Not long after Susy sent her letter, her mamma bought some tiny little
shoes and stockings for her. Susy was very much pleased indeed, and at
first she would keep untying her shoes and taking them off. But one day
when she awoke from her nap, she took hold of the two sides of her
cradle, and stood up straight in it. Now she had found out that feet
were not made just for playthings, but to stand on. She was so glad! She
kept taking hold of the chairs, and her mamma's dress, or the legs of
the table, so as to pull herself up on to her feet, and pretty soon she
would stand at a chair with her toys, and play by the hour, and if the
chair moved a little, from her leaning against it, her feet would move
too, first one, then the other, learning how to walk. How delighted
every body was when one day Susy got up in the middle of the floor, and
ran across the room! It would be hard to tell which laughed most--Susy,
or her papa or her mamma.
Now Susy had learned how to use all her little servants, except her
tongue. And you must know that her mamma had been giving her lessons on
that subject every day. That is, she kept coaxing and begging her to
say, "papa;" and I don't know how many hundred times a day she cried out
to Susy, "Say _papa_!" But Susy did not say papa, and all the private
lessons were in vain. But one evening, when she had the toothache and
could not sleep she stretched forth her hand and said "book," to her
mamma's great delight, who thought there was no doubt her baby was going
to be very fond of books indeed. Now Susy had found out that her tongue
was very useful, for her mamma gave her the book she had asked for; so
she soon learned to say a great many other words.
Did you ever think before, how long it takes a baby to learn how to use
the little eyes and hands and feet, God has been so good as to give it?
If you watch your baby brother or sister, you will see how awkward it is
at first about using its hands; and do not you remember how eager you
were to hear it speak its first word, and to see it trot about on its
own little feet?
But all this time I have only spoken of Susy's hands and feet, and ears,
and eyes, and tongue, as being useful to herself, and have not said a
word about their doing things for other people. Now it is not likely
that God meant any little child should live in this world, where there
is so much to do, and do nothing for its papa and mamma, and nothing for
Him who has done so much for its happiness and comfort. And he is so
kind, and loves so to please those who love Him, that long before Susy
was old enough to know it, He taught her small baby hands to begin some
of the sweetest work He made them to do. When, in the midst of a
sleepless night in which Susy's mamma watched over, and sang to, and
cared for her, she had such a reward, such precious payment for all her
fatigue and labor, that a queen might have envied her. What do you think
it was? Why, it was feeling Susy's little hand pat and caress her face
in the dark night, or lie folded lovingly in her own, or clinging fast
to her neck with all the strength a baby can use. Then a thrill of joy
would rush through her mamma's heart, and she would forget every thing
the world has in it of trouble, and thank God for giving her a baby to
live and to work for, and a baby to love and comfort her in return.