kettle. As soon as the fire was hot enough I put the kettle on, and
cutting a slice from the loaf I made some nice crisp toast, such as my
aunt used to like when she was ill. Then I heated a plate, and buttered
the toast, and set it down by the fire. By this time the kettle was
boiling and I made the tea, and I said in my heart when all was
finished, 'Lord Jesus, I do this for Thee.'

Then I went upstairs to my hardest task of all, namely, to persuade
Polly to come down to eat the little meal I had prepared.

Polly was, as I had expected, most unwilling to leave the child, and at
first she firmly declined to move, and would not listen to my pleading
words. Yet I could see that she was almost fainting, and I knew that she
would need all the strength that she could muster for the night which
lay before us. Who knew what that night would bring?

I therefore spoke to her very firmly, telling her that I was willing and
anxious to help her in her trouble, but that, if I was to be any use to
her, she must not refuse to go downstairs for a few minutes at least,
and I promised her to watch little John very carefully, and to call her
at once if I saw any change in the child. She obeyed me at last, and I
heard her weary footsteps descending the steep stairs.

When I was left alone, I saw that Polly's Bible was lying open by the
little oil-lamp which stood on the table, upon which had been placed the
medicine and milk for little John's use. I went up to it, and my eye
fell upon these words:--

'If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask _what ye
will_, and _it shall be done unto you_.'