PRAYING FOR A BIBLE.

“For a long while it has been my habit to be entirely guided for the day by the first verse in the Bible on which my eyes rested.  While dressing for the day, I glance at the open page, or sometimes turning over the leaves.  But my old Bible was poor print and small, and it troubled me for a long while.  So I thought I would ask the Lord to send me a new one.  I told Him all about it.  One day, this Summer, the postman brought me a package of magazines and a letter.  I began to undo the package, eager to scan their welcome pages.  My sister laughingly said she would read my letter, and suiting the action to the word, opened the envelope.  I really did not mind what she was doing, until she said:  ’Why there is some money here, but no letter.’  So she handed me the half sheet of paper, with the money folded inside.  I looked it over, and there were only these words in pencil:  ‘For a Bible, and three dollars.’  We looked at each other; I could not say a word, until she said, ’What does it all mean?  ’I answered, ‘The Lord sent it, I know; where could it come from?’ It was wonderful—­wonderful because I could not remember as I ever told any one that I was praying for a Bible.”

A SPRING MATTRESS.

“Last Summer, when I bought my bedstead, I did not have money to get either springs or a mattress, so I fixed up a clean, straw bed, and covered it nicely with a thick comfortable.  It was pretty hard—­I did not rest well.  So, one sleepless night, I said aloud, ’I will just ask the Lord to send me a set of springs.’  I kept on day by day.  When I felt the severe pain which denoted illness, I thought of my hard bed and prayed more earnest.  One day my physician spoke of my hard bed.  I told him I was going to have a better one; I was praying for some springs.  And so I kept on.  One day, a lady friend said something about my bed.  I did not say much.  Somehow I felt I must not; I wanted to have it all the Lord’s doings, if I ever had any.  One day my sister said a man was at the door, who wanted to fit a set of springs to my bed.  Why, I can’t tell how I felt; even after God had answered my simple prayers, and honored my faith so many times, I was astonished at this.  But she helped me up, and the bed was fitted with nice, new springs.  And they were mine.  The man could not tell anything about them.  My sister says, ‘Annie, did you order them?’ I said, ‘No.’  ’Don’t you know who sent them?’ I said, ‘No.’  ‘Did you ask Mrs. W——­ to order them?’ I said, ’I did not; I would lay here six years before I would do it.  No, somebody had a hand in it, but the Lord sent them, because I prayed for them all the time.’  A friend was present when my physician called.  I told him about the new springs.  His kind face lit up grandly at this new evidence that God did answer humble, faithful prayer, and he turned to my friend with the words:  ’I am glad they were just what she has been praying for.’  I do not think he had anything to do about them.  But these springs are only another proof of his love and power, in touching the hearts of his children to help others.  And they have their reward.  Soon after this, a lady sent me a white spread for my bed.  Surely, God is good to his little ones.”