"O mamma, yes! "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world," and "He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep"; and yet--haven"t even Christians sometimes been murdered by burglars?"
"I can not a.s.sert that they have not," replied her mother. ""According to your faith be it unto you," and even true Christians are sometimes lacking in faith--putting their trust in their own defences, or some earthly helper, instead of the Keeper of Israel; or they are fearful and doubtful, refusing to take G.o.d at his word and rest in his protecting care.
"I do not see that we have anything to do with the question you propounded just now; we have only to take G.o.d"s promises, believe them fully and be without carefulness in regard to that, as well as other things. I am perfectly sure he will suffer no real evil to befall any who thus trust in him.
"Death by violence may sometimes be a shorter, easier pa.s.sage home than death from disease; and come in whatever shape it may, death can be no calamity to the Christian."
"Solomon tells us that the day of death is better than the day of one"s birth. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord."
"My dear Vi, I think one who can claim all the promises of G.o.d to his children, should be utterly free from the fear that hath torment; should be afraid of nothing whatever but displeasing and dishonoring G.o.d."
"Yes, mamma, I see that it is so; and that all I lack to make me perfectly courageous and easy in mind, is stronger faith.
"I think my husband has a faith which lifts him above every fear, and that he is perfectly content to leave all future events to the ordering of his heavenly Father."
Grandma Elsie"s eyes shone. "You are blest in having such a husband, my dear Vi," she said. "I trust you will help each other on in the heavenly way, and be fellow-helpers to your children and his."
Violet looked up brightly. "I trust we shall, mamma; we both earnestly desire to be, and I think his three all give good evidence that they have already begun to walk in the straight and narrow way; and no wonder, considering what a faithful, loving, Christian father he is--so constant in prayer and effort on their behalf."
"Ah," as the sound of wheels was heard on the driveway, "they have returned; and now we shall have a report of all that was done in the magistrate"s office. It must have been quite an ordeal to Max and Lulu."
CHAPTER XVII.
Capt. Raymond was met at the door by the youngest two of his daughters.
"Papa, I"se been yaisin" seeds," announced little Elsie, running into his arms.
"Yaisin" seeds," he echoed; "what can that mean?"
"She means seeding raisins, papa," explained Grace, with a merry laugh.
"We"ve been in the kitchen helping the cook. At least pretending to help her. Perhaps we hindered more than we helped.""
"I dare say," he responded; "but I hope Elsie didn"t eat the raisins, nor you either; they are quite too indigestible for your young stomachs."
"We each had one, papa; that was all. I told Elsie we wouldn"t eat any more till we asked leave, and she was a good little girl and didn"t tease for more."
"That was right; but for your own sakes I must say that is all you can have."
He had paused for a moment in the hall to pet and fondle the two. Max and Lulu stood looking on; Harold and Herbert were taking off their overcoats near by.
"You"re a funny talker, Elsie," laughed Max.
"Your English is not of the purest, little woman," said her Uncle Harold.
"Tell Uncle Harold he must not expect perfection in a beginner," said her father. "Where are grandma and mamma?"
"In the parlor I believe," said Grace. "Oh no! see, they are just coming down the stairs."
"Yes, here we are," said Violet; "anxious, for a report of the morning"s proceedings in the magistrate"s office. Won"t you walk into the parlor, gentlemen, and let us have it?"
"Certainly, we will be very happy to gratify your very excusable curiosity," returned her husband laughingly, as she came to his side, and he stooped his tall form to give her the kiss with which he never failed to greet her after even a brief separation.
The older people all repaired to the parlor, but the children did not follow.
"I must go and look over my lessons," said Max.
"And I"m going to my room," said Lulu. "Gracie, if you will come with me, I"ll tell you all about the trial--if that"s what they call it."
"O yes, do!" responded Grace, as the two started up the stairs together.
"Were you scared, Lu?"
"No; I didn"t feel frightened, for I"m not timid you know, and papa was near me all the time; and he"d told me all I had to do was to tell a straightforward, truthful story.
"I did hate to take the oath, but I knew I had to, and that it wasn"t wrong, though it does seem a dreadful thing to do."
"It isn"t like other swearing," remarked Max, who was moving on up the stairs, somewhat ahead of his sisters. "There must be a right kind, because in the psalms, where David is describing a good man, he says of him, "He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.""
"Yes, I know," said Lulu, "I can see the difference; and this must be the right kind or papa would never have let us do it."
"How do they do it?" asked Grace. "How did you do it, Lu?"
"A man said over the words for me--a promise to "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth"--and I promised by kissing the Bible; that was all."
"That wasn"t very hard to do," said Grace, "but oh I"d have been so frightened to have to tell something with so many people listening!"
"Of course; because you"re such a weak, timid little thing; but I"m big and strong and not afraid of anybody or anything.
"There were a good many people there; the room was quite full; but I felt that that did not make much difference, when I thought about G.o.d hearing every word I said and knowing if it was really the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
"Ajax"s wife was there; crying fit to break her heart too; specially when they took him back to jail.
"Papa stopped and spoke to her before we got into the carriage to come home. He said he was very sorry for her, but if she continued to be honest and industrious, he would see that she did not want; and he hoped her husband would some day come out of prison a better man."
"Did she seem thankful to papa?" asked Grace.
"Yes; and she said she didn"t see how Ajax could be so bad and ungrateful as to try to steal papa"s money after he"d been so kind to her and the children."
"Yes, and I pity "Liza for being his wife, and the children because they have such a bad father.
"Lu, let"s ask papa if we mayn"t buy some calico and other things, with some of our benevolence money, and make clothes for them."
"I wouldn"t mind giving the money," said Lulu, "but I hate to sew on such things. You know I never did like plain sewing. I"ll see about it though."
"You"d do it to please the dear Lord Jesus, even though you don"t like it?" said Grace softly.