In November little May of whom Mrs. Clark had grown very fond, caught a severe, feverish cold, and became seriously ill. The little girl, with her engaging ways, had helped to soften her aunt's heart, and as she "belonged to Rose," and was sincerely loved by her, it was a bond between these two. Sometimes, when Mrs. Clark was angry and annoyed with Jenny or anyone else, May would put on a piteous face, and hold up her little hand to stroke the offender's cheek, saying "Poor dear," and then trot back to her aunt to pull her forward to do the same, and if the scolding did not cease, she would burst out crying. This generally either softened her aunt or made her feel foolish, and so quelled her excess of anger. Now when she was ill, Mrs. Clark remembered her pretty ways, and hung over her, thinking the worst, and saying repeatedly,
"She will die, like my own little Nelly died."
"No, no, Aunt," Rose would say, to try and comfort her, "I don't think so. May had a bad cold like this in the early spring, and her cheeks were red and hot like that, and she breathed heavily too."
"What did your mother do?"
"She put her into warm baths first, and then a plaster on her chest, and got some medicine for her at the doctor's shop, and May got well; only Mother kept her warm. Mother was so kind and fond of little May," said Rose, with tears in her eyes.
Mrs. Clark's heart softened.
"You are a good little girl to remember so nicely. I'll watch May while Jimmy drives you in the cart to the doctor's shop at Uphill Village. Wasn't that the place?"
"Yes, I know the place, and I'll go and ask him to give me the same medicine, and, Aunt, if May doesn't get better, Dr. Brookland would come."
"A good thought," said her aunt. "I don't care for the doctor here; he didn't cure our Nelly."
"Was your little Nelly like May, and was she ill with the same thing?" asked Rose, gently.
"She was wonderful like May, and so fond of me, but she died of scarlet fever."
"Poor little thing, I wish she hadn't died; I would have liked to play with her."
From that time a very good understanding was established between Rose and her aunt. Mrs. Clark's quick temper did not leave her suddenly, but she certainly was more at ease in her own mind, and found Rose a helpful little companion, and May such a gentle, loving little child, that she was ashamed, if nothing more, and showed less temper before them.
Rose found the "doctor's shop," and the young man gave her the same soothing medicine little May had had before, and these together with the good nursing, had the effect of subduing the cold. Before long she was noticing them again, sitting on her aunt's knee before the fire, well wrapped in a blue shawl, with 'Ose' close by.
The children regularly attended Mr. Rowland's class, and some of their happiest hours were spent listening to him, while he spoke of the Lord Jesus Christ, or those who loved His name. One talk they never forgot. It was on that little verse, "Thou hast been a . . . refuge from the storm, [and] a shadow from the heat." Isaiah 25:44For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. (Isaiah 25:4).
He asked, "Little children, have you ever been out in a storm?"
Of course they answered "Yes."
"And when the lightning flashes, and the thunder roars, and the rain comes down, what do you try to do?"
"To get home!" "To find a shelter." "To hide away somewhere," they answered.
"Very well; now listen. Suppose you were playing with a friend in a large enclosure, the gates of which were regularly locked at ten o'clock every summer's night. Suppose you knew this, and were warned to get out in time.
You were very busy playing, and though great clouds were gathering overhead, you would pay no attention but continue to play on. Presently heavy drops of rain fell. You still thought it would pass off, but soon you heard thunder, and saw the lightning flash. Then you were frightened, and ran to the gate to find it LOCKED and bolted. You cried and knocked, but no one heard, and the storm raged around. What a sad place for a child to be in! Now God has told us in His Word that there is a great storm of judgment coming, that it will fall on all who are not safely hidden in a refuge He has provided. God warns you all to escape, as His judgment may fall at any time, and He also tells us that He will rise up some day and shut the door. Then no more may enter. Any are welcome now. It is not a question of whether you are good or not. If you are not safe in God's refuge before the storm comes, you will be swept away into everlasting destruction. The Door stands wide open now; will you enter in and be safe?"
"What door, please, Sir?" asked a little girl.
"Jesus Christ is the Door. In fact, He is the Refuge. Those who are hidden in Christ will be safe when the storm comes. He invites you today; tomorrow may be too late. You would not like to stand knocking after the door is shut, and hear those awful words, 'TOO LATE' "
"But what does it mean to flee to the refuge? Just this. We are sinners. You little ones are sinners, and all deserving of death. No one deserves heaven —to live with God, and share the glory of Christ! But God loved us even when we were sinners, and full of naughty ways. He sent His beloved Son to suffer in our stead, to bear our sin, and put it away, to shed His blood, which can cleanse from all sin. And Jesus came and did it all. He finished the work God gave Him to do. He put away sin, and God raised Him from the dead, and seated Him on His own right hand, where He is crowned with glory. It shows sin has been put away from God's sight, because Jesus, who took it on Himself, is in heaven, and sin cannot enter there. So now Jesus is a refuge, and if you believe in Him and the work He has done, you are safe. God will never punish you, or let the storm break over your head. The storm beat on the Lord Jesus, that those who believe in Him might go free. Is he not a Saviour to love and rejoice in?"
"I am so glad I am safe," whispered Rose, when she told Susan afterwards.
Little Robin never tired of hearing of the Lord Jesus, or lessons from the Bible. In his childish simplicity, and with childlike faith, he believed those things "because the Bible told him so," and he always said he "knew Jesus died for him, and he loved Him and trusted Him." Many a childish offence had to be laid to his charge, but he was always really sorry after. Though he got into trouble, he was not a "bad boy," for his offences were generally from thoughtlessness or carelessness, and not from actual naughtiness, and when Susan spoke to him of an act's being displeasing to God, he usually was sorry at once and said he'd "try again."
"Do forgive me this time, and be friends with me, Susan, and try and excuse me if you can," he would add.
Jack continued from time to time to annoy the children, but as they were pretty well protected by his father and Susan, he did not trouble them very much, and as Rose tried hard to return good for evil, and Robin became an amusing companion, he began to tolerate them.
When winter came, and the ponds were frozen over, he took Robin to slide, and one day the poor little boy returned to Susan with cut knees and a swollen face, from a heavy fall. Jack pushed him, because he wouldn't slide fast enough, but Robin bore no malice, and begged to go again next time.
Another day Jack took them for a walk in frosty weather, and went much too far for those little ones to venture, so that by the time they had reached the desired place — a large frozen pond — they were five miles from home, and quite unfit to return.
The walk back was a misery. Poor little Rose was very tired and footsore, and Robin cried very much. Rose tried to drag him along, and Jack helped part of the way. Then he grew angry, declared he would "never take such babies out again," and walked off. It grew late in the afternoon, and darkness came on. Rose rested whenever she had a chance, and by degrees got her little brother home, three hours later than they were expected! Cold, pale, worn out, and faint, they reached the farm, and found the family very anxious about them. Jack had not made his appearance, being afraid to do so without the children, and until they had eaten warm bread and milk, they could hardly give an account of themselves. Rose begged that Jack might not be scolded, and obtained the promise from her uncle, though he said, "Jack should hear why he escaped a flogging," and this thought on her part made both mother and son more kindly disposed to her.
For some days she could scarcely walk, and had to be nursed and cared for, but after a little, the bad effect of the long walk passed off.
Susan and Rose paid many a visit to Jenny's grannie, through that long winter, and the old woman soon welcomed the little girl gladly, as she was able to read the Word of God aloud to her. Jenny, too, became fond of her Sunday class, and used to bring the "good news" home to her grannie. She was fond of telling Rose what she could remember of "Bonnie Scotland," and the mountains and lochs there, and perhaps those two were drawn a little nearer together from the fact that each had lost her mother.
As springtime came on, "Miss Marian" used to drive over and see the children, and she was very glad to find that they were so happy and well cared for.
Mr. Rowland, too, took a great interest in them, and he rejoiced to find that the truth these little ones heard, and the seed that was sown, fell into good ground, and as far as those who loved them could judge, was springing up and bearing fruit. Many a hymn and verse of Scripture were now sung and repeated in the farmhouse, and their uncle encouraged them to repeat to him what they heard at the Sunday class, and seemed really to take an interest in hearing the Bible lessons that they learned.
Rose soon became a great help to her aunt in the house, and she found it unnecessary to keep Jenny, who remained at home to take care of her aged grandmother.
Mr. Clark often used to say that Robin was just the boy for the farm, and Robin was proud and delighted at the thought of being able some day to help his uncle.
Susan preserved a kind watchfulness over these little ones, who had yet many faults to overcome and battle against. She was the first to show them the love and care which they so much needed, and the first to win their little hearts for Christ, by speaking of Him in all His love and grace, and showing them their own need. Now she tried to help them on in that narrow path in which she hoped their little feet had started.
That road leads up to the Father's house, where Jesus has prepared mansions for those who love Him, and He is coming again to receive His blood-bought ones to Himself. The Lord has said He will return soon for His people. Are you ready? If your sins are not forgiven when He comes, you will be left behind for judgment. Jesus invites you now to come to Him — to believe the good message, that there is forgiveness for you through faith in His blood, which cleanses from all sin. If you put it off a single day, it may be too late!
When Susan spoke of the Lord's coming to these little ones, after they had learned their own sinfulness, and learned to love and trust Him who died for them, they would say,
"Oh, how nice! I wish Jesus would come now, then we should all go up to meet Him together."
"And you would not be afraid?" she asked.
"Afraid! No; not at all. He is my Saviour," answered little Rose.
"And mine, too. I know He loves me," echoed Robin, "and sometimes, Susan, I wish I could go and live with Jesus now. I should like to go today!"
Many a time the little boy had to learn the sinfulness of his own heart, but when he did a naughty or disobedient thing, he grieved over it very sincerely, and would never rest until he was forgiven and completely restored to favor.
"Susan, am I naughty now? Do forgive me. I'm sorry," he used to say. And when reminded of his sin in God's sight, used to go and kneel and confess his sin, and come back to say, "I'm all right now. Do kiss me, Susan."
They neither of them doubted the Saviour's love to them, though they had to learn that in themselves they were sinful and weak.
Rose, Robin and May learned to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. He was their Saviour and Friend and He daily helped them to live in a way that would please Him and be a help to those around them.
The Lord Jesus is ready and willing to do the same today for all who will accept Him as their Saviour. He loved you so much He died for you and shed His blood so that your sins might be washed away. Won't you accept Him today?