Mohendro, the Padre Sahib’s bearer, saw that Melo, the Mem Sahiba’s new
ayah,[58] had a troubled countenance.
“Why are you troubled, Melo?” asked he.
“When dusting the Mem Sahiba’s room,” replied Melo, “I threw down her
beautiful scent-bottle. The scent-bottle was cracked, and the sweet
water was all spilt.”
“What matters it to you?” said the bearer, smiling. “You have been but
one day in the house; put the bottle back in its place, and when the Mem
Sahiba sees that it has been emptied and cracked, say that you found it
so, and that the last ayah certainly did the mischief.”
A short time before, Melo would have thought nothing of telling a
lie; but she was now a baptized Christian, and had been taught God’s
Commandments. Melo knew that one of them is, _Thou shalt not bear false
witness against thy neighbour_ (Ex. xx. 16). Melo had resolved to keep
a strict watch over her lips, for she had learned the text: _Lying lips
are abomination to the Lord_ (Prov. xii. 22). “I am afraid to tell my Mem
Sahiba a lie,” she replied.
The bearer laughed at her words. “Why, to lie comes as natural as to
eat!” he cried. “The last ayah has gone away to Benares, so your lie will
do no harm to any one in the world.”
Melo thought to herself, “Will it do no harm to myself?” But Melo was but
a new Christian; habit is strong, and she had been accustomed to tell
lies from the time that she first could speak. Melo resolved that when
her Mem Sahiba noticed the harm done to the scent-bottle, she would say
that the last ayah had done it. She was timid, and could not bear that
the Mem Sahiba, whose service she had just entered, should think her
careless.
The Padre Sahib had morning prayers in Urdu, and such of his servants
as were Christians were always allowed to attend. It was the first time
that Melo had ever been present at family worship. She sat on the carpet,
watching the Sahib as he unclosed the Holy Book. On the knees of the Mem
Sahiba sat her little boy Henry, a lovely blue-eyed child of four years
of age.
The Sahib read about heaven; of the bright happy home of those who have
believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and who, believing, have loved and
obeyed Him. Melo did not know this part of the Bible at all. She listened
with delight to the account of the glorious place, till the reader
came to the following words:—_And there shall in no wise enter into it
anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh
a lie_ (Rev. xxi. 27).
Melo was startled to hear this. “Shall I be shut out from heaven?” she
said to herself. But Melo could not even yet make up her mind to tell her
Mem Sahiba all the truth about her beautiful scent-bottle.
When prayers were over, Melo was ordered to take Baba Henry into the
garden; for it was the cold season, and the weather was not yet too hot.
Melo loved children very much, and it was with pleasure that she watched
the gambols of the fair little English boy.
Henry ran about the garden, and in his play he forgot to keep to the
gravel path. Carelessly running across the border, the child brushed past
a beautiful flower which he knew that his mother greatly prized, and in
doing so broke off its head. The child stood still at once, and looked
with vexation at the mischief which he had done.
“Oh! mamma told me not to run over the border, or to touch the flowers!
She will be so vexed!” cried the child, almost bursting into tears.
“Never mind, Baba Henry,” said Melo; “you need say nothing to the Mem
Sahiba about the matter.”
The boy looked indignantly into the face of the ayah with his steady blue
eyes. “If I did not tell the truth, God would be angry,” he cried; and
off darted the child, to confess everything to his mother.
Melo looked after him, and tears came into her eyes. “Shall that little
one fear God and speak truth?” she exclaimed; “and shall I, who have
given myself to the God of truth, tell lies like a heathen? O Lord! help
me to put away this great sin!” And quickly Melo followed her little
charge, and confessed to her Mem Sahiba that she had thrown down and
cracked her bottle.
And was the Mem Sahiba angry? No; her words were: “I thank God that I
have at last a servant whose word I can trust.”