JOSEY'S GIFT.
Aunt Fanny's burns were now nearly healed. For a week she had been
without the bandages, though the wounds were still tender. Her trunks
were mostly packed, and many tokens of love placed there by beloved
friends.
When with her brother's family the young missionary always wore a
cheerful smile; but there were hours when she wept at the thought of
parting from those who were so dear. Yet not for one instant did she
regret the choice of her life. She was going to tell the poor benighted
heathen of the love of Jesus,--to try and persuade them to throw away
their idols, and worship the living and true God.
As she thought of all this, and realized what a privilege it was to save
souls from eternal death, her whole heart glowed with a desire to be
among those for whom she was to labor.
Mr. and Mrs. Matthews had been travelling for some weeks, but had now
returned to be in season for the wedding.
On the Sabbath night previous, the family were seated in the library,
when mamma noticed that Josey was not present. She could not account for
this, because, when out of school, he was scarcely a moment away from
his aunt's side. She went through several rooms in search of him, and
at last found him in a closet by himself, sobbing as if his heart would
break.
"Why must Aunt Fanny go?" he sobbed, "I can't bear it,--I can't bear not
to see her any longer!"
"My darling," said mamma, taking his hand, and leading him to her own
chamber, "do you know what Aunt Fanny is going for?"
"Yes, mamma, but couldn't somebody else do it?" She stopped a moment
and then said,--
"Josey, there was a time, thousands of years ago, when man had sinned,
and there was no hope nor joy for him in the world; there was only the
certainty that his soul must be miserable forever. Then our blessed
Saviour said, 'I pity these poor people and shall try to save them.' He
left his glorious throne, by the side of his Father, and came here to
give himself to death.
"The love and pity of God the Father was so great, that he sent his
beloved Son, that whosoever believeth on him shall have everlasting
life.
"The poor Hindoos know nothing of the true God. They have not the
precious Bible, as we have, to tell them that they need not throw their
babies to the crocodiles,--they need not tear and wound their own flesh,
nor throw themselves under the wheels of the cruel Juggernaut. Your aunt
Fanny and uncle James are going to tell them, they need do nothing of
all this. They desire to say to those poor, ignorant men and women and
children, that Christ's love for them is so great that if they will but
come and accept of his salvation, it shall be freely theirs. She wants
to tell the poor, weary pilgrims, who have been walking hundreds of
miles with stones in their shoes, that the blessed Jesus will accept
them without money, without price, without any of these painful
journeys,--that they have only to lay their load of sin upon him, and he
will carry it for them."
Josey's tears ceased to flow, and he listened with almost breathless
interest.
"Do you want to keep Aunt Fanny from telling them this?" mamma asked.
"Do you want them to go on worshipping those senseless idols, which can
neither see, nor hear, nor understand?"
With a great sob Josey answered,
"No, mamma, I love her dearly, dearly; but I'll let Jesus have her.
He'll know then how I love him."
With a gush of tears, she folded him to her heart. When they were more
calm, she urged him to return to the parlor.
"Pretty soon I will," he said softly, "And oh, mamma, if you'll please
let me sit up an hour later every night till she--I mean, till we're all
alone. Now I'm going to write her a letter."
My little reader, would you like to read it, and see how our dear Josey
showed his love to his Saviour? how he tried to obey the rule, "My
little children let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed
and in truth?" It was this:
"My dear, darling Aunt Fanny:
"I've been thinking a great deal about you, and once I said
I couldn't let you go away; but I'm willing now. I know I
shall miss you dreadfully. And it makes me cry to think how
I shall want to hear you pray by my bed, every night; but
I'll tell you why I'm willing. You know I'm trying to be a
Christian child, and I do hope the dear Saviour has pardoned
my sins; so I want to show Him that I really thank Him for
it, and to-night, I said to myself, 'I have nothing to give
Jesus, to show him my love, but my dear, dear aunty. I do
hope it will show the heathen a little, that I love them,
and want to be kind to them. When you get there, will you
please tell them a little boy gave his aunt to the Saviour,
so that they may learn the way to heaven.
"When I am a man, I hope I shall be a missionary, too; and
perhaps then God will let me see you and Uncle James again.
"Your little nephew,
"JOSEY CODMAN."
MRS. LESLIE'S
BIBLE PEARLS.
_Series for Boys._
VOL. I. THE PEARL OF LOVE.
" II. " " " CHARITY.
" III. " " " OBEDIENCE.
" IV. " " " PENITENCE.
" V. " " " HOPE.
" VI. " " " PATIENCE.
_Series for Girls._
VOL. I. THE PEARL OF FAITH.
" II. " " " DILIGENCE.
" III. " " " MEEKNESS.
" IV. " " " FORGIVENESS.
" V. " " " HOPE.
" VI. " " " CONTENTMENT.