The humblest of God’s children have spirit friends and attendants, as well as the highest and grandest; spirits who watch over, guide, and direct those under their charge are with the poor and lowly as well as with the wealthy and great; none are forsaken, none forgotten, all are cared for and blessed with angel ministrations.
In this case, the spirit mother of Katy brought strength and power to the girl, aided by wise and good magnetic physicians of spirit life, who loved to benefit the needy and soothe the suffering. And the father, upon his bed of pain, was enabled to behold his daughter attending to his wants, ministering to his necessities, and caring for him in every loving way. Surely a sight to cause rejoicing among the angels, who delight to behold good deeds and noble acts performed for others.
A SPIRIT’S EFFORTS TO REACH HER FATHER.
Katy’s father met with the disaster that had injured him for life at a factory, or rather a mill, owned by a corporation, the president of which, a stern, overbearing man, had but a few years before lost a lovely and only daughter of fourteen summers. This beautiful spirit had long sought to influence her father, in order to convince him of her continued existence, but all in vain, until now she had turned her attention to the needs and necessities of the lowly and suffering, and had entered heart and soul into the work of relieving their distress. For ten weeks following the accident the corporation of which we write paid the expenses of the suffering man; but at the expiration of that time all help from that quarter ceased, and, as we have said, there was no resource but Katy’s scanty earnings for the needs of the invalid and herself.
Lucy, the spirit daughter of the rich man at the head of the mill, had become cognizant of these facts, and, being strongly attracted to Katy, sought in every possible way to lighten her burdens.
She now redoubled her efforts to reach and influence her father, for she felt that something must be done for the relief of the young working girl and the suffering man. As yet her efforts were uncrowned with success; but still she continued them unceasingly, for she felt that it was her mission to penetrate the crust of worldliness that had gathered around her father’s spirit, and to draw him upward toward the higher and the better life.
Time passed. In spite of all that attending spirits could do, Katy was surely breaking down under the wearing labor imposed upon her; for the physical system could not withstand the strain brought to bear upon it. One day she fainted at her work, and it was a full hour before she was brought to her senses by the efforts of the frightened girls who clustered around her; then, weak and pallid, she was taken home, to be placed under the care of a physician who was in attendance upon her father. This was a time of sore trial to the members of that little family; but, although they knew it not, spirit helpers were working for their benefit.
Two weeks had passed since the day that Katy had left her work at the mill. Mr. Aiken, the president, was in the counting-room as the working girls filed in to receive their week’s wages. Carefully he scrutinized each face at the little window until the last one had disappeared, when he turned to the book-keeper and inquired for “Morrow’s girl,” whose ever-cheerful, modest, and smiling demeanor had often attracted his attention. He was told that she had left the mill because of failing health, and the matter was dropped for the time being. But the spirits, particularly gentle Lucy Aiken, and anxious Mrs. Morrow, were determined that the obdurate heart of this dignified man of wealth should be softened, and they were steadily working to accomplish their purpose.
Weeks lengthened into months, and still Mr. Morrow languished upon his bed of pain, and still Katy drooped in her seat by the window where she sat striving to perform some needle-work which one of her mill companions had procured for her, and which she persisted in doing, despite the protest of the doctor whenever he came to visit his patients.