The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-09-28


her and beg her to make her father
stop; but Lily knew that would be OF
no use. Then Miss Allison came into
her mind; but Lily remembered how
one day, when she had come to try to
John Malcolm had only laughed. Per-
haps, and Lily shuddered at the thought,
if she asked God every day, he would
let her bear the curse instead of her
father. Then it was as if ray of light
came into her soul; no earthly friend
could help her, but God could. Day
and night she would plead with him, TO
save her father, and almost comforted,
Lily fell asleep.
The next morning, as soon as she
awoke, she jumped out of bed and
dressed herself Then going over to the
crib where Walter slept, she shook him
gently: awake up, Wally. dear; l
want to speak to you"
Walter opened his eyes and sat up in
bed, while Lily continued: Wally,
Pm going to dress you, and then Wen
go down stairs, I've got something to
tell you
els it a new game, Liy?" asked
Wally, who was now thoroughly awake.
"No, Wally," said Lily, seriously,
it isn't play, but real earnest. Yes
terday you know was temperance
lesson, and Miss Allison told us it was
wrong for people to drink, because it
made them very wicked, and their little
boys and girls never had shoes and
warm coats, and sometimes they were
hungry, and the money they spent in
the saloon they ought to take home to
their families, and o, Wally, if papa
didn't sell them the drink they wouldn't
buy it," and Lily burst into tears.
Don't cry, Lily" said Wally, kiss
ing her
And, Wally, they'll never go to
heaven and see Jesus, the Bible says
so, read all about it last night, and
Wally, Pm going to pray every day that
papa will stop selling drink to the men.
l wouldn't have made you get up, only
Jesus says when two of us ask any
thing together he'll give it sure. You
don't mind, do you, dear?"
"No, Lily, don't, and I'll help you
ask Jesus, too. Shall we pray now?"
Lily shook her head. ~ think we'd
better 60 down in the saloon behind
the br; somebody might see us up
here, and want it to be secret till
Jesus answers"
AS the two children passed their
fathers room, he saw them, and won
dering what they could be doing at so
early an hour, he threw on his dressing
gown and followed them. He won
dered still more when they opened the
door of the saloon, went behind the bar
and fell on their knees. He crept
softly 10 get as close to them as he
could so that he could hear what they
were going to say.
"Now, Wally," said Lilly, "we've
got to pray awful hard; I'll begin, and
when say amen, it will be your turn. "
Folding her hands reverently, Lily be-
gan: "Dear Jesus, I'm Lily, and my
papa keeps big saloon and sells drink
to the men that makes them bad, so
that they have no money, and their lit
tie boys and girls is hungry, and, Jesus,
me and Wally want you to make him
stop; you said you would if two of us
asked; so please do, dear Jesus. Amen.
Now, Wally."
dear Jesus" piped Wally in high
clear voice Sim Wally, and l make
two, and please make papa stop keeping
saloon, cause it makes Lily cry and
poor peoples cold. Amen"
John Malcolm stole away as softly as
he came. The children never knew he
had been listening, but morning after
morning as the patter of their little feet
sounded past his door, he followed
them. Instinctively, too, he would
kneel as they said their little prayer
One morning, as it was nearly month
from the day Lily had begun to pray
and the children knelt together, Wally
said: Isn't it most time we finished
Lily?"
All Lily answered was, go WallyW
and lifting up her face, she poured Out
her anguish, saying: 90 Jesus! we're
getting awful tired, Wally and me, il
doesn't seem as though you heard us
pray, perhaps we're too little, and two
of us isn't enough, but dear Jesus, we
don't know who else to ask" Here
Lily broke completely, and the tears
streamed down her face. This was
more than John Malcolm could bear, h,
opened the door, and lifting the chile
to his arms, strained her to his heart
saying: eyes, Lily, two are enough
Jesus has heard your prayer, and an
swered it, too. From this day, tn,
doors of John Malcolm's saloon ar,
closed forever. The same God WIFI
: has answered the prayers of a littl,
child, will hear those of her father."-
> Frances Lane, in Neao York Observer.
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