Within your home is the place to shine for God.  There is no greater field of labor.  A Christian mother’s influence among the young can not be too highly valued.  No one can fill your place in the hearts of your children.  Another can provide their temporal needs, but nobody can take the place of Mother.  No one else can enter into the daily trials as you can.  Nothing else can soothe the wounded feelings as well as a tender embrace or a word from mother.  Be liberal, dear mothers, with these tokens of sympathy, so sweet to your child; and think not for one moment that you are not fulfilling God’s plan concerning you or that moments thus spent are wasted.  It is only a short time at best that we can be blessed with the privilege of instructing our children.

CHAPTER XI.

CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.

As Bessie grew older, Mrs. Worthington chose the twilight hour for confidential talks with her daughter.  Both looked forward to these times with pleasure.  Each evening after the daily duties were ended, Bessie might be found sitting at her mother’s feet.  Here she related the many happenings of the day and in turn received instruction and advice from the one who held her confidence.  Here the mother taught her child the secret of true devotion.  She instructed Bessie that prayer, good reading, and meditation are the keys to use to unlock God’s great storehouse of blessings.  She pointed to the Bible as a pattern by which to fashion one’s life, pointing out to her the many scriptures bearing upon different subjects and telling her how every modest, earnest Christian ought to dress and act in order to adorn the gospel of Christ.  She encircled the word “purity” with such a halo of glory that she awakened within the heart of her child a determination ever to live so pure a life that she would not only keep herself stainless but also help others to that sacred and elevated plane.

Upon one of these occasions, when Bessie was in her twelfth year, she said:  “Mama, why don’t we go to the meetings that are being held at the schoolhouse on Sunday?  The girls have asked me several times, and I have told them I didn’t know.  They have a minister from a distance, and he has taken the names of all who want to join the church.”

“That is a deep subject, my child,” said Mrs. Worthington.  “I have often wished to explain to you my reasons for not attending the public services held in our neighborhood by the different denominations, but have feared you were still too young to understand, for the matter seems hard even for some older persons to comprehend.  But I will tell you and trust the Lord to make it plain.