THE following touching story is told of a poor Hindoo mother, a native
of Kedgeree in India:
This woman lived on the Ganges, near Sanger Island. She was the mother
of a pair of beautiful twin babies. But one of these children was a
girl, and the poor benighted mother on that account supposed herself to
be under "Gunga's" curse for some offence she had committed.
A missionary's wife found her lamenting, and heard the story of her
grief. The god must be appeased, the woman said. He was certainly
angry, or the children would have both been boys, and with good eyes.
She would have to make a sacrifice to soothe his wrath.
The Christian lady did what she could to impress her with better
teachings, but with little effect. She left her sadly, never for one
moment dreaming what the wretched mother meditated doing.
A day or two later the lady called again. As before, the mother sat
beside the little basket cradle weeping--for this time there was but
one baby in the cradle. It was the poor little blind girl. The other
had been drowned in the Ganges.
The Christian lady was horror-struck when she knew the truth.
"Unhappy woman!" she exclaimed; "if you were driven to do this, why did
you destroy the child you loved, and spare the one you hated?"
The woman sobbed and beat her breast piteously.
"O, it is that that breaks my heart," she said. "The god must have the
_best_. When I had a perfect one he would not take the other. Alas, my
boy, my boy!"
Why should not many who live in this land of light be shamed--not by
the deed, but by the devotion of this poor heathen? Under the gentle
law of Christ, we know that God's demand for the best we have only bids
us use it for him, and devote it to him.
If we serve him selfishly, may not even the poor dark-souled Hindoo
mother rise up and condemn us?--_Selected._
[Illustration: BEGINNING TO WORK.]
[Illustration: The P.S. CORNER]
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Only three little words, yet how much they mean! Isn't
it a wonderful thought that it rests with each one of you to decide
whether you will be happy this year or not? Now I see you open your
eyes! "How, can we tell what is going to happen to us?"
Ah, I did not say that; but don't you know, if you are soldiers of the
great King, he will take care of you; and whatever happens will give
you the sweetest, highest happiness there is in this world?
We talk about things "happening," but it is well for us to remember
that this King of ours manages all things, and is pledged to make "all
things work together for good," to those who belong to him.
How many of you are blooming for him?
How many of you who have not yet settled the question, will come over
to His side before this New Year's Day is done?
Oh, I hope you are all preparing for a Happy New Year.
Lovingly, PANSY.
_Fred_ from Rhode Island. I am sorry your "other letter" was not
answered, but glad that you did not wait for it. It is so pleasant
to hear that the badges help our young people. So you found THE
PANSY blooming where you did not expect it? The truth is, we
Pansies are a very large family, and are wonderfully scattered. I have
marked your letter to be copied, for the other Blossoms to enjoy.
_Mary_ and _John_ from Tarsus. Dear, far-away Blossoms, we welcome you.
How strange it is to think that in the very country where the great
Paul lived so many years ago, two little Pansy buds are growing for
Jesus. I hope you may be very fragrant flowers in that far-away land.
Will you give my love to little Robert Livingstone?
_Gertrude_ from New York. I am glad for you. "Whining" is a habit
very easy to form, and very hard to break. It requires a good, strong
resolution, such as you have made. As for "prompt obedience," I heard a
gentleman once say, that no one was fit to command, who had not learned
to obey.
_Grace_ from Pennsylvania. You have asked a hard question, my dear. How
can we interest people in things in which they have no interest? Let
us see. In the first place, we must be very much interested ourselves,
and must know just why we are interested, and just what we hope to do,
by securing others to join us. Many of the P. S. have weekly meetings
where they do some benevolent work, and have many an interesting book
read to them while they work. Others have a literary society. What have
you tried to do? Tell us the whole story, and we will try to help you.
_Susie_ from Pennsylvania. The "Whisper Motto" is: "_For Jesus' Sake_."
All the Pansies who choose it for their motto are expected to try to
live by it. To do nothing which they think Jesus would not like, and to
take him for their pattern. I am glad you like THE PANSY.
_Nettie_ from Ohio. Dear little Blossom, I was very much interested in
your letter. I read it to a friend who said she would send you THE
PANSY for one year, for a Christmas present. So you may expect it
to visit you as usual. I am glad you and your little sisters like it so
well. For a little girl who has never been to school, I think you write
an excellent letter.
_Harriet_ from Deddington. So a little American Blossom has gone to
bloom in England! That is good. May the fragrance of your life be
enough to give joy to all around you. Did you ever notice how easy it
is to find things to fret about, if one only tries?
_Edith_ from New York. Now, my dear, I hope you will this time
understand that you are the "Edith" meant. I would like to make it
"sound like you" if I could. Since you live in Chautauqua County,
perhaps you have been to the beautiful Chautauqua, where so many young
people go every summer.
_Richard_ from Virginia. We welcome you, my boy. If you succeed in
raising a P. S. company, an officer's badge will be sent you in place
of the one you now have. The habit of using "by-words" seems to be
growing among our young people, both girls and boys. I am glad for
every one who joins the ranks to fight against it.
_Myra_ from New York. My wee Blossom, I was glad to receive your
letter. So you want to write "nice stories"? Well, who can tell but you
may write beautiful stories, one of these days? I'll tell you what you
might begin to do now. _Live_ a story, a beautiful one, so that people
who know you will say one to another, "How gentle, and unselfish, and
truthful, and loving _Myra_ is!" How would that do? Yes, I know it is
much harder to _live_ stories than it is to write them; but then, they
are worth more.
_Bessie_ and _Gracie_ from Wisconsin. Two dear sisters who are going to
"help each other." I know all about that habit of impatience, Bessie;
ever so many people are troubled with it. As for "contradicting," I
have spent part of the day with a boy who contradicted his mother five
times in the course of half an hour. Think of it!
_Miriam_ from New Jersey. You have chosen a fault which is very common,
and very trying to one's friends. "Slow obedience is only _half_
obedience," a dear old friend of mine used to say. I have often thought
of it; and I believe it is quite true. Do not you? I think you must
have had a pleasant time at your celebration.
_Stella_ from Omaha. Your pledge reminds me of a day when I was looking
through a gentleman's autograph album, and came to a name which I could
not pronounce. This was it: Inaminute. "What is this name?" I asked, in
wonder. The young man laughed. "Oh, that was one of our boys who was
always keeping us waiting; he was sure to shout out: "In a minute!" no
matter how much haste we were in. So we took to calling him that; and
the name stuck, somehow, and fits to this day. Some one told me only
yesterday, that he never succeeded in anything he undertook, because
he was always behindhand."
_Harry_ from Pennsylvania. "A better boy in every way that I can." That
is a grand pledge, Harry. It has given me great comfort to write it out
in full on our pledge book, and to think while I am writing it, what a
grand man there will be in Pennsylvania, one of these days, if Harry
lives, and keeps his pledge. I pray God to help you every day to keep
it.
_May_ from New York. A May flower that shall help somebody every day,
will be sure to shed sweet perfume. I hope my little May will blossom
some day in our Father's garden, where flowers never fade.
_Bella_ from Canada. A Pansy Blossom in Canada! Yes, indeed, many of
them. This one we welcome with special joy because you are such a wee
bud; only six, and pledged to try to make sunshine for the people
around you, every day. God bless our little Canadian Bella!
_Cora_ from New York. Poor little "finger nails!" I am glad they are
not to suffer any more. A lady once told me that she was so in the
habit of biting her nails, that when she stood before a great audience
once, to speak on temperance, she found herself tugging at her glove to
get to her fingers so she could bite them! Would not that have been an
astonishing sight? Habit is a strange tyrant. Break away from this one,
while you are young.
_Henry_ from New York. Good for you, my boy! Half-learned lessons are
very common, and very disgraceful. Please don't wear your badge at all,
on any day when you fail in a lesson; I should hate to think of its
being treated in that way.
_Clyde_ from Virginia. Welcome to our Pansy Society. What kind word
have you said this month, I wonder, that has helped some one on his
way. A kind word a day, would make a lovely chain of kindness each
year. Then, if we could follow the words and see what they did for
others, what a story they would make!
_Mary_ from Indiana. So you have overcome that habit of saying "Wait a
minute." How glad mamma must be! I rejoice with you. What are you going
to take up next? I presume Satan keeps you busy fighting against his
wishes. He is very industrious, and when he fails in one direction, he
tries in another.
_Frankie_ from Michigan. I hope mamma was not only surprised but
pleased with the badge, and your reason for receiving it. Does she see
you growing patient? That is not an easy lesson to learn. In fact it
takes a great deal of patience to be patient!
_Ida_ from Kansas. Your pledge was rather indefinite, my dear. I have
not a very clear idea of what you mean to do. However, if _you_ have,
and are trying for it, the main point has been gained. Perhaps you will
write and make the matter plainer to me.
_George_ from Minnesota. I know a boy who has taught himself to be so
cross to his little sister that she actually cries sometimes, when she
sees him coming. Yet he loves her, and would shed bitter tears if God
where to take her away. Why do you suppose he wants to heap up sad
memories for himself, by yielding to such a foolish habit? I am glad
you have taken the pledge you send.
_Nellie_ from ---- If one only gets used to it, my dear, it is really
quite an easy thing to do a thing at once, as it is to linger awhile.
In fact it is easier; there is such a delightful feeling about having a
thing done that we did not want to do. A young girl told me once that
she remembered a certain summer day in which life was bright to her,
all day, because she succeeded in making her bed before her mother said
to her, "Come, dear, it is time your morning work was done."