The Delawarean. [volume] (Dover, Del.) 1859-1927, 1900-04-14
CHAPTER VIII

CHAPTER VIII.
Robert finished most of the work
toiling as never in all his life before
and started for home at 6. On the way
he made inquiries concerning George
but nobody had seen him since the
evening before When he reached the
house, he found that his wife, utterly
worn out. had lain down for little
sleep, and Alice was caring for the pa.
tients with Il calm courage and quiet
cheertulness that revealed the girls
strong. self reliant character Cllras
condition bad not changed She still
lay as if sleeping. Alice reported that
once in the afternoon she had moved
her lips and distinctly called for water
Mr.. Hardy and ,Bess sat down to the
supper table by themselves, and Bess
again told how she had been saved
from even a scratch in that terrible
fall. 1t was indeed remarkable that
the child did not seem TO suffer even
from the general shock and reaction
from the disaster.
After brief meal Mr. Hardy went
up stairs to Clara again. His chief
anxiety now was for her. He believed
that if the DOCTORS fears We're realized
she would become insane. 1t was not
possible that person of her tempera.
ment and passion could be otherwise in
case she should come to consciousness
of her condition.
AS the evening wore on Mr.. Hardy
felt that his duty lay in his own home
for that night. and he would have to
see his minister some other time. He
thought of the prayer meeting with
regret and sat by the bed of the un.
conscious girl wondering how il was
possible that for all these years gone
by he had been so Indifferent to one OF
the best and most precious opportu.
mites for growing in spiritual man.
hood. lie heard the bell ring for serv.
ice. and when it stopped lie sat with
his face in his hands praying
The prayer meeting in Mr.. Jones
church was generally a very quiet af.
fair. A good many people in the church,
especially those who came to the meet.
ing only occasionally, thought it was
stupid. But 1t was a noticeable fact
that those who attended regularly
We're the ones who did the most work
in the church and the ones who grew
stronger and sweeter in the Christian
life. There was usually no regular sub
ject given out There was very little
talking done From beginning to close
II was nearly all prayer MIR. Jones
did not feel afraid of the long pauses.
He believed modern American life to
be so full of nervousness and hurry
that it would not hurt any one to sit
still and think minute or two.
That was the reason so many people
called Mr.. Jones' prayer meetings dull,
because they were not rushing all the
time with sensational or exciting re-
marks and incidents. Mr.. Jones didn't
believe that was what a prayer meet
ing was for, and he planned for it ac-
cordngly. But this particular evening
was an exception. The great railroad
accident so near them had stirred the
entire community to its sympathetic
depths. Several families in Mr. Jones'
church had been sufferers. AS if by
tacit consent there was an unusually
large gathering at the church, and the
subject was of necessity the recent
disaster.
1t was spontaneous meeting. The
minister briefly opened with the ex-
pressed desire that God would bless
the suffering, prepare the dying and
comfort the living, and almost instant
ly a service of prayer began, which
was like flood in its continuous out
pouring. The people seemed urged by
some irresistible feeling to relieve the
pent up strain of the day in prayer,
and such prayers had not been heard
in that church for many years.
similar scene was witnessed near
the White River Junction railroad dis
aster in 1887 in church near the acct
dent. The entire morning service was
given up to prayer. which seemed the
only healthy relief to people suffering
from an overwhelming horror.
1t was during the first pause that oc-
Cured that James Caxton opened the
door and gave note to some one in the
back seat with request that 1t be sent
up to Mr.. Jones. He then turned "a IL
to go out. but hesitated. came back and