ived long
enough. He calls us when He wants us," replied Mrs Hadden; adding, "It
matters little to a Christian when or how he is taken from earth. The
great thing of all is to know that we are Christians, not in name only,
but in truth. And to be a Christian is to believe on and love the dear
Saviour, who has done so much for us; and so to be born again of God's
Holy Spirit, as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has told us: `For, except
a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'"

Ben read on to his mother till she told him that it was time for him to
go to bed. He repeated his prayers, and then he went up and lay down in
the room which he and his brothers usually occupied; but he was the only
one there. Every now and then he awoke, expecting to hear them coming
in; but he only heard the rain dashing against the lattice window, and
the wind howling and whistling dismally. A heavy gale was blowing right
on shore. Every now and then there was a flash of vivid lightning, and
a loud crash of thunder rattling away across the sky. Ben tried again
to go to sleep, but he could not. He was certain that his poor mother
could not be sleeping. He crept down to her room, where a light was
burning. Her head had not pressed her pillow; she was on her knees,
with her face bent down to the bed, and her hands clasped together.

Noiselessly Ben stole back to his attic. "I can pray too, and join my
prayers to mother's," he said to himself. He prayed for his father and
brothers exposed in their open boat to that fierce storm near those
terrific breakers, which rolled in over the sand-bank where the ship had
struck. He fully understood all the dangers to which they were exposed.
"God knows best what to do--God's will be done," he repeated as he rose
from his knees.

Daylight came at last. Ben got up, and, slipping on his clothes, he ran
out to the sand-hills, whence he could obtain a clear view over the sea.
He well knew the spot where the ship had struck. She was not there,
nor was there any sign of the boat. He could not bring himself to go
back to his poor mother with this account, so he went down to the beach.
The shore was strewed with bits of the wreck, showing the fearful
character of the gale which had blown all night, and was still blowing.

Hour after hour passed by; but no boat neared the shore. His mother
came to look for him, and with trembling voice called him in; yet she
lingered, watching anxious