yield. I found, to my sorrow, that these omissions produced poverty of
soul, and often cried, "O, my leanness! my leanness!" In secret many
tears were shed over the loss of that joy that had been my experience.

Little by little the candle of the Lord that shone so brightly became
dim, and at the close of one year I sought the society of the gay and
mirthful, more effectually to drown my bitter regrets for having
turned aside from the path so clearly marked out for me. I fully
realized that the dark cloud overshadowing me was the result of
disobedience.

In company with a few of my companions, I attended the funeral of an
infant in our town. The service was conducted by a Baptist minister,
who had just come into the place. There was nothing in his remarks
that attracted my special attention. After the meeting closed, and
people were leaving, the minister passed on a little distance, and
turned back, as if something had been forgotten. Pressing through the
crowd, he ascended the porch, and came directly to me, looking
earnestly at me, as he reached his hand for mine, saying:

"I felt as if I could not leave this place without asking this young
woman a few questions. Have you ever experienced religion?"

This came upon me like a clap of thunder, he, being an entire
stranger, asking a question I never had occasion to answer. I
hesitated, as I had never intimated a word of my experience to any
human being. My first thought was to deny, but like a flash came the
words of Jesus, "He that denieth me before men, him will I also deny
before my Father and his holy angels. No; I can not--I will not,
though I die. With this thought I frankly replied: