While William spoke, the eyes of the old lady opened more and more, and bending over him, she listened to the tale of the little one. When he had finished, she began to tremble violently, so she sat down on the edge of the bed to keep from falling. Was it possible that William’s father...?
Ah, she feared to finish the thought. Her son, too, had left her many years ago, in disobedience and stubbornness, and she never had heard a word; only the heavy sobs, rising from time to time, gave evidence of her inward feelings. William noticed the terrible excitement of the old lady, but did not know what to think of it. At last she asked with trembling voice: “What was your father’s name?” “Robert H.,” replied the boy.
“Gracious God,” she cried, lifting her eyes heavenward and folding her hands tightly together, “is it possible? O, how wonderful! Thy ways are past finding out! Robert H. was my son, my only son! And he died as you have said? O, then, my prayers are answered. God be praised! My son has not died in his sins, but come to himself and returned, like the lost son to the father’s house.”
“And when he came to himself, he said... I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned... And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:17-2017And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. (Luke 15:17‑20)).
The old lady stopped a moment. The surprise was too great, the excitement too much. William was sitting on the bed and stared speechless at her. She continued again after a while: “And you are the son of Robert H., my boy? Then you are my grandchild and I am your grandmother! Has the Lord sent you, poor child, to me to find a home and that I might have comfort and help in my old days? O Lord, how great is Thy kindness. Thy name be praised forever!”
After saying this she took William in her arms and kissed him tenderly. The dear boy did not know what was happening to him. He had experienced so many things, and now, so late at night, this unexpected meeting with his grandmother! He could not comprehend it and could find no words to express his feelings. When he recovered at last from his amazement, he said: “This is a wonderful day; how good it was my brothers took me into the forest. Otherwise I would not have come here, nor ever found my grandmother. O, how good! I thought I had no friend on the earth except Caesar, and now God has led me here!”
Both shed tears of joy together. After the first excitement was over, nature made her demands, and our happy little friend’s eyes began to close, and the next minute he was sound asleep. His grandmother did not think of sleeping for a good while; her heart was full of joy and thanksgiving, and all traces of fatigue were gone. She sat down at the table and put her horn eye-glasses on and read in a low and trembling voice the 103rd Psalm. Yes, the Lord had done great things for her and had satisfied her with good things in her old age. Again and again she would say in a low voice: “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name” (Psalm 103:11<<A Psalm of David.>> Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. (Psalm 103:1)).
Then she knelt down to thank and praise the God of all grace for His boundless goodness. O, her son, who had once caused her so much sorrow and grief, but for whom the mother’s heart had reserved the same love, had gone home with faith in his Redeemer, had gone where she would soon see him again, and, also, the Lord had sent this dear grandchild to her in such a wonderful way.
She would spend her days in loneliness no more; young strength and energy would now take the burdens of labor from her, which had already become too heavy for her shoulders. Bright pictures of a happy future arose before her mind, and she marveled at the kindness and mercy of God. Only one circumstance put a taste of bitterness into her cup of joy, and that was the thought of William’s older brothers. But her faith could trust the grace of God concerning them too; that grace was sufficient even for these wicked and strayed young men.
The morning began to dawn before the happy old lady sought her resting place to get a few hours’ sleep, and the sunbeams had long been shining into the room when the two sleepers awoke. After rising quickly and preparing the breakfast, grandmother began afresh to ask the boy many questions, and the boy went over the past few months again, till it was noon. In the afternoon, grandmother showed William her goats and chickens and geese, and also the garden in which grew all kinds of vegetables for her own needs. The care of the goats and poultry she put immediately into the boy’s hands, and he did his work with energy and skill.
A new life had begun in the little cabin near the forest. Grandmother, who was already more than seventy years of age, but rather robust, evidently grew young again because of the presence of the child of her only and much loved son. She taught him, as he grew older, how to work the field and garden; at the same time she instructed him in reading and writing and sent him into the next village, where they had a small school.
Several years passed by thus, and William had grown up to be a strong youth walking in the fear of the Lord.
His grandmother dealt with him in much love and tenderness, but also with the proper severity when needed. Quite often she would say: “I have sinned deeply against your father. He was my only child (her husband had died shortly after the son’s birth), and I was too weak to punish him when he had been disobedient. Yielding to him in a false love, I left his naughty ways unpunished and so God punished me. Now, may God preserve me from making the same mistake with you.”
When William had become big and more thoughtful, he was very, very thankful to his dear grandmother for having trained him thus, and truly every child has cause to be thankful when God has given them faithful parents who bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and who spare not the rod if needed.