Two children stood in a garden,
Two children with golden hair,
With the summer sunlight resting
In all its brightness there.
Their arms were around each other
As they chatted pleasantly,
Beneath the linden tree.
“How kind it was of dear grandpa
To give me this silver bright!
I shall spend it all,” said Katie,
In a tone of great delight.
“I shall buy a new hat for dolly,
Some nice pink candy, too;
But tell me, dear sister Mabel,
What are you going to do?”
Then Mabel looked at her money,
Deep thought was on her brow
As she turned toward her sister
With voice so sweet and low.
And she drew a little closer
To hide her glistening eye,
As thus to Katie’s question
Sweet Mabel made reply—
“When grandpa gave me a quarter
Before he said, ‘Good-bye,’
He told me of Jesus, who loved me
So much that He came to die.
And he said, that though I was little,
There was something I could do,
If I only tried to find it,
To show that I love Him too.
He said that God’s children were round us,
That many were badly fed;
That some were too old and feeble
To work for their daily bread.
And he said, that though little children,
To some we might be kind,
And the Lord Himself would bless us,
If this were in our mind.
So I’m going to take my money
To poor old Widow Green,
For I heard dear mother saying
That she in want had been.
And though it is only a quarter,
‘Twill buy her a little food,
As I’d like to spend my money
In doing what I could.”
“But mother can help her!” said Katie;
“I’ll ask her presently.”
“I know it,” said Mabel, softly,
But mother would not be me.”
And so the two children parted,
Each went on her chosen way;
But which, of the children, think you,
Was the happier one that day?
Ah, well we know it was Mabel,
When down in the crimson west
The golden sun went sinking,
And the hour had come for rest.
For, opening her little Bible,
What joy for her to see,
“Inasmuch as ye did it unto
Them, ye did it unto Me.”
ML 09/17/1916