'Your prayers will
be heard, you are so good. Now, before Minette goes to bed, that she,
too, may pray for her father.'
Gladys had long been in the habit of praying with and for people in
great misery, as well as in great sin, so the request did not startle
her as it might have startled many. She read, from the Prayer Book, the
Confession, and then chose the concluding portion of the Litany, feeling
sure that almost any part of that list of petitions was suitable both
for Howel and themselves. When she read the words, 'That it may please
Thee to have mercy upon all men,' she paused, and added earnestly,
'especially upon him for whom we now desire to pray,' and little Minette
added to this, 'that is my poor papa.'
It was with difficulty that Gladys could conclude, she was herself so
affected by Netta's sobs, and Minette's innocent petition, but when they
rose from their knees, Netta said, 'I have not really prayed before,
Gladys, for a long time. Will God ever forgive me?' and Minette
entreated Gladys 'to teach her prayers in English; she liked them so
much better than in French.'
Gladys endeavoured to comfort the poor mother by passages from the
Scripture, and promised the child 'to teach her to pray,' and so she
helped to repay to her mother and grandmother the debt of gratitude she
owed to her and her family.
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