men to sleep in; his soldiers were ragged and cold by day, and had not
blankets enough to keep them warm by night; their shoes were old and
worn, and they had to wrap cloths around their feet to keep them from
freezing.

When they marched to the Delaware River, one cold Christmas night, a
soldier who was sent after them, with a message for Washington, traced
them by their footprints on the snow, all reddened with the blood from
their poor cut feet.

They must have been very brave and patient to have fought at all, when
they were so cold and ragged and hungry.

Washington suffered a great deal in seeing his soldiers so wretched,
and I am sure that, with all his strength and courage, he would
sometimes have given up hope, if he had not talked and prayed to God a
great deal, and asked Him to help him.

In one of the hardest times of the whole war, Washington was staying
at a farmer's house. One morning, he rode out very early to visit the
soldiers. The farmer went into the fields soon after, and as he was
passing a brook where a great many bushes were growing, he heard a
deep voice from the thicket. He looked through the leaves, and saw
Washington on his knees, on the ground, praying to God for his
soldiers. He had fastened his horse to a tree, and come away by
himself to ask God to help them.

At last the war came to an end; the English were beaten, and our
armies sent up praise and thanks to God.