attending his services. Her husband noticed her habits of private
prayer, and in a violent rage threatened her with frightful
consequences if she did not refrain from her church-going. She told
him her conscience would not allow that, and with terrible oaths he
cried, "I'll cut your throat as soon as you come back, if you go!"

The poor woman only prayed the harder, and when Sunday morning came
she dressed herself for church as usual. As she passed through the
kitchen her husband bellowed out, "I shall not cut your throat as I
said, I shall heat the big oven and throw you into it the minute you
get back." To the accompaniment of savage swearing she closed the door
and made her way to the church, praying all the time that God would
strengthen her to suffer whatever might befall her.

In grateful amaze she drank in every word of Fletcher's impromptu talk
upon the three martyrs in the fiery furnace, and to herself she cried
softly, "If I had a thousand lives I'd lay them all down for Jesus!"

Knowing the brutal nature of her husband--a butcher by trade--she was
quite prepared for the worst that might happen to her, but God kept
her in utter and perfect peace when she actually saw flames issuing
from the oven. She was even _joyful_ as she opened the door to
death.

Then, to her unspeakable astonishment, she saw her husband upon his
knees, beseeching God to pardon his sins. He caught her in his arms,
crying, "Forgive me, wife; oh, forgive me if you can!" turning from
her only to cry yet more earnestly to God for the mercy he had been
led by the Spirit Himself to seek.