PRUDY GOING UP TO HEAVEN
Prudy soon tired of sewing, and her mother said, laughing, "If grandma
Read has to wait for somebody's little fingers before she gets a
bedquilt, poor grandma will sleep very cold indeed."
The calico pieces went into the rag-bag, and that was the last of
Prudy's patchwork.
One day the children wanted to go and play in the "new house," which
was not quite done. Mrs. Parlin was almost afraid little Prudy might
get hurt, for there were a great many loose boards and tools lying
about, and the carpenters, who were at work on the house, had all gone
away to see some soldiers. But at last she said they might go if Susy
would be very careful of her little sister.
I dare say Susy meant to watch Prudy with great care, but after a
while she got to thinking of something else. The little one wanted to
play "catch," but Susy saw a great deal more sport in building block
houses.
"Now I know ever so much more than you do," said Susy. "I used to wash
dishes and scour knives when I was four years old, and that was the
time I learned you to walk, Prudy; so you ought to play with me, and
be goody."
"Then I will; but them blocks is too big, Susy. If I had _a axe_ I'd
chop 'em: I'll go get _a axe_." Little Prudy trotted off, and Susy
never looked up from her play, and did not notice that she was gone a
long while.
By and by Mrs. Parlin thought she would go and see what the children
were doing; so she put on her bonnet and went over to the "new house."
Susy was still busy with her blocks, but she looked up at the sound of
her mother's footsteps.
"Where is Prudy?" said Mrs. Parlin, glancing around.
"I'm 'most up to heaven," cried a little voice overhead.
They looked, and what did they see? Prudy herself standing on the
highest beam of the house! She had climbed three ladders to get there.
Her mother had heard her say the day before that "she didn't want to
shut up her eyes and die, and be all deaded up--she meant to have her
hands and face clean, and go up to heaven on a ladder."
"O," thought the poor mother, "she is surely on the way to heaven, for
she can never get down alive. My darling, my darling!"
Poor Susy's first thought was to call out to Prudy, but her mother
gave her one warning glance, and that was enough: Susy neither spoke
nor stirred.
Mrs. Parlin stood looking up at her--stood as white and still as if
she had been frozen! Her trembling lips moved a little, but it was in
prayer; she knew that only God could save the precious one.
While she was begging Him to tell her what to do, a sudden thought
flashed across her mind. She dared not speak, lest the sound of her
voice should startle the child; but she had a bunch of keys in her
pocket, and she jingled the keys, holding them up as high as
possible, that Prudy might see what they were.
When the little one heard the jingling, she looked down and smiled.
"You goin' to let me have some cake and 'serves in the china closet,
me and Susy?"
Mrs. Parlin smiled--such a smile! It was a great deal sadder than
tears, though Prudy did not know that--she only knew that it meant
"yes."
"O, then I'm coming right down, 'cause I like cake and 'serves. I
won't go up to heaven till _bime-by_!"
Then she walked along the beam, and turned about to come down the
ladders. Mrs. Parlin held her breath, and shut her eyes. She dared not
look up, for she knew that if Prudy should take one false step, she
must fall and be dashed in pieces!
But Prudy was not wise enough to fear any thing. O, no. She was only
thinking very eagerly about crimson jellies and fruit cake. She crept
down the ladders without a thought of danger--no more afraid than a
fly that creeps down the window-pane.
The air was so still that the sound of every step was plainly heard,
as her little feet went pat,--pat,--on the ladder rounds. God was
taking care of her,--yes, at length the last round was reached--she
had got down--she was safe!
"Thank God!" cried Mrs. Parlin, as she held little Prudy close to her
heart; while Susy jumped for joy, exclaiming,--
"We've got her! we've got her! O, ain't you so happy, mamma?"
"O, mamma, what you crying for?" said little Prudy, clinging about
her neck. "Ain't I your little comfort?--there, now, you know what you
_speaked_ about! You said you'd get some cake and verserves for me and
Susy."