of a living Saviour and the wonderful hopes for the future have
made life an entirely different thing. One such who had borne a heavy
yoke in her youth, had suffered deeply, and with rancor and rebellion in
her heart against him who had blighted her life, has learned to forgive
and pray for the one who so deeply injured her; and her daily household
life is a triumph of grace. During a cholera epidemic, when all around
were panic-stricken, she and her sisters, who have found the like
precious refuge, were perfectly calm, saying, "Why should we fear death?
It can only take us to Jesus, which is far better; as living or dying we
are His."
One old woman walked three miles and back once a week in order to be
instructed in the Gospel, and is never satisfied, always wants to learn
more, and takes great pains to remember texts and prayers. Once after
the others had gone she caught hold of me, saying, "Do you think I walk
all these miles, with my blind eyes, to learn nothing? Come and teach me
some more." Showing some hard barley bread, she said, "No one shall say
I come for food; I have brought my own bread."
Another woman, whose paralytic son had learned to read the Bible, said,
"At first I did not care for it, but little by little I got to love it."
It worked a transformation in that humble home; the son in his first
despair had attempted to poison himself; but he learned to praise God
for the affliction which was the means of acquainting him with his
Saviour. The mother instead of considering the helpless young man a
burden, and complaining of the misfortune, nursed him for years with
such rare patience and tenderness, that we marvelled to see it. The
contrast between her and her neighbors is marked; her face is gentle and
kind, her voice sweet. She is faithful, industrious, and honest; for a
whole summer when a family was absent, she went alone every week to
sweep the house, and not a thing was ever missed, though, in general, we
expect nothing better than pilfering and theft from the women of the
country.
In one city is gathered a little band of believing women, who hold a
weekly prayer meeting, and "it is most touching to hear their simple
requests and pleading for this and that one still outside the fold. When
I was going to B---- they gave me a message for the sisters there. They
had long taken a special interest in the work in that place, and never
failed to remember it at the throne of grace. They had heard seve
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