Part 2.
I TOLD you something about the boats on the Chinese rivers last week, and the people who live in them. Today I am going to tell you about a dear little girl who was born and lived all her life on a boat.
Little Kum Tai was born on just such a boat as I have described to you. Her father and mother, a brother, and after a bit, a little sister, also lived in it. I do not know whether they had a pig or some chickens, but many of the boats have. When Kum Tai was quite small, she spent most of her time on her mother’s back, while the poor woman poled the boat backwards and forwards, carrying passengers and goods from place to place. When the little child was old enough to walk alone, a large wooden float was tied around her neck, or sometimes she was tied by a rope to the, “pang”, or covering of the boat.
When she was four years old, and her little sister two years old, a great change came into their lives. Their mother had been attending the meetings on the Gospel Boat. She had indeed professed to be converted, and one day she came to the lady missionaries, and asked them if they would not take her two little girls. She said she could not earn enough to buy rice for them to eat. After some consideration the ladies agreed to do this: Miss Trent took the little one to her boat, some twenty or thirty miles away; and Miss Rowe kept the elder one with her. It was a nice change for little Kum Tai, to live on the big boat where she had plenty of food to eat, and space to run about in, and comfortable clothes to wear.
At first she was a very troublesome little girl. She would scream with passion if she could not have what she wanted, and if any one offended her she would get a stick and try to hit him, but by degrees she learned better. Miss Rowe taught her about Jesus, and she loved to hear the Bible stories. If she saw her with a Bible in her hand, she would run up and ask her to tell her something about Jesus.
When even a little girl learns to love Jesus, she tries to do what pleases Him, and so this dear little child became so gentle and sweet that everyone loved her. She was very merry and lively too, and was always jumping and skipping about, so she was great company for Miss Rowe who had only her Chinese servants on the boat with her. She loved to sing hymns, and the one she liked best was, “If I come to Jesus, He will make me glad.” The Chinese have a very nice tune for this hymn.
For nearly two years Kum Tai lived with her kind friend and then her mother came, and said she must have both her little girls back, and for such a dreadful reason. I am sure you will hardly believe me, but she wanted to sell them. She said she must have some money to buy a wife for her son and that was the only way she could get it. The two ladies were very sad; they did their best to persuade her not to do such a wicked thing, but she had made up her mind and would not listen to them. They could not bear to think of their dear little girls being sold into a heathen home, where they would be taught to worship idols, and do all kinds of wicked things. But the ladies had no, power to hinder the mother from doing as she pleased with her own children, and so one day the children were both given back to her. It was a sad day for their kind friends, but the little ones did not understand what was happening, and went away quite cheerfully with their mother. Then came the evening time, and when they discovered that they were to go back no more, their poor little hearts were nearly broken. They cried and sobbed and begged to go home, until they could cry no more, and then dropped asleep. The mother’s heart was softened, and she said, “I will take the little one back,” and as soon as the child wakened she went with her to the big boat, leaving Kum Tai asleep. They were still talking and arranging the matter, when there was a scream and a splash. Poor little Kum Tai; she had possibly tried to follow her mother. They never knew what happened, for by the time the child was rescued from the waves, the little life was extinct.
We say “Poor little Kum Tai.” Should we not rather say, “Happy little Kum Tai.” No heathen home for her now, but instead, the Father’s house. The Good Shepherd could not let His little lamb go into such surroundings, so He took her home to Himself, by way of the swift waters.
Now, I want to ask the children who read this true story, what makes us think little Kum Tai is with Jesus? Was it because she was a good little girl? The Bible says, “There is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Not even the good child who reads this story. Perhaps then, it was because she sang hymns, and repeated verses? No, that would be doing good works for salvation, and the Bible says again, “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” There is only one way by which grown up people, or little children can be saved; it is God’s own way, and there is no other. God loved us, and He wanted to have us with Himself, but He could not have us with Him, if one spot of sin was upon us. And so in His great and wonderful love, He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world to be punished for our sins upon the cross. Our little Chinese girl believed this, and so she loved the One who had saved her, and loving Him, made her want to hear about Him, and to sing hymns of praise to Him, and also made her want to please Him by being gentle and obedient.
Perhaps you would like me to write out the chorus of the little hymn she first learned to sing, and was so fond of.
“Ngoh yeuk Chan chau. Ye Slo
Slam Chung mo paai ai
Kei yat yat fuen shing kiu
Ngoh tei slui yi lai.”
Translation
“I if come to Jesus
Heart middle not sad
He day day gentle voice calls
My little children come.”
English
“If I come to Jesus
Happy shall I be;
He is gently calling
Little ones like me.”
ML 01/11/1925