Susanna never forgot the hour when, coming from her work in the seed-room, she
crossed the grass with a message to Martha, and saw the group of children and
girls on the western porch, a place that caught every ray of afternoon sun,
the last glint of twilight, and the first hint of sunset glow. Sister Martha
had been reading the Sabbath-School lesson for the next day, and as Susanna
neared the building, Martha's voice broke into a hymn. Falteringly the girls'
voices followed the lead, uncertain at first of words or tune, but gaining
courage and strength as they went on:--
"As the waves of the mighty ocean
Gospel love we will circulate,
And as we give, in due proportion,
We of the heavenly life partake.
Heavenly Life, Glorious Life,
Resurrecting, Soul-Inspiring,
Regenerating Gospel Life,
It leadeth away from all sin and strife."
The clear, innocent treble sounded sweetly in the virgin stillness and
solitude of the Settlement, and as Susanna drew closer she stopped under a
tree to catch the picture--Sister Martha, grave, tall, discreet, singing with
all her soul and marking time with her hands, so accustomed to the upward and
downward movement of the daily service.
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