"They
cannot go to sleep without it."
And Marjorie's mother did not go to sleep with it. Hollis had invited
himself to remain all night, saying that he was responsible for Linnet
and could not go home unless she went home.
XXVI.
MARJORIE'S MOTHER.
"Leave to Heaven the measure and the choice."--_Johnson_.
Marjorie fell asleep as happy as she wanted to be; but her mother did not
close her eyes in sleep all that night. She closed them in prayer,
however, and told Miss Prudence afterward that she "did not catch one
wink of sleep." All night long she was asking the Lord if she might
intermeddle between Marjorie and Hollis. As we look at them there was
nothing to intermeddle with. Marjorie herself did not know of anything.
Perhaps, more than anything, she laid before the Lord what she wanted him
to do. She told him how Marjorie looked, and how depressed she had been,
and her own fear that it was disappointment that was breaking her heart.
The prayer was characteristic.
"Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest the hearts of both, and what
is in thy will for both; but thou dost choose means, thou hast chosen
means since the world began; and if thou hast chosen me, make me ready to
speak. Soften the heart of the young man; show him how ill he has done;
and knit their hearts to each other as thou didst the hearts of David and
Jonathan. Make her willing as thou didst make Rebekah willing to go with
the servant of Abraham. Give her favor in his eyes, as thou gavest favor
to Abigail in the eyes of David.
Pages:
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362