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.

CHAPTER XIX.

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.