him somehow, thinking they might do the young wife a service. But she
refused to accept their offer, and said she would much rather do his
work, and earn what was necessary to supply his needs as well as her
own. He had been kind to her, and had worked for her in earlier years,
and now, in his weakness, it was her turn to work for him.

Day after day and month after month she toiled on, through hard work
and sorrow and trials, often suffering herself both in body and mind;
and all this had to be borne without a shadow of comfort. She knew
nothing about the "God of all comfort," and had never heard of Him who
"day by day beareth our burden." No wonder she was at times almost
driven to despair, and cried out for a ray of light in the darkness,
for a flicker of hope amid the hopeless condition and sad chaos of her
life. Through all the bitter days of suffering her mind was turned to
the things hereafter, and she determined that if she had to toil and
suffer here she would, if at all possible, do something to escape the
suffering in the life to come. But how should she begin? What was she
to do? Was there anything that could give her aching heart some
comfort, her despairing soul some hope? Was it possible to flee from
the suffering in the next world? for that such existed she was sure,
and her heart cried out for deliverance.

In the neighbourhood a great many vegetarians resided, and one day,
when Everlasting Pearl was engaged in irrigating the field, a woman,
one of the leaders among the vegetarians, passed by. Of course she
knew all about the trouble of the young wife, and stopped to speak to
her. Everlasting Pearl instantly ceased her work. The sun was just
then at its hottest stage, and as she had been standing the whole
morning exposed to its scorching rays, doing work which was far too
heavy for any woman, her tired body was glad of a moment's rest. The
kind words of the woman went to her heart, so she soon confided all her
troubles to her. The listener had only one way of helping her, and
began to exhort her to become a vegetarian for life. She offered to
look upon her as a daughter, and declared herself willing to instruct
her in the vegetarian doctrine.

Everlasting Pearl eagerly reached out after the comfort promised. The
necessary rosary was bought. She went to the leaders of the vegetarian
sect, and told them of her decision. They gladly welcomed her among
their number, gave her a book and