DO you know where it came from? Far down in Maine, four little girls,
Lottie, Sibbie, Minnie and May, looked into each other's eyes one day,
and with hearts full of love for the suffering little children who
could not run and play as they did, they resolved to give up some of
their time each day to preparing a box for a children's hospital.
The box was some happy weeks in growing. Dollies after being dressed
by patient little fingers, hopped into it gladly as if to say, "Just
think of me going to comfort a little sick child. I am _so glad_ to
go." Cunning little wooden barrels and boxes that were manufactured
in that Maine village, rolled and tumbled in too; toys that looked as
if then their whole mission in life were to amuse hospital children,
tucked themselves into all the nooks and corners until I can whisper to
you all, dear members of the Pansy Society, _there wasn't a bit of room
left_.
Oh, what a rich box! The dear little girls, those four members of the
Pansy Society who believed in making others happy _for Jesus' sake_,
put the precious box on the cars all nicely addressed to Boston. It
travelled and travelled till it came to my hands; and then it took a
wee journey to the hospital where it was opened by the good head nurse,
who is superintendent of the wards.
I can do no better than to give you her words in the letter she stopped
in her busy life to write me concerning its arrival. She speaks of the
reception of the box, "that your little friends from Maine so kindly
and lovingly put up for the sick children, and can I trouble you with
one message of 'thank you'? Our hands are full, and all playthings
are appreciated. One of the dolls has fallen to a little girl who has
recently been through a very serious operation. She clings to it night
and day, and as she is too sick to have the out-of-bed children play
with or about her bed, dollie is quite sure to be long-lived."
Only think of the blessed mission of that one doll! That the suffering
child away from its mother can "cling to it day and night." O,
children, is there any sacrifice too great to be made to have the
blessed privilege of comforting Christ's little ones, and helping them
bear their sufferings!
Dear Minnie, Lottie, Sibbie and May, your "box-full of happiness" will
never cease growing. It has made the little hospital children happy,
and your own hearts warm and tender with the love that is like unto
Christ's. May this New Year bring to you and to all the members of the
Pansy Society many sweet, loving thoughts and desires toward making
others happy. This is the best wish of my heart for you.