Peter Rand and his wife came lagging up the road as the sun was setting.
They had passed an uncommonly laborious day, and were completely tired
out with their toil. They were very silent, and were thinking what a
sad, miserable home was theirs, and how little of cheer they had in life.
Nothing seemed bright to them, although the earth was like a paradise for
greenness and fragrance and beauty. As they drew near the house, Mr.
Rand was very much surprised by the great change in the outward aspect of
the place. He could scarcely believe that he had not mistaken the road,
and come to some other cottage than the slovenly one that he had left in
the morning.
His wife, intent upon the supper that her hungry appetite craved, had
pressed forward in haste to prepare it.
As she entered the door, however, she started back with the strange
feeling that she was in the house of some neighbour; but Pug, the little
dog, ran frisking about her, and convinced her that is was indeed her own
house.
The table was set in the middle of the room, and the dishes were arranged
in nice order; and just in the centre was Lolly's pewter mug, with a
bunch of sweet, blue violets to grace it all.
There was the savoury odour of the baking cake from the fire, and the
fumes of the steeping tea filled the room, and already gave a sense of
refreshing to the weary work-people.
The rags were taken from the windows, and square bits of paper were
pinned over the openings; and the floor was neat and clean, and the
beautiful green boughs hung upon the walls, and the children sat, with
clean hands and faces, awaiting the return of father and mother.
They looked so bright and happy that the weary couple quite forgot their
fatigue, and chatted merrily over their pleasant meal, praising the
children for their thoughtful work, and saying they didn't believe there
was a more beautiful home in the world than theirs.
Altogether, it was a very happy evening. Maddie and Lolly made their
father and mother sit down quietly while they cleared off the table, and
washed the dishes, and swept the crumbs away; and then they all had a
cozy little time, talking of new hopes and plans. For the change was so
comfortable that it put life and spirits into every soul; and the father
said he would get some glass and putty and mend the windows; and the
mother would make some white curtains, and the children would get
evergreen and form it into wreaths to loop them up. Oh, it takes so
little to make a cheerful, happy home! It is only the idle and vicious
that need be really miserable. If God does not always give us plenty of
money, he furnishes us with so many rich things in this world of his,
that we may adorn even a lowly and barren place until it shall appear
richer than the gayest palace. Maddie and Lolly found this out through
Alice; and every day they hunted the woods for mosses and flowers, and
their father made little shelves to put them on, and formed many a pretty
seat of twisted branches of trees; so that by-and-by their cottage was
one of the prettiest places anywhere around, and attracted the notice of
everybody that passed it.
Miss Mason came very often, now that she had found them out; and she not
only prevailed on the parents to send their children to Sunday-school,
but they themselves went regularly to church, and tried to serve the
great and holy God who had put it into the hearts of their children to
make their earthly place of abode something akin to the better home.
So soon as they began to feel the presence of the heavenly King, all the
despondency and gloom vanished, and, even though poor and hard-working,
they were happy in the possession of such riches as nothing but the love
and favour of our heavenly Father can give.