One day when her eldest boy, as she thought, was old enough to
comprehend her, she said to him rather seriously, "My son, there is one
kind of prayer to God to which I have not directed your attention. It is
called 'secret prayer.' The direction and encouragement for this kind of
prayer is found in the passage, 'Enter into thy closet and shut to thy
door, and pray to thy Father which is in heaven, and thy Father which
seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.' Now do you not desire to
obtain this open reward. If you would like a closet of your own, there
is a little retired place near my bed-room--you can go there each day by
yourself, and shut your door as directed."

One day, not long after, the child was gone some time; his mother did
not like to accuse him of having trifled on so serious an occasion, for
he was a remarkably conscientious and honest boy--and she said to him,
"Frank, you have been gone so long I fear you may have been using 'vain
repetitions.'"

The color mantled at once in the little fellow's cheeks, and almost
ready to cry, he said, "Mother, when aunt Mary left us yesterday, she
said that she and the children would be exposed to many dangers during
the voyage, and she asked me to pray for them, and it took me a good
while."

I was told by a friend, of a group of little boys when visiting a little
companion, all seated on the floor near each other, looking at some
pictures. They came to one representing Daniel in the den of lions. It
was noticed that the lions were not chained, and yet they were in a
reposing posture. None seemed to understand how this was. One little boy
said to another, "Ah, wouldn't you be afraid to be put into a den of