A LITTLE boy earned some money by running errands, and with the money bought a pound of candles for his mother. On his way home he passed by a large brightly illuminated house, into which many people were going. Curiosity led him to enter. A meeting was being held there that evening by a missionary who had come from India, with two converted natives, and he was giving an address describing the need of those poor heathen. He spoke with so much enthusiasm that the little boy decided to give his pet rabbit to help the good cause. When at the end, a collection was taken up, our little friend donated the pound of candles. This gift provoked some smiles, though unnoticed by him who caused the smiles. Upon his arrival at home he said to his mother,
“I have heard a missionary speak, and I gave those candles to the cause, but I believe God will give us thirty-fold in return. For the missionary said in the meeting that whatever is done for the Saviour and the heathen, God will return him thirty-fold.” Then he went out to his pet rabbit, put it in a basket while tears rolled down his cheeks, and took it to the house where gifts were being received for the mission.
A wealthy Christian lady soon heard of the poor boy’s gift. She bought the rabbit and two others with it, and the next day her carriage stopped in front of the house where the boy and his mother lived. As soon as the boy saw the carriage he called out,
“See, mother, here it is already. How good is God! How good is God!”
Sure enough, the lady alighted from her carriage with the little black rabbit, and also two white ones; and for the mother a basket of provisions and two pounds of candles.
This does not end the story. The wealthy lady kept her eye on the boy, and saw with pleasure how he cared for his mother and helped her in every way he could. She gave him a good education. But the best of all was that he took Christ as his Saviour, gave Him his heart, and finally went out among the heathen himself as the Lord’s servant, to tell them of that Saviour.
Is it not a happy thing to see how the Lord saved this boy while he was quite young, and how he sought to serve Him and tell others about His love and grace.
ML 01/18/1925