In India one day a young fellow named John heard a dog barking very excitedly and looked to see what was the cause of all the noise. Over in a distant field he could see the dog making the dirt fly as he dug into the earth. Every once in awhile the dog would stop for awhile and bark excitedly. John thought the dog had discovered a choice bone or perhaps it might be a gopher in his hole in the ground.
His curiosity was aroused and he decided to go over and see what it was all about. As he drew closer he discovered that the cause of the excitement had arms and legs. A doll, he thought! But how did a doll get away out here? Why should someone bury a doll so far from home? Maybe a farmer’s little girl had left her dolly out there while she was with her daddy in the field.
But as he watched, he thought he saw the doll’s arm move. The next moment he was running toward the dog and shouting for it to go away. Snatching up the object the dog had dug up, he found it to be a tiny baby girl, all covered with dirt, but still alive. She was only a few hours old.
“Who could have brought her there and covered her with dirt?” he wondered. Then the next question came, “What shall I do now?”
Looking anxiously around he spied a woman outside a small house and hurried to show her what the dog had uncovered from the ground. Gently the woman wiped off the dirt and said, “We must get her to a hospital at once!” fearing the baby might not live.
“I’ll take her to the mission,” said John, and off he went, running all the way. Arriving at the mission he told the story of how the dog had dug up the baby and showed the scratches on her little legs.
“The mother must not have wanted her baby,” said the missionary with tears in her eyes, “and so she buried her alive.” Then she quickly put the tiny thing into the hospital where they washed off all the dirt and put some soothing medication on the swollen eyes. Soon the little one was between clean cozy sheets in a nice cradle, and a nurse was gently rocking her to sleep.
They reported the matter to the police, and a policeman came to search for the mother. He and John found her huddled in a field, sick, and brought her to the mission. The policeman ordered her to take care of the baby and feed it. However, she was not a good mother and cared not for her child. One day she went away and never returned.
But the Lord Jesus cared for the motherless little baby girl, and she didn’t lack for love at the hospital, for the nurses all loved her. She grew up to be a happy little Christian girl, loving the Lord Jesus with all her heart.
Jesus died for little children,
All the children of the world:
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight;
Jesus died for all the children of the world.
ML-07/09/1978