ntity of gas to spare from our lighting apparatus.
Moreover, for each of these stoves we needed a small chimney, to carry
off the impure air. This mode of heating, therefore, though applicable
to a hall, a staircase, or a shop, would not suit our purposes. I also
thought of the temporary introduction of Arnott's stoves; but they would
be unsuitable, as we needed chimneys, long chimneys, for them, as they
would have been of a temporary kind, and therefore must go out of the
windows. On this account, the uncertainty of its answering in our case,
the disfigurement of the rooms almost permanently, led me to see it
needful to give up this plan also. But what was to be done? Gladly would
I have paid one hundred pounds if thereby the difficulty could have been
overcome, and the children not be exposed to suffer for many days from
being in cold rooms. At last I determined on falling entirely into the
hands of God, who is very merciful and of tender compassion, and I
decided on having, at all events, the brick-chamber opened, to see the
extent of the damage, and to see whether the boiler might be repaired,
so as to carry us through the winter. The day was fixed when the workmen
were to come, and all the necessary arrangements were made. The fire, of
course, had to be let out while the repairs were going on. But now see.
After the day was fixed for the repairs, a bleak north wind set in. It
began to blow either on Thursday or Friday before the Wednesday
afternoon when the fire was to be let out. Now came the first really
cold weather which we had in the beginning of last winter, during the
first days of December. What was to be done? The repairs could not be
put off. I now asked the Lord for two things, viz. that he would be
pleased to change the north wind into a south wind, and that he would
give to the workmen "a mind to work;" for I remembered how much Nehemiah
accomplished in fifty-two days, whilst building the walls of Jerusalem,
because "the people had a mind to work." Well, the memorable day came.
The evening before, the bleak north wind blew still; but on the
Wednesday the south wind blew: exactly as I had prayed. The weather was
so mild that no fire was needed. The brickwork is removed, the leak is
found out very soon, the boiler-makers begin to repair in good earnest.
About half-past eight in the evening, when I was going to leave the new
Orphan House for my home, I was informed at the lodge that the acting
principal of