DENIED, YET ANSWERED.
When Augustine, in his home at Carthage, resolved to visit Rome, his mother wished either to prevent him from going, or to go with him. He would listen to neither proposal, and resorted to a trick to carry out his plan. One evening he went to the sea-shore, and his mother followed. There were two chapels dedicated to the memory of the martyr Cyprian, and he pressed her to spend one evening in the church of the martyr, while he would accompany a friend on board a ship, there to say farewell. While she was there in tears, praying and wrestling with God to prevent the voyage, Augustine sailed for Italy, and his deceived mother next morning found herself alone. In quiet resignation she returned to the city, and continued to pray for the salvation of her son. Though meaning well, yet she erred in her prayers, for the journey of Augustine was the means of his salvation. The denial of the prayer was, in fact, the answering of it. Instead of the husk, God granted rather the substance of her petition in the conversion of her son. "Therefore," said he, "O God, Thou hadst regard to the aim and essence of her desires, and didst not do what she then prayed for, that Thou mightest do for me what she continually implored."