we must have a professional nurse, and we must go away from here soon.
There are only a few dollars left in my purse, and I don't know what
we'll do when they are gone. I just know Jack is going to die, and then
I'll die, too, and then what will become of the baby?" Mom Beck sat
down, and took the trembling form in her arms.

"There, there!" she said, soothingly, "have yo' cry out. It will do you
good. Poah chile! all wo'n out with watchin' an' worry. Ne'm min', ole
Becky is as good as a dozen nuhses yet. I'll get Judy to come up an'
look aftah the kitchen. An' nobody ain' gwine to die, honey. Don't you
go to slayin' all you's got befo' you's called on to do it. The good
Lawd is goin' to pahvide fo' us same as Abraham."

The last Sabbath's sermon was still fresh in her mind.

"If we only hold out faithful, there's boun' to be a ram caught by
the hawns some place, even if we haven't got eyes to see through the
thickets. The Lawd will pahvide whethah it's a burnt offerin' or a
meal's vittles. He sho'ly will." Lloyd crept away frightened. It seemed
such an awful thing to see her mother cry.

All at once her bright, happy world had changed to such a strange,
uncertain place. She felt as if all sorts of terrible things were about
to happen.

She went into the parlour, and crawled into a dark corner under the
piano, feeling that there was no place to go for comfort, since the
one who had always kissed away her little troubles was so heart-broken
herself.