A Mother's Blessing and Other Stories Author:Mother Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: BLACK LAKE. FATHER!" cried little Will Brown, suddenly resting from his weary toil over the rough lava. "Do you see those great white clouds rising from the g... more »round ? I do believe we are almost there." " I think you are right," replied his father; " and in another half-hour we shall stand by the famous Geysers." Will's eyes sparkled. " I have thought about them so much," said he; "but I never dreamed, when I was studying Iceland in my old geography last winter, that I should be here so soon. How very kind you are to take me!" " Oh, you know I couldn't live without you, Will," said Mr. Brown, looking down with sad tenderness upon the fair-haired, motherless boy. " You're a capital little travelling companion." "Yes, I'll say that for him," exclaimed one of the guides; " I expected the children would be a great trouble, but I haven't heard a whimper. He's a brave traveller." Will looked up with a proud smile, and continued his conversation with his father. "But I wouldn't live here for a kingdom, father, though there are so many strange things to see. It seems as if something terrible was always going on under the ground, and as if at any time all Iceland might blow right up in the air like a great rocket. I'm sure last night I heard a very strange noise, and the ground shook as if some one had told it a terrible secret, and it was all in a tremble about it." Mr. Brown smiled. " Oh, I think Ice- land is safe for to-day, Will. You know the people say it is the very ' best land the sun shines upon;' and don't you think God is able to preserve it amidst every peril ?" " Yes, father, I do believe God takes care of this country; for," continued he, a look of awe marking his expressive face, "I read in my Bible this morning, 'He toucheth the hills, and they sm...« less