After Bessie’s return Mrs. Worthington put forth every effort to teach her children more about heavenly things.  She bore in mind the scripture, “Train up a child in the way it should go; and when it is old, it will not depart from it.”  As she did not want to fail along this line, she spent every spare moment with her children.  And she seldom let them go from home to visit unaccompanied by her; but one day, being very busy, she let them go alone to their grandmother’s.  The distance was not great, and Bessie, now nearly six years old, knew the way perfectly.  All would have been well had their grandmother been at home.  She being away, the girls stopped to watch some children at play.  These children were breaking old bottles that they had picked up in the alley.  As the little girls stood watching the sport, a large brown bottle was brought forth and with a heavy stroke of the hammer was broken.  Small pieces of the glass flew in every direction.  One piece struck Louise on the palm of the hand just below the thumb, knocking off the skin, but not producing a wound deep enough to bleed.  Her grandmother, who appeared on the scene just at this time, examined the wound.  She though it would soon be all right, but bound it up with a cloth to satisfy the child.  The children played as usual and then returned home in time for supper.

When they came in, their mother, who had been very busy through the day at housecleaning, was preparing a hasty supper, and she gave them no special attention.  The family were soon seated around the supper-table.  They had not been there long until Mrs. Worthington noticed that Louise was not eating.  She asked the child why she did not eat, but received no reply.  On being asked if her throat was sore, Louise nodded her head.  Still the mother did not think the child’s condition serious; and, after pinning a flannel around the child’s neck, she did the evening work and prepared to attend a prayer-meeting.  She had noticed the rag upon Louise’s hand, but Bessie had laughed about the little cut and said, “Grandma tied it up just to please Louise.”

Although the meeting that night was unusually good, Mrs. Worthington could not forget the expression on her child’s face as they had kissed each other good-by.  It seemed to be before her all the time; so she really felt relieved when the meeting closed and she could return.

Upon entering her home she immediately asked her husband, “How is Louise?” He answered that she had been very naughty and cross and that he had been obliged to punish her.  This news increased the mother’s fears.  Feeling of the child’s head, she found it hot and feverish.

As Louise continued to grow worse, at two o’clock in the morning Mrs. Worthington thought it best to examine the child’s throat; but when the mother asked the little girl to open her mouth, she said, “Mama, I can’t.”

“What!” exclaimed the mother, “you can not open your mouth!  Why, child, what is the matter with you?” Although Louise tried repeatedly to open her mouth, she could force her teeth apart only about an eighth of an inch, and only with great difficulty could she speak.