speak through me to the people. But I had so much opposition to contend with. My people were opposed; my husband and daughter fought against it; and my whole nature shrunk from going to stand as a gazing-stock for the people. But the Lord was showing in many ways that I must go and perform the work he had for me to do.
Several ministers whom I had never seen before told me, at different times, that God was calling me to the ministry, and that I would have to go. I said, "If I were a man I would love to work for Jesus." They told me I had a work to do which no man could do; the Lord was calling me to the West to labor for lost souls. I said, "O Lord! I cannot take Willie with me, nor can I leave him behind." Then the Lord saw fit to take him out of the way; so he laid his hand on my darling little boy, and in a few days took him home to heaven. He was the joy of my life. He was nearly seven years old. He was very bright for one of his age-in fact, far beyond his years. He was the pet of the whole neighborhood. He seemed to know when taken sick that he would not get well. He talked of dying and going to see Georgie, who had been dead three years that month. He said he would have to die sometime, and that he would rather go now if we could go with him; that he would never be sick any more, nor have to take any more medicine. He bid us all good-bye and said he was going to be with Jesus. He died very happy. He had talked and fretted much about his little sister, and said he could not live without her. By faith I could see her meeting him at the beautiful gates and welcoming him into the golden city of God. This sad bereavement nearly took my life. The dear Savior was never so near and real to me before. He was by my side and seemed to bear me up in his loving arms. I could say, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
When alone I missed my darling so much that I wept as though. my heart would break. Then I would always pray; and as I prayed I would forget everything earthly and soar away by faith to the Golden City, and there see my darlings all together shining in glory, and looking at me and saying, "Mamma, do not weep for us, but come this way." I would always end in praising and giving glory to God for taking them to such a happy place. Lizzie, our oldest child, aged sixteen, was all we had left of six sweet children.
