Faith and Roy were late, and their father was waiting for them. He was
very particular about his meals, which were never entrusted to Faith's
young efforts at cooking, but were sent from a cook-shop close by. Now
the potatoes and a little piece of roast beef smoked on the table, and
Warden, considerably put out, walked up and down. When the children
entered, Roy ran up to his father confidently--he had never been afraid
of any one in his life--and wanted a ride now on the tall, strong
shoulder.
"Up, up," said the little fellow, raising his arms and pointing to his
favourite perch.
Warden endeavoured to get out of his way, but Roy clasped his little
arms round his knees.
"Fader, up, up," he said.
"No; I can't, Roy. Don't be troublesome. Faith, that child is in every
one's way. Take him and put him in the bedroom until his dinner is
ready."
Little Roy was very hungry, and there was that in his father's hard tone
which caused him to raise his baby-blue eyes in wonder and some shadowy
alarm. Faith took him, sobbing, into the bedroom, from which she
returned with a very sad heart to her own dinner. Warden helped her
sullenly; but to eat while her little brother was alone seemed to choke
her. She found she could not swallow her nice Sunday dinner. She was
always terrified of her stern father, but now for Roy's sake she must
brave his anger.
"Please, father, may little Roy have his dinner first? He's se'ch a
baby, and he's so hungry."
"No, Faith; I make a rule, and I won't break it. 'Tis a very proper
punishment for you for being so late."
Roy's little sobbing voice at the other side of the door, for the
bedroom was inside the sitting-room, saying "Open, open," made it almost
impossible for Faith to sit quiet, and she was much relieved when her
father rose from the table and went out. Then what petting followed for
little Roy! what feeding him with the choicest bits! until at last the
little fellow, worn out from his walk and fit of crying, fell asleep in
his sister's arms.
Faith laid him tenderly on the horse-hair sofa, covered him over, and
sat down by his side. She sat on a low seat, and, folding her hands on
her lap, gazed straight before her. Faith was nearly eleven years old
now, but she was small for her age--small, thin, and very sad-looking.
Only when playing with Roy, or tending Roy, did her little sallow face
grow childish and happy in expression. Faith possessed her mother's
sensitive temperament. Love alone could make this child bright and
happy; without love she must pine and die, perhaps as her mother died.
Tears gathered slowly in her eyes as she recalled the little scene
between her father and Roy. After a time, hearing steps in the street,
she rose and went to the window. Some children, with their parents,
were walking up the street--happy children in their Sunday best, and
happy parents, caring for and loving them. Faith watched one little
group with special interest. There were four in this group--a father
and mother, and boy and girl. The girl held her father's hand, and
danced as she walked. The boy, a very little child, was led most
tenderly by his mother. Faith turned away with a great sigh, and the
tears now rolled slowly down her cheeks.
"Ain't it a hard, hard thing when a little child loses of his mother?"
she said to herself. "Oh! my little darlin' Roy, if mother had been
there he wouldn't a been kep' waiting fur his dinner."
She went over, knelt down by her little brother, and kissed his soft
cheek. Then a further thought occurred to her. That was a pretty story
the ragged girl in Regent's Park had told her to-day. She had never
heard it before, though her mother, when alive, had often spoken to her
about Jesus, but somehow this story, the sweetest of all, had never
reached her ears before to-day.
"I wish as Jesus wor alive now, and I could take Roy to him," she said
to herself. She felt that if Jesus took Roy in his arms and blessed
him, that then he might not miss his mother so much; that the great fact
of his having received the blessing of Jesus would make up to him for
the loss of his mother.
"But wot's the use," continued Faith very sadly to herself, "when Jesus
be dead years ago?"
At this juncture in the little girl's thoughts, the room-door was
opened, and a neighbour, who had often been kind to both the children,
came in. She had come to borrow a saucepan, and was in a hurry; but
seeing the tears on Faith's cheeks, she stopped to inquire the cause.
"There be nothink wrong wid the little 'un, I 'ope, Faith," she said.
"Oh, no," answered Faith. "Roy's well enough. 'Tis only as I'm so
sorry as Jesus is dead."
Mrs Mason, the neighbour, stepped back a pace or so in some
astonishment.
"Bless us and save us!" she exclaimed. "Wot a queer child! But it
ain't true, Faith, fur Jesus ain't dead. He's as alive as possible!"
"Do the Bible say that?" asked Faith.
"Yes, the Bible says it h'over and h'over."
"And could I go to him, and take Roy? Could I, Mrs Mason?"
"Bless us, child, you're a queer 'un; but the Bible sartin' do say as
He'll receive all as come to Him. Yes, in course you can go; but I
can't tell you the exact way. There, Faith, child, why don't you go to
Sunday-school, same as the other little lads and lasses about? They
teach everythink about coming to Jesus in Sunday-school."
"I wish with h'all my heart I could go," answered Faith.
"Well, child, I see nothink agen it. There's one jest round the corner,
and the bell's a-ringing now; but there, I can't stay another moment."
Mrs Mason hurried away, and Faith still sat still; but a devouring wish
was now possessing her. If she only could just once go to Sunday-school
and hear about Jesus, and learn that He was really alive, and that she
could take Roy to Him! Oh! if only it were possible that Roy might
receive this great and wonderful blessing, why it would be worth even
her father's great anger, should he learn that she had disobeyed him.
Faith trembled and hesitated, and finally rose to her feet. If only Roy
would awake, she could take him with her. But no; Roy was very tired
and very sound asleep. By the time little Roy awoke, Sunday-school
would be over, and she would have lost all hope of hearing of Jesus for
another week.
Suppose she left Roy just for once--just for the first and last time in
all her life--she would only be an hour away, and in that hour what
possible harm could happen to the little child? and she would learn so
much, oh! so much, which could help him by-and-by.
Yes; she thought she might venture. She would have returned long before
her father came back, most likely long before Roy awoke. It was worth
the little risk for the sake of the great gain. She placed the
fireguard carefully before the fire, kissed her little brother, and with
a beating heart slipped out.
No; there was no possible fear for little Roy.