"Seems to me," said Mrs. Butler a little shyly, "that having the parson here, we might have prayers to-night, before we settle in. It's not Sunday, but it's many a Sunday we have to do without 'em."
"Call the others in, then," said Butler, not altogether pleased by the innovation, so in trooped the boys and girls wide-eyed and smiling at the novelty of prayers in the middle of the week.
But they all felt there was something in it when Tom began. His manly earnestness was infectious and it was quite like church prayers after all, for he read a Psalm and then a few verses from the Bible, following on with familiar collects.
"Lighten our darkness, O Lord, and by Thy great mercy defend us from the perils and dangers of the night," he said, and the thunderous crash of a tree falling not far from the house reminded his listeners that the perils of the night were close about them—even at their doors.
"I should like us to sing a hymn together," said Tom as he rose from his knees, "something we all know. Shall it be 'Abide with me?'" and he started it in a strong clear voice and very soon the whole family joined in, not absolutely correctly perhaps, in time or tune, but with heartiness that made it effective.
"Thank you," said Butler at the end. "Some folks say that extempore prayers come more from the heart, but for my part I like those I've been used to from a boy."
Then the family slipped off to bed, and the sofa was pushed nearer the fire and a few rugs brought in and soon Tom was settled in for the night. With the first streak of dawn he was awake and pushed his way into the outer kitchen in search of soap and water, but there he found some one had been before him, and everything had been arranged for his comfort; and later Jessie appeared, carrying him his breakfast on a neat tray.
"It's kind of you to enable me to make an early start, and the weather is kind too. What a lovely morning after that wild night," but Jessie's heart was too full of other things to think of the weather.
"Mr. Chance, how will I keep good when you're gone?"
"No one keeps you good," said Tom, "except God's Holy Spirit, which is yours already and who will abide with you for the asking. And for the rest, Jessie, do your work lovingly and carefully, as in God's sight, and on Sunday you can give a helping hand in the school and teach the little ones about holy things. You can help along the church's work in the place if you have a mind to."