The Use and Need of the Life of Carrie A. Nation [24]
her cheek.
Although Charlien was not a Christian, she had faith in God. Once
she complained of my being too strict with her, but said: "Mamma I owe
it to you that I have any faith in God, even if you are severe with me."
She always believed that her mother had a God. Finding no physician
in New York that could open her jaws, she wrote me this: "No one but
God can open my mouth, Mamma; ask him to do it." There was a Catholic
woman, Miss Doregan, who boarded with me and had a store around
the corner from the hotel, and I could think of no one else who had as
much faith as this woman. She said she believed that God would heal
my child according to prayer, so I went for seven mornings before breakfast
to this saint of God. She taught me many holy truths and she
explained the Scriptures to me. I learned from her a prayer that we said
in concert, that was written by one of the Old Fathers, and is one of the
most complete in devotion I have ever read. I will record it here:
"Come Holy Ghost send down those beams,
That sweetly flow in silent streams,
From thy bright throne above;
Oh, Come Father of the poor,
Thou bounteous source of all our store;
Come fire our hearts with love.
Come thou of comforters the best,
Come thou the soul's delicious guest,
The pilgrim's sweet relief:
Thou art our rest in toil and sweat,
Refreshment in excessive heat
And solace in our grief.
Oh! sacred light shoot home the darts,
Oh! pierce the center of those hearts
Whose faith aspires to thee.
Without thy God-head nothing can
Have any worth a price in man,
Nothing can harmless be."
"Lord wash our sinful stains away,
Water from heaven our barren clay,
Our wounds and bruises heal.
To thy sweet yoke our stiff necks bow,
Warm with thy fire our hearts of snow,
Our wandering feet repair.
Oh, grant thy faithful dearest Lord,
Whose only hope is thy sure word,
The seven gifts of thy spirit.
Grant us in life to obey thy grace,
Grant us in death to see thy face
And endless joys inherit,
Through the same Christ our Lord."
"Amen."
And now I often use this beautiful and comprehensive petition to my Dear
Lord.
Charlien wrote that she had letters of introduction to a physician in
Philadelphia, Dr. J. Ewing Mears, but in every letter would say: "Keep
on praying." This we did. Oh, the anxiety of my mother heart! My
duties as landlady kept me busy all day and part of the night. I often
had to do my own cooking.
God was good to me and we were very successful financially, and
managed to meet all debts and payments on the property we had purchased.
After I knew the operation had been performed in Philadelphia, I
telegraphed to Charlien. The answer came from the physician: "All
right," but my anxiety was intensified. I became almost wild with anxiety,
and I determined to go to her. I borrowed four hundred dollars from
Alex McNabb, the man she was engaged to, and in three hours I was
on my way to my precious suffering one. As soon as I got on the
train a sense of divine guidance came to me.
When I arrived at the hospital, I had the nurse take me to my child's
room. I cannot describe the meeting. She was packing up her clothes.
I said: "Why are you doing this?" Then she told me this pitiful story:
"Mamma, you did not send me any money, and the Doctor and nurse
seemed dissatisfied, so I took most of my clothes down to a soup house and
pawned them, that the woman may give me a room and soup until I
could hear from you."
This was horrible to think of. I had sent her money, but like some
others, Charlien never knew the value of money. I had her on my lap
and we were crying together. Just to think, in ten minutes more my
child might have been gone, and I might not have found her for some
time. Her mouth was opened half an inch, and as she talked, I noticed
that the side of her face the jaw bone had been taken from, was moving
as she chewed a piece of gum. I placed my hands on each side of
her face and said: "Now chew, Well, this is just like God;
Although Charlien was not a Christian, she had faith in God. Once
she complained of my being too strict with her, but said: "Mamma I owe
it to you that I have any faith in God, even if you are severe with me."
She always believed that her mother had a God. Finding no physician
in New York that could open her jaws, she wrote me this: "No one but
God can open my mouth, Mamma; ask him to do it." There was a Catholic
woman, Miss Doregan, who boarded with me and had a store around
the corner from the hotel, and I could think of no one else who had as
much faith as this woman. She said she believed that God would heal
my child according to prayer, so I went for seven mornings before breakfast
to this saint of God. She taught me many holy truths and she
explained the Scriptures to me. I learned from her a prayer that we said
in concert, that was written by one of the Old Fathers, and is one of the
most complete in devotion I have ever read. I will record it here:
"Come Holy Ghost send down those beams,
That sweetly flow in silent streams,
From thy bright throne above;
Oh, Come Father of the poor,
Thou bounteous source of all our store;
Come fire our hearts with love.
Come thou of comforters the best,
Come thou the soul's delicious guest,
The pilgrim's sweet relief:
Thou art our rest in toil and sweat,
Refreshment in excessive heat
And solace in our grief.
Oh! sacred light shoot home the darts,
Oh! pierce the center of those hearts
Whose faith aspires to thee.
Without thy God-head nothing can
Have any worth a price in man,
Nothing can harmless be."
"Lord wash our sinful stains away,
Water from heaven our barren clay,
Our wounds and bruises heal.
To thy sweet yoke our stiff necks bow,
Warm with thy fire our hearts of snow,
Our wandering feet repair.
Oh, grant thy faithful dearest Lord,
Whose only hope is thy sure word,
The seven gifts of thy spirit.
Grant us in life to obey thy grace,
Grant us in death to see thy face
And endless joys inherit,
Through the same Christ our Lord."
"Amen."
And now I often use this beautiful and comprehensive petition to my Dear
Lord.
Charlien wrote that she had letters of introduction to a physician in
Philadelphia, Dr. J. Ewing Mears, but in every letter would say: "Keep
on praying." This we did. Oh, the anxiety of my mother heart! My
duties as landlady kept me busy all day and part of the night. I often
had to do my own cooking.
God was good to me and we were very successful financially, and
managed to meet all debts and payments on the property we had purchased.
After I knew the operation had been performed in Philadelphia, I
telegraphed to Charlien. The answer came from the physician: "All
right," but my anxiety was intensified. I became almost wild with anxiety,
and I determined to go to her. I borrowed four hundred dollars from
Alex McNabb, the man she was engaged to, and in three hours I was
on my way to my precious suffering one. As soon as I got on the
train a sense of divine guidance came to me.
When I arrived at the hospital, I had the nurse take me to my child's
room. I cannot describe the meeting. She was packing up her clothes.
I said: "Why are you doing this?" Then she told me this pitiful story:
"Mamma, you did not send me any money, and the Doctor and nurse
seemed dissatisfied, so I took most of my clothes down to a soup house and
pawned them, that the woman may give me a room and soup until I
could hear from you."
This was horrible to think of. I had sent her money, but like some
others, Charlien never knew the value of money. I had her on my lap
and we were crying together. Just to think, in ten minutes more my
child might have been gone, and I might not have found her for some
time. Her mouth was opened half an inch, and as she talked, I noticed
that the side of her face the jaw bone had been taken from, was moving
as she chewed a piece of gum. I placed my hands on each side of
her face and said: "Now chew, Well, this is just like God;