d of
the Lord, they are accepted, and
all that are strong, serve the
weak in strengthening them and
wait in wisdom to give place to
the motion of the Spirit in them,
that it may have time to bring
forth what God hath given ... that
... you maybe a well spring of
Life to one another in the power
of the endless love of God.'--W.
DEWSBURY._

_'When the Justices threatened
Friend John Boult and told him
that he and other Reading Friends
should be sent to prison, he
replied: "That's the weakest thing
thou canst do. If thou canst
convince me of anything that is
evil, I will hear thee and let the
prisons alone."'--W.C. BRAITHWAITE._

XIX. THE CHILDREN OF READING MEETING

It was a most uncomfortable First Day morning. The children looked at
each other and wondered what would happen next, as they stood in the
small bedroom under the thatched roof. Dorcas, the eldest, already
half dressed, held Baby Stephen in her arms; but the twins, Tryphena
and Tryphosa, were running about the floor with bare feet and only
their petticoats on, strings and tapes all flying loose. Baby was
crying, whilst the Twins shouted with mischievous glee. Something must
be done. So Dorcas seated herself in a big chair and tried to dress
Baby. But Baby was hungry. He wanted his breakfast and he did not at
all want to be dressed! Oh, if only Mother was here! Where was Mother
all this long time? Had she and Father really been taken to prison?
Dorcas felt heart-sick at the thought. Happily the Twins and Baby were
too little to understand. She herself was nearly ten and therefore
almost grown up. She understood now all about it quite well. This was
what Mother had meant when she bent down to kiss her little girl in
bed last night, saying that she was going out to a Meeting at Friend
Curtis' house, hoping to be back in an hour or two. 'But if not'--here
Dorcas remembered that Mother's eyes had filled with tears. She had
left the sentence unfinished, adding only: 'Anyway, I know I can trust
thee, Dorcas, to be a little mother to the little ones while I am
away.' 'But if not....' Dorcas had been too sleepy last night to
think what the words meant, or