The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1857-06-24

SUNNY RrnhinlI.
THE EVENING PRAYER OUR FA.
THEIR"

S"' "ltS'. Sh TWO sweet voices The
words were borne upward Ii WAS the
innocence of rcvercnL childhood that gaze
them ntierancc.
WHO art in heaven repeated the
children, one with hvr ewes bent meekIv
down and The other looking upw ards AS If
she would penetrate the heavens into
which her heart inspired.
"IaI'owed hc thy name"
Lower fell the voices of tho little ones.
In gentle mumcr they said-"IIallow.
cd bc thy name
Thy Kingdom come"
And Tie burden of prayer was still Ia
Ken up 10y tie chidrcn-"Thy kingdom
come"
Thy will be done on earth as i, is in
Heaven"
Like the low sweet echo from the land
Of angels-"Thv will Le done ON earth as
It is in Heaven" filled the chamber.
And the mother coutinuud-"Give us
this day our daily bread"
"Our daily bread fingered n moment
on the air, us the mothers voice was hush.
ed into silence.
And forgive us our debts as we also
forgive our debtors"
The eyes OF the children had dropped
for moment. But they were upiiited
again as they prnyed--"And forgive us
our debts as we also forgive our debt,
ors,"
| And lead Us not into temptation, Lnt
deliver us from all evil. For thine is the
kingdom AMI the power and The glory
! forever. Amer.
All those holy words were said piousIv
aud tcrvcmtly, by the little ones. as they
kncit with cIa>ped hnuds. beside their
mother. Then as their thoughts. up!iitcd
on tn" wings Of flray,r TO their Heavenly
Father, came back again and rested on
Their earthly parents, "A warmer love came
gushing from their hearts.
Pure kissss Tender cu.braces-,he
fonl "cood night" What sweet alta
tation i'civa,i,d all their feeling! Thcu
two dear heads were placed side by side
on n SNOWY pillow, the mothers last kiss
given and the shadoway curtains drawn.
What pulsc!css stiffness reigns
throughout the chamber. lnwardlv the
parents listening ears are bent. They
have given these innocent ones in the
care ci Gods angels, and they can almost
| hear the rnstIing of their garments ms they
gather around their sleeping babes A
| Sigh, deep ana tremulous, breaks on the
AIR. Quickly lie mother turns To the IA
ther Of her children with u look Of ear
mes inquiry Oh her countcnance. Aud
lie answers thus her silent question:
Far back, through many wears. have
my thoughts been wandering. A, my
mothers knee, ;huS | said nightly. in
childhood my evening prayer. Il was
the best and holicst OF prayer, "Our Fa.
Ihcr,' That she taught me. Childhood
and my mother passed away. went
forth "s man to 'he world, sironS. con
iideut, and seIfsceking. Once | came
into great temptation. Had fallen in
that temptation, | would have fallen, !
sadly fear, never 10 have risen again.
The Struggle i'm my mind went "n for
hours. ! MAS about yielding. All the
barriers 10 the rushing blood seemed ius,
ready TO give way, when, ms | sat in my
chamber, first occupied in many weeks,
the murncr ofa low voice WAS heard.
listened. At first no ariiculate sound was
heard, yet something in the tones that
stirred nv heart with new and strange
emotions. at length there came 20 nv
ear, in the earnest, loving voice Of "A wH.
man, the wordS-"Dclvr- us from evil"
For an iustam, ii seemed to me as If
the voice WAS that Of my mother. Back
with sudden bound though all child
IN heart again ! WAS kueeIing at my motn-
cr's knee.
llumbIy and revcrrutIy said over the
words Of the holy prayer she had taught
me, heart and eyes upIited TO Heaven
The hour and power of darkness had pas
sed. ] was 10 longer standing III slrpe.
~ places with flood of waters ready 10
sweep me To destruction but my fee,
were Oh II rock. Ny mothers pious care
had saved her son. In the holy words
she taught me in childhood there was n
living power I" resist evil through all my
after lie. All! that unknown mother.
as she taught her child TO repeat his eve.
nIng prayer, how little dreamed she that
the holy words were to reach q strangers
ears, and save him through the memories
OF his childhood and his mother, And
yet II was so. What power there is in
Gods word, as it flows into and rests in
The hearts OF innocent children.