Mary rose very early in the morning, before five o’clock. She opened her
chamber window to let in the fresh air, and she said aloud, “Oh! how
beautiful is morning!”
The rain had ceased; but there were little shining drops all over the
grass and on the leaves and flowers; the birds were up, singing their
morning songs, and the air was full of sweet-smelling odours. There was
a grapevine, in blossom, just under Mary’s window; and a honeysuckle,
which was trained up the wall on one side of it, and a sweet brier on
the other side, both in full flower, sent out such a delicious fragrance
that she stood there a long time to enjoy it.
Mary thought of her mother, who had died when she was a very little
girl, and she remembered that her mother had taught her to get up early,
and see the sun rise, and hear the birds sing, and snuff the fresh
morning air. Her mother had told her that our heavenly Father intended
we should enjoy the beautiful world which he had made. For this end he
gave us all the flowers and the green fields, and the springs of water,
and the blue sky, and the clouds, and the high hills, and the music
which the little birds made.
Then Mary repeated some verses from the Bible, which her mother had
taught her to say, as they walked out together before she was old enough
to read.
O Lord, how manifold are thy works!
In wisdom hast thou made them all:
The earth is full of thy riches.[A]
Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.
Thou visitest the earth and waterest it;
Thou makest it soft with showers;
Thou blessest the springing thereof.
Thou crownest the year with thy goodness;
And thy paths drop fatness.
The little hills rejoice on every side.
The pastures are clothed with flocks;
The valleys also are covered over with corn;
They shout for joy, they also sing.[B]
Footnote A:
Psalm civ. 24.
Footnote B:
Psalm lxv.
Mary remembered that her good mother had taught her to try to think of
her heavenly Father as soon as she awoke in the morning. She had told
her that He watched over her while she slept, and that before she left
her chamber, she should ask him to watch over her in the day as well as
in the night, and help her to love him, that she might be a good and a
happy little girl.
Mary thought of all these things as she stood by the window, and her
heart was touched and warmed with love and gratitude to her heavenly
Father, who had blessed her, and watched over her all her life long. He
had given her a good mother; and after He had taken her mother away to
live in heaven with Christ Jesus our blessed Saviour, and all the holy
angels and happy saints for ever and ever, He had still cared for her,
and provided her with kind friends. Her father died when she was a baby,
and her mother died when she was only nine years old; and now Mary had
no parents; but she remembered that it is written in the Bible, God is a
father of the fatherless.
Mary felt very happy. Her heart was full of love to God, her Saviour,
and of thankfulness for his protecting care; and she sang the following
little hymn, because it expressed her thoughts and desires on this
beautiful summer morning. She was quite alone in her chamber, where no
one could hear her, but she knew that God could hear her.