LETTERS FROM INDIA.
Some months passed before there came a letter from Mrs. Harding; for
India, as you know, is many thousands of miles from here, and it takes
a long time for a ship to sail over the wide sea which lies between.
But great was the joy of the children and their mother when at last
the good tidings came that, through the mercy of God, their friends
had reached that distant country, safe and well. Louisa danced and
clapped her hands; and Emma felt very happy, sitting beside her
mother, and looking up in her face, while she read the letter through
tears of pleasure.
Mrs. Harding had written a few lines to the children, which their
mother read aloud to them, and then allowed them to look at for
themselves. The words were these: "I often think of you, dear Louisa
and Emma, and pray for divine blessings upon you both; and I hope to
hear that you are giving yourselves to the Saviour, who died upon the
cross for you. You know the love of Jesus for the young; his kindness
to them when he was upon earth; and the tender way in which he still
invites them to come to him. Go, then, to Christ without delay: ask
him to be your friend, and you will be happy for evermore."
A few weeks after this letter had been received, Mrs. Western's
birthday arrived, when it was usual for her children to have a holiday
and a little treat. On the morning of this day, as Emma was running up
stairs, her mamma called to her from her dressing-room, and desired
her to come in, and to shut the door. Emma did as she was bid; and
then Mrs. Western, with a smile on her face, told her to look round,
and try if she could discover anything in the room that she had not
seen before.
Almost before her mother had done speaking, the little girl fixed her
eyes upon a handsome work-box, standing upon the table with the lid
open, and showing a lining of pale blue silk, edged with silver; while
within were scissors and thimble, an abundance of needles and cotton,
everything, in short, that Emma had long been wishing for in vain.
"It is yours, my dear," said her mamma; "it is a present from your
aunt Harding, who, in her letter, requested me to choose for you on my
birthday something that you would like, if your conduct should have
been such as to deserve a token of our approval. I am happy to see
that you strive to amend your faults, and I trust that you will still
go on trying to improve."
"O, mamma, how beautiful! and how kind in aunt Harding! Indeed I will
try to deserve it." And the little girl went close to the box, and
looked at its contents, but without venturing to touch them; then
gently closing the lid, she stood gazing upon it with silent delight.
"But, mamma," said Emma, looking up with a sudden thought, and casting
her eyes round the room as if in search of something which was not to
be seen, "where is Louisa's present? She would like a writing-desk, I
know; for the old work-box which she has had so long is not yet worn
out, because she is so very careful."
"I am sorry to say," returned Mrs. Western, "that Louisa is not
deserving of any present, and therefore it would have been wrong to
provide one for her."
At hearing this, Emma changed color, and looked almost ready to cry.
"Dear mamma," said she, "do pray have pity on poor Louisa. I cannot
bear to show her my beautiful box, if she is not to have a present
too. She would be so much grieved."
"My dear," said Mrs. Western, "do you not perceive that it would be
unjust and contrary to your aunt's wish, if, while Louisa gives way to
her faults, I were to treat her as though she were seeking to overcome
them? It is quite as painful to me as to yourself to make this needful
difference between you; but in all our actions we must think of what
is _right_, and not of what it would be _pleasant_ to do. When I see
any sign of improvement in your sister, I shall gladly provide her
with a writing-desk; but not till then."
Emma paused for a moment; her eyes filled with tears, and the color
rose to her face. "Then mamma," said she, "I will wait, if you please,
for my work-box, until you think proper to give Louisa her desk.
Please to put it away in some safe place, and I will not say anything
about it. I can do very well without the box a little while longer,
you know."
When Mrs. Western found that Emma was willing to deny herself a
pleasure rather than give pain to her sister, she consented to her
wish, because she desired to encourage kind and tender feelings
between them; and she knew it would be easy to find some other way of
showing Louisa that her friends were grieved and displeased by her
conduct. So the work-box was safely put away for the present; though
Emma had her hopes that the time would soon come when, with the
promised writing-desk, it might be again brought forward.