Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-01-24


''What are you thinking Of? Bar
bara, you don't mean to refuse, after
all this waiting?"
Then Barbara told her mother all
about the mornings talk with Mrs.
Ward.
81 am in honor bound to stay with
her, anyway, until she finds some one
else. promised. If I accept this of
fer must go at once, as the place re-
quires an immediate answer in per-
son. That would leave Mrs. Ward
without anyone just at a time when
she is most in need of some one"
''She will let you off for such an I'M
expected offer as this Barbara" Mrs.
Clark spoke with eagerness. you do
not mean to lose it, to lose your
chances of getting something better
just for"
Mother, you must not tempt me"
Barbara replied, with a faint smile.
And Mrs. Clark, with a sigh, made no
further appeal. She knew from past
experience that Barbara would not
change her mind in such a matter.
After a long silence Barbara said:
Mother, I may decide to remain with
Mrs. Ward for good. This morning I
thought it was all a mistake and that
I could not do anything. But since
this talk with her see some hopes of
working out the problem. really be-
gin to think I may be of some use in
that home"
''But you have not been happy there,
dear. And I am sure the work is too
hard for you. You are tired OUT
sit is the heat, mother. I shall be
all right when the cool weather comes
this fall.''
Mrs. Clark shook her head doubtful
ly; and when Barbara went up to her
room at last her mother broke down
and had cry over the situation. Bar
bara had handed her the four weeks
savings, amounting to $14. 1t was
more than she could have saved on $35
a month as teacher, if she had been
obliged to pay for her own board and
lodgings and incidentals. But, in spite
of all, Mrs. Clark could not understand
the girls evident purpose to go back to
Mrs. Wards permanently.
Up in her room that night Barbara
turned to her New Testament with a
purpose which had been formed since
her talk in the morning. It had come
ing some thing about the need which
she had of her, that there were great
many passages in the New Testament
written especially for servants. And
the idea occurred to her to search for
all of them and make a study of them
with special reference to her own case
at what was now a crisis for her flu
ture. She would take one passage every
week and dwell on it while at er work
If she should decide to go back to
the Wards indefinitely.
She did not know where to look for
all the passages referring to the
slaves or bond-servants- common to
Christ's and PauTs times, but she was
familiar with the beautiful verses in
the second chapter of Philippians, and
she turned to them reading from her
Revised Bible.
"Have this mind in you, which was
also in Christ Jesus: who, being in
the form of God, counted it not a
prize to be on an equality with God,
but emptied Himself, taking the form
of a servant (the Greek word is bond
servant), being made in the likeness
of men; and being made in fashion
as man, He humbled Himself, becom-
ing obedient even unto death, yea,
the death of the cross.
''Wherefore also God highly exalted
Him, and gave unto Him the name
which is above every name; that in
| the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of things in Heaven and things
on earth and things under the earth
and that every tongue should confess
| that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory
| of God the Father" (Phil. ii:5-11.)
s'The Son of God was a bond-serv-
ant" Barbara repeated the state
ment softly before she prayed. And
never before had she prayed more
earnestly for wisdom and humility
and courage. Never had the girl felt
a deeper longing to be of use in the
world where she was most needed
s'Help me, Son of God" was the bur
den of her prayer, 'to decide now
what [ ought to do. Lead me in the
right way"
In the morning she went down, and
meeting her mother, kissed her affec
| tionately. Mrs Clark looked at hel
| anXiously.
eyes, mother" Barbara answered
gently, "I have decided to go bacl
| Tor good. L DeHeVe L can De OF more
use there than in a schoolroom. The
dragon is very fierce and very tough
mother; and I have been scared ant
run away; but l am going back, ant
I want your blessing again. There
are going to be some interesting
fights with the dragon this time
mother, I am sure. For, if Mrs. WARD
will do what she Limited at, the dra g
on will have two women after hin
instead of one. We will make it live
| iy for him."
So Barbara walked over to the
Wards, and, going right up to hel