By that time the rain was pouring down; the wind had
ceased; and the danger was over. The rain did
not put out the fire, but so checked it that, by hard
work, it could be kept under control until it died
out.
Little Clement lived only a short time after the fire;
but just before he died, he looked into his weeping
mother’s face and smiled three times. As
he had never smiled before, Mrs. Worthington always
thought that God took that way to encourage her heart.
LOST IN THE WOODS.
As Leroy was too young to drive the cows home in the
evening, Bessie enjoyed many a long walk in search
of them. One evening she had some difficulty
in finding them. It was one of those evenings
when everything is quiet and sound travels a long
distance. After listening carefully for the tinkling
of the cow-bells, Bessie was bewildered, for she could
seemingly hear them in every direction. At last,
thinking she had located the sound, she set out in
that direction. When she had walked about two
miles, she stopped to listen again. The bells
were still tinkling, but they seemed to be just as
far away. She knew, though, that the cows sometimes
went a long distance. She had been following the
road, but thinking the sound came from the woods, she
started off in that direction. She saw that the
sun was just going down behind the trees; that she
was on an unfamiliar path, and was getting farther
and farther from home. But she must get the cows,
and on she went, stopping now and then to locate the
sound of the bells.
She suddenly found herself standing upon a point of
land where a deep, wide ravine extended on either
side. The distance across the ravine she could
not see on account of the shadow and the trees.
What should she do? A few minutes previously
she had thought about its being late, but had hoped
to find the cows and to make them guide her home.
This hope failing, she did not know what to do.
The bells were still tinkling ahead of her; but she
did not dare to try to cross the ravine in the darkness,
now fast gathering around her, and how could she return
through those dense woods! She thought of calling
for help, but as quickly realized how useless the
effort would be, since there were no houses near.
As she stood wondering what to do, these words from
a psalm she had committed to memory a short time before,
came to her mind: “If I say, Surely the
darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light
about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee;
but the night shineth as the day; the darkness and
the light are both alike to thee.” Two more
precious promises came to her mind: “I will
guide thee with mine eye” and “He leadeth
me beside still waters.” Oh, what encouragement
those words were to Bessie! Surely God would
guide her home. With a thankful heart, Bessie
started to return. As she had passed through several
clearings in her search for the cows, she had no little
difficulty in finding her way; but the moon rose early
and gave her considerable light, and as she neared
home, she began to recognize some familiar objects.
