"That was faith, certainly."
"Oh, he has faith," returned Linnet, earnestly. "Don't you know—oh, you don't remember—when the Evangelist—that always reminds me of Marjorie"—Linnet was a somewhat fragmentary talker like her mother—"but when Mr. Woodfern was here four of the Rheid boys joined the Church, all but Hollis, he was in New York, he went about that time. Mr. Woodfern was so interested in them all; I shall never forget how he used to pray at family worship: 'Lord, go through that Rheid family.' He prayed it every day, I really believe. And they all joined the Church at the first communion time, and every one of them spoke and prayed in the prayer meetings. They used to speak just as they did about anything, and people enjoyed it so; it was so genuine and hearty. I remember at a prayer meeting here that winter Will arose to speak 'I was talking to a man in town today and he said there was nothing in religion. But, oh, my! I told him there was nothing out of it.' I told him about that to-night and he said he hadn't found anything outside of it yet."
"He's a fine young fellow," said Miss Prudence. "Mr. Holmes says he has the 'right stuff' in him, and he means a great deal by that."
A pleasant thought curved Linnet's lips.
"But, Miss Prudence," sitting down on the step of the piazza, "I do wish for a list of things. I want to know if I may pray that mother may never look grave and anxious as she did at the supper table, and father may not always have a cough in winter time, and Will may never have another long voyage and frighten us all, and that Marjorie may have a chance to go to school, too, and—why, ever so many things!"
A laugh from the disputants in the parlor brought the quick color to Miss
Prudence's cheeks. No mere earthly thing quickened her pulses like John
Holmes' laugh. And I do not think that was a mere earthly thing; there
was so much grace in it.
"Doesn't St. Paul's 'everything' include your 'ever so many things?'" questioned Miss Prudence, as the laugh died away.
"I don't know," hesitatingly. "I thought it meant about people becoming
Christians, and faith and patience and such good things."
"Perhaps your requests are good things, too. But I have thought of something that will do for a list of things; it is included in this promise: 'Whatsoever things ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them.' Desire when ye pray! That's the point."
"Does the time when we desire make any difference?" asked Linnet, interestedly.