“Yes, dear, it is. No girl should ever
be married while she is so young.”
ANSWERS TO PRAYER.
During the summer Bessie’s cousin John and a
boy friend came to visit her. They spent many
pleasant hours on the lake. One day while they
were about two miles from home, a fierce storm arose.
They noticed the sky growing dark and tried very hard
to reach home; but, when still some distance from
the shore, they could see that instead of making any
headway they were drifting before the wind.
It was a serious moment. As the great waves dashed
up over them, each adding to the amount of water in
the boat, Bessie looked first at her cousin toiling
away at the oars, the great drops of perspiration
coursing down his face, then at their friend nearly
wild with terror, and then at the western sky.
“John,” said she to her cousin, “I
believe that’s rain coming toward us.”
Until then the boy, who was a little older than Bessie,
had been brave; but as he turned to look, his face
blanched with terror, and he said, “Bessie, if
that is rain, it will certainly sink our boat; for,
see, it is nearly half full of water now.”
The situation was certainly critical, but Bessie felt
that it was not the time to despair. She remembered
that in olden times Jesus had calmed the sea.
Believing that he could still do the same, she prayed
for help from heaven. Then, encouraging her cousin
to do his best, she, assisted by their friend, began
to bale out the water as rapidly as they could.
In a few moments the great drops of rain were dashing
down upon them. Without speaking, all kept at
their work for what seemed to them an hour, but which
was really but a short time. Suddenly it ceased
raining; and, looking about them, they saw that the
lake was perfectly quiet—not a ripple could
be seen. With trembling voice Bessie said, “John,
God must have sent the rain to quiet the water, for
I asked him to help us.” It was a very
wet but thankful crowd that reached home that night.
In the spring that Bessie was fourteen years old,
her father sold the beautiful home where she had spent
so many happy days, and bought a tract of land in
a dense wood farther up the lake. On account of
the dense forest, the place appeared very dismal.
As the purchaser of their old home wanted possession
as soon as possible, Mr. Worthington had time to build
only a barn before removing his family. In this
building they lived during the first summer.
Though these circumstances were discouraging, the
Worthingtons tried hard to be brave. By fall a
house was ready for them.
Many good things were lacking in this new forest home;
but God knew this, and he put it into the hearts of
friends and neighbors to supply the family with fruit
and vegetables and also chickens. So generously
were these supplied that there was no lack.
During the winter following much wood was cut, hauled,
and piled out along the roadside in front of the house;
but still there was standing timber nearly everywhere
one might look, and to the south and west it extended
for many miles.
