The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-11-24

~ AuS4Cdl crlLlCS III the small COuSF6.
cation scattered throughout this quiet
little country church that Thanksgiv-
ing morning. And the beauty of the
words and the promise contained in
them touched the hearts of many.
Wait patiently upon the Lord and
he shall give thee thy hearts DESIRE"
repeated the choir. =.
1T is not true!"
The words were not spoken. but they
were in the thought and heart of one
ola woman sitting far back near the
door. She sat alone, for she was alone
IN the world. Those who had once
popped the old pew with her-father,
mother, husband, brothers and sisters,
and the child Of her love and care, all
We're gone. The quiet peaceful beauty
OF That Thanksgiving morning and the
spiritual atmosphere of the church had
quite failed to appeal to old Margaret
hudson. Never had she felt in a more
rebellious mood. It would have dazed
and panied the white-haired old elder
IN the pulpit had he known the
Thoughts that were uppermost in the
mlnd OF the small, dark, keen-eyed lit
tie old woman whose head gave little
oeHant toss when he rose and said:
Let us bow our heads in prayer"
Margaret Hudson did not bow her
head, and her heart did not respond to
the simple, fervent prayer of Elder
Norris.
What's the use?" she was saying
angrily to herself. Haven't I been
bowling my head and my knees in pray
er for years and years-in one prayer
for one thing, for my hearts desire,
and has it been granted to me? No,
1t hasn't! I have waited patiently on
the Lord and He has not given me the
desire Of my heart. I don't believe
that He ever will give it to me. I've
lost faith and hope. I can't help it.
MY hearts desire has been denied me
so long and the promise has not come
true to me. can't believe that it is
true''
There were educated, polished and
brilliant ministers in beautiful city
churches who preached with less sim
pie and tender beauty than that old
elder preached that morning about the
JOY of gratitude and praise-giving for
the blessings of God, but Margaret
Hudson was not touched by the words.
Her faith had lost it's 0livet and her
love its Galilee.
when He gives me my hearts de-
SIRE" she said stubbornly. when He
sends my boy, my Jim, back to me, I
will believe that His promises are true.
can't trust Him more until He does"
She did not tarry at the close of the
sermon for her usual greeting of old
friends, but stole out alone and hurried
toward her lonely home, the homeli-
ness and desolation of which were new
er so hard to bear as now.
IF He'd hear my prayer and send
Jim back to me it would be So" she
said.
Jim! Her hearts desire! Where was
he at that moment?
God only knows!" his mother said
between her broken sobs as she went
slowly along over the country road, the
bright sunlight of a glorious Novem-
Der day lending a radiance to the
brown leaves still remaining on the
trees. It had been twenty years since
she had seen Jim. He was then
handsome, head-strong boy of Is, and
the only child that had come to her.
She had lavished upon him the warm
est, tenderest affections of her life.
and yet she never knew just why Jim
had run away from home in his eight
zenith year and she had never seen him
nor heard from him since that day.
She knew that he had gone "out
west and she was too poor to follow
him, had she known where he was.
There had been vague and unfound-
ed rumors that he had "got into trou-
ble," but proof Of this was lacking,
and her neighbors had long ago ceased
to speak of Jim to Margaret Hudson.
But not for one day nor for one hour
had she ceased to think of him-her
hearts desire.
Twenty years of unanswered prayer
zlzj||k,Z&[.