"He is in God's hands," she said, in a low voice, lifting her head
from her husband's breast and looking into his face.
"And he will take care of him," replied Mr. Voss, falling in with
her thought.
"Yes, we must trust him. He is present in every place. He knows
where Archie is, and how to shield and succor him. O heavenly
Father, protect our boy! If in danger, help and save him. And, O
Father, give me strength to bear whatever may come."
The mother closed her eyes and laid her head back upon her husband's
bosom. The rigidity and distress went out of her face. In this hour
of darkness and distress, God, to whom she looked and prayed for
strength, came very close to her, and in his nearer presence there
is always comfort.
But as the day declined and the shadows off another dreary winter
night began to draw their solemn curtains across the sky the
mother's heart failed again, and a wild storm of fear and anguish
swept over it. Neither policemen nor friends had been able to
discover a trace of the missing young man, and advertisements were
given out for the papers next morning offering a large reward for
his restoration to his friends if living or for the recovery of his
body if dead.
The true cause of Archie's disappearance began to be feared by many
of his friends. It did not seem possible that he could have dropped
so completely out of sight unless on the theory that he had lost his
way in the storm and fallen into the river.
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