EVENTS AND PROCEEDINGS CONTINUED. II7 
her to Himself. I seem to hear the words she said — 
the half-frightened fluttering cry — ‘ Oh, papa ! what 
shall I do?’ And, in the knowledge that Jesus was 
to be henceforth mother and father to her — the trust- 
ing, simple child’s cry, ‘O Jesus, do be quick.’ How 
much Jesus must love this child-like, trusting sim- 
plicity, when He tells us we must all ‘ become as 
little children.’ Ma dear! my poor father! You 
have had the sweetest, dearest little soul I have ever 
known. She is yours. God gave her to you. She 
belongs to you more than to any one else, except her 
Saviour, to whom we all owe ourselves, body, soul, 
and spirit. She is your ‘ treasure,’ though taken from 
you for awhile, so that your affections may be drawn 
to and centred in heaven. She, little Muriel, my 
Minnie, my own dear mother, Margie — all safely 
home— -out of the tossing billows of our stormy life. 
Hail to the day when we shall also be there I They’ll 
be watching and waiting for us. All our weariness, 
doubts, disappointments, sorrows, will be at an end 
when we reach our Father’s house. Dear ma ! dear 
father ! A perfectly wise and lovingly tender Father 
is carefully planning our lives. Trees planted by 
Himself — He hedges us round, trains us up, waters 
us, sometimes prunes us even, taking off little tender 
shoots which are part of ourselves — as He has done 
with little Clara ; and all is done with wise and loving 
intent. He does not leave us to straggle up wild. 
It is not chance or fate. He knows, He cares, He 
does all — wisely and well. I don’t know what to say 
to comfort you. I must leave you to the only One 
who, as the great skilful Physician, can apply the balm 
of comfort to your hearts. When my Minnie was 
taken away, it did me good to have loving hearts 
recalling to me all that was so dear in her. I hope 
that my words — meant to strengthen and help, if God 
will use them thus — will not make your hearts more 
sad. I cannot tell you how sorry I feel for you both. 
I think you will find, as I did, that the memory of her 
