THERE was once in France a poor boy who was called “Little Peter.” He was an orphan, and begged his bread from door to door. He, sang very prettily, and people seldom sent him away empty-handed. It was an idle and sad life which he led; but Peter had no one to care for him, and he did not know what else to do. He had the singular custom of saying on every occasion, “It comes from above.” I will now tell you why.
When his father was on his death-bed —if, indeed, he had a bed, for he was very poor—he said to his son, “My dear Peter, you will now be left alone, and many troubles you will have in the world. But always remember that all comes from above; then you will find it easy to bear everything with patience.”
Little Peter understood him; and, in order not to forget the words, he often spoke them aloud. He received every gift with the words “It comes from above.”
As he grew up, he used to consider what they meant. He was wise enough to see that, as God rules the world, we may well believe of everything that happens in the way of His providence, “It comes from above.”
This faith of Little Peter often turned out for his benefit. Once as he was passing through the town, a sudden gust of wind blew off a roof-tile, which fell on his shoulder, and struck him to the ground. His first words were, “It comes from above.” The bystanders laughed, and thought he must be out of his senses; for of course it could not fall from below; but they did not understand him. A minute after, the wind tore off an entire roof in the same street, which crushed three men to death. Had Little Peter gone on, he would probably have been at that moment just where the roof fell.
Another time, a gentleman employed him to carry a letter to a town, bidding him make all haste. On his way, he tried to jump over a ditch; but it was so wide he fell in and was nearly drowned. The letter was lost in the mud, and could not be recovered. The gentleman was angry when Little Peter told him of the loss, and drove him out of doors with his whip. “It comes from above,” said Peter as he stood on the steps. The next day the gentleman sent for him. “See here,” said he; “there are two half-crowns for you for tumbling into the ditch. Circumstances have now so changed that it would have been a loss to me had the letter gone safely.”
I could tell you much more about Peter. When he had become a great boy, he was still called “Little Peter.” A rich gentleman who came into town, having heard his story, sent for him, in order to give him something. When Little Peter entered the room, the Englishman said, “What think you, Peter? why have I sent for you?”
“It comes from above,” replied Peter. This answer greatly pleased the gentleman. After thinking a while, he said, “You are right. I will take you into my service, and provide well for you. Will you agree to that?”
“It comes from above,” answered Peter. “God is very good to me. I will gladly go with you.”
So the Englishman took him away. It was a good thing for the poor boy, who had been taught no trade. Long afterwards, we learned that, when his master died, he left him a large sum of money to carry on the business; and that “Little Peter” was then a wealthy man in Birmingham. But he still said of every occurrence, “It comes from above.”
ML 07/31/1904