But when, as sometimes happens, His heavy hand is laid upon us in a visible, inevitable misfortune which we can not struggle against, and from which no human aid can save us, then we ought to learn His hardest lesson--to submit.

To submit--yet still, while saying 'Thy will be done,' to strive, so far as we can, to do it.

If He have taken from us all but one talent, even that, my children, let us not bury in a napkin.

Let us rather put it out a usury, leaving to Him to determine how much we shall receive again; for it is according to our use of what we have, and not of what we have not, that He will call us 'good and faithful servants,' and at last, when the long struggle of living shall be over, will bid us 'enter into the joy of our Lord.'" When the minister sat down, he saw, as he had seen consciously or unconsciously, all through the service, and above the entire congregation, those two large intent eyes fixed upon him from the Cairnforth pew.
Children of ten years old do not usually listen much to sermons, but the little earl had heard very few, for it was difficult to take him to church without so many people staring at him.

Nevertheless, he listened to this sermon, so plain and clear, suited to the capacity of ignorant shepherds and little children, and seemed as if he understood it all.
If he did not then, he did afterward.
When service was over, he sat watching the congregation pass out, especially noticing a family of boys who occupied the adjoining pew.
They had neither father nor mother with them, but an elder sister, as she appeared to be--a tall girl of about fifteen.