“Yes,” sez I, “I believe it from the bottom of my heart; if we do as Daniel did,‘set our hearts to understand,’ we can be kep’ from perils as he wuz, and we can hear that Divine Voice a biddin’ us to understand and to be strong.”
Sez I, “I believe that Voice almost always comes to us in the supreme moments of our greatest need. When we have been mournin’ as Daniel had, and ‘eaten no pleasant bread,’ and lay with our faces on the ground by the deep waters, then comes One to us, onseen by them about us, and touches our bowed heads and sez:
“‘Belovéd, fear not. Peace be unto thee. Be strong. Yea, be strong.’”
And then we went on and talked considerable, and she told me how her mother had read to her, as soon as she wuz able to understand anything, all about the prophets, and how she had always loved to think about ’em and their divine work.
And I told her I felt jest so; I thought they wuz likely old creeters, them and their wives too.
And Genieve looked up dretful startled and surprised, and said she had never thought about their wives, not at all.
And I sez, “Like enough, nobody duz. Nobody ever did think anything about old Miss Daniel, or Miss Zekiel, or any of ’em. Nobody ever thought of givin’ the wimmen any credit, but they deserve it,” sez I. “I believe they wuz likely old females, every one of ’em.”
Genieve still looked dretful wonderin’, and as if I had put a bran new idee into her head. As much as she had pondered and studied them prophets, she never had gin a thought to them good old females—faithful, hard-workin’ creeters, I believe they wuz.
And she sez, sez she, “I never thought anything about them, whether they had any troubles or not.”