ut, on looking around, she saw that the flames were approaching her
from opposite directions. Escape was impossible. Death--a terrible
death by fire, seemed to be the only thing before her. She might wrap
herself in that great shawl, and perhaps live through it. But, there
were the children. Of course a mother could not hesitate a moment
what to do under such circumstances. Wrapping the baby round and
round in the folds of the shawl, she laid it carefully down, at the
foot of one of the trees. Then, taking off her outer clothing, she
covered the other child with it. She laid her down beside the baby,
and then stretched herself across them. In a few moments the helpless
little ones were sound asleep. The long hours of the night passed.
The raging flames licked up the withered foliage about that clump of
trees, and then left their blackened trunks to the keenness of the
wind and frost.

The next day the heart-broken husband and father returned to find his
home burnt, and his family gone--he knew not whither. He set out to
search for his lost treasures. He found them by that clump of trees.
There lay his wife--her hair and eyebrows, her face and neck scorched
and blackened by the fire--but her body frozen stiff. Whether she
perished by the flames or the frost no one ever knew. But, on lifting
her burnt form they found, warm and cozy beneath, her two sleeping
children. The elder child as they roused her, opened her eyes
exclaiming, "Mamma, is it morning?" Yes: it was morning with that
faithful mother, in the bright world to which she had gone!

Now, suppose that those children, as they grew up, should have had
preserved among their treasures a piece of the burnt dress, or a lock
of the scorched hair, of their devoted mother. As they looked at it,
every day, it would be in _remembrance_ of her. How touchingly it
would tell of her great love for them, in being willing to lay down
her life to save theirs! And how that thought would thrill their
hearts and make them anxious to do all they could to show their
respect and love for such a mother!

And so the broken bread and the poured out wine of this solemn
sacrament should melt our hearts in the remembrance of the wonderful
love of Christ to us, and should lead us to show our love to him by
keeping his commandments.

And as we keep this solemn memorial service, how well we may say, in
the words of the hymn:

"According to thy gracious word,
In meek humility,