BETTY'S BIRTHDAY ONCE MORE
Betty's birthday has come round once more.
Autumn and winter have passed since Lucy's illness, and Clara's
conversion. Save for a slight limp, father's knee is well again, and
Bob's progress with his music is quite wonderful. But the most wonderful
thing that has taken place in the whole year, is the change in Betty
herself. She _was_ one of the most discontented girls to be found
anywhere, now she is one of the happiest.
Directly she wakes up this morning she sees that her room is full of
bright spring sunshine, and straightway begins planning a little treat
for her brothers and sisters.
"Jennie and Pollie have a half-holiday to-day. How fortunate! We'll all
go out together this afternoon. A walk in the park among the spring
flowers would be just the thing for Lucy. If I could only get mother to
come too----"
"Many happy returns of your birthday, my dear, dear Betty!" Lucy's arms
are suddenly flung round her neck, Lucy's lips pressed to her cheek. Her
birthday! In her planning for other people's pleasure Betty had actually
forgotten the day altogether.
It is delightful that Lucy has remembered it, though; and with a little
laugh of genuine joy Betty returns her sister's kiss, and then devotes
herself to the business of dressing.
Betty rather makes a point of being the first downstairs in the morning;
then she is sure that father's breakfast is just as he likes it, and the
children's porridge properly made. But this morning, as she passes Bob's
door, she notices that the room is empty. Bob up already! Mother's
room-door standing wide. Are they _all_ up before her? Oh, she must have
mistaken the time! No, seven o'clock is only just striking. What can it
be?
She hurries downstairs, and now Lucy is close behind her.
Yes, they _are_ all up. The sitting-room is full of people. Father,
mother, Bob, Harry, Jennie, Pollie, even Clara! For one instant Betty
stares at them in utter bewilderment, and then they all make a rush at
her, and she understands.
"Many happy returns of the day! Many happy returns of the day!" and
father and mother are kissing her, and the boys have hold of her hands,
and the younger children are shouting and dancing wildly about her.
Surprise and delight quite take Betty's breath away; indeed it is not
until they all draw back a little, and begin holding up various pretty
gifts, that she can find a voice to utter a single word. Even then she
can only gasp out:--
"Father, mother--Oh, to think you should all remember my birthday like
this! I shall never forget this morning--never!" and there are tears of
love and joy in her eyes.
"_I_ shall never forget how bravely my lass took over my work while I
was laid up in the hospital," says father, proudly, as he fills her arms
with flowers.
"_I_ shall never forget how patiently and unselfishly my little daughter
works in the home," whispers mother.
"I'm not the sort of fellow to forget a good sister when I've got one, I
should hope," says Bob, in his manliest voice. "Look, Betty, I've got
you a little present; it isn't half bad, though, is it?" and Bob pulls
out a showy photo-frame for which he has been saving up his pocket-money
for some months past.
"Betty, Betty, we've hemmed you four handkerchiefs--and, Oh, we've had
such a trouble to get them done without letting you know!" cry Pollie
and Jennie. Even Harry has bought her a bag of chocolates; and here is
poor little Clara, with a pair of mittens knitted by herself. "Do take
them, miss--please. You said we were comrades, you know, and your hands
do get so cold sometimes."
So they surround her with birthday gifts, and warm, loving looks; and
Betty's heart is full of joy--almost too full to let her speak.
Last year Betty thought of little save herself--of her own woes, her own
difficulties, and her birthday was almost forgotten. This year she
thinks for others, she forgets herself. Betty--what would they do
without dear Betty? There is no fear that her birthday will be forgotten
any more by any of them!
[Illustration: Betty thanks Him with a grateful heart.]
Of course, Grannie's letter and parcel arrive by the next post. Betty
manages to steal away to her room for a few moments to read the letter
all alone. After a loving greeting, Grannie writes:--
"Last year I was anxious about you, my Betty; last year I sent you that
little story of the Love-bird, hoping that it might open your eyes to
the power love should be in the home. I knew that the light had come
into your heart, but I feared that it had not yet found its way into all
the corners and crooks of your character. You could not be happy, you
could not really help those at home, whilst one little spot of darkness
remained. No, you could never _live_ the love we spoke about the morning
you left me, until your heart was all pure love. For, Betty, my dear, I
know well that your life is full of many trials.
"And now I am anxious no longer. With what a thankful heart I write the
words! Yes, now indeed, I see that the Lord Jesus Christ reigns alone in
your heart; now I know that you are happy, and making those around you
happy also. Thank the Lord, Betty, for the blessing He is sending on
your work in your home!"
And Betty does thank Him with a grateful heart. She feels indeed like
the Psalmist, that her cup runs over with blessings; her home seems to
be now most beautiful.
"Betty, what would you like best in all the world--that is, of all the
things I could give you?" whispers mother that night.
Betty knows the answer to that question well enough. "To--to be allowed
to go to The Army Meetings," she says, in a husky voice, her heart
beating thickly.
"I thought so. Well, father and I have decided to let you go, if you
still really wish it."
"You'll let me go? Oh, mother--mother!" and Betty's hands are tightly
clasped about her mother's neck.
THE END
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
By COMMISSIONER MILDRED DUFF
=The Life of Jesus.= A quarto picture book with a lesson for every
Sunday in the year. Cloth and Picture Boards.
=Samuel and David.= Companion to above. Cloth and Picture Boards.
=Toddlers.= A book for the Tinies. Cloth and Paper Boards.
=Rude Rosa.= A Story for Girls. Cloth.
=Rosa's Resolve.= A Sequel to above. Cloth.
=Novelties, and How to Make Them.= Cloth.
By COMMISSIONER MILDRED DUFF and NOEL HOPE
Cloth
=Where Moses Went to School; or, Scenes in Ancient Egypt.=
=Where Moses Learnt to Rule; or, Scenes in the Wilderness.=
=Hezekiah the King; or, The City Defended by God.=
=Esther, the Queen; or, Life in Ancient Palace of Shushan.=
=Daniel, the Prophet; or, The Boy with a Purpose.=
=The Bible in its Making: The most wonderful Book in the World.=
=Mart, The Mill Girl.= A Story for Girls.
=Fenella's Fetters; or, Unseen Chains.= The Story of a Wayward Girl.
=The Lawson Girls; or, Tinder and Flint.= The interesting history of the
inmates of Laburnum Cottage.
=Jolly, the Joker.= A Life-Saving Scout Story.
=Gertie, a Life-Saving Guard.=
=Keziah in Search of a Friend.= A Story for Girls.
=Out of the Straight.= A Workshop Story. Paper Boards.
=The Don't-Know Family.= A Tale for Everybody.
=A New Tommy-Don't-Know.= A Sequel to above.
=Jack and His Friends.= A Tale of Cat and Dog Life.
=Face it Out; or, Straight Roads are the Shortest.= A Story for Boys.
=Crotchets and Quavers; or, The Making of the Brixwell Young People's
Band.= A Book for young Band Members.
=Betty's Battles.= An Everyday Story.
=Jabez the Unlucky.= A Tale of the Jungle.
* * * * *
=The Little Slave Girl.= Told by Mammy Sara herself to the writer. By
EILEEN DOUGLAS. Paper Boards.
THE WARRIORS' LIBRARY
Full Cloth, 1s. 6d. Half Cloth, 1s.
No. 1. =Catherine Booth: A Sketch.= A brief Life-Story of The Army
Mother. By Commissioner DUFF.
" 2. =A School of the Prophets.= A Sketch of Training College Life.
By a Scholar.
" 3. =Our War in South Africa.= Our early work on the Dark
Continent. By Commissioner RAILTON.
" 4. =The Warrior's Daily Portion. No. I.= Extracts from the
Founder's Writings, arranged for one month. By Brigadier EILEEN
DOUGLAS.
" 5. =The Way of Holiness.= How to obtain Full Salvation. By
Colonel BRENGLE, D.D.
" 6. =Kingdom-Makers in Shelter, Street, and Slum.= Describing the
work of our Slum Officers amongst the poor. By MARGARET ALLEN.
" 7. =Three Coronations.= Sketches of the Lives of Major Deva
Vadivu, Staff-Captain Stabb, and Mrs. Major Smith. By
Commissioner DUFF.
" 8. =The Life and Work of Father Oberlin.= The Sanctified Pastor
of Alsace. By Commissioner OLIPHANT.
" 9. =Farmer Abbott.= An Old-time Soul-winner. By MARGARET ALLEN.
" 10. =The Warrior's Daily Portion. No. II.= A Companion to No. 4
of this Series. By Brigadier EILEEN DOUGLAS.
" 11. =Hedwig von Haartman.= The Life of our Finnish Pioneer. By
Commissioner DUFF.
" 12. =Gerhard Tersteegen.= The Life of a Singing Soul-winner. By
Commissioner OLIPHANT.
" 13. =Colonel Weerasooriya.= The Life of a prominent Singalese
Warrior. By Commissioner BOOTH TUCKER.
" 14. =Bernard of Clairvaux.= The Abbot with a passion for God. By
MARGARET ALLEN.
" 15. =Harvests of the East.= Bird's-eye Views of Work in Eastern
Lands. By MARGARET ALLEN.
" 16. =A Kindled Flame.= Story of Hilda--a Princess who gave
herself to God. By MARGARET ALLEN.
" 17. =Elizabeth Fry.= The Quaker Friend of Prisoners. By Brigadier
EILEEN DOUGLAS.
" 18. =Children of India.= Vividly illustrating Child-life in
India. By HAROLD BEGBIE.
Full list with prices on application to
SALVATIONIST PUBLISHING & SUPPLIES, LIMITED
117, 119 & 121 Judd Street, King's Cross, London, W.C. 1
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes: Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Added missing words: "the bed" page 20 (Lucy is sleeping peacefully on
her pillow by the side of the bed that Betty has just left.)