IN a village schoolroom, one summer’s I morning a few years since, two boys might have been seen sitting side by side. Rosy, healthy looking little fellows they were, and brimful of fun and mischief. Deeply absorbed in their lessons, of course, they appeared to be every moment that the master’s eye rested upon them, but well he knew, and well they knew too, by experience, that many a roguish trick could be managed when his back was turned.
Had you seen them that morning, young reader, would you have supposed for one moment that death was very near to both of them, drawing nearer every hour? that, in fact, the next morning their places in school would be empty? No, indeed! you would have felt sure that such strong, sturdy boys would grow up healthy countrymen like their fathers before them. Yet that was to be their very last day at school; how solemn the thought!
Afternoon school once more over, there is evidently some little planning and settling going on between these two boys, and then, with noisy shouts and merry laughter, away they rush to their respective homes to tea, soon again to meet.
The evening wears away, and no fear is felt for some time on account of their absence, as they are known to be such fast friends that they are generally found tether. But after it has become quite dark, their parents begin to feel at first vexed, and then alarmed at their continued absence.
Night approaches, and neighbors kindly start off to aid in the search, for now the quiet little village itself is all astir about them. The two poor distracted mothers wander about through the fields and woods near, their heartrending cries sounding dismally on the night air. “Johnny, Johnny, where are you? Oh, do come to me!”
“Oh, my Willy, what has become of you? where can you be?” Oh, poor mothers! those sad cries can never be again answered by your boys.
Morning breaks, and as the day wears on the terrible truth is made known to all. Both boys have been found — but where? Lying drowned at the bottom of a small pond in the squire’s park, in so retired a spot that their cries for help, if they raised any when they found themselves in danger, could not have been heard.
They had gone to the pond, without telling anyone of their intention, and having made or found a sort of rough raft or broken boat, had ventured upon it on the water, only to lose their lives!
What a dreadful contrast between the morning and evening of just that one short summer day!
Healthy, rosy, noisy, full of thoughtless life and spirits then, rushing heedlessly along in boyish strength and glee— now borne silently and sorrowfully to their homes, cold, pale, and perfectly lifeless No outbursts of heartbroken grief, no mournful words of the fathers, who had hoped soon to have had their help in earning bread for the rest of the families; no scalding tears of the mothers could rouse them again from the deep sleep of death. But oh! far, far beyond all thought of their bodies, which would be borne soon to the village churchyard by sorrowing schoolfellows, and laid to rest there till the resurrection morn, rises the question instantly to one’s mind, “Whither had their souls gone? Where are they now? Who can tell? None but God alone! He only knows. With Him we must leave the solemn question, for no human being could faithfully answer it.
Had the poor boys’ parents been asked plainly, “Where do you think your boys are now?” without doubt they would have said in surprise, “Why, better off to be sure, dear lads; they were no worse than other boys; they never did much harm, and, I’m sure, always kept to their church, and said their catechism; and the Almighty is very merciful.”
Indeed He is, or He would never have sent His blessed Son into the world to be the Saviour for poor lost sinners; but He is also “just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus,” and He accepts as clear from every charge of sin, those who believe in Jesus, and those only! None besides. No, none besides! for there is salvation in none other name.
Now, did those boys believe in Him? were their souls saved? We know not. Yet death suddenly overtook them without the slightest warning, and the place which once knew them knows them now no more forever.
Dear children, let this sad, true story speak home to your hearts and consciences. God grant that it may. If you are as suddenly called away from home and friends, are you prepared for the great change? Are your sins all forgiven? all washed away in the precious blood of Christ, so that at any time God’s messenger of death would find you “ready”? God’s word says, “Prepare to meet thy God.” Seek the Lord while He maybe found — now, while it is called to-day! — to-morrow even may be too late, Time is short, even at the very longest, and may end at any moment, perhaps at the most unexpected time, with anyone of us; but eternity, God’s great, grand, solemn eternity, will last forever and ever. It knows no end! Dear little reader, where will you spend it?