A drunken man reeled past the house, singing noisily; to Jessie in the kitchen area he seemed horribly near.
She grew more and more frightened with each sound she heard.

She was alone in the dark, with dreadful things happening all around her, in a house that she did not even know her way about.

She felt sick and faint with terror and horror of the place, and longing for home and all that she had lost.
Then she remembered suddenly that she had not said her prayers.
It had all seemed so strange, and her stepmother had hurried her so, that she had never thought of it until now.
"Oh, I can't get out and kneel down," she thought.

"I might step on some beetles.

I am sure if God sees how dreadful everything is, and how frightened I am, that He will forgive me if I say them here.