed a strange story to the girls, but Cora felt that she should\nlike to go and help in the work. Though her uncle was not pleased with\nher plan, yet finally, after he had investigated and had found the place\nrespectable, he gave his consent. It was several months, however, before\nshe expected to leave. Toward the close of this time Bessie began to\nfeel some anxiety for her friend, and one day said to her, \"Cora, do you\nreally want to go to _The Gospel Trumpet_ office to work? Now, if you\ndon't want to go, God will not be pleased with your service.\" \"Bessie, I\nhave lost all desire to go,\" Cora answered. \"It seems to me that God is\ncalling you instead of me. You could be a much greater help than I,\nbecause you have known and understood this truth all your life.\"\n\nIf Bessie had received a severe blow, it could not have hurt her more.\nHer precious mother! How could she leave her! Many of her cherished\nhopes for the future arose before me. Her plan, to do all she could for\nher mother in her declining years, came up before her; and as she\nthought of it, she became very sad. When the two girls parted at the\ndoor, Bessie's heart was very heavy; and when she was at last alone, she\nwept bitterly. She remembered that she had consecrated to do anything\nthe Lord might require of her, but she did not see how she could do\nthis. For many days Bessie bore this heavy burden; and, not being\nstrong, she began to fail in health. From appearances, she had a\nmalignant form of quick consumption. The course of the disease was\nrapid, and in a few weeks she was not only confined to her bed, but\nseemingly very near death. Mr. Worthington desired to consult a\nphysician, but reluctantly heeded to Bessie's earnest entreaties to let\nher trust the Lord. She said to her father, \"I know that God would heal\nme, if for the best; and, if not, I would rather die.\" And she added\nmentally, \"I would rather die than to leave home.\"\n\nBessie at last became so low that she could not be left alone night or\nday. As her mother sat beside her one day, holding her hand, she said:\n\"I believe, dear, that God wants to heal you and use you for himself. I\nfeel like asking our elder, Sister Smith, to come and anoint you with\noil according to Jas. 5:14, 15. I am sure God will heal you.\"\n\nSister Smith was brought as soon as possible; but, to Mrs. Worthington's\nsurprise, she did not offer to anoint Bessie until the next day. She\nsaid: \"I can not understand this case. There is something here that\nseems very strange. Bessie appears to be perfectly resigned to die, but\nshe only answers yes or no to my questions. I shall talk to her again.\"\nReturning to the bedside, she said, \"My dear, if God heals you, are you\nwilling to leave your father, mother, and home to preach the\ngospel\"--but she got no farther. Bessie, with all the emphasis she\ncould command in her weak state, interrupted, \"No; I will never preach.\"\n\n\"Ah! there is the point in your consecration that you have not reached,\"\nreplied Sister Smith. \"You must be willing to do anything that will\nbring the most honor to God's name, and to work where he can get the\nmost glory out of your service. It may be the Lord will never require\nyou to preach; but he wants the willingness on your part, just as much\nas if he wanted to make a minister of you.\"\n\nIt was some time before Bessie could answer; but when she did, it was to\nsay that she would do anything, only that she must know that it was God\nwho required it.\n\n\"God will make you to know that,\" said Sister Smith; \"and now I feel\nthat everything is out of the way, and we can ask God to heal you.\"\n\nAs she applied the oil and called earnestly upon God, there seemed to be\na heavenly atmosphere filling the room. Bessie felt a soothing\nsensation passing through her body; and when the prayer was ended, she\nfelt perfectly well, though exceedingly weak. Her strength soon\nreturned, however, and it was not long until the Lord told her plainly\nthat he wanted her at _The Gospel Trumpet_ office. She remembered her\nconsecration and felt willing in her heart to obey; but she shrank from\ntelling her parents. For two weeks she endured severe mental suffering.\nShe tried to gain sufficient courage to speak to her mother about the\ncall, but her tongue refused to form the words. One day while she and\nher mother were in the cosy sitting-room, Mrs. Worthington said,\n\"Bessie, I believe that God wants you at _The Gospel Trumpet_ office and\nthat he has used Cora's plan and your sickness to show you your duty.\"\nLooking up through eyes filled with tears, Bessie related all that God\nhad revealed to her. A great calm then came into her soul.\n\nBut the test was not entirely over. Mr. Worthington must be told,\nand--would he be willing? Embracing the first opportunity, Bessie told\nhim her plans and begged his approval upon them; but his reply nearly\ncrushed her.\n\n\"Bessie,\" said her father, \"if you must leave us, you may go; but I have\none thing to say and I mean it. If you go, you can never return; for\nyour going is heartless indeed. I can not see why you should choose to\ngo from your comfortable home and those who love you so dearly, and\nleave your mother, who so much needs your help.\"\n\n\"Father, Father!\" exclaimed Bessie, \"Oh, don't talk that way! You know\nhow much I love you all. You know I never wanted to leave home before;\nand if you won't let me return, what shall I do?\"\n\nAs she stood there before her father almost broken-hearted, a sweet\nvoice whispered, \"I will be with thee; be not afraid.\" The words sounded\nlike music in her soul and reminded her of her recent decision to obey\nthe Lord at any cost; and she said quietly:\n\n\"Well, Father, if you refuse to let me return home, it will have to be\nthat way; but I must obey the Lord, and he has called me into his\nservice\"\n\n\"Very well,\" he answered, \"but remember my words,\" and he left her.\n\nSeeking her mother, Bessie told her of the interview and of her father's\nrefusal to allow her to return home. For a moment they stood looking at\none another; and then, with great tears filling her eyes, her mother\nsaid:\n\n\"Remember the words of Jesus, 'There is no man that hath left house, or\nparents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's\nsake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in\nthe world to come life everlasting.' Dear, child, I know your dutiful\nnature, and how you long to obey your parents; but the Bible says to\nobey them in the Lord. When you have to choose whom you will serve, God\nor your parents, you must choose the Lord.\"\n\n\"I will obey God,\" said Bessie quietly; and she began at once to prepare\nto leave home.\n\nWhen all was ready and the morning of departure had come, Mr.\nWorthington went out to prepare to take his daughter to the train. He\nhad been very silent all the morning, but Bessie's heart was so full\nthat she had taken little notice of his behavior. Oh, how she longed for\nhis consent for her to return! Her mother gave her every encouraging\nword possible. At last they looked out and saw that the horse was ready.\nAs Bessie picked up her last bundle, the door opened, and her father,\nstepping in quickly, caught her in his arms. \"O my child,\" he sobbed,\n\"will you forgive me and come back as soon as the Lord will let you? I\ndidn't mean what I said; but it is so hard to give you up. If you need\nanything, write to me at once and let me know about it, won't you?\" and\nhe tenderly kissed her. Bessie's heart was filled with joy, and she\nsaid that he could expect her home just as soon as the Lord would let\nher come.\n\n\"Read 1 Cor. 10:13 and Jas. 1:12 just as soon as you have time, dear,\"\nwhispered Mrs. Worthington in her daughter's ear as she kissed her again\nbefore she jumped into the buggy beside her father. Then they drove away\nfrom the home and the mother that were so dear to Bessie's heart.\n\nVery few words were spoken on the way to town, and after a long ride\nBessie found herself on the train. It all seemed like a terrible dream;\nbut there was a sweet peace and quietness in her soul, and her father's\nloving words rang again and again in her ears.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXIV.\n\n\nREVERIE.\n\nIn the days that followed Bessie's arrival at the _Trumpet_ office, she\nfound many ways in which she could help spread the gospel. She found,\ntoo, that she could preach in a way that was not at all distasteful to\nher; for she could set up many lines of type to be used in printing the\ngospel message in the _Trumpet_, which was carrying light and truth into\nmany homes and preaching to hungry souls. But oh, how often she thought\nof the dear ones at home and of how they were missing her!\n\nOne evening, when she sought her room and sat down beside the window, as\nshe had so often done at home, she began to review her life. As the soft\nshadows gathered slowly about her, she seemed to be at home again close\nbeside her mother's knee, listening to her tender, loving words of\nsympathy and advice. Bessie could now see what they had been worth to\nher. They not only had prepared her for a common sphere in life, but had\ngiven her a thorough understanding of God's great plan of salvation. As\nshe recalled her mother's prayers and talks, she realized that, through\nthem, she had many times escaped what other girls had ignorantly\nblundered into, and had been spared a great many of the bitter sorrows\nthat come into the lives of girls not taught at their mother's knee. In\nher thankfulness, she offered a fervent prayer to her heavenly Father\nthat many more earnest, noble, and prayerful mothers might be found to\nguide their children through the critical period of childhood.\n\nAfter three months Bessie returned home for a short visit with her\nparents. Upon her arrival she not only found a loving and tender\nwelcome, but also learned that both her parents had accepted her call as\nfrom God. After a happy visit of two weeks she returned to her work.\nWith the blessing of God upon her labors, we shall here bid her\ngood-by.\n\nIn conclusion, we wish to say that what she became was principally in\nanswer to her faithful mother's prayers. Had she been left--as many\ngirls are--without a mother's tender love and confidence, mingled with\nmany earnest prayers, she would have fallen into temptations that she\nnever knew. She had fully proved the worth of a praying mother.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXV.\n\n\nA PLEA TO MOTHERS.\n\nHome as God intended it is built upon the corner-stone of virtue and\nprayer. It makes no difference how beautiful the house nor how grand its\ncontents, if the mother is a woman who does not care for God or virtue,\nthe corner-stone of that home is lacking. Such a home can not stand when\ntrial and temptation enter.\n\nA stream never rises above its source, nor a home above the ideals of\nits founders. No matter how humble the home, do not belittle its\npossibilities. Anything so sacred as home can command heaven's choicest\nand best blessings. The humblest cabin may contain that element which\nmakes home the shrine of happiness and the temple of peace, and will\ncause it to send forth saints and heroes.\n\nOh that parents, especially mothers, could realize their influence in\nthe home, their power to direct the young minds around them into the\nproper channel! Let us so educate and train the children that they will\nbe able to get the greatest good from their natural endowment and that\nthey may use it in such a manner as will bring the most glory to God. So\ntrain them and so live before them in the home that in after-years they\nwill say with pleasure: \"This precept was always taught me by my\nparents. Father and Mother's holy example has been a priceless\nbirthright to me.\"\n\nThis is true parenthood. It should be the ideal in every home. By this I\nmean parents who realize their responsibility and have their children's\nbest interest at heart; parents who will sacrifice any pleasure of their\nown for the benefit and happiness of their little ones; parents who will\nnot only bid their children a hearty welcome into the world, but will\ncare for their future from that moment, and who have the love and\nrespect of their entire household.\n\nYou may say that parents like these are few and hard to find. True, but\nit is equally so that, with proper knowledge and understanding, many\nwould approach this standard. Perhaps some have allowed years to slip\ncarelessly by and their darlings to pass seemingly beyond their control.\nTo such I would say, It is never too late to pray.\n\nObserve the wayward boy whose chief inheritance is a wild, wilful\nnature. He is nearing his fourteenth birthday. Having been allowed to\nhave his own way while small, he has cultivated an ungovernable desire\nto do as he pleases. Let the mother of that boy cease her old habit of\nsaying, \"I don't know what will become of that boy! I don't understand\nhow he can treat me so rudely. I've done all I can, and he just grows\nworse,\" and take a more rational method. Have you gone to that boy and\ntold him the sweet, simple story of Jesus and why he came from his\nbeautiful home; that a part of his mission was to teach you how to make\nyour home after the pattern of his heavenly home; that his heart is\ntouched with compassion when he beholds any one in trouble; that he is\ngrieved because you have made a mistake; but that you are sorry and are\ndecided to do your duty? Have you told the boy all that? Have you knelt\nbeside his bed at night with your tear-dimmed eyes pressed upon his\nhand, and told him the great dangers that are before him, even\nsurrounding him, and informed him how to avoid them? Have you told him\nthat he is at the most critical time in his life, that a mistake now\nwill mean a life of suffering for both him and you, and that he can with\nyou begin over and remove some of his past mistakes? Have you talked\nthus to your boy? If not, why not? It is your privilege as well as your\nduty.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXVI.\n\n\nPARENTAL DUTY.\n\nThe first duty of father and mother to their child is to see that they\nare a unit on family government. Second, they must study themselves and\ntheir failures, trying to make the weak places strong. Third, study the\ndisposition of the child, gain an understanding of its inner life, and\nfind out what pleases and displeases it; and, while cultivating the\ngood, hold in check the bad. A mother should understand her children\nbetter than any one else. If she is a thoughtful mother, she knows not\nonly the surroundings of her children, but many of the impressions that\nshe has stamped upon their undeveloped minds.\n\nChildren are not putty that can be moulded into any form to suit our\nfancy, but there is a method by which we can fashion their young lives.\nMuch patience, devotion to the child, and fervent prayer will be\nneedful to accomplish anything worth while.\n\nEvery parent should see that their attitude toward their children is\nwhat it should be. Consider their feelings and show them respect,\nremembering that they have rights upon which you must not intrude; but\nnever loosen the reigns of home government. Make any rules that you\nthink practicable and necessary; explain each rule carefully to your\nchild, giving your reason for making it, and then demand obedience.\nNever, unless for some special reason, ignore any good rule. Should your\nchild happen to break one of these rules, do not punish without first\nfinding out the cause. He may not have understood your meaning, or he\nmay have forgotten. Take him quietly aside; and, after finding out why\nhe has disobeyed, gently tell him again your reasons for making the\nrules and the necessity of his obedience. You might have to do this\nseveral times, but do not excuse him too long. When it is necessary to\npunish, ask for wisdom from above, and then punish in a way that he will\nunderstand you and remember the punishment. When you make a statement,\nstand by it, if possible, unless you see error in it. If such be the\ncase, confess your fault. If your child does not show you due respect\nand obedience, there is a cause for it, and it is your duty to find out\nwhat that cause is.\n\nAll children have to contend with bad qualities that have been\ninherited. Do not flatter yourself that because the child is yours it\nwill escape temptation; for all must be tempted, if they would be\nstrong. Teach your children, according to their ability to comprehend,\nall that they should know to be able to shun evil. Do not think that\nbecause your child has inherited some moral weakness, you are helpless\nto teach him to overcome it. You can explain to him his danger and tell\nhim what yielding to the temptations that come to him because of this\nweakness will lead to. Point out the effect of this sin upon the one\nfrom whom it was inherited. Tell the child that the only chance to\novercome this inherited tendency will be by constantly avoiding those\nthings that will lead to temptation. You may find the task difficult and\nyou may sometimes feel disheartened, but you must put that wayward child\nof yours right, if possible, or God will hold you accountable. Perhaps\nthe inherited sin may lie at your own door. If it does, you will\nunderstand better how to help him from under its power.\n\nIn the public school, on the street, and in his various associations,\nyour child will be exposed to the evil of hearing impure language from\nvile lips; and if he be not warned, who can blame him for listening?\nYour home teaching must overbalance all that he hears outside.\n\nShould some question concerning the mysteries of his own body or of his\nown origin be aroused in his mind by impure stories or by any other\ncause, you must at once arise to meet the difficulty before harm is\ndone that will be very difficult to overcome. But some mother will say:\n\"I do not know what answer to make my child when he asks questions of\nsuch a delicate nature. Would it not be best to leave his mind free from\nthese ideas until he is older?\" Doubtless it would, if the child would\nbe contented to wait; but when he has learned enough to ask the\nquestion, he is able to tell whether you speak the truth when you say\nyou do not know, and he will not be satisfied by the flimsy pretest,\n\"Oh, run away and don't bother me; I'm too busy.\"\n\nAbove all else, keep the confidence of your child, so that he will come\nto you with every trouble of life. Confidence of children in their\nparents is a gift from God. All children have it at first. See the\ntottering baby cling to its mother for support; watch it run to her when\nit is frightened. Can it not have the same confidence when it is older?\nI answer from experience that it can and should. Truth inspires trust\nin your child. If you do not think it best to answer all his questions\nfully at the time when he asks them, tell him at least enough to satisfy\nhis curiosity, and promise him that, if this remains a secret between\nyou and him, he may come to you whenever he wants more information. Do\nnot be afraid of having secrets with your child. The matter may be\ntrifling, but the fact that he is helping you to keep secrets will teach\nhim to value his word and will increase his confidence in you. On the\nother hand, if you tell him an untruth, do not think that he will come\nto you again. No, he will doubtless go to some friend who he thinks will\ntell him, and thus get his young mind tainted with impure thoughts. And\nlittle better in results than telling an untruth is putting the child\noff till some future time. These questions must be met when they arrive.\n\nYou may say, \"I don't know how much to tell at any one time.\" Wisdom is\nnecessary here. No more should be told than will satisfy the present\ncuriosity of the child. A few questions on your part will readily\ndiscover what information he has gained and how much he wishes to know.\n\nA boy of scarce six summers once came to his mother with a question of\nlife. The mother was shocked; but, offering an earnest prayer for\nwisdom, she questioned the child and found that he had heard remarks\nmade by older boys. As his mind was developed enough to comprehend part\nof their conversation, his curiosity was aroused. Having perfect\nconfidence in his mother, he had sought her for an explanation of the\npoints that perplexed him. As simply as possible, that mother gave the\ninformation, ending with the words, \"Now, darling, this is to be a\nperfect secret between us; and when you are old enough, I will tell you\nmore.\" Years passed by until the boy was in his eleventh year; then he\nonce more went to his mother for information. \"Mama,\" he began, \"do you\nremember the time you told me a secret?\" She answered that she did, and\nhe continued: \"Well, I have kept that secret. I have never mentioned it\nto any one. And do you remember that you said some time you would tell\nme more?\" When she answered, \"Yes,\" he said quickly, \"Don't you think\nI'm old enough now?\" In answer, the mother put her arms about him and\nsaid, \"My son, you shall hear all you wish to hear. What is it, dear?\"\nThen as each question came, she gave him a satisfactory answer, and\nended by saying, \"Whenever you want to know more, come to me, and I will\ntell you.\" That boy continued to go to his mother; and when he entered\nthe most trying period of his life, her advice kept him from the dangers\ninto which so many fall. In hours of trial she was able to point him to\nthe Savior. Never neglect the duty of warning your child of danger.\n\nTeaching of this kind will endear you to your children long after you\nare resting in the grave. They will recount, \"My mother told me this.\nMy father taught me that. They must have understood God's plan of\nsalvation, or they would never have known how to tell me these things.\"\nBut the task will require your highest talents. Sympathy and love,\nconstant watchfulness, and earnest prayer will be the most needful.\nSince the child does not know himself, you must learn to know him. You\nmust search for the secret springs that govern his actions and for the\nmaster key that will unlock his heart.\n\nOne dear young woman, relating her experience to me, said: \"My mother\ndied when I was only six years old; but I know she must have been a\nChristian, because some friends who knew her told me of her devoted life\nand of earnest pleadings for her children when she saw that she must\nleave them. All that I can remember about her was seeing her bowing in\nprayer or talking to us children. There are desires in my nature that I\nknow must have been planted within me in answer to her prayer. After\nher death I was cast out upon the world. I went to live with a very\nungodly family, but that sense of right and wrong within me made me shun\nand despise their evil ways. I loved to read my Bible. From it I learned\nthat, if I would gain heaven, I must forsake sin and live a pure life.\nTo live such a life was a pleasure until I found that the denomination\nwhose meetings I attended would not allow me to say much about a holy\nlife, because their creed did not teach it. Then I promised the Lord\nthat I would be a Christian if I had to be one all by myself. This was\nnot necessary, for I found many true Christians who believed all that\nthe Bible teaches.\"\n\nThat mother's prayers had fashioned and governed the life of her\ndaughter long before the child was able to understand her mother's\nmeaning. Parents can not begin too early to win the child's love and\nconfidence, and they should spare no pains to maintain these to mature\nyears. Those who do will find that their children will never, even to\nold age, fail to come to them for sympathy and advice. Children so\nreared will always love and honor their father and mother as the Bible\nsays they should, and will look upon their parents' lives as examples\nfor them to imitate. See to it that you show yourself a good pattern, in\nthought, word, and deed, for them to follow.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXVII.\n\n\nUSEFUL HINTS.\n\nThere is no definite rule whereby parents may control their home, except\nto seek advice from God, for no two families have the same environment.\nAny method that will bring about the desired result may be applied; but\nthe method must be systematic and thorough. A positive attitude is good,\nand should be encouraged, but harshness ought never to be used. The\nlatter will tend to discouragement and resentment in the child, while\nthe former will teach the difference between right and wrong.\n\nBe charitable to your children in regard to their faults and failings,\nso that they may learn by your example to be charitable to each other\nand to their fellows. Teach them the blessings that charity will bring\nto them; show them that it is the greatest of God's gifts and that\nwithout it they will meet many buffetings from their contact with the\nworld. Remember that Paul speaks of it as \"the more excellent way\" and\nadmonishes us to desire it above all things else.\n\nChildren must have entertainment. Rich and costly furniture, elaborate\nparties, or even guests are not necessary. Children may be entertained\nin a very simple manner. What child does not enjoy the old-fashioned\ngame of hide-and-seek, tag, or some such innocent amusement with Papa\nand Mama? It may take a little of your time, but what of that? Do all\nyou can to make your home the happiest place on earth for your children.\n\n\"Yes,\" says one, \"that will do while the children are little; but just\nwait until they grow up, and then they will seek other company.\" I did\nnot say that they must always stay with you. Of course they will desire\nto go from home sometimes. What I mean is that we can make home so\nattractive that they will note the difference between it and the outside\nworld. The interest we take in them will constrain them to remain at\nhome and to return when away from it. Home! Oh that beautiful word!\nPoets have written about it, choirs have sung about it, but who can\nfathom the meaning of that little word, home! None but the child who has\nbeen taught to revere, cherish, and enjoy it, and then looking back\nremembers the happy years spent in the home circle.\n\nI think that I hear a father say, \"When I return from my work, I am so\ntired I can not stand the children's noise.\" Is that so? Do you not love\nyour children, and are you not working for their welfare! If so, do you\nnot think that a little less labor with your hands and a little time\nspent with them would be more profitable? Perhaps a little romp or chat\nwith them would rest you. Try it anyway. You who are desk workers can\nafford it: it will help you to cast off the responsibilities of the day\nand the better prepare you for the morrow. A romp with the children is\nnot lost; but, on the other hand, is a benefit for both parent and\nchild. Thoughtful parents can think of many things that will increase\nthe interest in home and will draw them closer to their children.\n\nSometimes it is good for the children to visit their friends, but\nparents should always be acquainted with these friends. Never let your\nchild go where games are played that you would not allow played in your\nown home. Here is where conscience and confidence will help you. Be\ncautious about allowing your child to go somewhere to stay all night. In\nthis way many a child has learned evil practises and in some cases been\nruined. Then, too, it draws his mind away from the home circle.\n\n\"But,\" you say, \"all this I have done, and yet my children are now\nforgetful of it all. They are indulging in many things that they were\ntaught to be harmful to the soul.\" My dear friend, can you not remember\nwhen this state of things began? Can you not point to a time when there\nwas a drifting from your home circle? when home life began to seem too\nnarrow for your child? when he began to crave the association of others\nmore than that of his own brothers and sisters? Did you at that time\nlift up your home banner and shield? Did you tell him of the rapids in\nthe distance? \"No,\" you falteringly answer; \"I thought there could be no\nharm in allowing him to mingle with his chums at school and to visit\nthem in their homes. I was afraid to be too particular, lest he should\nthink me too strict with him.\" Ah! friend, that was your golden\nopportunity, and you failed to see it. After instructing the child, you\nshould have bowed with him in prayer, giving him over to God's keeping.\nThen, if he chose to go--remembering that your prayers were following\nhim--nine chances out of ten he would have returned with words similar\nto those spoken by a youth who had been permitted to attend a party. In\nanswer to his father's question he said, \"Yes; I had a good time, but I\nhave better times at home.\" \"Better times at home!\" Think of it,\nparents! Is it not worth some self-denial, some sacrifices, on pour\npart, to have your home spoken of in this manner?\n\n\"Yes,\" says a mother, \"that is all right when both parents are in\nharmony and have salvation; but suppose that the parents are poor and\nthat one is unsaved?\" I have seen just such homes as this governed in\nthe manner whereof I speak. God gave more grace and strength to the\nsaved companion; and, although there were many difficulties to\nencounter, yet the saved one was able to influence the home for God.\n\"All things are possible to him that believeth,\" said Christ in olden\ntimes, and his statement is still true.\n\nAgain, I hear a parent whose loved companion has recently died say,\n\"What can I do now to train my children aright?\" There comes before my\nmind a beautiful scene of a faithful mother with her son and daughter\nwhom she had brought up to God's glory. She was left alone with these\ntwo precious ones to guide and rear to manhood and womanhood. She bade\nadieu to the words \"I can't\" and with determination went about her task.\nAs God never lets such zeal go without assistance, this mother found\nhelp in time of need. Another scene which I love to recall is that of a\ndevoted father and by his side his two motherless daughters just\nentering womanhood. He gives them every spare moment that he has, and\nboth are real examples of trust and purity.\n\nIn your zeal to find entertainment for your children, do not forget that\nthey must have employment. See that every member of your household has\ncertain work to do. This work should be suited to the years and the\nstrength of the individual and, if possible, to his likes and dislikes.\nWork of the proper kind will strengthen the muscles, improve the health,\nkeep out many evils, and create in the young a desire to help bear the\nburdens of life. Periods of rest may be made profitable by having on\nhand as much wholesome literature as you are able to secure. By this\nmeans much useful knowledge may be stored. The reading need not be\nconfined wholly to religious works; reliable treatises on science, art,\nmechanics, cooking, chemistry, domestic economy, health, etc., are all\nprofitable if not indulged in to the exclusion of religious literature.\nIf you trust God, he will help you to know what to do.\n\nA lady once said, \"Our children are what we make them, and we get out of\nthem just what we put in.\" These words contain much truth. God holds all\nparents, according to their light and understanding, responsible for the\ntraining of their children.\n\nIf you have a preference among your children, never reveal it. On the\ncontrary, endeavor to place the less favored ahead in your care and\nattention. You can justly do this, for the favorite will get all the\nattention he deserves anyway. I well remember a case where the mother's\nfavorite son brought sorrow and shame to the entire household by\nstealing from his own father, simply because she had humored and petted\nhim in childhood. Parents can not be too careful in this respect.\n\nMany a mother does not realize how highly her children value her\nopinion. A boy had met with an accident that somewhat disfigured him for\na time. While he was preparing to leave for school, his mother said,\n\"You will no doubt be made sport of today; are you able to bear it?\" His\nanswer was, \"Oh, I don't care what any one says about me but you; but if\nyou were to make fun of me, I couldn't stand it.\"\n\nSWEET GEM OF THE HOME.\n\n    _Thou formal home, so graced, so blest,\n      With earthly treasures rare;\n    Within thy portals we expect\n      All graces rich and fair.\n\n    We gaze, we search, but all in vain;\n      The gem we love so well,\n    \"Sweet innocence,\" doth not remain,\n      Nor in thy chambers dwell.\n\n    Thy children, as the world they greet,\n      Are bearing tales of thee;\n    \"I was not warned,\" they oft repeat,\n      Nor taught at Mother's knee.\n\n    Sweet Innocence, thou heav'nly grace,\n      Rich gem from God above!\n    Thy touch upon the human face\n      Reveals but peace and love.\n\n    Thy treasures richer far than gold,\n      Thy gifts of greatest worth,\n    Might grace our homes, except for sin,\n      Whose curse now sweeps the earth.\n\n    We look for thee within the maid,\n      With beauty, grace, and charm,\n    But find thy flight she hath not stayed,\n      Nor doth she feel alarm.\n\n    Then in the lad, whose noble brow\n      Thy presence might suggest;\n    With closer view we must allow\n      By thee he is not blest.\n\n    E'en when we look within the child\n      And laud his graces sweet,\n    We find his mind so soon defiled\n      For thee 'tis no retreat.\n\n    \"And why?\" we ask, \"oh! why is this?\n      Such need and dearth abound.\n    Oh! why in homes of promised bliss\n      May not this gem be found?\"\n\n    The mystery, so deep, so great,\n      Is simply lack of prayer;\n    Is bidding timely warning wait\n    For daily toil and care.\n\n    Allowing things that crumble, waste,\n      Our whole attention claim,\n    We cause sweet Innocence in haste\n    To leave our homes to shame.\n\n    But thee, sweet grace, we find in some--\n      Thank God thou art not lost!--\n    We see thee in the Christian home\n      As royal guest and host.\n\n    We note the mother as she pleads\n      For counsel from God's throne,\n    Then goes with wisdom that she needs\n      And strength to make it known.\n\n    We watch the child in this true home,\n      And in its face so fair\n    We recognise what doth become\n      A faithful mother's prayer.\n\n    Sweet Innocence! may we extol,\n      Within the home, thy art;\n    Thy power to beautify the soul,\n      To teach the pure in heart.\n\n    Thou gift divine! thou fairest gem!\n      Thy presence may we crave,\n    That thou mayst grace our diadem\n      In life beyond the grave.\n\n    Reveal, O grace, unto the world\n      Thy beauties rich and rare,\n    That all may understand and know\n      What mothers find in prayer_.","title":"The value of a praying mother","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":26868}