“Well, I would not say it till He does, child. But what did you pray for?”
“I said all the collects over.”
“Very good things, my dear; but were they what you wanted? I thought you had a special trouble at this time.”
“But what could I do?” asked Gatty, apparently rather bewildered.
“Dear child, thou couldst sure ask thy Father to help thee, without more ado. But ‘bide a wee,’ as my old friend, Scots Davie, was wont to say. There is a great deal about prayer in the Word of God. Let us look at a little of it.” Little Mrs Dorothy trotted to her small work-table, which generally stood at her side, and came back with a well-worn brown Bible. Gatty watched her with a rather frightened look, as if she thought that something was going to be done to her, and was not sure whether it might hurt her.
“Now hearken: ‘Be careful for nothing; but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.’ Again: ‘Whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do.’ These are grand words, my dear.”
“But they can’t mean that Mrs Dorothy! Why, only think—if I were to ask for a fortune, should I get it?”
“I must have two questions answered, my dear, ere I can tell that. Who are the you in these verses?”
“I thought it meant everybody.”
“Not so. Listen again: ‘If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.’ ’Tis not everybody doth that.”