who are in the ship looking on, and wondering what will be the end of this; teach them to profit by my example, and to learn the lesson thou art intending to teach by this failure of mine.’  And when the ship was almost overwhelmed and the frightened disciples came to him—­but why should I go on?  Child, pour out your heart to him, and when, through physical weariness, mental exhaustion, or spiritual intensity of feeling, the heart refuses to be longer poured out, stop, don’t pump and pump and pump at an exhausted well for water that has been all used up.  We are not heard for much speaking or long praying.  Study the prayer he gave us to pray, study his own prayer.  He continued all night in prayer but he was not hard upon his weak disciples, who through weariness and sorrow fell asleep while he had strength to keep on praying.  Your master is not a hard master.  We pray when we do not utter one word.  Let the Spirit pray in you and don’t try to do it all yourself.  Don’t make crosses for yourself.  Before you begin to pray think of the loving, lovely Saviour and pitiful Father you are praying to and ask the Spirit to help you pray, and then pray and be joyful.  Pray the first petition that comes out of your heart, and then the second and the third, and thank him for everything.

“But here come the girls laughing upstairs and I must listen to the story of their afternoon.  Linnet will tell you about the pictures.

“More than ever your sympathizing friend,

“P.  P.”

* * * * *

“Feb. 2, 18—.

“DEAR HOLLIS: 

“Your mother asked me to write to you while I am here, in your home, so that it may seem like a letter from her.  It is evening and I am writing at the kitchen table with the light of one candle.  How did I come to be here at night?  I came over this afternoon to see poor grandma and found your mother alone with her; grandma had been in bed three days and the doctor said she was dying of old age.  She did not appear to suffer, she lay very still, recognizing us, but not speaking even when we spoke to her.

“How I did want to say something to help her, for I was afraid she might be troubled, she was always so ‘afraid’ when she thought about joining the Church.  But as I stood alone, looking down at her, I did not dare speak.  I did not like to awaken her if she were comfortably asleep.  Then I thought how wicked I was to withhold a word when she might hear it and be comforted and her fear taken away, so I stooped over and said close to her ear, ‘Grandma,’ and all she answered was, in her old way, ’Most a hundred;’ and then I said, ’"The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin, even the sins of most a hundred years;"’ and she understood, for she moaned, ‘I’ve been very wicked;’ and all I could do was to say again, ‘"The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin."’ She made no reply and we think she did not speak again, for your mother’s cousin, Cynthy, was with her at the last and says she bent over her and found that she did not breathe, and all the time she was with her she did not once speak.