sat down to dinner with a degree of
cheerfulness, endeavoring to cast all our care on 'Him that careth
for us.' We had begged to stay till the next morning, as Sunday was
not the day on which we liked to remove; but we were ordered not to
sleep another night in that house; so as we had little to carry, we
marched off in the evening to the poor lodging we had before
occupied. The thought that my husband had cheerfully renounced his
little all for conscience sake, gave an unspeakable serenity to my
mind; and I felt thankful that though cast down we were not
forsaken: nay I felt a lively gratitude to God, that while I doubted
not he would accept this little sacrifice, as it was heartily made
for his sake, he had graciously forborne to call us to greater
trials."

"And so you were turned adrift once more? Well, ma'am, saving your
presence, I hope you won't be such a fool as to say all was for the
best now." "Yes, Betty: He who does all things well, now made his
kind Providence more manifest than ever. That very night, while we
were sweetly sleeping in our poor lodging, the pretty cottage, out
of which we were so unkindly driven, was burned to the ground by a
flash of lightning which caught the thatch, and so completely
consumed the whole little building that had it not been for the
merciful Providence who thus overruled the cruelty of the farmer for
the preservation of our lives, we must have been burned to ashes
with the house. 'It was the Lord's doing, and it was marvelous in
our eyes.' 'O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his
goodness, and for all the wonders that he doeth for the children of
men!'

"I will not tell you all the trials and afflictions which befell us
afterward. I would also spare my heart the sad story of my husband's
death." "Well, that was another blessing too, I suppose," said
Betty. "Oh, it was the severest trial ever sent me!" replied Mrs.
Simpson, a few tears quietly stealing down her face. "I almost sunk
under it. Nothing but the abundant grace of God could have carried
me through such a visitation; and yet I now feel it to be the
greatest mercy I ever experienced; he was my idol; no trouble ever
came near my heart while he was with me. I got more credit than I
deserved for my patience under trials, which were easily borne while
he who shared and lightened them was spared to me. I had indeed
prayed and struggled to be weaned from this world, but still my
affection for him tied me dow