“WHAT a number of presents! I wonder if another boy in our class feels half as rich to-day as Henry Walton?" It was Henry's tenth birthday, and if you could have peeped into the pleasant breakfast room at Myrtle Cottage, and seen how loving hearts and hands had tried to give him pleasure, you would have thought him ungrateful if he had not been, for at least one day, a thankful and happy boy.
“A new ball from Father—the very thing I wanted—how jolly! I think he was kind to get it for me. And here is mother's present, such a beautiful Text Book, and what is this in her own writing on the fly-leaf, under my name. Oh, I see now, ‘Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.' "
A gaily painted top, and a bag of marbles, from his sisters Grace and Lily, showed they had not forgotten him; while his much-loved Sunday-school teacher, Mr. Jones, had sent a book, "Pictures of Bible Scenes.”
Were these all Henry's presents?
No, there were a parcel and a letter, both from grandpapa. The parcel was quickly untied, and, to his great delight, proved to be a large Japanese kite, shaped like a bird, the body blue, with bright, yellow spots, and the wings bright red, while a short tail of stiff green paper completed the strange-looking object.
“Now for grandpapa's letter, his letters are always so interesting, just like a story book, mother says they are better, because they are true." And Henry began to read.
“Mayfield, Tuesday.
“ MY VERY DEAR HENRY,
“As I shall not be able to pay a visit to Myrtle Cottage this week, we must be content to have a talk by way of pen and ink. I wish you a very bright and happy birthday. I quite expect to hear that during the last school year you have been getting on well with your lessons; but do not forget that the Bible says, ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.' (Prov. 1:77The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7).)
“I hope you will be pleased with your new kite. It really came from Japan, so has been quite a traveler. Japanese children use just such kites as yours; indeed, I believe in Japan, as well as China, grown-up men sometimes spend their evenings in flying kites.
“As I know you will be pleased to learn something about Japan and its people, I am going to tell you in what a wonderful way, not many years ago, God prepared the heart of a Japanese noble to accept Christ as his Savior.
“I think it is about thirty years since Christian missionaries were first allowed to settle in Japan, but at first they did not seem to make any real progress. They found the language of Japan very difficult to learn; but their great trouble was with the Japanese themselves. ‘They did not like foreigners and their ways.' the Japanese said, and they did not wish to give up worshipping idols. Still the missionaries would not give up trying to tell the people about the Lord Jesus. They knew God's promise was of His own word, ‘It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please.' (Isa. 55:1111So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11).)
“So the missionaries were very glad and thankful when a Japanese, in his long, loose dress and strange-looking white turban, called at the mission station, to ask questions about the Bible, or when any children were allowed to attend school.
“The emperor of Japan made a law, forbidding any of his subjects to become Christians, and things went on in this way for some years. But God, who is rich in mercy, was about to open a door for the gospel in Japan.
“A young nobleman, whom, as I am not quite sure of his real name, I will call Iddo, had received a superior education, and was very fond of reading.
“Walking one day near the banks of a canal, he saw a book floating on the surface of the water. His servant, at a sign from his master, swam out from the shore, and soon brought the book to Iddo, who, on opening it, was quite disappointed to find it was printed in a language of which he could not read a word. It was an English New Testament. So Iddo took it home with him, placed it in his library, and after some weeks showed it to the skipper of a Dutch vessel, who had come to Japan to trade, thinking, perhaps, he might be able to read it.
“But, as the Dutch skipper only knew a few words of English, he could not read more than the title of the Book: The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.' He told Iddo it was the Book most read and loved by Christians, also that if he wished to learn more about it, he could do so by going to the house of the English missionary.
“Iddo was not willing to do this, for he said his friends would be sure to hear of it if he went, and he did not wish them to know he was being taught by foreigners, and asked if there was no other way of learning.
“He was then told that the Book had been translated into Chinese, which language Iddo could read quite well, and that by sending to Canton he could obtain a copy.
“Iddo was much pleased on hearing this, and lost no time in sendinga servant whom he could trust on the long journey.
When, after an absence of some weeks, he returned with a Chinese Testament, Iddo began at once to read it. The more he read, the more he wanted to read. At last his heart was won to Christ, and he became a true believer.
“Could he keep the good news to himself? No; he longed to tell others of the treasure he had found. He invited several of his friends to meet at his house, and began to read the scriptures to them. God, in His grace, blessed those little Bible readings, and in less than a year, Iddo was one of a little band of Christians who, though tried by much persecution, were not ashamed to confess Christ.
“I find my letter is quite a long one but do not you think this true story reminds us of a verse in Psa. 119: ‘The entrance of thy words giveth light'? (Psa. 119:130130The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. (Psalm 119:130).)
“Several young Japanese are at the present time being educated in England, and I think those of us who love the Lord Jesus Christ will not forget to pray that they may not only gain learning from our schools and colleges, but carry with them, on their return to Japan, a saving knowledge of Christ.
“With much love to mother, Lily, Grace, and yourself,
“I am, dear Henry,
“Your affectionate
“GRANDPAPA.”
Having read his letter through, Henry said to himself, "Mother will be pleased, to read this; then I can fly my new kite on the common, as we have no school to-day," and he bounded upstairs, three steps at a time, in search of his mother.
Courtesy of BibleTruthPublishers.com. Most likely this text has not been proofread. Any suggestions for spelling or punctuation corrections would be warmly received. Please email them to: BTPmail@bibletruthpublishers.com.