She was
then quite small, and the teacher objected very much to taking her;
but paternal importunity prevailed. As soon as her father turned to
go, she began to scream; but he left, saying she must remain, and
"learn wisdom." The kind teacher took her in her lap to soothe her;
but it was of no use; her bleeding hands bore the marks of the nails
of her new proteg?e for weeks. She called for her father, but he was
intentionally out of hearing.
The child remained, but learned wisdom very slowly. She had her fits
of rage so often, that she was sent home sometimes for weeks, and
again for months. She made little progress, either in study or other
good, till the winter of 1850, when she seemed to begin to love the
truth; yet, though her general deportment was correct, she often
showed such a determined will, that her instructors feared she had
never said from the heart, "Not my will, but thine," and often told
her that, if she was a Christian, God would, in love, subdue that
will. She could not feel her need of this, and thought that they
required too much of her. So they were obliged to leave her with
God, and he cared for her in an unusual way.
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