PRAYERS

During the winter the village preacher was taken sick, and several of

his children were also afflicted with the mumps. One day a number of the

devout church members called to pray for the family. While they were

about it a boy, the son of a member living in the country, knocked at

the preacher's door. He had his arms full of things. "What have you

there?" a deacon asked him.



"Pa's prayers for a happy Than sgiving," the boy answered, as he

proceeded to unload potatoes, bacon, flour and other provisions for the

afflicted family.





A little girl in Washington surprised her mother the other day by

closing her evening prayers in these words: "Amen; good bye; ring off."





TEACHER--"Now, Tommy, suppose a man gave you $100 to keep for him and

then died, what would you do? Would you pray for him?"



TOMMY--"No, sir; but I would pray for another like him."





A well-known revivalist whose work has been principally among the

negroes of a certain section of the South remembers one service

conducted by him that was not entirely successful. He had had very poor

attendance, and spent much time in questioning the darkies as to their

reason for not attending.



"Why were you not at our revival?" he asked one old man, whom he

encountered on the road.



"Oh, I dunno," said the backward one.



"Don't you ever pray?" demanded the preacher.



The old man shook his head. "No," said he; "I carries a rabbit's

foot."--_Taylor Edwards_.





A little girl attending an Episcopal church for the first time, was

amazed to see all kneel suddenly. She asked her mother what they were

going to do. Her mother replied, "Hush, they're going to say their

prayers."



"What with all their clothes on?"





The new minister in a Georgia church was delivering his first sermon.

The darky janitor was a critical listener from a back corner of the

church. The minister's sermon was eloquent, and his prayers seemed to

cover the whole category of human wants.



After the services one of the deacons asked the old darky what he

thought of the new minister. "Don't you think he offers up a good

prayer, Joe?"



"Ah mos' suhtainly does, boss. Why, dat man axed de good Lord fo' things

dat de odder preacher didn't even know He had!"





Hilma was always glad to say her prayers, but she wanted to be sure that

she was heard in the heavens above as well as on the earth beneath.



One night, after the usual "Amen," she dropped her head upon her pillow

and closed her eyes. After a moment she lifted her hand and, waving it

aloft, said, "Oh, Lord! this prayer comes from 203 Selden Avenue."





Willie's mother had told him that if he went to the river to play he

should go to bed. One day she was away, and on coming home about two

o'clock in the afternoon found Willie in bed.



"What are you in bed for?" asked his mother.



"I went to the river to play, and I knew you would put me in bed, so I

didn't wait for you to come."



"Did you say your prayers before you went to bed?" asked his mother.



"No," said Willie. "You don't suppose God would be loafing around here

this time of day, do you? He's at the office."





Little Polly, coming in from her walk one morning, informed her mother

that she had seen a lion in the park. No amount of persuasion or

reasoning could make her vary her statement one hairbreadth. That night,

when she slipped down on her knees to say her prayers, her mother said,

"Polly, ask God to forgive you for that fib."



Polly hid her face for a moment. Then she looked straight into her

mother's eyes, her own eyes shining like stars, and said, "I did ask

him, mamma, dearest, and he said, 'Don't mention it, Miss Polly; that

big yellow dog has often fooled me.'"





Prayer is the spirit speaking truth to Truth.--_Bailey_.





Pray to be perfect, though material leaven

Forbid the spirit so on earth to be;

But if for any wish thou darest not pray,

Then pray to God to cast that wish away.



--_Hartley Coleridge_.





_See also_ Courage.