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ALTHOUGH a wonderful child, Lilly was
by no means a grave, unearthly, precocious little
one. Her smile was as sunny as her
hair, and her eyes were always laughing.
She was indeed a beam of light wherever
seen. At sight of her lovely face the stern
visages of worldly men relaxed, and the old
always held open arms for her. She
warmed their hearts with her happy, artless
prattle. One day her mother took her
on board of a steamboat, on a pleasure excursion.
At first Lilly looked grave, finding
herself among so many strange people,
but spying at the farther end of the saloon
a venerable man, who held a little girl by
the hand, she begged her mother to let her
go and see the rosy-cheeked child. Mrs.—was not afraid to trust Lilly. If she
said, ‘Lilly, remember and do not go out
of the door or by the window,
‘Is that your little girl?’
‘Yes, dear,’ was the reply, ‘at least she is my little grand daughter.’
‘Are you her grandpa?’
‘Yes, dear.’
‘I got a grandpa,’ said Lilly, with that sweet coaxing way that is in some children so irresistible, ‘and he's a good man and loves Jesus. Do you love Jesus?’
The old man looked at her with a strange expression, but did not speak.
‘Say! you love Jesus, don't you? Don't
you love Him because He died to save you?
Say, don't you love Jesus?’
‘My little child,’ murmured the old, white-headed man, and his lips began to quiver.
She looked at him earnestly, thoughtfully— then a grieved expression crossed her sweet face, and she said, softly—‘You do love Jesus, don't you?’
‘My little one—ah, I wish I did—I wish I did!’ and he shook his head mournfully.
For one moment she stood gazing on the
floor, then flying from the knee where she
had been resting, she sought her mother,
caught hold of her hand, and saying, ‘Oh!
mamma, that little girl's grandpa over there,
don't love Jesus;
The child would take no denial, but besought with such earnestness, that her mother was fain to go, and seat herself by the old man's side, after which Lilly, feeling perfectly assured that the old man would soon love Jesus whether he had before or not, resumed her merry play with her little new-found companion.
Mrs. — sat for some time silent and embarrassed where her daughter had escorted her.
‘That's a wonderful little one,’ said the old gentleman, after he had mastered his emotion.
O! no, sir, a very pleasant, good child, but there is nothing wonderful about her,’ replied the mother.
‘Madam, pardon me—but no one ever took that much interest in me before, to ask me the simple question that child put to me, and I am now in my eighty-third year.’
‘The Bible, sir, you know, says that out of
the mouths of babes and
‘Ah! yes, I remember—I read my Bible a great deal, madam,’ and he sighed heavily.
‘No, madam. I have for many years been shaping the scriptures to suit some peculiar views of mine, and so busy and zealous have I been that I have given no attention to it, as a saving medium. When your child put that question to me, madam, I seemed suddenly to awake, as it were, out of a slumber of ages;’ and again he sighed heavily.
‘I think, sir,’ said Mrs. —, ‘if you would not disdain so humble an instrument, my little daughter, as she has perhaps begun the good work, might lead you to the truth.’
‘The boat is stopping, madam,’ said the old gentleman, then he added, eagerly, ‘will you accompany me to my home? It will be pleasanter than the hot grove, at this hour of the day, and I would talk more with that angel child.’
His new found friend consented, and they
walked together, for some moments, the little
children hand in hand, until they came in
sight of a splendid mansion. A park, dotted
with beautiful timber lay in front, and the
They entered the house. It wore an air of grandeur, and every room was adorned with rich and costly furniture.
‘O! what a happy house!’ cried angel Lilly.
‘She means,’ said her mother, smiling, ‘that everything is so beautiful, one ought to be happy here.’
Again came that sigh welling up from the heart of the aged man, and he shook his head sadly, holding out his arms to the child.
‘Come to me, and tell me how I may love Jesus,’ he said.
‘Why, don't you love Him yet?’ she cried,
looking from him to her mother.
‘Is it so easy then, my sweet child?’
‘Why, it's so easy you can't help it,’ said the little one, simply. ‘Mother says she loves me dearly when I'm good, and how can you help loving Jesus who is good an the time?’
‘Do you think he loves me?’
‘O! I know He does,’ replied the child,
earnestly.
The eyes of the aged unbeliever filled with tears, as he said, ‘Then, surely, if He loves me, who has been always so ungrateful towards Him, I ought to love Him. Thank God! I see it in a new light,’ he murmured to himself. ‘O! madam, how can I ever be thankful enough that I met this angel? Surely, if I seek Him He will be found.’
In her own sweet way the mother of little Lilly unfolded the plan of salvation to this hoary-headed sceptic—removing his impressions where they conflicted with the truth, and when she left him, he had humbled himself in prayer and promised not to give up his search till he had found the Saviour precious to his soul.
It was perhaps a week after this conversation that the mother of Lilly received a letter from the old gentleman, in which her wrote glad tidings of great joy; now he loved the Saviour.
‘Ask my little angel,’ he added, ‘what she would most like to have me buy for her. It must be something very beautiful and very costly. I am curious to know what she will say.’
‘What shall the good old man buy for you,
‘For me, mother?’
‘He says he will get you whatever you wish, no matter what it costs.’
‘O! mother, will he!’ and Lilly clapped
her hands. ‘Will he buy a whole new library
for our Sabbath School? O! that
would be so nice!’
‘Always another—never self,’ thought the gratified parent, as the tears came into her eyes. Then she added aloud, ‘Well, daughter, I will tell him what you want.’
Before the next Sabbath a new and beautiful library graced the Sabbath School room of L—, and Lilly's eyes sparkled like diamonds as she heard the superintendent tell that it was a gift through one of the Sabbath School scholars. Was it not strange that every eye turned toward the beaming face of angel Lilly? No; for they knew that she delighted in such deeds. And when the questions came pouring in upon her, ‘Was it you? was it you?’ her childish answer was —
‘Yes;
That old man lived to build a house unto
the Lord, and when it was completed, and
they told him that angel Lilly lay in her
‘There is her monument!’
O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy
name in all the earth! who hast set thy
glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy
name in all the earth!