“A LETTER for you, Miss Chester,” cried Winnie, running into the schoolroom a fortnight after Fred's return to school. "Guess who it is from.”
“Is it from Fred?" asked Miss Chester.
“Yes," said Winnie, a little disappointed that Miss Chester had guessed so easily; "do see, Miss Chester, if there's one inside for me.”
“No," said Miss Chester, unfolding the closely written sheet, "but I daresay you would like to hear it, so if you will call May, I will read it to you. No doubt your cousin sends a message to you both.”
“May, May!" shouted Winnie, rushing downstairs. “A letter from Fred. Miss Chester is waiting for you, she's going to read it to us. Do come quickly.”
In less than a minute the children were by Miss Chester's side, begging her to begin, which she did at once:
“DEAR MISS CHESTER,—I have not had time to write to you before, though I have tried to do so once or twice. I want to thank you very much for all your kindness to me when I was at Oakfields. I often think that if it had not been for you I might have been lost for ever. Tell May and Winnie I am keeping on at the scripture reading, and have several fellows to read with me. I did not like asking them at first, but I made up my mind that I would not be ashamed of my colors, so I asked those in my dormitory. They all joined but one big boy, and he makes it unpleasant for us. I like the Magazine you sent me very much, and shall take it in. I am going to ask more fellows to join. I shall try, too, and have a prayer meeting in our dormitory; one of the boys says he will help me. I lent Winnie's and May's little books to two friends of mine. They asked me if I had the robe of righteousness; when I said ‘Yes,' they wanted to know how I knew; so I told them all about it; but I did not know how to make it plain to them. I so wished you could talk to them. Will you pray for them and for me, that I may be bold to work for Jesus? Please give my love to all, and with best thanks, believe me,
“Yours ever,
"FREDERICK GRAHAM.”
"What does Fred mean by working for Jesus?" asked Winnie, with a puzzled look.
“To work for Jesus is to try and get other people to come to Him. A true Christian will always be a working Christian; even little children can work for Jesus.”
“Miss Chester, how can I?" asked May earnestly.
But there was a way opening for May, of which she little dreamed. That day an invitation had come for her to spend a few weeks with her mother's brother, Mr. Hamilton. May was delighted when it was arranged for her to go; she only wished Winnie could go, too. There was quite a bustle of preparation, for May was to go in a few days.
“Miss Chester, I wish you would lend me some of your little books," said May, the evening before she was to start. "I could lend them, you know, to my cousins on Sunday.”
“I shall be very pleased to do so, dear. You can take which you like.”
“I think I'll have for one, ‘The Good Samaritan,'" said May, as she turned over the leaves of the little books, "because there's something in it about the ‘beautiful garments of salvation,' and I'll take these others, too; that will be seven altogether. Is that too many?”
“Oh, no, not at all, dear; and I will put you up, if you like, some scripture cards, and some magazines and leaflets. It would be nice if you could get your cousins at Sandport to regularly read a portion of scripture.”
The whole family of cousins were waiting on the platform to welcome May next day, as she alighted from the train.
“I thought you would be tired, May," said the eldest girl, "so I drove down to fetch you, and all the children came, too, though I told them it would have been much better for them to be at home when you arrived. Are you ready? Have you all belonging to you? Then we will start. Leave the pony alone, Ted, you will get run over, if you don't mind.”
May was thankful to be delivered from the boisterous welcome of the younger children. She felt shy at seeing so many at once, but was soon pleasantly chatting with Mattie.
“I am so glad you have come, May," said her cousin, after a while. "You see the boys all go together, and I am one by myself. I often wish there was another girl.”
“There is Eva," said May.
“Oh! Eva is only seven, she and Lily are mostly with the nurse, but it will be so nice to have you to talk to.”
May had seen both her uncle and aunt before, so felt quite at home with them. After a quiet half hour spent in the drawing room, the boys, with Eva and Lily, came in and carried her off to the schoolroom tea. She soon lost all feeling of shyness and passed a very pleasant evening with her cousins.
There was so much to show her, and so much to tell, that no opportunity occurred to show them the scripture cards. But May had not forgotten her resolve to work for Jesus.
At seven the party broke up, the little ones going to bed, and the boys to read their holiday task. May was left alone in the schoolroom, Mattie being wanted by her mother. The little girl sat turning over the leaves of a book her cousin had lent her; she was not reading, her head was too full of the thought-What could she do for Jesus? "I wonder if Eva and Lily love Him," she thought. "How I should like to help them to come to Him. I think I will go and tell them about the 'Robe of Righteousness,' perhaps they have never heard about it.”
“May I come in?" she asked, looking in at the little girls' room. "I came to ask whether you would like me to tell you a story that Miss Chester told Winnie and me.”
Of course the children were delighted and made May climb up beside them on the bed while she told them of "Little Walter and Willie," and the robe of righteousness. She then went on to tell them in her childish way the story of the prodigal son and the best robe. How that an ungrateful son went away from his father into a far country and wasted all his money, and at last had no food to eat. So he came home, and when his father saw him a great way off he ran to meet him, and kissed him, and told his servants to put on him the best robe, and made a feast for him, because he was so pleased to have him back safely.
“Miss Chester says we are all like that wicked son," continued May; "we are all a long way off from God, because we have not loved Him, and He will give us a beautiful robe directly we come. There are three different names in the Bible for the robe—‘the best robe,' ‘the garment of salvation,' and the ‘robe of righteousness.' Winnie and I like to call it the ‘garment of salvation' best. We asked God to give it us, and we are sure He did, because He always gives what He promises.”
“I should like to have it, too?" said Eva.
“And so should I," said little Lily.
Then May repeated what Miss Chester had taught her:
"The best robe of heaven He bids thee put on,
Oh, couldst thou be better arrayed?”
The next day was Sunday, and May ventured to bring down to the schoolroom her little books. The children at once took possession of her, and begged her to read aloud to them. The boys even shut up their library books as she began to read, and drew round to listen.
“This parable of the Good Samaritan tells of a poor man who was attacked by thieves and wounded and left half dead; but he was found by a Samaritan, who bound up his wounds and took him to an inn, and told the host to take care of him. If that kind Samaritan had not found the poor man, he must have died, and, reader, if Jesus, the Good Samaritan, has not found you and healed your wounds, and carried you home, you are in danger of eternal death.
“Do you say, I have not been attacked by thieves, I have not been wounded, and left half dead? Yes, but you have; your sins are like thieves, they have attacked and wounded your soul. God describes poor sinners as sick ones, as diseased, defiled, and helpless. That is your condition before God, and it is your sins that have made you so. But remember there is One who is ever ready to become the Good Samaritan to your souls. You know who it is. Jesus is waiting and longing to heal you, and to take you home. Will you let Him? Can you say:
“‘Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling,
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace,
Vile, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Saviour, or I die'?
Or do you still refuse Him and turn away from that kind Saviour, who loved you so much, as to leave heaven and come to die for you? If that wounded man had said to the Samaritan, ‘Leave me alone; I do not want to be helped, I would rather be left to die,' how foolish he would have been; and if the kind Samaritan had gone away grieved and sad, because the wounded man preferred to be left in his misery; the helpless man would, when it was too late, have been sorry he had refused such a friend, who had been so ready to help him.
“But the poor man knew his need, he knew how wretched and weak and helpless and poor he was, so he was only too glad to be helped. Now this is just what I want to ask you if you know. Do you know that you are wretched and poor and blind? That is what the Bible tells you that you are. (Rev. 3:1616So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:16).) If you know this you will be glad to come to the Saviour to get your wounds healed, your sins washed away, and yourself clothed in the beautiful garments of salvation. All your stained, torn clothes changed for the robe of righteousness. The Good Samaritan is even now waiting to save you. Little reader, are you going to keep Him waiting any longer, are you going to drive Him away, and tell Him you don't want Him; or will you say:
“‘Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come'?
“You have on the beautiful robe, have you not, May?" said Eva, putting her arm round her cousin, and looking up earnestly into her face.
“Yes," said May, coloring and looking down, as she met six pairs of eyes all curiously turned on her; but remembering her "work for Jesus," she said, after a minute's pause, "Every one may have it who believes in Jesus.”
“I'll read now," said Mattie, breaking the silence which followed. "Which shall we have next?”
“Excuse me, May, but I think I have had enough," said Charlie, yawning. "I think one sermon is enough at a time. Come on, Ted: let's go for a stroll.”
As the younger boys passed Bertie, Charlie stopped.
“Are you not coming, Bert?”
“No," said Bertie shortly.
“Oh! May's going to make you religious, is she? I say, Bert, you'll have to give up some of your little games if she does.”
“Mind your own business, and keep your advice till you are asked for it," said Bertie, crossly.
“Shall we have ‘The Lost Sheep,’" asked Eva, as the two boys left the room.
“Do you mind which?" inquired Mattie, taking the book from Eva.
“Oh! no, have just which you like," answered May.
“In this beautiful parable of ‘The Lost Sheep,' we see a picture of the love of Jesus in leaving heaven and coming down here to die, so that He might bring poor wandering sinners back to Himself and give them everlasting life. The shepherd represents Jesus, and the lost sheep you, if you have not yet come to Jesus. And Jesus is calling you now. He has been calling you all your life, but you have not been willing to hear Him. Will you listen to Him now? Hark! He is saying to you still, ‘Come unto Me.' Are you going to refuse Him?
“Besides being our Shepherd, Jesus tells us in John 10:99I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9) that He is the door, and all who enter in by Him shall be saved. Now I want you to try and find out if you have gone in by this door. You are not in unless you have gone in by the door; there is only one door, and that is Jesus. How can we come in by the door? By faith in Jesus, by believing what He says. Look at John 10:1414I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. (John 10:14), He says: ‘I know my sheep.' Does he know you? or are you far away from Him? In John 10:2727My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27) He says, ‘My sheep hear my voice.' Oh, listen to His voice and follow Him; you know what He promises to those who follow Him. Eternal life. Come then to Jesus, and trust in Him, and you will be a part of His flock; and then trust Him to keep you safe, for He has promised that those who have come to Him shall never perish: no one shall be able to pluck them out of His hand. How safe the sheep are. Are you one of that happy flock? Can you say, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd?'”
While Mattie was reading, Bertie seemed restless and uncomfortable, May thought, and at the last words, "Can you say, The Lord is my Shepherd?" he rose abruptly, and walking to the window stood looking out with his back to the girls.
“And now, May," said Mattie, as she closed the book, "please open your other parcel; I know you want to do so, for you keep looking at it.”
So May brought out her scripture cards, and Mattie at once said she would like one; then the little girls asked if they might have one also, and were very pleased to hear that May had brought one for each. Then she explained that the portions of scripture on the cards were to be read from the Bible every day.
“Will you have a scripture card, Bertie?" May asked, looking across to the window where the boy still stood.
“No," he answered, shortly, without looking up.
“Oh! leave him alone, May," said Mattie; "he's in one of his sulks, it's no good taking any notice of him when he's like that. Come, let's go out now, you would like a walk, would you not?”
As May followed her cousin from the room, she looked wistfully at Bertie, she longed to be able to comfort him, for she saw he was not happy. But it was of no use, he did not wish to be spoken to, so all she could do, was to ask the Good Shepherd to bring him into His flock in His own good time.