Ester Ried: Asleep and Awake

Ester endured life as a half-hearted Christian, unhappily going through the motions of her housework. "O, Ester was asleep! She went to church on the Sabbath, and to preparatory lecture on a week day; she read a few verses in her Bible, frequently, not every day; she knelt at her bedside every night, and said a few words of prayer-and this was all!" She traveled to New York and was excited to be in her cousin's wedding. Abbie, a strong Christian, brought much reflection into Ester's life. "Ester saw with wide, open eyes, and thoroughly awakened soul, that there was a something in this Christian religion that Abbie had and she had not." This popular story by Pansy illustrates Ester's journey to become a stronger, more committed Christian.