LAMBS OF THE FLOCK.
"Before tea, Harry must get his face washed," Mrs. Gray said, and
taking baby on her knee, proceeded to sponge his rosy cheeks. Harry
screamed lustily.
"I never scream when Ben washes my face," said Kit, who was watching
the operation with great interest.
"No, but you are older than Harry, and know better," said her mother.
"I'm growing a bigger girl," said Kit, straightening herself. "I'm
_up to my head_,--see!" and she placed her hand on the top of her
curly locks.
"So you are," said her mother, laughing; "and down to your toes."
"When Harry is up to my head and down to my toes, he won't scream
when being washed," cried Kit.
"I hope not," replied her mother, as Ben laughed merrily; "but see,
he's a good boy now, and fit to be kissed; so we will lay him down on
the grass to kick, while we set the table for tea."
They spread a table-cloth on the green, and the children were
delighted to help. It was so different from anything they had done
before.
Ben carried out hassocks for Kit and himself, and the two ran back
and forward with plates, cups, and spoons, and every time they came
with a fresh article, baby Harry crowed and kicked afresh.
"Now, that's the train in," said Mrs. Gray, "go to the gate, and look
for father. In a few minutes he should be here." Soon they both
returned to the house each holding the father's hand, and each
carrying a parcel. Ben waited while Kit's parcel was being opened,
and then both children uttered a cry of delight. A wax doll with
blue eyes and flaxen ringlets made its appearance dressed in blue.
"I couldn't resist bringing it to her," said Gray, "I guessed that
she never had such before." Kit hugged her new treasure much as her
mother had hugged her the night before, while her eyes grew lustrous,
and a bright flush spread over her cheeks.
Ben quite forgot for the minute to open his parcel, he was so lost in
admiration over Kit's doll. But when he had time to think of his and
had opened it he found himself the possessor of a First Reading Book
crammed full with illustrations. There were pictures of dogs and
cats, horses, ships, soldiers, etc., etc.
"Now, Ben, you must learn to read," said the father, when they had
taken their places for tea, "so that in a few months you can go out
and earn your living again like a brave boy."
"So I will, if my own father, in Peters Street, will let me stay with
you. Oh! I do hope he will. But I haven't made you a bow for the
fine book. This is how we bow to the gentry when they give us
coppers, isn't it, Kit?" and he stood up and made them all laugh
while he pulled his front hair and then went head over heels all
along the grass.
Then Harry received his present, which was a squeaking pig, and it
added to the merriment of the little party to see his pleasure, and
to hear his funny little crows of delight mingling with the squeaks
of the pig.
Ben was merry that night. He felt so happy, for Mr. Gray said he had
gone to Peters Street in the middle of the day and had seen their old
home. He brought with him the little Sunday school books and a
wallflower Kit prized. He also had called on Mrs. Perrin, who had
been a kind friend to them, and had had a long talk with her. She
told him much of Ben's faithfulness to Kit, and cried at the thought
of losing the children.
However, Gray asked her over with her children to spend the day at
Wood Cottage in a fortnight's time, and she had promised to come.
Rogers (Ben's father) was not at home, but Mrs. Perrin said she would
give him the message that Gray left, and do her best to persuade him
to give Ben up to them, and then she would write and let the inmates
of Wood Cottage know the result.
She had little difficulty about it, for Rogers wanted to go to sea,
and his only drawback had been leaving the little fellow.
Ben was very glad to get his few books again.
"This one has our newest hymns in it," he said, pointing to the
well-worn cover.
"Let us hear it, Ben," said the mother.
"Well, turn about then, Kit," said the boy, "you one verse and I the
next."
Kit laid her doll down with a fond look, and folded her arms while
she repeated--
"We are lambs of the flock,
And no danger we fear,
While the voice and the call
Of our Shepherd we hear.
"We will follow, we will follow
His call to our home in the sky."
Then Ben went on with the two next verses--
"Oh, the pastures are green,
And the flowers bloom around,
By the side of still waters
He will make us lie down.
"We will follow," etc.
"Oh, that all the dear lambs
Had a heart to reply,
When the good Shepherd calls
From His home in the sky.
"We will follow," etc.
"That is very pretty, and nicely repeated too," said Kit's parents.
Do you know any more?
"I know a beautiful one about"
"I want to be like Jesus,
So lovely and so meek
For no one--one-----"
"Marked" put in Ben--
"Marked an angry word
That ever heard Him speak."
"And I like the verse," added Ben--
"I want to be like Jesus,
Engaged in doing good,
So that of me it may be said,
He hath done what he could."
"Now, tell us what you heard in the Sunday school from the teacher,"
said the mother.
"Well," began Ben, "our teacher said we were like little lambs, and
Jesus is the Good Shepherd; and He came down from heaven and died for
us, so that we need not die for our sins; and she told us to love Him
and trust Him; and He would take His little lambs in His arms and
help them on, and give them all they require, and--and--" hesitated
Ben.
"And one day we will go to Jesus' happy place up there, and we want
to be like Jesus," said Kit.
While she was speaking, Ben rose with flushed cheeks, and pointed to
the western sky where bright clouds were lying as the sun slowly
descended.
"Hark! I think I can hear it!" he said, raising his head. "Perhaps
the time has come! oh, perhaps!"
"What time?" they asked, wondering what the boy meant.
"Why, for Jesus to come, of course. See how bright it is! and I
think I hear the sound of the trumpet! Maybe the time's come--has
it?"
For a minute neither of the parents spoke. Then the mother said: "It
is the sun setting, and the sound you heard was a bell far away--but
one day soon Jesus will come to take us home to Heaven."
Ben sat down and watched the sky, looking rather disappointed.
"I thought it was the trumpet. Teacher said He might come any day,
and that we were always to be looking out for Him, ready for the
trumpet sound, when we would go up to be with Jesus."
"Do you want to go so much, Ben?" asked the mother.
"Yes, it would be nice; so nice. We often hoped that Jesus would
come every night when we were hungry and it was dark and
cold,--didn't we, Kit?"
"Yes; and Him is coming some day," said Kit, with a nod of her head.
"I wonder if folks want Him as much when they have good houses and
nice dinners, and beautiful gardens?" asked Ben in a slow and
thoughtful tone, as if to himself. "I wonder if Kit and I will want
Him as much now!"
Mrs. Gray had not an answer ready for Ben; she was putting one or two
questions to her own heart--questions she could not very easily
answer. Tears filled her eyes, and she rose to put baby Harry to bed.
So Ben sat very quiet, thinking over the matter till the silence was
broken by the father saying:
"We ought to want the Lord as much in the bright days, as in the
dark. I hope Kit and you will never stop speaking of Him. He left
all the brightness and the glory of heaven, and came down to this
earth where all was sin and darkness. They were dark sorrowful days
for Him; but He came."
"He came to save us, teacher said," put in Ben.