The Value of a Praying Mother | Page 6

just as able to carry her through temptation or test,
if she submitted all to his will.
Mr. Worthington gave his consent for one of the children to go for a
visit. The aunt having chosen Bessie, hasty preparations were made for
their departure. As the mother kissed her curly-haired little girl good-by,
her heart seemed bursting with sorrow. She tried to control her feelings,
but only God knew the wound that her aunt's parting words made. "Use
your influence in my behalf, Niece, with your husband, in case we want
to keep Bessie," she had said, and then the great train moved slowly
from the station. Abraham was all the mother could think of on her
return home. Oh! would God give her back her child?
Letter after letter came, each telling how fond the aunt and her husband
were of Bessie and how happy she was in her new home, but not a
word about her return. Four, five, six weeks passed. Then one day a
letter came stating that they had decided not to adopt a child now and
that, as Bessie was getting homesick, the parents might expect her
home the next day. Then, it had been only a test! Oh, how glad Mrs.
Worthington was that she had been faithful. Yes, her God was the very
same God that Abraham had served centuries before. It was hard to
wait until train-time the next day. When once more the loving mother
held her darling child in her arms, the tears that could not flow for
weeks streamed freely.
Bessie was glad to be at home again. After the cold, formal, loveless
life at her aunt's, she appreciated her own humble home more than ever

before.
But a far greater test was waiting the dear mother--one that would call
for more than human strength to bear.
After Bessie's return Mrs. Worthington put forth every effort to teach
her children more about heavenly things. She bore in mind the scripture,
"Train up a child in the way it should go; and when it is old, it will not
depart from it." As she did not want to fail along this line, she spent
every spare moment with her children. And she seldom let them go
from home to visit unaccompanied by her; but one day, being very
busy, she let them go alone to their grandmother's. The distance was
not great, and Bessie, now nearly six years old, knew the way perfectly.
All would have been well had their grandmother been at home. She
being away, the girls stopped to watch some children at play. These
children were breaking old bottles that they had picked up in the alley.
As the little girls stood watching the sport, a large brown bottle was
brought forth and with a heavy stroke of the hammer was broken.
Small pieces of the glass flew in every direction. One piece struck
Louise on the palm of the hand just below the thumb, knocking off the
skin, but not producing a wound deep enough to bleed. Her
grandmother, who appeared on the scene just at this time, examined the
wound. She though it would soon be all right, but bound it up with a
cloth to satisfy the child. The children played as usual and then
returned home in time for supper.
When they came in, their mother, who had been very busy through the
day at housecleaning, was preparing a hasty supper, and she gave them
no special attention. The family were soon seated around the
supper-table. They had not been there long until Mrs. Worthington
noticed that Louise was not eating. She asked the child why she did not
eat, but received no reply. On being asked if her throat was sore, Louise
nodded her head. Still the mother did not think the child's condition
serious; and, after pinning a flannel around the child's neck, she did the
evening work and prepared to attend a prayer-meeting. She had noticed
the rag upon Louise's hand, but Bessie had laughed about the little cut
and said, "Grandma tied it up just to please Louise."

Although the meeting that night was unusually good, Mrs. Worthington
could not forget the expression on her child's face as they had kissed
each other good-by. It seemed to be before her all the time; so she
really felt relieved when the meeting closed and she could return.
Upon entering her home she immediately asked her husband, "How is
Louise?" He answered that she had been very naughty and cross and
that he had been obliged to punish her. This news increased the
mother's fears. Feeling of the child's head, she found it hot and feverish.
As Louise continued to grow worse, at two o'clock in the morning Mrs.
Worthington thought it